Dudes

Although we had been in Europe for more than one full day by the time we reached Barcelona, it was here that I first felt that our trip had actually begun. It was Barcelona where I became focused in a way separate from the Standard Operating Procedure at home. Even Madrid seemed to be a part of the stepping stone process that was necessary to reach our stated goal, which turns out to be a feeling and state of mind as much as any geographical place. We arrived in Barcelona on the 14th and our train from Madrid was an early one, se we didn’t get much sleep but I don’t think sleep is going to be a top priority anytime this trip. Amy was still feeling ill and the up before dawn wake up and ... read more

We're sitting in Daytona Beach International airport waiting for our connection to Atlanta. This does not seem very international to me, but I know there are some strange bedfellows in the whole secessionist movement, and maybe something happened while I wasn't paying attention. From Atlanta, world city of international intrigue, or at least strippers, from what I hear, it's a nine hour + flight to Madrid. Not looking forward to that, but at least they give you plenty of leg room on the plane and when I see the professionalism and thoroughness of the TSA, I am confident that there will be no tomfoolery going on. Or hooliganism. Well, obviously I have nothing important to say, just getting through some pre-travel jitters. I would like to mention that I was monumentally disappointed with my previous entries ... read more

We flew into Copenhagen early Sunday afternoon and immediately got passage for a 30-minute train ride across the Oresund into Sweden. This is a narrow strait of water connecting the North Sea to the Baltic. When we arrived in Lund we settled into our hotel and grabbed a quick lunch from a corner stand before meeting up with the rest of the class for a quick overview of the upcoming week. That evening the Swedish students and faculty had put together food and drink so we could meet and get to know one another before the official start of the week. For those of you who didn’t know, the main reason for this trip is a course Amy is taking this last semester of nursing school to study the Swedish healthcare system. The week long ... read more

Just wanted to put a quick entry in here before we leave for our Scandinavain adventure--a year after the fact! Orlando was a not entirely worthless experience, we met some good friends and are where we are today as a result, but jesus, I'm glad there are people who dig a place like this so I don't have to.... read more