Insert Gozo Pun Here

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Sorry for taking such a long break from my blog but I've been stuck in a post-Carnival haze. By haze I'm referring to the cold that has taken over the residence. You would think being sick would make us all stop sharing food and drinks but it hasn't. I think most of us have just accepted the fact that this cold (and the cough that comes with it) isn't going away any time soon. In fact it has gotten worse since we all may have gone a little too hard for Carnival last weekend. I think I speak for everyone at the residence when I say it was well worth it. Carnival was amazing. During the day the streets were swarmed by parades of neon colored floats and intricate costumes. I have never seen floats like the ones I saw last weekend. Not only were they large and colorful but most of them had DJs and moving parts. When I say moving parts I don't just mean a waving hand. You know the giant swings at fairs and theme parks? Well some floats had exactly that except slow moving and in unusual shapes (ie a mushroom). Carnival reminded me of the Mummers Parade that takes place in Philadelphia every New Years Day. Not only are the costumes just as outrageous but you can tell that people spend all year preparing for this weekend.

Everything I mentioned above disappears on Saturday night and are replaced by moving dance floors and Halloween-esq outfits. Nadur is the center of this chaos. When I say chaos I really am not joking. During the night portion of the festival you can never really be sure what's going on, it's all a blur. I do have a piece of advice for anyone who may be planning on going next year. WEAR A COSTUME. This may seem like obvious advice but let me explain why I find it necessary to reinforce the whole costume thing. If you don't get a costume you will have dead fish thrown at you. Yes actual fish. I thought walking on the smelly things was bad enough, I never want to actually be hit with one. The following morning everyone was tasked with the job of cleaning the bottom of their shoes which were coated with fish guts. Not a pleasant experience. Hopefully that will be the first and last time I experience dead fish throwing, not just in Malta but in general.

It's been a week since Carnival and most of the residence has recovered and moved on to planning future trips. For some that means St. Patty's day in Ireland. While that sounds fun and dandy I chose to spend that Guinness worshiping holiday here in Malta with my Irish friends. As much of an experience it may be to celebrate St. Patty's day in its country of origin I would much rather be here at the residence which I know will be a craick. Staying in Malta will also give me time to start planning out my trips to Venice and Morocco. Since I've been to Venice before I want to try and avoid the major tourist spots, so if anyone has any suggestions by all means message me. Morocco, on the other hand, will be a whole new experience, one that Sarah and I can't stop talking about. We are slowly formulating ideas and figuring out where we want to go and what we want to do. At the top of my list is a (guided) camping trip in the Sahara. There is something about it that is just really appealing to me. I honestly couldn't explain what exactly I love about the idea but it is something I feel like I need to do while in Morocco.

Since things here at the residence have been relatively calm, with the exception of a couple trips to Paceville and numerous birthdays, I'll leave you be. Before I do that though I want to thank everyone who has been reading my blog. I've love hearing from you all.

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