Day One in ESPANA

So I'm hereeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! Finally!!!! Yesterday was my first day in Granada and it was, lets just say, full of adventures! We shall start from the top!! I flew from McAllen to Dalllas, from Dallas to New York, from New York CIty to Madrid, then finally Madrid to Granada! At each airport I had a 3-5 hour layover which was really boring but it gave me time to read and walk around the airports and in New York City..eat "authentic" New York pizza!! Not sure if it counts as authentic if its in an airport but it was delicious nonetheless!

One of the best parts of the flights I had was that none of them were full! During each flight I had a seat in between me and the other passenger! It was nice to have at least a little bit of extra leg room! One downer was that on the international flight from NYC to Madrid, I didn't have my own TV like I expected! What the plane lacked in entertainment though, it made up for in food! I had tortellini, a hot bun with butter, crackers with a Swiss cheese spread, and a caramel brownie! Totally delicious!

When I got to Granada the real adventures started. I decided to take the local bus to my hostel instead of a taxi because 1. It was cheaper 2. The guy at the info counter at the airport said it would be easier 3. I had a map and thought it would be easy to find. WRONG!!!! I ended up wandering around the streets of Granada for over an hour. I asked around (in my broken Spanish) in shops, restaurants, hotels, and banks if anybody knew where it was and they kept telling me to go straight then turn left! So I did which would get me even more lost and confused. Not to mention it was coooolllld and rainy, plus I was rolling my 50 pound suitcase behind me and carrying my 15 pound backpack.

Finally, after rolling by these two old men about three times, they stopped and asked me where I was going. When I told them where, they decided to walk me there. I was so nervous at first, especially when they grabbed my suitcase and started walking with it. I kept telling them that I would take it but they insisted on rolling it. I figured that I had pepper spray in my purse if it was necessary, plus I figured I could outrun them. But they led me 45 minutes the opposite way that I had been going, all the while pointing out historical sites and important places to remember in Spanish. They walked me right to the front door of the hostel and each gave me a kiss on each cheek in a typical Spanish farewell. I was so gracious and overwhelmed with thanks but they just nodded and smiled and walked away! My faith in humanity was RESTORED! I know I broke like every rule of what not to do in a foreign county like walking around alone and trusting strangers...especially entrusting them with my baggage, but it was well worth it! Now I have a story to tell the grand kids someday!!!

Stay tuned for more on my adventures in Spain!
God Bless!
Kenzy

Packing up my life!

Today is January 2nd which means I am  20 days away from going to SPAIN!!!! I am soooooo pumped!!! I have already packed and unpacked my suitcase TWICE! Can you tell I'm ready to go!?! Since I have been preparing so diligently for this trip I thought I would share what I'm packing for this excursion! I am allowed one suitcase (up to 50 lbs) to check so take a look and see how I'm doing! :)

So I'll divide all I am taking into parts and show you the finished pack-ness at the end! Starting with winter clothes!!!

I am taking:
1 Peacoat- not the one at the top of the pic..I've replaced it with one I bought at 579 for $16.00-BARGAIN!
1 white button down      
1 denim button down
1 flannel shirt
1 black shrug
4 long sleeve shirts-I took one out of this pic because I decided I didn't need 5
4 scarves (to mix and match with outfits)
3 skinny jeans (2 denim/ 1 black)

I will be in Spain during some of the chilly months so I made sure to pack clothes that are easily layer-able and will also look cute while doing so!

Next up I've got my summer clothes!!!!!

I am taking:
3 T-Shirts (I am using these and Nike shorts as pajamas while  there but also to wear for working out..if I ever do that :p )
5 blouses-I need some nicer blouses since I will be doing an internship while abroad as well as school
5 tank tops-these will be handy to wear in the summer but also I can always layer them for the winter with my button-downs and scarves
2 blue jean shorts
1 khaki short
2 Nike shorts (I live in these at home and at A&M..not even kidding)
2 Bikinis-because I will be on the coast in the summer visiting friends and they happen to own a beach house and enjoy sailing around the coast of Spain...GO ME!
I took out that pair of swim shorts because....

I needed more room for dresses!!! If any of you know me you know that my collection of dresses is expansive...it was hard to pick only a few and leave the rest (same with my shoe collection) but I think I got it down...

4 dresses-2 summer dresses/ 2 night or fancier dresses (not pictures is an adorable black high-to-low skirt dress! What can I say..dresses are my weakness)
1 pair of khaki pants-for the internship
2 denim skirts
1 black skirt
1 khaki skirt

Last but not least is my shoe and miscellaneous stuff I will be taking:

There is the peacoat I mentioned above! Its so cute!
2 hats
1 ear warmer
1 pair of Chacos (one of my better purchases ever made..seriously get a pair!)
1 pair of Sperry's
1 pair of Toms
1 pair of running shoes
1 pair of black flat gladiators
1 pair of brown Oxfords

It was hard to choose from my many shoes as well..but my sister promised me she would take good care of them and my dresses I'm leaving behind!

The finished packing looked like this:

 

Everything fits perfect with room to spare!! I still need to pack undergarments and the gifts for my host family, but even my Bible fits in there as is! When I weighed it on my home scale it was at 29 lbs!! I was so impressed with myself that I went shopping! :)

I rolled up all my tank tops and blouses, folded things down pretty tight, and I will be stuffing my shoes with socks and underwear! This isn't my first rodeo, so I knew that I needed to pick things that  were light and could be rolled up efficiently. I also looked for clothes that can be hung-dried because in Europe that is usually all they do! We dry our clothes on a line here at home so that wasn't hard to do! I also wanted shoes that I could easily walk in (so now high heels) and I picked flats that were comfortable!

I'll keep you updated on what else I will be doing for preparation!!! Stay tuned!!!

Mackenzy

FINALly...

 

I thought of this meme when I walked out of my last final!!!! :)
And you know what finals being over means....WINTER BREAK!!! I am so excited to spend time with my family and friends back home and just relaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!! I had a wonderful semester this year and I have been so entirely blessed!

I am getting prepared to move back home for the break which is weird because I will be turning around and packing for Spain in a few weeks anyways. I am so nervous about packing for Spain because for anyone that knows me...I LIKE SHOES. And dresses. And shorts. And tops. And who am I kidding...SHOPPING. I am planning on packing necessities and a few outfits that I can layer up. Plus I'm totally planning on buying awesome clothes while in Spain because how cool will I be when I get back from there with awesome foreign outfits!

Well for those of you who know me...you know I love to sing and play guitar! Well one of my closest friends Brandon and I enjoy playing duets and filming them to share!! So check out our latest cover Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars. This is one of my favorite songs by this band and unfortunately they are currently on a "hiatus". Its kinda depressing because they have such good chemistry and music skills...so we thought we would memorialize their song! Hope you enjoy it!!!

I shall keep you updated on my packing endeavors and my preparations for ESPANA 2013!!! Till then...stay classy! :)
Kenz~

Fall and Fun Days

Howdy all!! There has been so many things going on, I haven't had time to stop and smell the beautiful crisp fall air until this past week!!! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and its because of my great family, my good friends, the outdoors at my fingertips, and my favorite meal of the entire year...our Liljedahl/Iverson/Fontaine Family Thanksgiving Camping Feast Extraordinaire!!!! But more to that later...first I'm going to tell you my great news!

Last week I got my Visa in the mail and a week before that, I was awarded a scholarship from Texas A&M's Liberal Arts department for studying abroad!!!!! Money to travel and live my dream for a whole semester??? Don't mind if I do!!! And with my cool Visa saying that is indeed legal for me travel/live abroad for 6 months, anything is possible!! I have been so blessed and everyday that I get closer to my departure day, I get more and more excited!!!

I purchased my plane ticket the day after I got my Visa in the mail (P.S. UPS men do not appreciate screaming, jumping up and down, and trying to give them hugs when you get important documents in the mail...just sayin'). I was so pumped that I accidentally logged out of my flight account almost before purchasing a ticket to Spain. So when I logged back in and purchased another..the airline put a hold on my bank account for TWO TICKETS!!! It was a stressful few days trying to sort that out but all is well and the adequate amount was taken from my expenses. Too bad or I woulda had to take a friend... ;)

So after all the excitement of my trip finally all coming together...I welcomed this Thanksgiving break with open arms! On Tuesday, I got to help be a part of Texas A&M's annual Elephant Walk and Junior E-Walk! This tradition is so near and dear to my heart because I LOVE ELEPHANTS (hence my giant smile in theis pic!!) and other reasons of course! Since it is my junior year this year, I was lucky enough to participate in the Junior E-Walk around campus that follows the senior class of 2013 and "kills" them with our 2014 yells and spirit!!! WHOOP!!!

Our guest speaker this year was the NASA astronaut and graduate of Texas A&M as well...Michael Fossum! He happens to be from my home town of McAllen, Texas so it was such a thrill to meet a hometown hero whom I've always looked up to!! My dad has always been a fan of Mr. Fossum so I had to get a picture!! Check it out...that's us on Kyle Field!!!

He was such an amazing speaker and he really embodies every core value that A&M stands for! Speaking of great speakers...our university president was there as well..Dr. Loftin!! SOOOO of course I had to get a picture with him...what kind of Aggie would I be if I didn't?!?!!?

Well I will tell you all about my wonderful Thanksgiving break tomorrow...I have to get back to an assignment that's due in the morning!! Until then God bless you all!!
Mac :)

Visaaaaaaaa

Howdy!!! Sorry its been awhile since posting but school has literally been nuts..I've been staying busy with classes and organizations and life! I have been getting everything together for STUDYING IN SPAIN! I absolutely LOVE my program that I'm going on because they are soooo supportive! If I have any questions I call them right away! My personal advisors have been such a blessing to me and my parents because they keep us sane and keep me excited!!!

Exciting newssssssssssss....So last weekend I went to Houston to get my VISA!!! It was definitely a new experience that luckily went relatively smoothly! If you are looking to go to the Spanish Consulate in Houston, make sure you visit their site and their checklists! I made sure I had every document and every picture they asked for. I dotted every i on my application and crossed every t and made sure I had everything filled out and checked!

One thing they forget to mention anywhere is that you need to mail the visa information back to yourself after its done if you don't want to pick it up (for people like me who had to drive an hour and a half and the guy in front of me who had to drive 6 hours). To mail this stuff you need a pre-stamped overnight envelope! I didn't know this so I had to go around town to 3 different places to get this (1st place's computer crashed, 2nd didn't have anymore envelopes in the size I needed, 3rd time was the charm). I recommend getting this before you go because the Spanish consulate has trippy hours..only M-F 9a.m.-1p.m. Not exactly great hours for college students. I was worried I would have to take a day off of classes (and I neverrrrrr do thattt... ;p ) but luckily my last 2 classes cancelled so I could go!

If you need to check out the Spanish consulate in Houston you can visit the Spanish Consulate site. As usual I will see you soon! Stay safe and God bless!! :)

School Year Cool Year

Well I am in my fourth week of school and so far SO GREAT! I have been keeping up with my classes and not being a complete procrastinator as usual, but I am also thoroughly LOVING my classes. My schedule is very full of gaps and awkward empty time slots, but that makes for great mini study sessions on campus! And then when I go to class, it feels like I'm not even going to school, just fun lectures that interests me! I have never had this much love for school and it is definitely a breath of fresh air!

One of my classes is all about Methods of Environmental Interpretation which basically means I am learning about how to be an effective tour guide and worker for a museum, national or state park, or anything where exhibits or nature is involved! I have been so blessed in my life that my parents took my sister and I to so many national/state parks that I feel like I know everything we learn in class already! My professor is a sweet woman who is very passionate about the subject which makes me excited to learn in. Not to mention, THERE ARE FIELD TRIPS IN THIS CLASS! I feel like a kid in a candy store!

Another class I am taking this semester is Foundations of Tourism. This class is sooooooo interesting and has really opened my eyes to the tourism market and how much of an up-and-coming area this is! When someone enjoys taking notes and listening to a lecture, that shows you that they are in the right place. Finally I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

My other fun class that I am taking is SPANISH 201!!!! I've gotta learn Spanish really quick if I want to somewhat know whats going on when I'm in Spain! My professor is a wonderful woman who has really sparked an interest of Spanish more in me! I never thought I would be excited to go to class to see what we learn but I am! She is very passionate as well and desperately wants all of us to pick up Spanish in her class! She is so helpful and kind and I have been so blessed to be a part of her class! I know I won't be fluent by the time I go to Spain, but I have a feeling I will kinda know whats being said to me when I am there! Hopefully I can pick up the rest of the language while I'm abroad and come back FLUENT!!!!!

Which brings me to my last topic today: I paid my confirmation deposit for ESPANAAAAA!!! It's really happening!!!! I am getting so excited to go but there is so much to be done before I'm allowed even out of this country! I have a giant checklist of things to do/to sign that I am checking off slowly but surely! It's been a long road so far and its only going to get longer but better! I can't wait to see how it all unfolds!!
God Bless!
Mackenzy

Minimalist Living in STYLE!

Well the school year is fast approaching, which means MOVING BACK!! This year since I will be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, I will only be in my new house for a semester! I was lucky enough to move in with two great girls also embarking on adventures of their own next semester, so I got a 6-month lease! Plus it was fully furnished so I didn't have to worry about bringing furniture except for my room! I got really lucky in this area, but if you are planning on leaving for a sememster I would highly recommend trying to find a fully furnished place as well!

My mommy came up to help me move in and we took on a MINIMALIST perspective! Since I will be leaving anyways we wanted things to be cheap but sturdy, easy to move and pack, and yet stylish! I may only be in this room for a few months, but I want it to be a good place to study and escape the world! These are a few of the ideas that my mom and I incorporated into my room!

We took a regular folding plastic folding table and bought 2 yards of matching fabric and for a table cloth! Now I have a giant desk that folds up and packs away nicely! Plus we already had this folding table, so we didn't have to purchase one! We also brought a plastic file divider from home as well, which works perfectly for all my printer paper and sprials and my large stacks of index cards! We also just brought a regular metal chair, which while uncomfortable, will still work perfectly!

Another thing I am using in my room for a bedside stand is a lime green milk crate that we bought from Wal-Mart for only around $3! It holds all of my books and Bibles, and also serves as a nice place to put my phone and stereo! Also whenever I need to move, the crate will come in so handy when I'm moving for storage! And thats my trusty Spain book from 2006 that I got at a book sale for all of 50 cents!!!

So those are just a few of the cool minimalists things my mom and I did!! But now I'm gonna show you the decorations that we put up as well!! I am a huge Broadway junkie and my lovely mother was nice enough to frame my playbills and tickets for me!! I couldn't put them up on my walls the past two years but now...I can feast my eyes on my Broadway wall whenever I want!!

Also, I framed a giant map of Texas with a ton of pictures that I had just lying around my room at home!!  I want a map of the world, but for now Texas works great!! I wrote one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, on there as well!! "Is there any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?" Its perfect for my circle of pictures around my home!

I love beaches (one of the reasons I chose Granada is because its by the beach!) so I took on a small beach theme for my restroom! Sea glass is so beautiful in my opion and I love searching for it while walking in the sand! My aunt gave me a ton of sea glass for her times on the beach and I added my own to a small jelly jar and voila! A toothbrush holder!! I also added a small vase full of shells that I found in Port Aransas with my old roomie and an empty Lucky Buddha beer bottle! Don't worry..I didn't drink it; my parents did at a Wierd Wine, Beer, and Cheese party they hosted at our house. I just thought it was adorable!



The last but most precious thing in my room is this: Mackenzy's One-A-Day's! My mom made this cute bag and filled it with small pieces of paper and presents (yay me!!!) giving me sweet words of advice and love!! I get to pick one out everyday and think about my family and how loved I am!!! This is such a sweet idea by my genius mother! :)

Well thats all the cool stuff from my room! While I didn't minimize the amount of clothes and shoes I brought back (much to my father's chagrin), there is significantly less things than I have in my room back home! I'll have to minimize DRASTICALLY when I head over to Espana but for now I will enjoy my beautifully decorated room and my semester of school!! :)