#is it just a sunday afternoon or am i actually feeling daunting dread at the rest of the semester

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

i dont think i'm gonna be able to silver linings my way outta this one

[frommainetospain2020]

The Long Awaited Day

So the day had finally arrived. I say had because I’m writing this a couple days after the fact. But regardless, it’s here.

I guess I’ll start this post with the piece of the puzzle that I wasn’t 100% positive was necessary. The dreaded COVID test... -cue tense music-. They tell you to get the test within 72 hours of when you leave. The only problem with that, being it takes more than 72 hours to get the results back. I called the clinic where I had it done, and the guy told me that it took about a week to get results back. This was on a Tuesday. I flew out Sunday. Again I say, I didn’t know if I even needed to do it, but I still did it anyway. I did it a day earlier than I initially planned. When I went to get it done, it was another one of those swabs that practically touch your brain. This was the third COVID test I’ve had to do. The first two being for my endoscopy and gastric bypass respectively. If you haven’t had this test before, it almost feels like when you get pool water up your nose and it stings.

I didn’t get a response Wednesday or Thursday. So, on Friday, I called. They told me that my results had just come in that morning and that I could pick them up. So I drove to the walk in clinic and they handed me the results, which were negative, obviously, since I’m currently in Spain...

So, fast forward to the morning of the day that I left. My parents ended up taking me to Boston so I wouldn’t have to take a bus. We left pretty early in the morning so that my parents could get home without it being too late. We left at 8 AM. Honestly, I didn’t get emotional with leaving my parents, because I already left them to go to Europe for an extended period of time already. But my cats.... don’t even get me started. I picked up Pudge, my older cat, and I started to get teary eyed. It’s honestly still making me teary eyed to think about. I didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye to my younger cat Chunk, but I saw them both on a video call with my parents, so it’s good now.

So off we went to our trek to Boston. After a rest stop, and a gas fill-up, we got to Logan Airport at about 1 PM. I said goodbye to my parents, and then proceeded to...... hurry up and wait. Didn’t I say that we got there super early? We got there at 1 PM, and my flight was at 8:45. It made for a LOOOOOONG afternoon. I found a seat and proceeded to continue reading my book. (11/22/63 by Stephen King if you need a great book suggestion. It’s a reread for me BTW....) I couldn’t even check my suitcase until three and a half hours before my flight. Because of this, I had to kill a lot of time before I could even go through security. Eventually I got bored of waiting and stood at the bag check counter. It took them a while to get there. From the point that I began to stand there, it’ probably took 20-30 minutes. The lady at the counter asked me where I was going, checked my passport, and replaced my advanced check-in boarding pass with a legit boarding pass. From this point forward, I was in the terminal.

At that point, I hadn’t eaten all day, so I wanted to find food. Now, what they don’t tell you is that because of the pandemic, most of the eating establishments in the terminal were closed. I figured this out the hard way. Initially I wanted to get a quick wake up wrap from Dunkin Donuts. Quick, easy, and not too much hassle. The first Dunkin I saw, directed you to go to another Dunkin. When I got there, that Dunkin was closed. I paced the entire length of Terminal C and E, looking for food. The only places I saw open were Burger King and Wahlburgers. I wasn’t going to have Burger King. I knew that straight away, so that left Wahlburgers. (Dieticians, I didn’t have much choice here, don’t hate me :P ). I ordered a “Smahlburger”, which, funnily enough, really isn’t that small. It came with fries. I was able to eat about half of the burger and a single french fry, before throwing the rest away. That’s the worst thing about this surgery I think.... wasting food. Normally you might say, “You could’ve saved it for later!” but what you’ve got to understand, is that I was shortly about to go on a plane. Airlines are pretty picky when it comes to a lot of things, and I wasn’t about to tempt the hassle I’d potentially receive.

Before boarding, there were two families that each had a ~3 year old girl. They began to play hide and seek with each other and film it on one of the mother’s iPad. However much energy they had, I can assure you that those kids got more sleep on that plane than I did...

Shortly after 7:45 when we began to board, The early boarders went on first. Then they split into zones. They boarded these from back to front. I was zone B so I was right in the middle. I was actually right next to the wing, which was nice. I was pleased with the overseas flight, because I had the row to myself. There were quite a few on the flight, but I managed to have the row to myself, so that was fun.

Only a few things of interest happened on this flight. I had an in-flight meal. I chose (look away dieticians) pasta. I had about 3 bites of it, and a small bite of cheesecake, and I was out for the count. I sipped on my diluted apple juice though.

About midway through the flight, I watched the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” which features Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers. The movie isn’t so much about Mr. Rogers, as it is about the guy that interviews him. It didn’t really pique my interest at first, but as I watched it, it kind of grew on me.

Towards the end of the flight, they had a muffin that they gave out. I had two bites. And again, I was done. It was blueberry.

When the flight landed in Lisbon, we had to take a bus to the terminal. I’m not a fan of bussing flights, but meh, it is what it is. There were so many stairs to get to the terminal. There was a long line for people to just have their passport checked. Mind you, I said checked, not stamped. There was a lady that was directing people to either one side or another. I’m assuming it was connections and people staying in Portugal, but I could be wrong. She directed me to the less busy side, and I quickly got through. Then came the tedious part. The passport stamping line...

When I say this was probably the most tedious line I’ve ever experienced, I’m not kidding. There were so many people waiting in this line. They have those rope barrier things that airports have. It wound around and around. There had to have been around 20 different turns to this line.

So, I was stuck in this line for a good 45 minutes or so. When I got to the front, I told the guy that I had a Spanish visa, to which he just nodded, didn’t look at it, and stamped my passport. The stamp barely had any ink though. You can barely read it.

Then I went to security. This went a lot quicker. Standard deal, take the laptop and tablet out of the backpack, take everything non-clothing off of your body, run it through the machine, yadda yadda yadda. Old news at this point.

From there, I needed to find my gate, which was quite a trek, let me tell you... My flight was at 10:45, this was at 10:20ish mind you. I looked at the departure screen in the main food court area, and it said my Madrid flight was at Final Call. Because of this, I figured I had to get there and get there relatively fast. So I made my way to the terminal. This was quite a walk. I made it though, and the bus took us to the flight.

On the flight, I mistakenly sat in the window seat, when in actuality, I had the aisle seat. Once that was squared away, the flight was fairly uneventful. Obviously, this plane was much smaller. The flight only took about an hour, since it was only Portugal to Spain.

Finally at Madrid Barajas airport, I wanted to make sure I got to baggage claim before what happened to me at the beginning of my Italian study abroad semester, didn’t happen again. Just a recap, I apparently took too long in the passport stamping line, and my luggage was brought to lost luggage. Thankfully I did it right that time.

There was a girl on my flight who was also an auxiliar, like me. She was on her second year, so she was more well versed in both the language, and the airport. We ventured to the metro, since we were both heading there anyway. Once we got to the metro, we parted ways. So best of luck on your school year, friend.

I took the first metro to Nuevo Ministerios, and then apparently misunderstood the directions I got from Google Maps. What I didn’t know, was that the second form of public transportation that would’ve taken me to the station I needed, was a train, not a metro. So I instead concocted a method to get there by metro. In doing so, I dragged my suitcase up multiple flights of stairs, only to find that there was an escalator on the other side, so that’s my luck I guess...

I took the metro one stop over, which had the metro that I needed to get to Sol Station where my AirBNB was. On the last metro I took, there were two guys playing a guitar and singing.

When I got to Sol, I maneuvered my way to the street, again unnecessarily dragging my suitcase up stairs, when I later discovered a long escalator on the other side.

Now came the daunting task of finding my AirBNB. I went down what I thought was the street I needed to be on, found number 18, and tried to get inside. It didn’t look like the AirBNB host had described it. I managed to be let in the first door, and tried to connect to a free wifi in order to talk to the host about being there. A couple people informed me that the building was full of offices, and wouldn’t have an AirBNB. I pulled up my phone to verify the address, and the people told me I was on the wrong street. This street was Calle de Alcala. I needed Calle de Aranal. I then went to a different street. I got to what I thought was the street, only to discover it was Calle de la Aduana. The reason this street had looked familiar was because it was the street my program’s office was on. Finally, after the third attempt, I found the right street, and made it to the AirBNB.

I then slept away some jet lag, and went to supermarket, and bought some water, and juice because I was super thirsty.

And that about sums up my lengthy story of my flight to Madrid. And now I’m here, so that’s nice.

Just a brief summary of today (Day 2)

Got a few tasks out of the way. Got a Spanish SIM card. 22 gb of data, 800 international minutes, and unlimited calls to Spain. 15 euros. I paid $50 for basically a third of that...

Next I got breakfast. Spain has Dunkin Donuts, but it’s called Dunkin Coffee. I got a water and a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. It was a different kind of bun, but I didn’t eat it, I only ate the inside contents.

From there I went to go look at the apartment I’m looking at renting. I was met at the closest station by the landlords, who took me there. When there, I saw the apartment, and met one of the roommates. A guy who is the same age as me from London. He was able to translate between me and the landlord, which was nice.

After that, I went and got a tour of my school placement. I had to wipe my shoes on a rug twice, and put hand sanitizer on. Since my Spanish isn’t good, I had to use the Google Translate conversation feature, which worked decently well.

I then went back to my AirBNB, where I watched day 1 of the virtual orientation, went to the supermarket again. (I’m on the hunt to find blood orange juice again. I’m not having much luck to be honest...)

And that brings me to now, where I’m writing all of this down, for posterity’s sake. So thanks for reading, and join me next time.

KThnxBai

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 44, March 2017

On Monday afternoon, I decided to spend my Labour Day public holiday visiting my parents who are staying at the Arnica Views Summit Retreat in Mount Dandenong for the weekend. After browsing a couple of gift shops in the Main Street, we had lunch together at the Mt Dandenong Hotel. I ordered a lemon pepper calamari with chips and salad. Being a public holiday, it was quite busy with tourists and locals having picnics and enjoying the hot weather. http://www.arnicaviews.com.au/

I received an unexpected phone call from my Dad during my visit. As usual, I felt pretty awkward about returning his call but I decided to bite the bullet and do it straight away. He actually remembered my birthday which is coming up at the end of the week so that was really nice. The long silences were ever present but I remained optimistic and tried to sound interested. I did genuinely appreciate the phone call. I think my relationship with him will always be long distance, physically and emotionally, but it’s better than nothing.

My parents and I also briefly visited the Sky High Lookout and the nearby English gardens, which is only a few minutes walk up from where they’re staying. The place was very picturesque and serene with lovely garden beds, a hedge maze, flowing creeks and wooden arch bridges. There is also a large circular restaurant adjoined to the lookout with beautiful views of the Dandenong Ranges.  http://www.skyhighmtdandenong.com.au/...

On Tuesday morning, I had my second Water Workout class at YMCA Casey RACE in Cranbourne East. When I pulled into the carpark, I realised that I’d forgotten to pack a large towel and a spare pair of shorts. I felt so dumb in that moment but I guess it’s not my usual routine and I had a brain fade. Luckily I did have my sweat towels with me so I could make do with those.

This morning’s class was much bigger than the first one I went to. Of course there were predominately middle aged females there but again I’m used to being the only male in the class. Today we used the underwater dumbbells for half of the workout with a combination of jogging, high kicks, tuck jumps and arm movements. I really struggled with the suspended movements as I pretty much sink like the Titanic but thankfully the instructor did give us other options. http://www.caseyrace.ymca.org.au/pa...

On Tuesday afternoon, I had my crossfit session with my personal trainer Luke Davey at Breakaway Fitness in Narre Warren. I feel like I’m starting to feel more comfortable with Luke now. I was opening up more and trying to be less reserved and socially awkward. I’m always going to have my moments but today I felt pleased within myself that I’m slowly building a connection with Luke.

For the warm-up exercises today, I did three rounds of 15 glute bridges, three rounds of kettle bell lifts and three rounds of hamstring stretches. I’m actually used to doing bridge pose thanks to my yoga and pilates classes so these didn’t present a problem for me. The other two movements weren’t too difficult either. I just had to be mindful of my technique and posture.

For the development, I worked on my deadlifting technique starting on a lighter weight. I was feeling slightly self-conscious about doing these even though I’ve done them before. The harsh, inner critic was trying hard to dominate inside my head with anxious thoughts (What if I mess up? What if I can’t do 8 reps? Am I doing this correctly?). But thankfully I managed to keep focused using the toilet in front of me as a focal point. I was trying really hard to get my form right, keeping my shoulders back and my legs grounded.

The workout today was perhaps my toughest one yet. I had to five rounds of 15 deadlifts and a 200m run. I really had no idea what a realistic goal should be but Luke suggested 16 minutes. I was absolutely dreading the run because I know how easily I fatigue. By the third round, I was beginning to feel exhausted. My legs were shaking and I had to walk parts of it. I was panting rapidly but I never stopped or gave up. I ended up getting around 12 minutes. https://www.facebook.com/breakawayf...

On Thursday morning, I went to my Body Balance class at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. It’s been a few weeks since I last attended one of these classes and of course it was a frantic rush to get there on time. The traffic was banked up due to the wet weather and morning peak and so it took me 45 minutes instead of 20. Luckily I managed to make it before the class started.

Starting with our usual Tai-Chi warm up (Soft blocks, Wide Overhead Circles, Forward Sweep), we then transitioned into the Sun Salutations (Forward fold, Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Cobra), Standing Strength (Diver pose, Warrior 3), Balance (Aeroplane pose), Hip-Openers, Core Abdominals (Leg Extensions, Crunches), Twists (Reverse Triangle) and Hamstring Stretches.

For the Relaxation today, our instructor Wendy Lynne Perrow did something slightly different. A guided visualisation going from one image to the next, allowing us to interpret it anyway we wished E.g. A doctor’s office, the sun shining overhead, a full moon, a sunset. I was still feeling sore from my session with Luke on Tuesday so I really had to listen to my body today and not overdo it but I’m still glad I went. http://w3.lesmills.com/netherlands/...

On Saturday morning, I decided to treat myself on my birthday and had a 50 minute Herbal Foot Spa and Massage at East Massage in Casey Central. I was a little nervous about it as usual but I reminded myself that yes I deserve this. I see every massage as a new experience, a journey into the unknown. I never know what I’m in for. The first part involved soaking my feet in a bucket filled with herbal essential oils whilst the lady massaged my head, neck, shoulders and upper back. It wasn’t exactly my idea of a foot spa but it was still very pleasant and relaxing.

During the second part, I was sitting back in the comfy armchair with my legs elevated and my body covered with towels. The lady did a thorough job of releasing tension from each of my toes, the soles of the feet, heels, ankles, shins and calves. I could literally feel how tense and sore my pressure points and muscles were. This was long overdue considering that I work in retail and stand for long periods of time. http://caseycentral.com.au/store/ea...

On Saturday afternoon, Mum, Rod and myself ventured down to Sorrento to celebrate my birthday. We had lunch at the Continental Hotel in the main street. Mum surprised me with a few pressies including a Beauty and the Beast adult colouring book and film tie-in novel, two Village Cinemas gift vouchers and a $50 Balla Balla Community Centre voucher. I ordered the classic fish n’ chips with a garden salad. https://www.facebook.com/continenta...

On Sunday morning, I participated in the UFT PLAYgrounds fun run and BBQ lunch at Lysterfield Lake. The last time I did any kind of long-distance running was back in high school during an athletics carnival. That was 13 years ago. So to say I was nervous and daunted would be an understatement. When I pulled into the carpark, I noticed lots of cyclists around me but nobody from UFT. I started to worry a little that I wouldn’t find them in time. I soon realised that there was another carpark on the opposite side and eventually I bumped into Joel Perryman and a couple of others.

We all met down at the picnic area facing the lake. Thankfully most people went for the 5km run because honestly that was all I could handle today. I started off okay until I hit the first uphill after the bridge. I was trying hard to keep that mindset positive (Pace yourself, don’t give up, breathe!). I was lagging behind the others but honestly I didn’t care. This wasn’t a race and I had to remind myself that everyone is at a different fitness levels and all have varied running experience. I’m very much still a beginner.

Denee Lalouette was really awesome today. He jogged alongside me for most of the run, keeping my motivated and helping me push through my physical and mental barriers. It was fucking hard for me not to stop but I just kept trying. My goal today was simply to complete the 5k and I was determined to do just that. I was such a satisfying feeling reaching that picnic bench again. People were giving me positive complements and it felt great even though I was physically exhausted and ready to collapse!

Socially, today wasn’t my finest hour. Being an introvert is both a blessing and a curse. When it comes to meeting new people and large groups of people, I find it very difficult to break the ice and join in conversations. I’m more comfortable doing passive activities like reading a book. That’s not to say I didn’t try. I met quite a few people today and it felt good that I was included in the group. http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/p...