As my To Do list gets shorter and my To Buy list gets longer, I am trying to find time to get things done at home while my departure date gets ever closer. After years of dreaming and months of planning, I am two weeks away from a life changing adventure! I find myself battling between feeling anxious, excited, nervous, and ecstatic. But right now, I think my biggest emotion would be feeling overwhelmed. It’s hard for me not to be able to control everything that lies ahead of me on this trip knowing there will be missed trains, wrong turns, and not much of a schedule. So, when I feel most overwhelmed, I find that writing lists calm me into feeling like I have a grasp again. So, here is a list of my goals that I hope to accomplish while studying in Cáceres and traveling through Europe:
1. To be mistaken for a Spaniard. Not once, but several times.
2. To feel confident in my Spanish speaking abilities while finishing off my Minor in the language.
3. To take a piece of each of my travels with me. Be it a scarf, a small work of art, or a book–just to keep as a memory.
4. I want to make sure I do not waste any time, or come home regretting anything.
5. To eat the famous dish for the regions and cities that I am visiting.
6. To find the usually unseen beauty of Spain by visiting lesser known cities and sites.
7. To travel to London and meet, then become best friends with Kate Middleton. I will admit, I have a mildly unhealthy obsession with her, but it will be fine when she realizes what great friends we will be. Practically inseparable.
8. Learn to cook a Spanish Tortilla, because apparently that is the mark of a TRUE cook.
9. To stick to my budget…to be discussed in a later post!
10. To drink a cappuccino in Italy, eat a gyro in Greece, dance the Flamenco in Spain.
Originally Published: January 14, 2014
La Americana 
Drink wine in Italy too! So good and CHEAP! Also, eat all the Spanish tortillas you can! Muy delicioso!