There's always a story: That one time I was begging for change....

So due to wanting to spend all my time at home with family and not attached to my computer, and the arrival to Spain without internet there was some writing the I wanted to do that isn't getting done until now.

This particular story of my impressive bad luck takes place back in August when I was leaving Madrid to head to California for my wonderful 3 week stay back home. I was staying the night at my friend Kirsty's place, my flight was at 10am so had to be at the airport by 7ish (in order to ensure I jumped through all of the security hoops on time.) I set my alarm for 6:15 and I had set an alarm for 6:40 to let me know "Hey Cathy it's time to get moving out the door." Well for some reason I didn't

notice that my 6:15 was accidentally set to only be for MONDAYS which didn't help my Friday morning flight. So I woke up to my alarm on my phone which had so conveniently decided to fall in the crack between the wall and the bed. I jumped up and tried to turn it off as soon as I could because I didn't want to wake other people up so early. I saw the time and ran for the bathroom to brush my teeth put on clean clothes and bounce. I said a quick goodbye (see you around) to Kirsty and headed to the airport. 

When I went to check-in and leave my bag, I was informed that the flight was delayed so instead of leaving at 10 we'd be leaving at 12. (Gee thanks I would have had time to shower if I'd known that...) I got my tickets and went to sit with my headphones on and wait to board. As I was was thinking that my layover had been cut immensely cut down that I'd be running for my life in order to catch that plane. What I failed to realize until I was in the air half way across the Atlantic was they changed my second flight so I wouldn't have to bolt through customs (as if that's even possible). So now I was faced with the challenge of making contact with my parents to let them know that I was arriving at 8pm and not 6pm. I thought no worries even though a few of my tech friends have recommended against connecting to the internet at the airport

No sorry fool I don't have 10 cents...

because of security reasons, but desperate times call for desperate measures (little did I know what this really meant). So I arrived to JFK went through customs and back through security now on a mission to get in contact with my parents because my Spanish phone didn't work and I didn't have a US phone. So I tried to connect to Wi-Fi so I could send a message via whatsapp or facebook or email. anything. Then I was hit with if I wanted to get online I would have to pay $15 to get online for an hour?! I didn't need an hour I needed 1 minute to say "home at 8 not 6" so I spent a while trying to see if there was another network to get on a cheaper rate but nada. So I looked in my wallet and all I had was 65 US cents so at the payphone I looked and it said 50 cents local calls $1 long distance. I thought about calling a

distant family member to call my cousin to call my mom, but I wasn't even sure that the number i had was still valid and I didn't want to waste my chance so I turned around and hoped I'd racked up enough good karma to have people give me the 35 cents I needed. I figured I may have had a better chance getting the money than I did asking people to borrow their phones which they were either talking on or playing on since they were waiting around. Not surprising l was met with lots of dirty looks and "I ain't got no change" exchanges. A group of girls travelling together were able to give me a quarter, but that still left me 10 cents short and after a few more unsuccessful attempts I ran out of time and had to board the plane. I saw a sign that said Wi-Fi available on the plane (yay!) but when I sat down and tried to log on I was hit with the same red screen (no!) that wanted to bankrupt me from the few USD that I had so my last resort was to ask the nice lady sitting next to me if she'd let me borrow her phone. I called... no answer... called again and left a message with the situation hoping they'd listen to it before driving 2 hours to arrive 2 hours early :-/  

At least this way I could rest easier on the 6 hour flight from NY to LA, with the luxury of a window seat I did just that and knocked out almost the whole way. I arrived got my bag and now in California I had enough money to make the local call. So I headed to the payphones and called my mom to be

met with the voicemail again?! I left a message saying I'd arrived and went outside to watch the cars drive by to see if I'd see them. After over a year of being away from my family and the month of August bouncing off the walls from living all I wanted was to be with family. Feeling alone with my suitcase, my mind going a mile a minute thinking they left hopeless and I was stranded and even though I didn't have cash I had a credit card to get a hotel room and there I'd have Wi-Fi and I could get in contact with them. All of those thoughts happened in about 30 seconds cause then I heard a man's voice yell "Catita!" and I turn around there there's my Mom and Dad smiling not worried at all because they'd heard the messages and right when I'd called 2 minutes ago was right when my mom went to the bathroom and didn't hear the phone... my impressive bad luck strikes again. Overcome with emotion I just broke down in tears and hugged them, and we hopped in the car and headed back to our quaint desert home.

A Year In Photos- Round 3

So I'm gonna skip the spiel about it being a long time since I've last blogged, we all know I regret not being able to do this as often as I'd like, but sometimes life gets with or without internet (a lot to do with the latter) gets in the way.

As I just finished the first month of my FOURTH year here in Spain (Yes, fourth and probably last--who would have thought?) I wanted to take the trip down memory lane and have a look at what the first year Extremadura and year 3 in Spain brought. Click to check out Year 1 and Year 2.

New home for the year Navalmoral de la Mata

Embracing the countryside on my commute everyday

Impromptu Halloween Selfie #MinnieMouse

In Cáceres and Mérida for the weekend with my girls!

Mérida Theater ! <3

Smiles at the Roman Theater

Monkeying around Primark in Badajoz

Puente Real- Badajoz

Magnolias reunited to view our DVD!

Presentación del disco de Diego Ojeda

Christmas dinner with the Liverpool Academy Staff

Christmas Break in London!

Sillyness at the Science Museum

Winter Wonderland

It was freezing but the picture didn't come out to bad

Here's to you wax Jim Carrey

Uh oh...

Jersey Boys Musical <3

London Eye

Big Ben at night

Christmas present from the Hostel

Boxing day Shopping

Camden Town

Buckingham palace

Almost falling into the fountain right before the picture

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

P.S. I Love you.... Filming spot on our Ireland tour

NYE in Dublin

Lunch with the coworkers

Industrial sized fans means impromptu modeling session 

Visiting the cousin in Rome

HaU International- Rome!

Spontaneous Trip to Lisbon!

Finally Sunshine after all the cold!!

Happy St Patrick's Day

Parque Europa for my Bday weekend

Bday Lunch 

The Ramirez Girls

Visiting el Prado museum for the first time

Gorgeous Gardens at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos in Córdoba

Plaza de España en Sevilla

Moroccan Beach

Chefchaouen the Blue City

oh yeah....I rode a camel

Another night of sleeping at the bus station with our impressive bad luck 

The Ann Frank House

Zaans Schaans The windmill City

The whole school got together and bought me end of the year gifts. Truly an amazing group of people

Marwan Concert

Valencia

Camp 2014 Staff

Penguin Dance 

American as Apple Pie for the 4th of July

Back from the dead during the murder mystery

Field trip to Plasencia 

Parisa didn't want to come... jk jk :P

With teachers finally on break for summer!!

Round 4 is already a month in and I hope to make the most of the time I have here. Just like this blog post... all good things come to an end. Here's to more photos and more memories, new friends new places let's go 2014/2015!