Poor Mags

Yesterday, Maggie: a) Had a one hour flight delay. b) Sat on the tarmac for 1.5 hr. c) Lost her luggage, thanks to the airline, and d) Had to change hotels because the roof was caving in. (The hotel moved us to a very nice sister hotel two blocks away.)

And today, she's been sick all day today, puking. She thinks she may have a bug.

Welcome to Europe girlfriend!

But luckily the airline just delivered her bag and she seems to be feeling better.

Alvaro's Spanish Neigborhood

View from Alvaro's apt.











He claims to live in a poor neighborhood, but it didn't seem poor to me. Just middle to lower middle class. Dunno, my opinion of poor are ghettos - now that's poor. But he also grew up in a kickass penthouse overlooking the sea, so his opinion of poor could be different than mine.

Anyways when he picked me up from the train station on Friday he warned me that his neighborhood isn't that nice looking and if I'm scared I don't have to stay with him.

I thought to myself, Well, if only you've seen some of the neighborhoods I've lived in.

I asked him if it's dangerous, like gangs, etc., and he said no, it's safe. I thought So what's the problem?

We drove through his hood and pulled up to his apartment and it was totally fine. Some graffiti on buildings, but its everywhere in Europe, and it isn't necessarily gang related. Usually it's not.

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I totally digged his neighborhood. It's exciting and real. I would just sit on his bay window and watch: People sticking their heads out of their home windows talking to others on the street; People yelling from their car for their friends to come down. (They don't honk their horn or ring the bell, they yell from their car.); People just doing everyday things like riding scooters, coming home with groceries and walking their dog.



In pic is laundry drying. You see this everywhere.

Of all the people I've stayed with in Europe only 2 people have had dryers. I get different reasons why most Europeans don't have dryers. One is it's just the way of life. The others are for economical and environmental reasons.

How is it staying with people?

So far I have:

-heard people banging.

-had a cat take a dump a foot away from me.

-had a cat bite my toe. (F***ing cats!)

-shared a bed, shared a room, had my own room, or the couch.

-stayed in clean homes and not so clean homes.

-had majority of hosts cook for me, be my tour guide, and party pal.

-had more chemistry with some than others.

-made friendships that will last a lifetime.


90% of the time it has been fantastic. The remaining 10% was OK, but not bad. But 100% of the time it was well worth it. The entire time I´ve been in Europe I´ve only paid for 2 nights of housing! But again, as I´ve expressed before, I´m not doing it just to save money. How f***ing boring and uneducational would it be to stay in hostels and hotels.

People back home often asked me what it´s like staying with people. Some people may find it strange or unsafe to stay with people you don´t know. At first I was a little nervous, but you gotta take chances and have faith that there are good people out there, and there is.

Plus, people who belong to Couch Surfing, Servas or Wwoof tend to be like minded people. More often than not, they´re liberal, open-minded, generous, warm, welcoming, and genuine. People who got soul. People who aren´t just about "me." If there were more of these people in the world it would be a better place.

In addition, within this community of travelers, there´s a common understaning or unwritten rule that you take care of a fellow traveler. You take care of someone now, and someone down the road will take care of you. It´s how it should be in all aspects of life - you help take care of people.

As I write this, I think about my favorite people in my life, and they all follow this philosophy.

Liter of Beer Night!

Every drink at this bar was served in a liter sized cup. I know, it´s gross. I felt like a total f***ing pig drinking it. Especially considering how much I´ve been drinking lately and that I didn´t even want to go out last night. Ah, but what the hell, I´m in Spain!

In pic is one of Alvaro´s friends Brittany. She´s from Colorado and is teaching English in Spain for the next year.

Alvaro went to comfort his buddy who´s dog is ill so I ended up hanging with Brittany. She was really cool.

It was relaxing and cool to hang with an American and just talk freely. Not that I´m complaining, but it can be tiring to communicate with someone who´s English isn´t very good. (FYI, Alvaro´s is very good.)

And it was interesting to hear her take on Spain and the differences from America. Like for example, she carries tissue and anti-bacterial liquid with her at all times because toilet paper and soap is scarce in Spain restrooms. And it is. But I´ve just delt with it. A little germ is OK - we as the human race have survived this long, right? But kudos to the corporations who have successfully marketed anti-bacterial liquids.

And of course we ended the night at a club. I gotta tell ya, if I see one more f***ing strobe or neon light or hear one more cheesy ass American pop song I´m taking the first flight back to Chicago. I need some live music!



Don´t get me wrong I´ve had fun and I like to dance, but I´m not a clubber. I never have been. OK maybe when I was 19 with a fake ID I visited some clubs, but my preference is to hang at bars with live music, preferably blues. I just don´t feel the music.


It´s not just the music that´s a turn off, but the people. I don´t hang out or date cheese dicks, and that´s who generally hangs at clubs. Dudes with greased hair and girls with too much makeup. Or as I usually say, people with no soul. I can´t explain any further, you either get it or you don´t.

But regardless, I´m sure I will be partying and dancing until the wee hours at more clubs and having a good time while in Spain.

More Hugs Please

Every Spaniard (and Portugese) I´ve met and have hung out with is so huggy. They hug me and their friends, a lot. It´s endearing. And it just feels good. (And they give many kisses, too.)

They give good, hearty hugs, not like American hugs. Too many Americans give half-assed hugs with only one arm and a little pat on the back. It´s such a cold, uncomfortable exchange. I have been guilty of this misbehavior, too. It doesn´t feel good and it´s not rewarding in any manner; it´s a perfunctory gesture.

It´s like we´re scared to touch each other. Or we´re scared to be rejected in the event the other person doesn´t want to hug back. I also think many take it as sexual, which is so silly.

I admire the Spaniards´affectionate culture.


(In pic is me and my host Alvaro)

Beaches of Malaga

Typical city beach here. Think of North Ave Beach in Chicago: beach in front, city behind.

It´s nice, but probably not as relaxing as other beaches due to city noise. But it´s still cool.

Again, this is why I came to Malaga: to lounge on the beach and chill before my party animal friends meet me in Madrid on Saturday. Maggie and Nicole have already warned me sleeping is not on the agenda and to rest up. Watch out Madrid!

I know some of you are wondering who they are so I´ll share. I met Maggie at my previous job and Nicole through my friend Debbles (Deborah). Both are super cool girls, laidback and like to have a good time.

It´s funny, three years ago, when I was in New Orleans for 2 weeks, for work, Nicole was down there at the same time. At the time, I only had hung out with her maybe twice. But we hooked up and had one hell of a time. I´ll never forget that trip!

So I´m excited for them to meet me - we´ll have a great time.

One of My Most Memorable Days in Europe

Wednesday I was in awe when we arrived at this beach, which is 40 minutes outside of Malaga in Granada Province. The landscape was amazing.

During the drive there, the views of the mountains and Mediterranean Sea were marvelous.

After 3 hours of taking in the sun and the view, I felt like I meditated for hours. It was a higher degree of relaxtion that I´ve experienced only a handful of times in my life.
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After the beach Alvaro drove me to a nearby village for tea on a rooftop cafe with views of the mountains, and then to a tapas restaurant to munch on calamari, fish and shrimp.

Later in the night two of his friends came over. We drank Spanish wine and snacked on olives and cheese.

His buddies were very nice. The one recently visited NY and was telling me all about his trip and how he loves NY.

It was a lovely day.

What do you need my little princess?

In a jokingly manner, my new host Alvaro will ask me that question when it comes to food and drinks. Then I´ll laugh and he´ll say, "But you are while you´re in my home." And he does treat me like a princess! He´s a very attentive host and such a gentleman. He´s just a big sweetheart.

All I gotta say is his parents did a great job of raising him. I wanna give them a hug.

I arrived at Alvaro´s on Tuesday. He met me at the train station and took me to a viewpoint where you can see all of Malaga and the sea. Then he dropped me off in the center to walk around while he went to Karate class. After class we ate and drank some kick ass tapas and beer. We ended the late night at a bar, where his friend works, for complimentary shots of Jager.

2 of My Favorite Things

Chillin´on the beach and drinkin´a beer.

This is why I came to Malaga - to sit my lazy traveling a** on a beach. Oh, and did it feel good.

For the Ladies

I keep getting jokes about the "hot Spanish guys"... well here´s one for ya.

Dude, can someone tell me

who the white guy was that Oprah hung on during Obama´s speech in Grant Park?

I´m balling my eyes out

FINALLY, I just watched Obama´s acceptance speech at Grant Park, and I´m crying in a f***ing internet cafe. I still can´t get over it.

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So many people back home have told me: "Oh you missed one hell of a party in Chicago!

Well, I did, but it´s not about the party to me. Of course I was a bit envious of those celebrating in the US, especially in Chicago, but on the other hand, it´s been incredibily moving and interesting to hear so many Europeans be so damn exicted about Obama.

Before, and after the election, when someone hears my accent they automatically ask if I´m American. After I say yes, the next question is: "You like Obama?" or if their English is poor they just say, "Obama?" with a smile. When I say, "Yes!" or nod they´re very happy. It´s common when I´ve been out people have chanted, "Obama! Obama!".

I always wondered what would have happened if I liked McCain.... There was this douchebag American I met back in Montpellier, France who after guys started chanting, "Obama! Obama!" asked, "What about McCain?" He got booed.

(The reason he´s a douchebag is not because he supported McCain, but because he was lame. There were 15 of us at a Couch Surfing meetup in Montpellier, France and he didn´t talk to anyone. He was a pompous f*** from Southern California. I as others tried conversating with him and he didn´t reciprocate. People like him shouldn´t Couch Surf while traveling. He´s just looking for a free bed.)

But anyways, it´s been great to receive congratulatory emails and texts from my previous hosts. I even receive congrats when I contact potential Couch Surfing hosts.

Hi, can I move in?

This is the view from Leo´s balcony. That´s the Mediterranean Sea in the back. Could you imagine coming home to this everyday? I can´t.

Leo actually lives in Mijas, which is about 45 min southwest of Malaga. He´s 15 min from the beach.

His neighborhood is filled with apt or condo complexes and a few hotels and resorts.






A snapshot I took while on a walk.












Pic of the beach.

We went to the beach in the late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. The weather is about 70-74 degrees. It´s definitely warm enough to lay out.

Since Saturday Leo and I have been chillin´at the beach, coming home and having Asian cuisine for dinner. He´s a good cook for not cooking often. And it´s nice to eat some vegetables!

Leo went out late Saturday, but I stayed home.

Last night after dinner we watched CNN and "The Matador" staring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. It was a good movie.

When I first met Leo, I didn´t think I was gonna like him. He seemed kind of cocky and arrogant. But that was only my first impression. We get along really well. He´s easy to be with, and he´s been a great host.

More pics of the beach.

This beach town is a popular vacation spot for English and Dutch tourists. Many of the restaurants and bars on the strip offer English menus and English speaking staff.

Damn Couch Surfing Hosts!

They´re the cause of my recent excess in drinking. Jesus.

Don´t get me wrong, I´ve been having a great time, but all my hosts (but 2) want to take me out to whoop it up. Yes, I´m grateful but the partying is wearing me the hell out.

After Leo and his friend Alex picked me up at train station, Leo asked if I was ready to experience the Spanish night life. I thought Ah sheeeeit, we´re gonna be out all night.

And that we were, until 6:30 am that is. Another reason why I´m diggin´Spain: many bars and clubs are open until 4 am, all night and/or into the wee hours of the morning like 6 am and 10 am. I´ve been told some places are open until 2 or 3 pm the next day.

Yesterday, I felt like crap, having a cold and not getting enough sleep, so I wasn´t excited to go out. All I wanted to do was eat dinner and sleep.

But the thing is you have to get over being tired. I told myself to suck it up - I´m in Spain!

So I did. And I had blast. Today I feel good. It must be from all the vitamin B in the beer....

We started at a lovely tapas restaurant and then headed to a bar for a Malaga Couch Surfers Meetup. For the night a group of 10 - 15 very cool people whooped it up Spanish style.
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In pic above are three Americans who are temporarily teaching English and living in Spain.


Leo and Alex













Alma, Kurro and I. Alma is Finnish and has lived in Spain for the past 2 years. I talked to her for most of the night. I liked her a lot. Kurro is Spanish and is the moderator for Couch Surfers Malaga, which means one of his responsibilities is to organize meetups. He was really cool, too.

Arrived in Malaga, Spain last night

I´m staying with a Couch Surfing host, Leo, an expat from South Africa.