Adventure Time

In one week from today I will be in the airport waiting in long security lines with half naked people rushing to their boarding gates with rolling suitcases and crying children.  How exciting and scary is that?!!?  I’ll be taking one of those big ol’ jet planes across the world for an entire month of studying, learning, meeting people, and exploring at least seven wonderful cities in Europe!  I’ll take classes and visit big companies that have influences all over the world!  I’m so thrilled, and nervous, and scared, and jumping off the walls about this study abroad I can’t even explain it!  I have gone from extreme excitement to not-wanting-to-go-but-really-actually-wanting-to in a matter of seconds and then back again!  

While I’m there I plan on taking as many pictures as my memory cards allow and blogging every night (if I remember and am not too tired). So keep watching for even more once I’m in Spain, and France, and Italy, and Switzerland, and Greece, and wherever else I end up going in just one month!  

See you in a week!  First stop: Barcelona, Spain!!

P.S. If you know of any can’t miss sites to see in Europe, leave them as a comment or whatever!  I’d love to hear them!

Adventures in Dog Walking

Two days ago I was walking through my town with my dog and I heard a car speed off behind me.  Naturally, I turned around to see the taillights of the minivan disappear beneath the one small hill in my Stars-Hollow-like city and began to turn back to my dog and continue walking in the opposite direction. It must have been fate, because just then I saw someone running down the hill and kept my gaze.  He was pretty great looking, but then I realized he wasn't just some cross runner.  Well, to be honest, he could have been.  I not so subtly turned my head even farther to follow this graceful runner knowing he could definitely be who I thought he was.  The chances were higher than at any other time.    I mean, he was in the area directing a soon-to-be-top-100-movie.  I tried to grab my phone to snap a picture of Ryan Gosling speeding through my town, but he was too fast, and I was already being way too inappropriate.  I settled for my extreme excitement at seeing this guy sans photo, who could have very well been some regular nobody with a lucky twist in genetic fate.  

Then, today I was walking my dog at around the same time and a similar thing happened.  I'm headed for that one tornado blocking hill and just then speedy-mcspeedster runs past me.  I figure, hey, I'm headed in that direction, might as well quicken my pace?  All I want is a picture, a high five, to tell him he's awesome, and to invite him to dinner for some matzo ball soup.  What are the chances that he's had some really good matzo ball soup anyways?  Granted, what are the chances it was actually him...? Anyways, I get to the downward slope of the hill and he has already run a few blocks ahead.  Then, I stop for a car to drive past and he's gone.  I lost him.  It was really too bad.  I definitely would've taken a picture with Ryan Gosling's look-alike.  I mean if you look like that...  

Now I am fully aware of how crazy and stalker-like I sound, but hey, he decided to become famous and I'm pretty sure it comes with the territory.  If I were famous, hugging fans would probably be my favorite part of the job.  

So, Tuesday I was about 33% sure it was him.  Today, I am almost 97%.  That is a pretty amazing improvement.  If I was failing a class I would be very happy with that change in score.  Maybe I'll see him again and be 100% positive it was him, but the chances of that are about as slim as The Doctor landing the TARDIS outside my window and asking me to be his companion.  Even still, next time I walk the dog I am going to be ready with an invitation to dinner, and maybe a camera.     

P.S.  If Ryan Gosling ever reads this: I am super sorry I tried to somewhat follow you on your run. Also, if the guy it was that wasn't Ryan Gosling ever reads this: I am super sorry I tried to somewhat follow you on your run.