Lady in Spain

If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.

    Hello again friends!


    It’s been a while since I wrote of my adventures here in Spain, I know. But truth is I’ve been ever so busy trying to balance school work, internship tasks, and my own adventures. Oh, and my computer crashing definitely had something to do with that too, it’s a long story, but to make that story shorter, I’ll say one thing: Apple Care. For all you Mac users out there, buy it, right now, it’s worth every penny. But enough advertising. Let me tell you of my adventure yesterday to las Islas Cíes, right off the coast of Vigo.


    So for weeks now, I’ve been hearing of these magical islands off the coast of Vigo. Everyone I’ve come into contact with has been describing them as Caribbean-esque and making me look at multiple pictures on their phones. Even the Guardian dubbed it as Spain’s little paradise or something like that. So before the summer was up, I knew I had to get down there to see it all for myself. I checked the weather, and decided that yesterday, Saturday, would be the perfect day to go. The forecast showed sun for miles and warm temperatures. And I’d been working hard, so I opted for a little escape from the daily grind to this little paradise off the coast of Vigo.


    Now, Vigo is known for it’s rain and fog in the mornings, which by now I’ve grown used to. So when I left for my trip tomorrow and the fog still hadn’t lifted from the city around 11, I wasn’t super worried. I thought to myself, “the sun will come out eventually, right?” With optimism I boarded the little ferry that would take me to Cíes. The weather felt a little chilly, I’m not going to lie, but the sun is always warm and friendly around 2 pm so I didn’t think anything of it. Plus the islands are off the coast about an hour, so it couldn’t be foggy when I got there. 


    I couldn’t have been more wrong. When the ferry finally managed to navigate through the fog and reached the island, I couldn’t even really see the island. Apparently the area was having some freak weather causing unrelenting fog for miles and miles. I was expecting sunshine and to sun bathe on the beach, so preparing for that I had worn shorts, an off the shoulder black top, and my swim suit. I also brought a sweater with me just in case, but it soon became clear that there’s no way that was going to ward of the bone-chilling cold that the fog had brought that day. Upon my arrival, my skin was starting to turn that weird blotchy purple color it usually turns when the weather is cold, so immediately after docking, I hopped off and went to go hike one of the many trails the island is famous for, if not for the sights, to get blood circulating throughout my body. 


    Okay, I don’t claim to know much about Ireland or Galicia, but I now can see how they’re “sisters”. Both were settled by the Celts, so their connection goes back to historical days. Also, much of the terrain seems to be more or less the same from what I can tell. Take a look for yourself.

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    Looks kinda like Ireland, right?

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    Seriously, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. This wasn’t the Caribbean paradise I was expecting, but instead a taste of Ireland (or what I imagine it to be like). I walked through the tall trees and over many hills and craggy rocks taking it all in. 

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    After hiking up to the Faro de Cíes, the sun showed promise of making an appearance on my mini trip, so I decided to try to find one of the many beaches stretching along the coast of the island. My mood started to improve from “broody-Mumford-and-Sons” to “Vamos-a-la-playa”. As I got nearer to the beach, I saw perfect white sand, turquoise water, and sailboats in the distance. Now I saw what all the fuss was about!

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    GUYS LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS BEACH IS.

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    Oh my goodness, I can’t believe what this looks like on a perfectly clear blue sky kinda day, but this it was incredible. 

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    However, with my luck, the sun proceeded to disappear rather quickly after this picture. So after a quick little rest in this little paradise, I gathered my things and decided to keep hiking so as to keep from turning into a human popsicle. 


    I snapped a few more shots of the trees and the ocean before I went to go wait for the ferry home. By then though, I was cold, tired, and had been walking through an unbelievably large giant cloud all day. So I grabbed a coffee and read some Fitzgerald as I waited. 


    13 miles, 6 hours, and 2 cups of tea later I knew. There’s no way I could have walked through a damp giant cloud all day and not come down with a slight cold. So here I sit, writing about my adventures, whilst guzzling tea and honey and wrapped in all the sweaters I brought. Even though I’m sick, my mini solo adventure was definitely worth it. It was really incredible being able to see another side of Spain that I haven’t seen before. 


    Galicia is an awe-inspiring part of Spain, and Vigo a fascinating little city. I almost can’t believe I’ve been here for a month already, with less than 2 to go. But I plan to make the most of every moment before I go, because who knows when I’ll make it back to this lovely country again? Before I leave, here are a few more shots I snagged during my trip. 


    Until the next adventure.

    XOXO


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    Why hello again! Fancy meeting you here.


    Okay, so since I’ve had so many queries into what I’m actually doing here in Vigo (not just galavanting around the city, I promise), I thought I’d give you all a little peek into what my internship looks like here.


    So as many of you know, I’m interning with Astromántica Cartoneira, a publishing editorial that is following in the footsteps of the literary movement started in 2001 by Eloísa Cartonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In its most simplified form, the Cartoneira uses carton (which is usually thrown out) to make hand-decorated book covers for the publications that they produce. The cartoneira  (gallego for “cartonera”) also sees the book through every step of its publication. That means that the books are written by the public, bound by the public, designed by the public, and produced for the public. So the whole process of the book is meant to be engaged in by the community, with the end result that the community gets the chance to form tighter bonds with each other as they work together to bind their collective stories.


    By now, you’re probably like okay cool, Sarah, but what are you doing there? Well, as described by my title as Editorial and Design intern, I’m doing just that: editing stories to go into the Cartoneira’s 3rd publication and designing posters, books, blogs, etc., and assisting wherever I’m needed. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of work, however I love what I’m doing and I’m so happy to be part of a movement such as this. Oh, and I get a pretty cool office at the University with access to paints and glue and markers galore (aka an art lover’s paradise).


    However what I’m most looking forward to is two-fold:

    1) I get the chance to translate Salvador Allende’s last known words before he died. If any of you know anything about him, you realize how absolutely amazing this is. (If you don’t, just take a second and wikipedia him, it’ll be worth your time.) I’m so excited to be able to use my translation skills which I’ve been improving over the past couple of years, in a creative and literary setting. I will also be receiving copyleft and creative commons licensing (seriously, why is that word so hard to spell?!) for my work! Yay! I love that I can contribute my own talents to a movement that I have such a strong passion for.

    2) I will also be going to a middle-high school with some other volunteers at the Cartoneira to involve some of the community’s youth in a designing workshop. I really believe in the importance of getting youth involved with literature, and giving them a hands-on experience with books is even better. At the school, we will give them a chance to explore their creativity and decorate the covers of the books. I can’t wait to get down and dirty in paint with these kids as we bond in our shared love of literature.


    Even though at times my internship can be challenging (i.e. figuring out graphic design), I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to be doing what I love in a country that I love.


    And now, I have a date with some American football and the Green Bay Packers. So I’ll leave you with this: Go Pack Go!

    XOXO

    Greetings from Spain!


    Ah, yes, I’m back in the land of café con leche, tinto de verano, and afternoon siestas. And boy, is it good to be back. After a brutally long and exhausting journey to Vigo, I am finally settled in, un-jetlagged, and getting to know the city. 


    Instead of wearying you with my weary travel tales, let me start by telling you a little bit about the city. Vigo is situated in Galicia, near the border of Portugal, and right along the beautiful blue sea. Vigo is a port city, meaning most of its economy is based on fishing for the abundant sea creatures in the ocean. This being said, most of the delicacies here involve some type of seafood, be it pulpo (octopus), sardinas (sardines), or bacalao (cod). 


    However while Vigo is along the sea, it is also built on many, many hills. So many hills, that I’ve started calling the city “Spanish San Francisco” (copyright pending). While I’ve never actually seen San Francisco, I’m using what I know from The Princess Diaries to make this comparison (picture: Mia in her mustang, rolling backwards down the hill). Seriously, it’s like one Bascom Hill after another. Because of where I’m staying, I end up having to walk up at least two 6-block hills at least once a day. Thus, I find myself burning many, many Cheetos as I walk around the city. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the beautiful views such as this one, on Gran Via: the main road of the city and of course, the biggest hill. 


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    So, I can say with relative hopefulness that when I come back to the States I’ll have legs like Carrie Underwood. 


    I’ve had the luck to stay in my own private room in a little casita with the most wonderful people. I’m living with a lovely pair of English teachers, Mónica and Ale, and also my new Croatian friend Dunja, living in the room adjacent to mine. They all have been nothing but friendly and welcoming to me since the day I walked through the door sweaty, bedraggled, and exhausted after my long journey. Their kindness has made the transition to a new city easier than I ever thought it could be. 


    Pictured below is a view of the window in my room and the ever evasive sunlight streaming through.

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    With new friends and new nooks and crannies to explore, I’m slowly falling more and more in love with this enchanting city. Even though my stay in Vigo will be short, I’m excited for the serendipitous adventures that I’ll have here.


    Until next time,

    Sarah

    Heyyy guys! 


    So in less than 24 hours, I will be driving to Chicago to board 2 planes to Vigo, Spain. In short, it’s been a wild ride so far so I can expect that my time in Spain will be nothing less than that. Here, I will be blogging my journey for all of you curious people, so you can maybe live a little vicariously through me and stay up-to-date with my travels and adventures. 


    Just a few things before I go:

    1- My phone will be on airplane mode as of (roughly) 4:40 pm tomorrow until I come back on the 23rd of November. Which brings me to number….

    2- If you have an iphone, (oh you lucky soul you) you are totally welcome to text me, as I will be able to respond whenever I am in a wifi zone.

    3- HOWEVER, do keep in mind I will be ever so busy with my internship and my online class (goodness when will that finally end?!), so I will not be as able to respond. (also there’s a 7 hour time difference which makes things even more tricky) So, while I would love to respond to everyone, it may not be as timely or possible so bear with me.

    4- If you so desire to reach me and don’t have an iphone (but seriously who doesn’t these days), you can message me on Facebook, Viber, or What’s App.

    5- If you feel like going above and beyond to send me some love via snail mail, I will give out my address upon request. However so as to protect the privacy of the lovely couple who is renting their extra room to me, I don’t want to post it where everyone can access it. 


    Okay, so I think that’s about all you guys need to know! Yay! If you have any questions you can contact me via the above list or just ask a question via this Tumblr post. 


    As always, thanks for all of your love and support. 


    I hope you enjoy this journey with me!


    XOXO

    Gossip Girl (lol just kidding)

    Due to the fact that I am starting a *new* Spain adventure in a couple months, I decided it’s about time my blog received a revamp. I will be testing a bunch of different themes until I find the perfect one. But since I’m extremely indecisive with the solid addition of also being a perfectionist, it may take a bit. So hang with me all, I promise the finished product will be everything you (*I) hoped it would be and more. 


    See ya on the flip side.

    Goodness, I had forgotten how difficult and time consuming it is to plan a long stay in a different country. To make matters more complicated, I have to do everything myself this time, and it’s proving to be quite the challenge. Given a few days off this weekend (FINALLY) I decided to actually finalize a lot of my travel plans. 


    I think I finally found a flight to Vigo, which was harder than expected. Because it’s a cute little port town, no flights actually go straight into the city. So it looks like I’ll be grabbing a connecting flight for a few glorious hours outside of Paris before actually arriving at my destination. I won’t be one to complain.


    I also think I found a nice couple to stay with through AirBnb in the center of Vigo. The apartment looks magnificent, and in the perfect area of town. However, because plans never go exactly as I would wish them to, they are booked the first week I’m to arrive in the city. Fantastic. So, I’m trying to re-plan my stay, and possibly stay in a B-E-A-Utiful beach apartment the first week I’m there (because let’s be real I couldn’t actually afford an apartment like that for the whole 3 months). So again, I won’t be one to complain.


    As crazy as this summer and my disposition to procrastinate has been, I’m thankful I’ve at least been abroad before so I know what I’m up against as I plan this all myself. I had forgotten how many tiny details have to be concreted before I even get there. But I know I’ll get there eventually, and that’s what’s keeping me going.


    I really am excited to go back to Spain again, and to see what types of magnificent adventures await me.


    Until later my friends.

    Hi everyone! 


    In case you didn’t see my post on facebook, I started  a support page so you all can get involved in my journey to Spain and the work I will be doing there. To find out how, watch the special video I made detailing how you can help! Have a question? No worries! Just send me a message and I will help you to the best of my abilities. Thank you so much for all you do for me!


    https://www.fundmytravel.com/Sarah-Radewahn-1427839252/campaigns/Send-Sarah-Jean-to-Intern-in-Vigo-Spain-1427839378/view 


    Best wishes!


    -Sarah

    Hello again friends! 


    It’s so nice to have a reason to write to you all again! I wanted to start by thanking you all for all the support you’ve given me thus far since I found out on Monday that I have in fact been offered the Editorial and Design position at Astromántica Cartoneira in Vigo, Spain. You all are far too kind to me and I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful words.


    That being said, I cannot express to you how unbelievably excited I am to be given this opportunity! I’ve been dreaming about this internship since I discovered it on Madison’s IIP website in fall and had been preparing for the application ever since. It feels so nice that all those meetings, mock interviews, and cover letter and résumé reviews really paid off. 


    I bet most of you are wondering what exactly my internship entails. To those of you unfamiliar with the cartonera movement, let me give you a brief summary of the work that they do and the people they support. The movement began in 2003 in Buenos Aires, Argentina after the enormous economic collapse in 2001, which left most of the country destitute and without any source of employment. Many people were forced into the streets to find any kind of means of income. Many of them turned to selling the cardboard found on the streets just to make some money for food and other necessities. These cartoneros (or carton-people, more or less) were the inspiration to 3 artists who wanted to start a sustainable publishing cooperative that both supported the marginalized and revived latin american literature in an era when resources for publishing were limited. What they decided to do was to buy the carton from the cartoneros and create the covers of books by cutting and decorating the cardboard by hand, with the help from other artists, volunteers, and people on the street. They started producing books and poems from famous Latin American authors and then also new modern stories produced by innovative Latin American authors, including one of their own founders. Thus, Eloísa Cartonera was born, the first publishing cooperative that spawned a movement of sustainable publishing that soon spread all over the world.

    So, as you can imagine, the cartonera movement spread to Spain, including the small bustling city of Vigo in the region of Galicia. Here you will find Astromántica Cartoneira, where I will hopefully be working at this summer. However, this cartonera is fairly new and therefore they need help from people like me to help expand their collection and complete their ambitious projects. When I talked to the directors on Monday via Skype, they already had so many exciting plans for me when I arrive! I was pleasantly surprised and greatly flattered by how excited they seemed to have me intern for them. Some of the projects they mentioned they would like me to help with are to the best of my memory as follows:

    – Translate some of the stories from Spanish to English so they can expand their collection of stories to include Spanish, English, and Gallego copies.

    – Help create a literary magazine for the Cartoneira.

    – Help start a website for the Cartoneira.

    – Lead a hands-on art competition/conference decorating the covers of the books for the youth in Vigo, to help promote the movement.

    So it seems as if I’ll be very busy when I get there! However despite how much work it seems to be, I cannot emphasize enough how excited I am to do all of these things! I am ever so passionate about this movement and how it promotes literature and art in places where the economy is struggling. It’s awe-inspiring and gives me hope that despite the lack of resources, art and literature will still be available to the general public. (Seriously, just ask me about it sometime, and I will break into a long and passionate rant sure to be full of many tangents and untranslatable Spanish words.) Art and literature are  so important to culture and society, and life honestly would be so boring and lifeless without this type of communal expression. I personally cannot wait to help promote this idea in Spain and hopefully bring back some valuable experience and innovative ideas to the States. 


    Despite all of this excitement, I cannot help but worry about how I’m going to fund my travels and living expenses abroad. It’s going to be very expensive to purchase a plane ticket to Europe during the high traffic traveling times, find and rent an apartment for those 2 months I will be there, and also pay for food and transportation and other miscellaneous expenses that may arise. I do have some plans which include applying to various grants and scholarships, and I’m really hoping those will pan out in my favor. I’m not totally destitute, thankfully, but it’s going to be hard to pay these expenses up front. I have been thinking of possibly putting together a support page which will include a personal video detailing the work I’ll be doing, why I need support, and possible updates on my status of fundraising. And if I decide to do that, you all will of course be the first to know! :)


    For now, I’m just excited to have been offered the position! It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity and my dream internship. I greatly appreciate the support I’ve had from all of you, and also from my wonderful professors and advisors who have encouraged me along the way. But I will content myself that if it’s in God’s plan for me, everything will work out for my good. 


    I love you ALL and will update you when I have more news.


    Hasta luego amigos queridos!

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