Test post and summer so far.

     Hey everybody! Here is a test run of my blog before I head over. I am traveling to Spain to become an Au Pair with a family in the city of Talavera de la Reina. With Nick's Uncle Bill's help, we have come to understand that an Au Pair means 'on a par' or 'equal to'. This allows us to believe that I will become a part of the family as I provide care for the two daughters for the next 4 months. As each day brings me nearer to my departure date  (8/13) I find myself getting more and more excited!! 


     So far preparation for my trip this summer has been coming along. With my grandfather's suggestion, I really need to spend some time trying to understand the current state of Spain regarding the government and the people. I intend to be informed about the country I will be living in.

     But for now, I will give an update on some of the memorable times from this summer. After graduation my family and I made a drive up to Reno to visit with my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins! We visited with each other and caught up on important things and silly youtube videos and I couldn't have asked for a better time. Jillian and I then packed up Grandma's car (thanks Grandma!) and moved Jillian up to her place in Salem, Oregon. The drive took us two days, but we managed to stop and admire the nature along the way. 

If you look closely, you can see shoes hanging from this tree! 

     The cloud formations in the sky during this drive were so impressive. We also had to stop a couple of times along the way to gather some yellow wildflowers and thistles to make a bouquet for Jillian's new room. To break up our drive we stayed in lovely Bend, Oregon. We were fortunate enough to have a place to stay with Ron, our friend we met through Dad. He drove us to the best places in town and took us to our first Vietnamese dinner. The next day we woke up to clear views of Mount Hood and Mount Bachelor. With fresh juice in our bodies Jillian, Ron, and I hiked to some nearby waterfalls for a picnic. Our drive from Bend to Salem took us through many quaint towns along US-20 and OR-22, our favorite being Sisters (how appropriate). We did some pretty kick-ass things together in Salem. We also drove outside of Salem to Eugene one time and Portland a couple of times. 

Walking out of Jillian's front door. She lives just across the park
from where One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest was filmed.

This band had about 7 or 8 members and posted up on the corner
 right in front of Nordstrom. They were super energetic!  

Only the coolest cat in all of Salem, Oregon!
This photo was taken during a concert in a different park. 

Sisters before a morning run. 

     Being together with Jillian on this trip was so wonderful! I love you girl! When I came back from Oregon, I immediately started a summer job with a 6 year old boy named Jobe. I work as his aide in a preschool in Goleta and commute down with my mother to report for duty at 7:30 every morning. Jobe is a brilliant boy who takes his play VERY seriously. 

Here he worked with some friends to make a wooden home!
Someone is taking a nap inside :)

Yeah baby!

     Another great memory from this trip was celebrating my birthday in Big Sur with Nick! We hiked in Andrew Molera State Park and enjoyed a lovely Greek salad and pita picnic on the beach. I was also able to join Nick this past weekend to remember and honor his grandfather, George Michael Sotcan. After a two year battle with mesothelioma, Michael left us on July 14th. Nick has written a wonderful song and poem (found at the bottom of his post). 

   I know there is plenty to do before I say goodbye to California for a little while so I must be off. You'll hear from me next when I have arrived in Spain!