Dec 14 2011
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Life, London 2011, Travel, Uncategorized

Unbelievable blessings: One year, seventeen cities

1. Honolulu, Hawaii

I started the year off in Hawaii with my awesome mom. We travelled to Kauai’i, an island in the Hawaiian chain for a few days. We saw waterfalls, went to an awesome luau on the beach and just really enjoyed our time. I rang in the New Year at Waikiki Beach watching fireworks shoot off from the ocean. It was the second time I had spent NYE in Hawaii and was really neat to see fireworks all over the island.

2. Waco, Texas

After Hawaii, I went back to Waco to start the spring semester of my junior year. It was my second semester as Editor in Chief of The Baylor Lariat. One of my best friends, Jessica, came back from the program I am currently doing in London and worked as the Arts&Entertainment editor that semester. The above picture features mine and Jess’ favorite contribution to the staff — awesome Lariat fleeces! It also shows one of my favorite people — Julie Freeman — who is one of the greatest mentor/friends in the world. To explain how incredible Julie is wouldn’t do her justice, your life is lacking without her in it, just trust me. With all the stress and drama of the Lariat newsroom, having these two there that semester was a Godsend.

3. Ruidoso, New Mexico

While I didn’t live here for a really extended amount of time, it is still a part of this year I definitely never want to forget. I was lucky to spend yet another Spring Break with amazing friends. We rented out a mountain cabin for all of us for an entire week in Ruidoso. We made the best of the small mountain town and I really enjoyed planning the trip. With me in the photo is Chris, another Godsend in my life. We have been best friends for a little over a year now and we will be roommates when I come back from London. The Ruidoso trip was full of crazy times and just great friendship. From skiing to lounging and reading in our cabin, we all had an amazing time and I still think about the peacefulness of that week.

4. Washington, D.C. 

I was lucky enough to land a second internship in Washington, D.C. for another summer and spent my break there again this past summer. I worked for the Student Press Law Center in Arlington as a reporter. I was fortunate enough to have my mom visit all the way from Hawaii. The picture is of us in front of my favorite place in the District, the Supreme Court. We got to sit in and hear opinions that day and woke up way early for it. My time in DC was completely different, though I lived in the same place with the same awesome owners I spent a lot of time to myself, reading and writing. I think this past summer was definitely a time when I started to realize how much I enjoyed DC and the possibilities it offers. It’s still one of my favorite American cities, if not my favorite.

 

5. London, England

On September 1, I moved to London for three and a half months not really knowing what to expect. What I found was a city that piqued my interests in so many ways. Its various neighborhoods are awesome, its politics are really neat for a nerd like me, its trees are the coolest I have seen and its people are so very, very different. Studying in London has been one of the most interesting times of my life thus far. I feel like I have changed in some obvious and not so obvious ways. I look forward to moving back to America because I miss my friends but also because I am interested to see how my perspective has changed. What have I learned? How will I see Waco and Texas? Perhaps my favorite thing about London was its proximity to the continent and the ease of travel to other parts of Europe. One of my biggest goals was to travel as much as possible. I think I have done more than I thought I could, and the awesome thing is there is still so much more I want to see. I am thankful for the travel experiences I have this semester. The next cities on this list trips I took during my time in London. Each time I came back from a trip, London felt more like a home. A definite highlight of my time in London is when two of my best friends, Sommer (above) and Jessica, came to visit for the Thanksgiving holiday. An amazing City like London paired with amazing friends like Sommer and Jessica makes for an unforgettable week.

6. Edinburgh, Scotland

My first weekend trip while studying abroad was to Edinburgh, Scotland. To think about the trip now is incredible. So much has changed and I feel like I would have a totally different view of the city now that I have traveled elsewhere. However, we all really enjoyed our time in Edinburgh. One of my favorite things we did was a ghost tour at night through the city. We visited Edinburgh Castle as well. We took a train to Scotland, which was a first for me as well.

7. Madrid, Spain

I can’t even explain how much I loved this place. Knowing enough Spanish to have some conversations there was really neat and made me dread my Spanish IV class in the Spring a little less. We had an awesome hostel experience and encountered some of the best people in Spain. I truly felt like I could have spent a semester in Madrid. If I lived on the continent, I think Spain would be my first choice (except for the whole 50 percent unemployment for people my age.) I did an entire post on my trip to this city that you should read if Spain has ever grabbed your attention. I really miss the paella and the culture and hope to make it back to Spain one day. This photo is of me, Fabian and Carlos (two guys we met while in Spain) all doing a Sic ‘en in front of Madrid’s symbol, a bear and a small tree. Pablo, our tour guide, told me why that was the symbol, but I am pretty sure it was a lie because it was a free tour haha.

8. Zurich, Switzerland

Ok, I will be honest, I didn’t leave the airport premises for this one. In fact, there isn’t even a photo of me in Zurich, so I will need to go back for a proper visit. I put it on the list, though, because I was in the airport for about ten hours of my life. I slept on a random restaurant booth for a lot of it. (except for when Caty and I attempted to figure our the bus system and get to the city center. Yeah, that didn’t work out.) The picture is of the Swiss Alps as we flew from Zurich to Venice for the start of our Mediterranean cruise that was our mid-semester break.

9. Venice, Italy

This was my first encounter with Italy and I loved every single minute. From the gelato to the canals, Venice was really impressive. We had a day and a half in Venice before our cruise departed from the city and began its tour. We used that time to see as much of the city as possible. We went in a few churches, had several gelato stops and even took time to see a few art exhibits. The city is just so different because of its waterways. It is an awesome city to get lost in and at times, i think I was actually lost in it! I got another day in Venice because our cruise ported there at the end and we had a day before our flight left. Seeing it again was great and I could definitely use a third round of Venice.

10. Ancona, Italy

Most of these write-ups have been extremely positive, partly because the places are just insanely awesome and partly because I was a giddy American traveling throughout Europe. Ancona, however, is not a place I would suggest to anyone. It was the first stop on our cruise for some reason and literally the only thing I saw was more  ocean. We made the best of our time there, but if you are looking for a hidden gem of the Italian coast, Ancona wasn’t it for me.

11. Mykonos, Greece

This place was so great I had to upload two photos. But really, during the cruise we had an entire day (from about 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.) in Mykonos. We spent a lot of time on Paradise Beach, and then spent time in the city at night. My favorite part of Greece? Gyros. What I would give to have a Greek gyro available at all times and taste like the ones in Mykonos. The cityscape was awesome, with stark white buildings and bright blue accents running throughout. Mykonos was probably my favorite stop on the cruise.

12. Athens, Greece

If you know me, you know my favorite Disney movie is Hercules. Well, let me just say that we have a few hours to get in all we could of Athens, Greece, and we did a great job that day thanks to the help of one of those cheesy bus tours. This picture is of us at the Parthenon. We got in for free because we are students (winning) and saw some of the oldest ruins in the world up close and personal. There is much of Athens I didn’t see and I think a return trip is in order.

13. Corfu, Greece

It was another one those places that was nice, but apparently not nice enough for me to think to get a photo of myself actually in the City. We had a few hours there and we enjoyed our time, but we all kind of wished we had planned an excursion for this day because apparently the city wasn’t the best part of Corfu. If you go, make sure to take a kayak adventure, we heard this was really amazing. Add it to the redo list, too.

14. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Wow. That was my first thought as I stepped foot in Dubrovnik. I had never heard of this place until the cruise itinerary. It used to be its own country and still has city walls that surround amazing buildings and pathways. The cliffs along its beaches have awesome caves and caverns that could have inspired several of Owl City’s songs, if you ask me. Dubrovnik is worth the trip. The people were really nice and the views were the best part. The building behind me in the photo above with Colleen looked like it was straight out of Narnia, Prince Caspian.

15. Brussels, Belgium

On our way back from the cruise we had a really long lay over, during the day, in Brussels. So we took a train to the city center and explored. It has one of the most beautiful city squares in all of Europe, with buildings like I have never seen. Food wise, the waffles were incredible. In this picture Colleen and I have Leonidas waffles before walking around Brussels.

16. Rome, Italy

Following the cruise, I took a travel break. My internship began and travel time availability was definitely shortened. I explored London much more and really got familiar with the City. But then, all of a sudden, I was really over the cloudy days and darkness that started at 3:30 p.m. here in London. So, the girls found cheap flights to Rome for a weekend and we went. One of my roommates here, Brent, was also in Rome that weekend. Pretty knowledgeable about Rome after working there this summer, he showed us amazing places to eat and tour. Some of the best times were just walking around the city and joking around, like in the above photograph with one of the public fountains that people still use for public consumption.

17. Marrakech, Morocco

The travel bug bit us and we had to take one last trip before we go back to America. So naturally we chose to go to Africa. I really couldn’t believe when we finally booked our tickets to Morocco and I kept counting down the days until we left. We researched and researched Marrakech before going and that really made our trip much better. Our riad was really incredible and the Moroccan people were incredibly nice, perhaps the nicest of any people group I have met. We went on an all day excursion for one of our days that allowed us to hike through the Atlas mountains and ride a camel! The pictures above are of me feeding a young camel, followed by the main city square in the morning and then a picture of one willow tree that is sustained by a waterfall in the middle of the Atlas mountains. Morocco was my favorite travel experience of my time in London and I would go back for the mint tea and people alone. (except the creepers who always hit on the girls haha!)

_____________________________________________________________

Well, there it all is: one year, seventeen incredible places and an unlimited amount of memories. My 2011 was insanely blessed beyond measure. There were valleys, but I feel like the peaks were so high the valleys were easy to overcome. I really don’t know what I did to deserve such an amazing year. But I do know that it wouldn’t have been possible without amazing people in my life, like my mother, who has made so much available to me.

On Sunday I travel back to America where I will spend a few days in Dallas before heading to Honolulu, HI to finally see my mom. After a little more than a week there (including a trip to Hilo, on the Big Island) I will head back to Texas where I will see a Heisman trophy winner play with my Baylor Bears in the Alamo Bowl that I am attending with Alyssa and Cailtin and their families. I will then get to spend some time with extended family in San Antonio before heading to Austin for NYE with a few of my closest and best friends. After that, it is 2012: the year I graduate from college. I had no clue 2011 had this much in store for me, and I can’t fathom what 2012 will bring, but I am ready.

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Nov 23 2011
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Uncategorized

Three Out of Four Ain’t Bad

 

My collegiate career (which is, unfortunately and at the same time fortunately, dwindling) included a lot of time in the Lariat newsroom. Often times, I say that with spite. But, if I am being completely honest, I have a lot of thanks to give for my time at the Lariat. Aside from preparing me for my future, I met three of the best people on this planet: Brittany, Jessica and Sommer.

Jessica did the same program I am apart of now last Fall. She decided to come visit during this week of Thanksgiving. (Her gracious parents gifted the trip to her as a congratulations on graduating this December!) When I went to pick up Jessica at the airport Saturday morning, I was running late thanks to the Tube. When I finally got to the international arrivals area, I looked around, ran toward the arrivals screen then saw that her plane made it on time. I looked around to see if I could spot her in the crowd. Across the room at one of the computers I saw her! I B-lined over and gave her a huge hug!

When I set her down (Yes, that means I picked her up during the hug.) She just looked at me in anticipation. I didn’t know why. Then she pointed to her left — IT WAS SOMMER INGRAM.

I was stunned. And picked her up and gave her a big hug. I just couldn’t believe she was here! Then I looked around to see if my favorite red head was anywhere to be found. Unfortunately, she wasn’t! It didn’t damper my excitement, and I partly think God knew London couldn’t handle all four of us taking this city by storm.

This week has been phenomenal, I really missed my friends from back home and this break for them was a perfect time for me to be reminded of just how lucky I am. But today, I remembered something else: that friendship, near or far, is the same. These three of my closest friends have been here for me, without being here. And even though Brittany isn’t here, she is still actively involved in my life and helps me out often.

I am blessed with other amazing friends, too. Too many, really, to name them all. But, like I said, the four of us have an experience that can never be recreated to bond us together: The Lariat. And we all have the fleeces to prove it. 

It is really nice to have Sommer and Jessica here to laugh with, reminisce with and make new memories here in this gorgeous city. The two of them remind me of the numerous people in my life back home who care about me and who I care for; the people who I can’t wait to hang out with and catch up on life with. Having two friends in the flesh simply reminded me that the life I had to leave for this experience didn’t just stop. I have so much to catch up on. So many stories, so many struggles, so many opportunities to invest in other people.

I miss a lot of things about home. (like my amazing mother) But one thing I can say, without a doubt, I never want to give up or forget about is the feeling I get from helping a friend in need. I read this quote from Mother Teresa today:

At the end of our lives we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by: I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.
Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love.
Naked not only for clothing— but naked of human dignity and respect.
Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.
This is Christ in distressing disguise.

These people in need don’t have to be strangers. In fact, I think some days we are more caring and loving toward strangers than the very people who keep us going every day — our friends.

It was really nice to realize how good of friends my Lariat co-workers turned best friends are because near or far, these three girls have always — and will always — be there for me. And if I can be a friend to anyone else like they have been to me, then I think I am taking steps in the right direction.

I miss you all and this Thanksgiving (I don’t care if the Brits ignore the holiday, I am celebrating) I am thankful for each and every person who reminds me daily to die to myself and live more like Jesus.

 

Nov 18 2011
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Christianity, Life, writing

Finding stability, then pressing on

Why don’t we enjoy not having control? I think it is an innate quality that can be traced back to the Fall… but it bothers me that I can’t make myself change and be OK when things are outside of my control.

Talk about some hard thinking that sentence induces: I don’t like that I can’t FORCE myself to STOP forcing my life’s path. Man, I have problems.

Sorry to say, we all do. But what kind of journey would we live if we didn’t have to climb?
We can walk the plains of life and live flat lives. Or we can point to the peaks, take the anger we put into our tantrums when things don’t go our way, and run toward our goals.

If we fail on the way, aren’t we still higher than when we started? And if we made it that far, doesn’t that mean our goal is that much closer?

Your attempt wasn’t a failure. It was a step.

We have altered the size of failure into some gargantuan, insurmountable wall. We hate failure because we don’t think it will happen. We assume success is a simple leap away. But nothing worth having is that easy, as they say.

Work hard. Love yourself harder. But never, ever stop. Expecting the delays and the failures puts you in control.

And if you do find yourself stuck, just look back. See how far you’ve come and know you aren’t there anymore. You’ve progressed. You’re closer than you have ever been. And you didn’t get there by wallowing. Take some time, gain some perspective and get back up. That’s how you get in control of life: you become OK with failure.

You recognize that it exists. You look it in the face, and suddenly that insurmountable wall is a small hurdle.

These hurdles can be beaten fairly easily. And once we are on the other side, our ego inflates. And sure, there are things we have persuaded ourselves to think we did all on our own. But what I am learning more and more is that doing things on your own is doing things the wrong way. Because we weren’t made to do things on our own. We are very much a dependent species, and that isn’t a bad thing.

You shouldn’t be afraid of being dependent, you should be afraid of who you are dependent on —  if it’s anyone other than Christ, you’ll be let down. I know, it sounds cliche and Sunday School to say you should lean on Christ. That cliche mindset is what has pushed us away, though, and we can’t let our desire for a complex philosophical understanding of the Gospel blur the very basic idea that we are incapable of any valuable action without Him.

One of the things I missed because of the cliche mindset: that my unruly emotions can be tamed through time in the Word of God.

“But our emotions shouldn’t be vested with final authority. This should be reserved for God’s Word alone.”

- C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life [page 41]

We aren’t incapable of making decisions for ourselves. We are simply given far clearer direction when we stay in His Word. This is when the over used “God just told me that this is right,” response actually wouldn’t bother me when I used it. Time and time again I would tell myself that I just felt God was leading me this or that way. Sure, maybe He was. But I will confess that most of those times I just assumed that what I wanted was what I should do according to His will. It may have been. But making the decision without consulting the people in my life, the Word and with no time in prayer is a big gamble.

Putting emotions before the advice and wisdom of the Word and the advice of your most trusted supporters makes no sense. We wonder why we have no control? But we have the capability to have all of the control. We choose to listen or to rebel. We choose to make a decision after due diligence or just on a whim. Sometimes our decisions create chaos, and sometimes there are no immediate consequences.

Searching for a way to stabilize your life is one of the first peaks for which to aim. Stability should be your landmark on your journey– chaos, frustration and a constant stirring is a sign to look back; to take a moment for reflection and discernment.

Humans are a wayward race; we have a tendency to stray. Lucky for us, we are never left alone, He is always there.

“God is glorified when we believe with all our hearts that those who trust in Christ can never be condemned.”

- C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life

Nov 15 2011
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BLEEP, Life, writing

BLEEP — It’s not a curse word

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If we are Facebook friends or if we follow one another on twitter, at the start of every other month you will see me send off links accompanied by a few !!!! and the words “proud” “check it out” and “Sic ‘em Bears.” But most certainly the word BLEEP was in there, too. It’s the title of a nearly one-year old digital magazine based out of New York that I have been contributing to for a few issues now.

Recently, the editor in chief (a Baylor and BU Student Publications alum) Ryan Brinson, asked me if I would like to take on more responsibilities on the web side of things– dealing with social media, the website and getting more people reading the magazine. After working on my website throughout the summer, I actually have really found a new hobby. I wish I had more time to dedicate to understanding all of the intricacies and what not, but at a very basic level, I have enjoyed maintaining my blog and website. At The Lariat, I really enjoyed using our paper’s social media outlets to inform people and I am interested to see how I can sharpen those skills when it comes to promoting and managing the online presence of an arts and culture magazine.

The blog post before this was about a concert I went to last week — and the whole time I couldn’t help but compare that band to what is happening over at BLEEP. A group of talented people, coming together for a common goal — entertain and enlighten people. BLEEP is a perfect name for this. Expression, uncensored, is featured on the pages of this magazine. As you flip through, you see face after face of aspiring actors, musicians and designers– all talented, all deserving a spotlight.

BLEEP is there to shed that light. To help the aspiring turn professional. To help the professional turn well-known. To help the reader stay informed. So, from here on out I am the Online Media Editor at BLEEP and will be much more active once I finish this semester abroad. I am looking forward to the new position a lot and I am hoping all of you will head over and give a few of the past magazines a read!

________________________
How to follow BLEEP:
Facebook: BLEEP Magazine

Twitter: @BLEEPmag

Website: www.bleepmag.com

For the current issue click here

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Nov 10 2011
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Concerts, Life, London 2011, Music

‘One day we’ll all be found. No longer lost, we’re just hangin’ around’

Went to a concert headlined by The Head and the Heart last night at a place called The Garage east of Camden — turned out to be the best concert I have ever been to, hands down. The universe seemed against me when it found out I wanted to go to this concert. Neither of the ticket websites worked for me all week, but then yesterday I caved and tweeted at the band for a link that actually worked to buy tickets online. The responded! And I got a ticket. Mock Twitter all I want — and I do it quite often — it really has helped me out more than the average person. (Won an iPod, several concert tickets, the world’s smallest USB drive….)

But printing my ticket at Metrogate, the hub of FIE life here in London, was ridiculous, too. It took me about thirty minutes to get the printer working. Then I found out that I had no printing sheets left– a mystery as to where my 50 unused pages went– but finally I printed the ticket. Took the Tube to the venue. Got there. And construction workers have shut down every entrance to the door as the rip up the asphalt on the road in front of the Garage. Is this some sort of joke, I ask myself.

Either way, I finally get inside. Meet up with friends and we are on the second row of people standing. Being so tall, it might as well have been the front row. The opener, The Singing Adams, was OK. Nothing too special but I think they could be amazing if they had some animation in their performance. Their songs were great, reminded me of Mumford meets Kooks.

When The Head and the Heart came on stage though, the concert really started. And I don’t feel like it stopped until the end of the encore. Every song they played sounded even better than it did on the CD– unusual, but awesome. During the encore, the female singer, Charity and the main singer did a song I had never heard before. My friend Allie took video and I am hoping to get that uploaded and up on the site soon, because it was really, really good. (Also, shout out for the photos!)

My favorite song of the night was probably Down in the Valley which they also played during the encore. My friend Ted told me they were really good when he saw them live in New York City earlier this semester, but I had no idea they would be THIS good. If they tour near you, GO. Some reviews I have read about them hated on how optimistic  the band’s songs and musicians were, but that is one of the main reasons I like them. Because we can’t all be cynical, anti-mainstream critics who hate justice and a good ending.

Nov 08 2011
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Christianity, Life, London 2011, writing

It doesn’t take much

A sunset in Mykonos, Greece taken during a visit in Fall 2011.

I write a lot. I mean that in terms of frequency and in shear amount. But sometimes it doesn’t take an immense load of writing to really impact someone. In fact, sometimes it is just a few sentences. Here’s an awesome quote from author Don Miller that he wrote in one of his books, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.” It helped me this morning. Maybe it can do the same. Writing that helps is writing in its altruistic form, I think.

“I have a hope, it’s that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you.”

— Don Miller

 

Like I said, sometimes it doesn’t take much writing. Have a great day.
Until next time,

Nick

 

Nov 07 2011
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Life, London 2011, Travel

The globetrotting one

Sorry for the lack of blogging. But hey, let’s just get to the update, yes? Yes.

So, I left off at a Ghanaian meal with one of my classes here. Well, that class — along with another class of mine — ended during the second-to-last week of October. That week was insane and I had many projects, presentations and a couple of papers. Either way, we all survived.

After that, it was Fall Break. And this wasn’t just some one-Friday-off, Baylor-style Fall Break. This was an eleven-day, travel-as-much-of-Europe-as-possible Fall Break, and I took advantage of it. I told many of you that I booked a Mediterranean cruise for the Fall Break. My reasoning: I would see about 5 countries by the end of the break. I wouldn’t have to book any kind of hostel/hotels and I wouldn’t have to worry about strikes and what not happening in Greece. Also, it’s a cruise.

On a Thursday morning, Grizz, Colleen, Caty and I headed for Heathrow Airport here in London for a flight to Venice, where the cruise left from. We had a nine hour layover in Zurich, Switzerland from about 11 p.m. until 7 or 8 in the morning. In Zurich, we stayed in the airport. I know, lame. But the buses and what not weren’t that easy to figure out. Also, Switzerland is probably one of the most expensive countries I have ever been to. A cab into the city? 120 franks (which converts to even more American dollars) ONE WAY.

One of my favorite views of the entire trip during a flight from Zurich to Venice.

Yeah, we slept instead. Got up, boarded the plane and went to Venice.We got to be in the air as the sun rose. One of the best sights of the entire trip for me was the sun rising over the Swiss Alps that were jutting through this awesome, ocean-like arrangement of clouds our plane was flying above. (see photo)

We got to Venice, took quick naps at the Holiday Inn and then took a shuttle to the city center. Surrounded by canals, Venice is one of the coolest cities I have ever seen. Our first stop in Venice: gelato. We have been talking about having Italian gelato since we booked the fight to Venice and it didn’t disappoint. I could walk around Venezia all day. I really enjoyed this city.

The next morning we got up, headed to the port and boarded our home for the next 7 Days: the Costa Victoria.
Our stops:

Ancona, Italy

A woman stares out into the Adriatic sea in Ancona, Italy — our first stop on the cruise.

Mykonos, Greece

White with blue top chapel in Mykonos, Greece after our all day excursions around the island. Nearly every building in Mykonos is stark white.

The best food on earth — a Greek gyro I had in Mykonos.

Athens, Greece

Statues on a building near the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

The columns still standing at the Temple of Zeus in Athens, Greece.

Corfu, Greece

An old fort in Corfu — really like the Greek flag in this one.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Colleen and I on the old walls in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It used to be its own country and protected its liberty with huge, protective walls.

Colleen, Grizz and Caty walking the old city walls.

I can’t even recount all of the hilarious stories we have from our cruise. They blur together, because it was seven days of hilarious, rambunctious world traveling. I can say I am really glad Caty, Grizz and Colleen went with me. They made the trip and traveling one of the best experiences of my life. I am thankful to have friends like them: their sense of humor and camaraderie has really made this trip better than I could have imagined. I get ragged on a lot for being the only guy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way– and I give them an equally hard time.

Also, on our way back from the cruise we had another night in Venice.

A Sunday market in Brussels that we visited during our long layover. Right after this, we had the best kind of waffles — Belgian!

We flew out the next morning, and had a layover for 9 hours in Brussels, Belgium. This time it was in the morning, however, and we took a train into the city center and saw all of the big sites we could. After a week of travel, though, we went back to the airport a little early and slept on the couches there until our plane to London was ready for boarding.

All in all, if I had to go back I would definitely book the cruise all over again. The four of us overcame the lack of people our age and found several new friends (I even found my brothers from Switzerland! (sorry for the inside joke.))

My favorite city on the cruise was Mykonos — though Venice is a close second. I am really missing the Greek gyros, but know that I can get a small taste of Greece back in Waco at D’s Mediterranean Food. (I know, not the same. But so, so close.)

If you want to see more photos, check out my Facebook albums “If you don’t go…” and “You don’t have a story.”

The titles come from our first day in Venice, when we saw a guy with the phrase “If you don’t go, you don’t have a story” on his sweater while eating dinner. I made it the motto of my trip, and I am so glad I did. There is so much truth in that statement. Timidity has no place in study abroad. Because there is a hard and fast deadline when this experience expires. I don’t want to have any regrets, and they say the only regrets you can have are of things you didn’t do. Because everything else you commit to at the very least teaches you something about yourself.

The countdown is on. Hope to post more each day. But, you know my history with this thing.

Learning lots. Miss you all. Hope to see you soon.

Nick

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Oct 12 2011
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Life, London 2011, Travel

Global Studies: Ghanaian food, culture

Our class at the African Torch in Tottenham Hale.

Alberta and me at African Torch restaurant in Tottenham Hale

For one of my classes here, Transnational Studies: Global Diaspora, we get to travel around London and learn about the different immigrants that have settled in and throughout London. This class is probably one of the best classes I have had, in London and in college. The different field trips and readings are really informative and provide insight into what is shaping society today.

From a racial, cultural, religious and national perspective we have talked about the treatment of immigrant groups. My professor for the class just finished his Ph.D. on the Ghanaian diaspora in London. Last night he set up a dinner at an African restaurant with some of the women he has had the chance to meet during his research. Getting to talk to Alberta and her daughters last night, while bonding over the different music, television shows, food and words we use was really awesome. Immersion in a culture is really the best way to get to know any culture. The food I had was awesome, but really spicy. For starters we had a plantain and ground nuts mixture that was my favorite part of the meal. We also had fried shrimp with a bit of a kick, like most of the meal, but it was still really good. For the main course I had grilled tilapia and friend plantains (I really can’t get enough plantains.)

I was talking to Alberta about race relations in London compared to America. When I told her that, for the most part, African Americans simply label themselves (or are simply labeled) African Americans, she told me in London they label themselves (or are labeled) by their specific African roots. For instance, she is Ghanaian British, and someone could be Nigerian British or Kenyan British. Interestingly, though, she said she would prefer the American way of identification simply because it seems more inclusive and allows African Americans to realize they are very much a part of America. I took so much from the meal being that eating around a table with good friends and new friends is probably one of my favorite things. Alberta and her daughters were hilarious and it was fun to laugh and swap cultural traditions and tendencies, even if some of them were as shallow as the Jersey Shore.

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Oct 11 2011
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Life, London 2011, Travel

7,285 miles

I got my first care package from my mom yesterday!

It has traveled 7,285 miles and nine days to get here.
It’s crossed two oceans.
And it made my day.

Inside:

- A box of Captain Crunch cereal, which is like nearly 15 american dollars here.

- 6 boxes of Mike and Ikes

- Macadamia Nut Hershey Kisses (A Hawaiian staple)

- Pretzel Sticks

- Troli Strawberry Puffs (amazing.)

- A package of Kona macadamia nut coffee (need to find a coffee maker now!)

- My mom’s new business card as a DIRECTOR at Ohana! (So, so proud)

Also inside was a hard copy of the SPLC Report, the quarterly magazine I worked on during my internship this summer at the Student Press Law Center. Following are links to my three magazine stories:

____________________________________________________________

Iraq’s Independent Voice

“In a corner of the bottom-floor cafeteria of the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani are two makeshift walls with two couches, a table and one iMac computer set up between stacks of proofs and old newspaper issues. It’s headquarters of The Voice — the first independent student newspaper in Iraq — a paper with a future teetering much like the walls that surround it.”

Secrecy and Foundation 

“Open government advocates have their sights set on fundraising groups that have evaded public records laws for years despite being run by public employees and conducting the state’s business — university foundations.”

Living Social

“Journalists are quickly realizing that social media can end careers just as fast as it can break news. News anchors and print reporters alike have lost jobs for expressing political views and opinions on the Internet, and major news outlets have responded with new usage guidelines.”

____________________________________________________________

I really enjoyed the chance to write long-form journalism pieces this summer at the SPLC. The Iraq story was my favorite story to write, both at the SPLC and so far in my journalism career. It merges international news, journalism and press freedom and provides a cool perspective into the life of college students in the Middle East. Also, my roommate Ted was in the same area of Iraq this summer. They are pretty long pieces, but if any of them interest you definitely give them a glance.

Thanks so much for the care package, mom! You’re amazing!

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Oct 10 2011
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Life, London 2011, Travel

Mejor fin de semana de mi vida

Me, Carlos and Fabian in front of a major symbol of Madrid, a bear eating from a small berry tree.

I have never been to a better place than Spain. What a sleepless, absolutely amazing, incredibly too short weekend in Madrid, Spain. I left Thursday morning (at about 4:30 a.m.) and we came back early Sunday morning to London.

The trip was so packed it is too difficult to regurgitate it all. In fact, I am still writing about the trip in my journal and I think I am about ten pages in, it was that amazing. I went with Griselda and Caty, and couldn’t have asked for better company. I think we all left Madrid unwillingly because all three of us are already itching to go back.

While in Madrid I met Americans, Londoners, Spainards and Venezuleans. I went to the world’s 2nd largest museum, El Museo Del Prado, and I went on a three-hour walking tour of the amazing city. Madrid has two sides, building-wise. It has the side that is traditionally Spanish, with bright colors and winding roads, and it has a side of the city that is French-inspired for most of it. (Some parts are also based off of New York architecture.)

Paella

One of my favorite aspects of Madrid was the food and drink.

A glass of Sangria from El Buscon in Madrid

My favorite dish: Paella. It is a Spanish rice with different seafood mixed in, like shrimp and oysters. The flavor is absolutely amazing and I had it twice while I was there. Tapas, the appetizers of Spain, were also fantastic. I loved the Chorizo Iberica tosta. I am not much of a wine person, but Sangria
is probably one of my favorite drinks after this weekend.

Caty, Griselda and I went out to find a local bar/pub type hang out and stumbled upon the highlight of our trip, Venta El Buscon, right near El Puerto del Sol, one of the major squares in Madrid. El Buscon had the best atmosphere and was hole-in-the-wall-esque but with a lot of people and very nice on the inside. We ordered a jug of Sangria for the table and it came in a brown and orange jug with a lot of fresh fruit floating on top. Our waiter was awesome and had just gotten back from living in Miami, Florida. The service at Spanish restaurants is a bit more liberal and we had about three waiters. Another of them was extremely nice. Later in the night all of the lights turned off and the staff erupted in song, singing Happy Birthday to our really nice waiter! The entire wait staff then had a chupita, or shot, with him. Then music played throughout the bar and everyone’s spirits were lifted. El Buscon was a must-do for us and if you are in Madrid, it is worth a shot. Just ask for Alex, sit down and enjoy yourself. I really can’t think of a better night out.

Me, Caty and Griseld at El Museo Del Prado. Thankful for these two awesome travel buddies!

El Buscon is a great night place, but if you are looking for dinner, we really enjoyed everything about La Taberna de Marciano, or the Tavern of the Martian. It is around the corner from El Buscon and a short walk from Puerto del Sol. For 9 Euro, we had a two course meal, drink, dessert, pastry and end-of-meal digestion shot. Not too surprising then that right after our huge lunch at Taberna de Marciano we took a siesta.

My Facebook friend may have noticed that I added my middle name, Fabien, to my Facebook and that my photo album for Spain is called “Dos Fabianos”. Well, here’s the story: Griselda, and eventually Caty and I, met a guy name Fabiano and his friend Carlos in Madrid. They were hysterical and we all really enjoyed talking about Spain, America and struggling through the language barrier (though it wasn’t that bad thanks to Grizz’s Spanish skills!). Carlos spoke to us in English to practice and I, in turn, we speak to him in Spanish. I really enjoyed getting to use my limited Spanish in Madrid and while I fumbled through a lot of it and probably said every sentence with some error, it was awesome to actually use the language I have been in classes for seven years for. I really understand now why people say immersion is the best way to learn a language.

Caty, Carlos, Me, Fabian and Griselda out front of El Buscon, our favorite restaurant when we were there. There may be better places in the City, but it'll never be El Buscon!

Fabian and Carlos hung out with us Friday and Saturday night and became pretty good friends. Fabian and I bonded over having Fabi(a)en in our names. I was named after my uncle Fabien and his uncle’s named is also Fabian! When Carlos and Fabian talked about finding me on Facebook, Carlos said he would just put in Nick Fabien Dean and I told him I didn’t have Fabien on my Facebook.

“Porque, no!?” he said! “Es un buen nombre!” So when I got back, I decided to add it.

There are so many stories to tell from Spain. I know I will be going back. It is only a matter of when. The country literally took the spot for my favorite place in this world. One last funny story is our friends told us a funny Spanish adage. In Spain, instead of saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” they say “What doesn’t kill you makes you fat.”

After all of the amazing food and drink, I can see why.

Hope to update more soon!

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