Ambulance + Hospital = My Experience in Granada

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Thoughts to Jot:

So technically this entry should say something wonderful about my experience in Granada. However, instead, in typical La'Sarah fashion, a trip to Europe is just not a trip to Europe without some kind of drama. With the hard rain falling on the marble streets of Granada came the fall of my ass. There I was, alone in Granada, maybe 5 feet from my hotel entrance when suddenly I'm on the ground, having fallen very hard and very perfectly on my tailbone. Seriously have never been in so much pain in my life. And the old Spaniard who attempted to help me hobble into the hotel informed me very matter of factly, as I sobbed hysterically, that I had been carrying too much baggage in an uneven fashion and hence my fall. Thank you so much Mr. Spaniard for this awesome insight that is now so very helpful.

Fearing that I had broken something, it was determined that I should be taken, by way of the paramedics, to the hospital. The outcome, of course, was that nothing was wrong-just a very bad fall that would leave me in a great deal of pain and discomfort for the next two weeks. My host, Judith, had to pick me up from the hospital and drag me along with her on what was to be her lovely get-away weekend vacation. I therefore managed to ruin her weekend with my hospital fiasco and to this day she is still very angry with me. Case in point: she still will not allow me to do my laundry in her home (we are now on day 2 of a laundry war-a story for another time...).

Sentiments: 1. Kaiser Permanente, I miss you terribly. 2. A very big thank you to the waiter, Mauricio, who the morning after this nightmare, served me churros and endless compliments about how beautiful he thought I was. After a night like the one before, I will very happily except such silly flattery.

Questions: What the f*** was I thinking traveling to Spain all alone???

Something of the Ridiculous: 1. Using every ounce of will-power to keep from fainting, as literally I started to see all black, because all I could think of was "My passport! The Spaniards will steal my passport if I faint. STAY CONSCIOUS, SARAH!!! 2. While standing in my hotel room, in horrific pain and fear, waiting for the ambulance, and literally unable to move, I had a moment of serene clarity: "Aha! Maybe this is happening because this is how I'm going to meet the man of my dreams. He's going to be some handsome paramedic or doctor who will gallantly come to my rescue." Glad to know I can still be a silly romantic even when I'm entertaining the fear that I might be forever paralyzed waist-down. 3. Frantically asking the doctor, as she was discharging me from the hospital and handing Judith a huge bag full of different meds, "No drogas, porque entonces voy a tener un adicion!" (translation-"No drugs, I'll develop an addiction!" One of my random quirks-I have this fear that I'll become like Mike the Situation or Lindsay Lohan and become addicted to pain meds...even though I've never actually taken serious pain meds...)

Challenges: 1. Enduring the delightful passive-aggressive anger that has ensued from Judith for this lovely weekend event I provided her. 2. Additionally, having to listen to her talk (not so pleasantly) about me to her mother on the phone as I stood a few feet away from her.

Note to Self: The streets of Granada, while quite lovely, are slippery suckers-do not be deceived by their beauty!!!

Newish Words for the Day: My personally-created term for pain-addicting meds: "drogas"

On Today's Menu: A tasty variety of "drogas" courtesy of El Hospital de Granada.

XOXO Sarah

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