A Weekend Getaway to Fairbanks, Alaska

From Anchorage to Fairbanks

Drive up to Fairbanks to see Alaska's 3rd largest city, and with hopes of seeing the Northern Lights (aurora borealis).

On the open road to Fairbanks, Alaska

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This American's Guide to Pamplona

The Guiri's Guide to Pamplona

After living almost three years in Pamplona, I am unequivocally and indisputably qualified to give advice about what to do and how to live in the city. I received a certificate from the ayuntamiento and everything! Read on and soon you'll be as qualified as me to speak on everything Pamplonés. You could also just go to the tourist office.

The encierro statue on Carlos III

The Guiri's Survival Guide to Pamplona

History	The Basics	Nightlife	Food
Tourism	Green Space	Leisure	Basque Influence
Shopping	Famous People	Events	Random Tips

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This American's Survival Guide to Spain

Thinking back on my experiences in Spain, I realize that others could learn from my victories and mishaps. But, instead of telling them what they should do, I will simply describe my experiences and what I learned from them, kind of like a story.

So, I present the totally awesome (and totally non-exhaustive) survival guide for guiris in Spain. Most of these should be applicable anywhere in Spain, but just know that the majority of my experiences come from living in Pamplona, Navarra.

Three things that determined my experience

1. Input - researching activities, having friends that recommend things, and then actually doing stuff.


2. Perspective, not circumstances - how I viewed the experiences. What could I learn from the negative experiences that would make future experiences better?


3. Habits - finding a routine is very helpful for adaptation and adjustment in a new situation. But, I didn't let habits keep me from stepping outside of my comfort zone to experience new things.

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5 Times When Knowing French Made This American Mess Up In Spanish

I can say that knowing French before learning Spanish definitely made learning Spanish much easier than had I not learned French. The grammar, latin rooted words, reflexive verbs, and sentence structures are similar in the two languages. However, they are not the same language and there have been a few times when relying on French to try to speak Spanish did not end up how I hoped.

Check out my article on French vs. Spanish!

photo credit

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10 More Differences This American Notices between Europe and the USA

Last time I traveled to the US from Europe, I saw some differences and I thought I thought of all of them. Well, I'm back in the US and I've found some more differences! Again, I am doing the unspeakable by lumping all the countries in Europe together, haha.

How are the US and Europe different?

1. In the US, prepaid cell phone plans are robbery. The cheapest I've found is about $30 for unlimited calling/texting and 1GB of data. In Spain, I paid 7€ ($8.50) for 50 minutes (never used any), 200 texts (again, unused) and 1GB of data. In Belgium, I paid 12€ ($14.50) for unlimited calling/texting and 2GB of data.

2. In the US, it is legal to pass on the right side in a car. In Europe, this is unthinkable and dangerous. 

3. Europe has limited options on custom license plates, usually limited to subtle designs. In the US, you can customize the words, add pictures, among other options.

4. When new tech is released, the US gets it right away and  it's cheaper - tvs, phones, drones, headphones. Currently, the Galaxy Note 8 costs $929 (779€) and in Europe it's $1204 (1009€). The iPhone 7 took almost a month after the US had it in stores, to arrive to Europe stores. The Galaxy Note 5 was never for sale in Europe.

5. Customer service in a department store in the US, 15 different people will offer to help. In Europe, you have to set off an alarm to get someone to look in your direction. 

6. In the US, it is very easy to buy over-the-counter medication, and in large doses, that normally you have to have a prescription for in Europe. 

7. The US has free bathrooms in most stores. Europe is a mixed bag, but many times, you incur a ridiculous expense.

8. After living in Europe and documenting a year of wine in Spain, I have a new appreciation - and expectations - for wine. In the US, a glass of wine is super expensive, and the American wines are not that good to be paying a premium.

These are more specific to my personal behavior

9. When I see something - a statue, monument, landmark - in the US with European heritage, especially a country I've been to, I get so excited. In Europe, when I see something with an American name, there's no feelings. 

10. Piggybacking on the last one, when I see something - a statue, monument, landmark - I take photos and do handstands in them. When traveling in the US, even if it's something new, I'm a lot slower to pull the trigger on a handstand and a photo. 

Skopje, Macedonia

Bonus. WiFi is readily accessible almost everywhere in the US - restaurants, parks, businesses, etc. In Europe, there is often WiFi, but you have to track someone down and get a password, if they even know it and are willing to exercise #5 above.

What do you think?

Do you agree or disagree with my list? More to add? Dispute? Have you noticed these differences? Check out the first article in this series here!

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Mexico: How Little I Knew About My Next Door Neighbor

Traveling with Ainhoa to her old stomping grounds of Guadalajara and then to travel through Guanajuato, León, and Puebla, before hanging out a few days in Mexico City.

Viva Mexico!

Interesting observations about Mexico

• Mexicans are humble, honest, and generally friendly. 
• Mexicans put chili on everything. No, seriously, everything.
• Many things named after Miguel Hidalgo (Mexican revolutionary).
•  Public bathrooms cost between 3-10 pesos, including some stores.
• At the toilets, they give you a certain amount of toilet paper, or there is one roll outside of the toilet, and you take some in with you.
• Mexicans speak in the simple past, like the Asturianos. 
• "Alto" instead of stop signs. (Morocco is the only other country I've ever seen it say anything other than "stop").
• Mexicans drive very aggressively. 
• 'E' for estacionamiento instead of 'P' for parking, unlike rest of world.
• Mexican street sellers are loud, but not aggressive (read: bothersome) like in some other countries.
• Despite the intense heat, people have on long sleeves and even jackets, in the middle of the day. 
• The women wear a lot of makeup.
• Mexicans aren't fat but also no one is skinny. 
• Volkswagen beetle may be the official car of Mexico.
• Mexicans don't throw toilet paper in the toilet, but in a trash can. 
• Mexico is more similar to US when it comes to smoking - they do it way less than in Europe.
• In Europe you see people with fútbol shirts (i.e. Barça, Man U, Bayern), but in Mexico you see American cities and (all) sports teams.
• I learned many new words, and new definitions for words I already knew.
• The fruit here is so good: bananas, papaya, guava, dragon fruit, mango, zarzamora (blackberry).

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This American's Spanish Experiences as Told by Infographics

Infographics are awesome. They give you info... graphically. You get a lot of information, quickly, and in an interactive way. Click on an interesting picture and you are taken to a webpage or video that gives you more info. Compare differences and similarities between things, but in a fun layout.

I have done five different infographics that give my readers (that's you!) beautifully designed pictures describing my experiences in Spain. Qué aproveche!

Everyone loves food!

TMax Upside Down - Handstands & Travel Fitness

Basketballin', but not in Spain

Questions and Speaking Spanish

Teaching in Spain vs Au pairing in Spain

Which is your favorite infographic? Leave a comment below!

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Stuff My Roommate Says (Think You'll Understand All of Them?)

Many of us have people in our lives that are... well, you know, "uniquely entertaining". It could be that buddy who has absolutely no filter and just says whatever they are thinking, despite the repercussions. Or, maybe it's the drama queen/king who can make a bad day at work seem like nuclear war. I know a few of these people, but none of them deserves their own TV show more than my roommate, Roberto. 

New Year's in Pamplona, Spain

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Southern Spain Road Trip 2017: Skipping San Fermin for Summer in the South

A Hot Car Ride to Madrid

Load the car with camping gear and head south into the blistering heat. The plan is to pueblear down to Granada, next to Almería, and then up the coast to Alicante. I want to visit Murcia, which will be the 16th comunidad that I've visited, of the 17 in Spain (the Canary Islands is the only one I haven't been to). Ainhoa will do all the driving because I'm not good with a stick-shift (aka, useless). 

Over 2,000km in 7 days

Head out the afternoon before the first day of San Fermin. It's a hot car ride at 36°. We somehow miss the highway and take the longest route ever. Arrive in Madrid and stay with Ainhoa's aunt and uncle, Pili and Ricardo, who are gracious hosts and feed us and provide wonderful company. They recommend we do in Úbeda and Baeza on our way to Granada, so we add them to our list.

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How Having A Car Makes Life Easier... Sort Of

It's funny that I've had this draft since the middle of 2015, yet now it seems like I need to change the title, hence the "...sort of". Let me start at the beginning. Having a car is awesome. It is very useful for traveling long distances with friends (Pamplona, Lisbon, Cádiz, León, Les Cases, and Galicia road trips), it is useful lugging heavy exercise equipment to and from workouts, and it's just convenient for going to the movies or anywhere late at night when the buses have stopped running.

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Barcelona, Spain: More Coca, Si Us Plau

Ainhoa and I are heading to Barcelona to hang out with her sister, Irantzu, and some other friends we have there. It is also during the fiesta of San Juan (or Sant Joan), so let's see how the Catalans celebrate compared to the Navarrans.

At the national museum of art, looking out on the city (on day 2)

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Puebleando the Pyrenees: Spain and France

A summary (then you can skip to the photos)

The viejo monasterio de San Juan de la Peña
(sounds better than the old monastery of Saint John of the big rock)

Ainhoa's parents have loaned us their van and we put a makeshift bed in the back and plan to camp each night on our trip as we tour around the Pyrenees mountains. We plan to circle around the mountain range into France, and then cross through it on our way back into Spain.

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¿Sabes qué me saca de mis casillas? pt.6

Pues no voy a quejarme más de la burocracia y estupideces municipales porque es demasiado fácil y común encontrar lo malo en la cosas gubernamentales. Hoy, voy a quejarme de las cosas un poco más personales aunque imagino que son también universales.

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