Update: Madrid

So I have news; it's not really good news, but then it's not exactly bad news either. I've had some delays with my Spain Visa; probably because I was in Buenos Aires for 5 months doing really awesome things when I could have been sending off files and such and getting things done. (But the postal system in Argentina is mierda, and I was NOT risking things, important government things, getting lost.) Therefore, my FBI background check (required because I'll be there for more than 6 months - be jealous) STILL has not come in the mail. It is the ONE thing holding up my Visa. So I've been emailing back and forth with the program heads in Madrid, and apparently, I'm not the only one having delays with the Visa process. Thank God! So, I've been keeping my fingers crossed that my background check will magically appear in the mail within the next week, and I'm hoping to be in Madrid, like physically, standing en las calles de España, by mid-October. But, if something happens and I'm delayed even further, I have been given the option to wait and come in January. Honestly, this is like my last resort, but it's an option I definitely will not pass up. One way or another, I will make it to Spain. Sooner, or a little bit later; I will be there. And I can't wait. 

Burgundy St. Madrid, España

And when I finally get there, I'm going to find Burgundy St. and have someone take my picture while I breathe in the crisp Spain air and catch the falling petals from these trees. And the wait will have been so worth it.

Everyone deserves a fairy tale ending.

I cannot say this enough, but I LOVE WEDDINGS!!! I seriously, cannot wait for mine!! Haha, anyways, I digress. This weekend was my cousin Lauren's wedding. It was at Daniel's Vineyard and even though it was a little chilly, it was definitely a beautiful wedding. Lauren and Gary's colors were a deep, wine, plum purple and light green, perfect colors for a vineyard wedding for a couple who met in wine country, Tuscany, Italy!

Passing out programs!

 My sister, Michaela, and I passed out programs and asked people to sign the guestbook, and my older sister, Charlsey, read Corinthians 13, verses 4-7 (Love is patient, love is kind...)

The beautiful bridesmaids and flower girls!

Lauren and Gary Thacker <3

 After the ceremony, the guests had cocktails on the veranda while the bridal party took pictures. There was both white wine and red wine sangria, skewers with cheese, olives and pepperoni and MEATBALLS. Seriously, my family loves meatballs. (And I'm pretty sure Lauren chose meatballs for the sole reason that my mamaw used to make the BEST meatballs, so it was kinda like having her there.)

White wine sangria = delishhhh.

I cried when Lauren danced with her daddy, and again when Gary danced with his mom. Show me a person who can make it through a whole wedding without a few tears and I'll show you Lord Voldemort reincarnate. 

Lauren's first dance with her daddy, Uncle Bill.

 Lauren and Gary looked sooo happy the entire night! They giggled to each other during their vows, and smashed cake in one another's faces (well, Lauren smashed it in Gary's face, but he was a gentleman and refrained). We all cried during the toasts, and without a doubt, we all DANCED OUR ASSES OFF on the dancefloor!!

Aunt Karen (MOB) and her girls GETTIN' ITTTT!!

Someday, I will have what Lauren and Gary have. And maybe I'll blog about my own wedding on here :)

A Weekend of Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to 2 very important women in my life!! One of my best friends in the world, Stacy, celebrated her 21st birthday this sunday; my mom turned 44 on monday!

Stace, me and Mom 

 Friday, me and Stace went to the Lil Wayne 'I Am Still Music' tour in Cincinnati, OH for a little pre-birthday celebration. And can I just say, Lloyd is AMAZING. I have a huge celeb-crush on him. And Keri Hilson and Rick Ross were fabulous. 

Pre-3+ hour drive to Cincy. 

weezyyyy :) 

He changed outfits seriously 4+ times. 

Lil Wayne and my man, Lloyd! 

Then Monday, me, Michaela and Tanner took Mom and Stacy out to El Jimador for a joint birthday dinner (and drinks). 

Mom and her Strawberry Daiquiri 

Me and Stace split a pitcher of Peach Margaritas

And after dinner, me and Michaela surprised mom with a homemade (South Beach Diet Approved) Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and presents! We snuck back into the kitchen after midnight on Sunday to make this cake after mom went to bed and put it in the basement fridge so mom wouldn't stumble across it. 

Mom and her 2 fabulous bakers :) 

Cake and Presents!!

I think mom was really pleased with everything she got for her birthday, but I think she was more pleased just to spend the day with all of us. 

A surprising turn of events

So I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it on here (and scanning back through some recent posts, I don't think I have) but I've made some pretty big life decisions lately. I've always known that I wanted to see as much of this world with the time I have, soaking up different cultures; through food, language, dance and most of all, through people. And maybe taking a semester to study abroad in Argentina gave me a push or I've gotten some sort of travel bug, but...I've decided to take a year off from Western Kentucky University (yes, my senior year). 

I'm going to Spain to teach English! 

 I actually found out about this AMAZING opportunity while I was in Argentina, and for some reason, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I had to do this. And can I just say, getting everything together in Argentina (which has inefficient services at best) and trying to mail it all to the Spanish Consulate in NY was MUY DIFICIL. And the wait was the worst part. I  came thisclose to talking myself out of it. I starting thinking about missing my senior year - not graduating with my friends, missing my last year in my sorority, all the theme parties and frat parties I'd miss out on, and, oh gosh, I'd miss Homecoming!

But then when you put it all out there like that, it all kind of pales in comparison, doesn't it? I mean, this is SPAIN! ESPAÑA! How could I say no?? Especially since everything would still be here when I come back? But then I started to psych myself out. What if I don't get accepted now that I know I really, really want it? Yes, I know I tend to over-think things.

But I did get accepted. And after formally accepting the position, that was that. I'm really going to Spain. I'm going to be living (and teaching) in Madrid, Spain for 9+ months. As things are set right now, I should be leaving the last week in September. 6 short weeks from now. And then when I come back next year (wow, it feels weird to say that) I can start right back at WKU like nothing changed. Or not. There's always the possibility that I might wanna return to Spain. In fact, most applicants go for more than 1 year. Or, I can just wait and see what happens. Because for now, who knows what life has in store for me...or where it's gonna take me?

Lauren's Bridal Shower

Happy news, y'all!! My cousin, Lauren, is getting married! Okay, so it's not exactly news...but this past weekend was her bridal shower in Man, WV, so me and mom drove in to help set up and attend.

pink and green :)

And look at what a good job we did! Lauren's bridesmaids, Nicole, Whitney, Janelle and Erin wanted to throw the first of Lauren's 3 (yes, 3) bridal showers, so we spent most of friday night getting all this ready. 

white chocolate flower centerpieces.

 Nicole, who swears she doesn't have a crafty bone in her body, made these adorable centerpieces out of white chocolate. First of all, look how cute these turned out, and second of all, she was Lauren's sorority sister. There's just no way she doesn't know how to craft. 

each guest received heart-shaped cookie cutters.

mom and her door prize!

 The girls did such a great job! There were bridal games, like "famous couples" and "how well do you know the bride" and TONS of food. And Lauren made bank on her gifts. Here's hoping she does just as well at her other parties!

soooo manyyyy gifts!

The Bride-to-Be!

The wedding is in just 6 short weeks, so me and the fam will be making another trip to WV here soon. It's at Daniel's Vineyard, which I think is just the cutest idea since Lauren and Gary (her fiancee) met on a trip to Italy. And seriously, I love weddings! I can't wait til all my close friends start getting hitched. And my wedding...I can only imagine! 

Mom's First Margarita!

So one thing I've definitely missed since I've been home is Margarita Martes (and sometimes Miércoles) with the girls. But, while visiting my older sister in North Carolina, we decided to take my mom out for mexican and margaritas! And since she's not much of a drinker, this was her first Margarita!!! 

outside Charlsey and Scott's new house :)

At Plaza Azteca.

Charlsey's Texas Tornado; muy fuerteeee.

 So, she ended up getting a Strawberry Daiquiri instead of a margarita; she thought rum would be much easier for her first drink than tequila (and if she's anything like me, that's a pretty valid assumption.)

First sip!

margarita de durazno (peach)

Trying the Texas Tornado! she wasn't a fan.

ALL DONE!

Mom had a blast! As did my sister and I, and hopefully, girls' nights like these can become a new ritual :)

4th Street Live's Hot Country Nights

HOT COUNTRY NIGHTS

4th Street Live. Louisville, Kentucky. Hot, down-home country boys. Tight blue jeans. Cowboy boots. Cold beer and good ol' country music. That's my kind of summer.

Me and Stace in our adorable cowboy boots.

the crowd at 4th Street was HUGEEEE!

What more proof do you need that here in Kentucky we love our country music??

In position to see Justin Moore!

OMG too much hotness!

There is just something about a hot, southern boy in tight blue jeans. Definitely DID NOT find this in Buenos Aires. 

Just taking in the AMAZING crowd.

Seriously, I love being abroad, but I love being home. Good times, good music and good friends. I hope to see as much of this world as I can in the short time that I am given, but I also hope that I will always be able to come home to all the blessings I find there :)

My old Kentucky Home :)

Finally back in the USofA! I cannot describe the feeling of touching down at Louisville International Airport and walking out in to hot, kentucky summer air. Naturally, the first sight to greet me would be this lovely man in a cutoff tee, proudly displaying his belly for the world to see. Oh, kentucky.

Only in the great state of Kentucky...

Landed at Louisville International Airport.

 I want nothing more than to sit on my front porch swing and look out at the beautiful rolling hills and sip on a glass of sweet ice tea. The wineberries are ripe in the patch and our gardens are overflowing with fresh veggies. I couldn't have asked for a better time to come home. 

The view from my front porch. Go ahead, be jealous.

 It's like America itself is welcoming me home. The Fourth of July, the beautiful kentucky landscapes and sweet, sweet summertime. I'm feeling spoiled with all the AMAZING meals my parents have been preparing; homemade burgers with all the fixins my first night back, steaks and garden-fresh grilled veggies for the 4th, and delish barbeque ribs, baked beans and ranch potato salad tonight. It hasn't really sunk in yet that I can't just walk outside and be on a bustling street in Buenos Aires. 

My home sweet home :)

first sight of the house after 5 long months. breathtaking.

 But with a view like this ever day, I don't care to leave those bustling streets behind. Argentina was a AMAZING experience, one I wouldn't trade for anything. I met beautiful, great people, sampled some great food, and lived some amazing, wild, unforgettable experiences. But there's absolutely, unquestionably, no place like home. :)

nothing like an after-dinner walk to truly feel like I'm home.

World Wonders - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, the city of the Incas.

Ever since I was little, I can remember my older sister, Charlsey, talking about the wonder and mystery of the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Visiting Machu Picchu has been on her bucket list for as long as I can remember, and as a result, has been on mine. As of June 30th, 2011, we can officially mark Machu Picchu off our lists. 

The whole fam atop Machu Picchu. 

 Our tour guide, Jaquelin, lead us to the top of Machu Picchu and through all the breathtaking ruins that are left. Parts of the ruins have been reconstructed, but it's very clear which parts. I can't even begin to understand it, but the original pieces are of such a high quality, our modern technology can't even come close to that level of craftsmanship. It's mind-blowing.

"and in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

 We spent hours just roaming through the ruins, taking pictures and reveling in the beauty and overwhelming sense of history. We got rained on a little bit, but it didn't dampen our spirits in the slightest. Just being there, standing where the Incas stood and built these amazing constructions that have stood the test of time, there are no words. I have seen one of the wonders of the world and am awed by the power and amazingness of this world and its people.

in our lovely ponchos.

P.S. dad said we can use this photo for all the christmas cards we're going to send out this year just to brag about going to Machu Picchu. haha, so nice of him.

Cusco, Peru y la Sagrada Valle

Me and mom with an old Incan man.

Me overlooking Cusco, Peru.

Me and Michaela at the ruins

BEST. FACE. EVER. Tanner is devouring that corn.

Me and Charlsey being cute, Michaela creepin'.

Alpaca! they look so funny when they run.

Me and an ADORABLE incan child. 

After my family FINALLY made it to Buenos Aires saturday afternoon (after their flight was delayed 4+ hours), I took them to the Recoleta Feria on Sunday. We spent most of the afternoon browsing the booths and braving the cold. Luckily, I had already made reservations for all of us at La Cabrera, the go-to steak house BsAs. 2 bottles of wine + incredible steak + more food than we could finish (but we did) = one amazing Argentine dinner. Monday we checked out of our hotel at 3:30 a.m. (i was dyinggg) and after a 5 hour flight (and a small detour to Lima), finally made it to Cusco, Peru. Tuesday, we did a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We got to see the nearby cities of Pisaq and Ollantaytambo, had a fun buffet lunch at a peruvian restaurant, and ended the day-long tour by climbing 200+ steps of an Incan ruin. The altitude here is so different, it's super easy to get light-headed and queasy. We were all so worn out by the end of the tour, we grabbed a quick dinner at a nearby pizzería and made our way back to our hotel. This morning, we took the tren from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. It was a beautiful, scenic train ride that lasted about 3 hours, and amazingly, our hotel is ride near the train stop. There are lots of cute little markets along hte street and small little restaurants, one of which we grabbed lunch in earlier. Tomorrow, we're going to hike up to Machu Picchu (POR FIN!) and then relax in the hot water springs (for which the city is named) for a nice end to the day. Can't wait!