tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16005993165846749492023-11-16T08:19:46.977+01:00The Road Less TraveledSome say I'm crazy. Some live vicariously. Some wonder why. But I say, "Why Not?"Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-22842665215476120562011-02-28T22:01:00.017+01:002011-03-29T23:31:18.134+02:00Chamonix, France
I'd skied the Swiss Alps. I'd skied the Italian Alps. Heck, why not ski the French Alps? While Zermatt still reigns as my favorite ski destination in Europe (and Beaver Creek still tops the entire list as my favorite place in the States), Chamonix has a lot going for it -- if only we hadn't been there when the rest of Europe was on ski week! Nevertheless we Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-43278645076058557552011-02-14T21:52:00.017+01:002011-03-29T23:12:50.808+02:00London
Every so often I get an intense urge to be around English speakers. Not that I'm not around them daily at my job... but once I leave the confines of my workplace I'm bombarded with Spanish. Loud, fast, obnoxious Spanish. The lisp is starting to drive me bonkers (you all know why the Spaniards talk with a lisp, don't you? If not, google it). I thought Puerto Rican Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-16847501232786470082011-02-03T22:53:00.000+01:002011-03-29T23:07:03.822+02:00Real Madrid Game
Although I find watching soccer to be right next to eating vegetables and reading science fiction on my list of least favorite things to do, I got the opportunity to go to a Real Madrid game and couldn't pass it up. Not only are tickets to games extremely hard to come by, if you do they are super expensive and typically in the nosebleed sections. A Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-6815583789655816312011-01-28T23:18:00.042+01:002011-01-30T18:09:05.830+01:00A New Beginning
For the first time in my life, I've entered a transitional phase where I am not only hopeful but fearful. Never before have I quit a job without having another job already lined up. The ease with which I've found finding a job internationally makes it all the more frightening to attempt to move back to the States in the recession and poor economy. At times I find myself Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-70935468282935983302011-01-23T17:39:00.000+01:002011-01-30T17:40:52.456+01:00Swiss Alps
I love sun. I love warm weather. I love the beach. I dislike winter immensely. But I love to ski.
Since there isn't much warm weather to be had in Madrid in the near future and the beach is a long haul, I decided the best way to beat the winter blues was to indulge in a bit of snow. And considering that a friend of mine lives so close to the Swiss Alps,Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-10127619464784425672011-01-01T21:45:00.000+01:002011-01-30T17:43:46.201+01:00Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Boy, was 2010 a good one! I don't think I could feel more lucky for all that happened in the past 365 days--- this truly has been one of the best years of my life. The monthly highlights include:
January: Rang in 2010 at one of the craziest New Years parties I've ever been to in Madrid, then spent a week skiing the Swiss Alps.
February: Collin Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-28020483653298373942010-12-08T22:09:00.091+01:002010-12-12T22:57:03.509+01:00Prague, Czech RepublicWhen you hear people telling their "trip from hell" stories you never think it's actually going to happen to you. Well... it did. But, it has a good ending so at least there is a silver lining!
Here's a "brief" play-by-play. Arrive 1.5 hours early for our flight from Madrid-Frankfurt-Prague. Check in, check luggage (don't normally do this but we had to pack all Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-48913559060005990282010-12-01T11:11:00.002+01:002010-12-12T22:37:43.426+01:00The Best JobEveryone has the days where they hate their lob and they love their job. Luckily, I'm typically very excited to go to work because every day is truly different.
Today I had a moment while watching some of my students in a Christmas concert where I sort of tuned everything out, looked around the auditorium and thought to myself, "This is the coolest job. I can't believe I get Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-23510653585825762942010-11-26T23:05:00.017+01:002010-12-12T22:46:45.895+01:00Istanbul, TurkeyIt has become a tradition of mine to go somewhere for Thanksgiving (although since living in Europe... I go "somewhere" just about every weekend!) The past five years I've spent the holiday at Macchu Picchu in Peru, diving in Dominica, cruising through the Caribbean islands, lounging in the Canary Islands... and Turkey Day 2010 was spent in, none other than, Turkey!
Istanbul has Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-26784953348382149872010-11-11T22:29:00.001+01:002010-12-11T15:57:09.045+01:00America's Favorite Cities 2010Travel and Leisure, a magazine that I always thumb through in the airport, recently came out with a list of American's Favorite Cities. They picked 35 cities from across the country and ranked them on their culture, food, shopping, nighlife, etc. I found it very ironic that this article just came out since many of the cities listed are ones that have been on my "wish list" of Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-32118605696165195072010-11-10T11:00:00.049+01:002010-12-12T22:43:15.623+01:00Tunis, TunisiaOne perk of teaching internationally is that the schools have a lot of money. When all students, K-12, are paying on average 30,000 euros/year to attend, you know you aren't hurting for money. At ASM, our headmaster throws money around like it grows here--- want a new computer? ok. want to go to grad school? ok. want to go to Africa for a conference? ok.&Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-17235341263576272932010-10-20T23:00:00.007+02:002010-11-01T15:51:02.774+01:00Year #2 in MadridI had very mixed emotions coming back to Madrid after the summer; while I knew I didn't want to stay here past this school year, I also didn't know where I'd go when I left. Now that my plans are a bit more solidified and I'm 99% sure I'll be moving back to the PNW, I've really been able to enjoy and cherish my time here in Spain knowing that I won't ever have this experience again. Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-5298944731974045442010-10-05T23:33:00.001+02:002010-10-31T09:50:43.911+01:00OKTOBERFESTWow. That sums up our 48 hours in Munich. Never will I have another experience that is quite like the last weekend of the biggest party in the world. I always knew I loved beer (it just might be another food group in my diet as of late) but after this trip, I really love beer. Words can't even describe the sheer magnitude of Oktoberfest-- this truly is one party you have Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-40985631119341467752010-09-05T22:29:00.002+02:002010-10-31T13:16:31.656+01:00Alaskan AdventuresI have the best father (and mother) in the world. No doubt. A few examples: he loves his family more than anyone I've ever met; for three years he traveled from Ohio to Washington every weekend to see me play basketball; he still takes my brother and I out golfing whenever we are home, even though we never took advantage when we lived on a golf course our whole life;&Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-59781425729360966712010-09-01T16:52:00.001+02:002010-10-31T21:25:15.878+01:00My Brother's Wedding VideoAlthough Collin got married in February, I have never gotten around to sending out the video I made for he and his wife. And to be honest, I thought it was lost forever because I left the CD in the computer at the wedding site. But have no fear, it was found today!
This video was played at the reception, although due to different systems in Mexico, the music didn't coincide with the Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-72257617188436426312010-08-23T00:35:00.002+02:002010-10-31T01:00:25.307+02:00H.O.M.E.When you live abroad (or are gone for an extended period of time) there really is no feeling like stepping back into familiarity, whether it be your house, your car (not that I have one...), old bars, friends' houses, where ever. I hadn't been back to the States in a year so to be back was both shocking and relieving all at once. I'd just gotten into the Spanish groove when summer hitLindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-65514560808445163082010-07-31T23:35:00.000+02:002010-09-22T23:38:57.612+02:00MallorcaIn between my trips to Greece and my trip home I hopped over to Mallorca for a few days to visit two close friends of mine. They are completing Masters degrees during the summer on the island so I came for the weekend to distract them for a bit! And boy was I a distraction--- the conclusion we've made is that we think I was slipped something at a bar, which resulted in me being sick Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-39622622956780444792010-07-29T22:01:00.001+02:002010-09-22T23:27:17.780+02:0024 days, 12 ferries, 9 islands.I'm a beach girl through and through and traveling through the Greek islands has always been a dream I didn't think I could fulfill (since the ticket to get to Greece costs as much as the trip itself...) Well lucky for me a ticket from Spain is about 1/5 the price as flying from the States, so off I went on a trip of a lifetime. Now I will say this-- I normally try to seek out Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-91101004595376752502010-06-26T17:42:00.002+02:002010-10-31T21:27:08.429+01:00Madrid MadnessI often don't spend much time reflecting because I'm always planning for the future, whether it be what new job I want to have or what big trip I want to go on. But with the school year over and summer about to begin, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I got here. I don't want to call it fate but I can't imagine being anywhere else at this point in my life. I've never Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-38958120166102191192010-06-10T08:44:00.022+02:002010-10-31T21:28:13.662+01:00MunichI can't believe how long it has taken me to make it to this city! My good friend (and former Puerto Rican roommate) Agnes has been teaching in Munich for the same amount of time that I've been in Madrid. I was going to visit for Oktoberfest but the tickets shot up in price as the date neared (good thing I've already bought them for this year!) and I never made it. But, with a Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-53252561696444593442010-05-04T15:15:00.057+02:002010-10-31T21:29:07.427+01:00BelgiumI can't seem to pinpoint why but if there was one place in Europe that I was most excited to go it was Belgium. I finally got the chance over a long weekend in May. The most accurate description of the trip would be "a beer lovers paradise!" There are more beers on a list at a bar than most restaurants have food items. Over 500 at one place, even 50 on Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-81667177047250412412010-04-05T14:15:00.059+02:002010-10-31T21:31:45.546+01:00IrelandIreland had always been a place I wanted to go but just never thought I'd make it there. But, when my newly-single best friend from grade school, Calli, decided she wanted to come over for her first European adventure, I told her to pick any place in Europe (expect Spain) and I'd meet her there. She chose Ireland. It couldn't have been a better choice.
We Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-20215013065613439072010-03-21T13:09:00.004+01:002010-10-31T21:32:36.575+01:00Lugano, SwitzerlandGetting an international teaching job is a crazy process, especially at a job fair. You are thrown into a conference room with 100+ schools and 500+ teachers wanting the same job as yourself. So, for three days at a job fair in Boston last February I stood in long lines and waited for the opportunity to sell myself in two minutes to the director, who then decided if I was Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-68078180266133298542010-02-28T18:30:00.003+01:002010-10-31T21:33:35.075+01:00RomeAhhhh... the land of pizza, gelato, coffee and fine sights. A food lovers dream and one of my favorite places in the world. Rome is a city you could spend weeks in and still not scratch the surface. So with 3 days and a full itinerary, I set off to see it all! Here are the highlights:
--The Colosseum: Built in 80 AD, it is the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1600599316584674949.post-30751091841675397122010-02-14T23:38:00.003+01:002010-10-31T21:36:14.468+01:00Collin and Erin's Wedding"Finally... my brother found someone that is smarter than he is."
I'm so grateful and thankful that my brother, Collin, and his wife Erin have tied the knot. As many say but is very rarely true, they are truly meant for each other. Family and friends were treated to an unforgetable week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico full of activities, meals, laughs, drinks and fun. It was Lindsay Mayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06920667184212085450noreply@blogger.com0