From a few days ago:

I’ve been trying to find ways to despite Bali to all of you guys, because I haven’t been quite as good at staying to touch as I promised. Its harder to do anything here, I have to find a mini bus to the next town to send a letter, which then take two weeks to get there, and I only get the internet a couple times a week and once I do, I’m totally overwhelmed. Its like this frantic, information overload and by the end of the hour or so I am totally exhausted but haven’t gotten anything down. This is why I’m sitting on my veranda in Java overlooking the ocean writing this while its still morning and I’m calm enough to tell you about my day yesterday, while basically sums up my whole experience in the last 3 weeks in a nutshell.
Yesterday I got up at 6 am to fly from Bali to the neighboring island of Java, where we’ll be living/taking classes for the next few weeks. As soon as we got in, we headed to the beach on this ridiculous bus that had leaks and cockroaches coming out of the ceiling and hardly enough room for us and our bags. We got to the hotel we stayed last night by the beach, which on the outside looked beautiful and is painted in pastel colors and built so that some of our rooms are part of a national rock wall, but inside of the rooms we found praying mantises and rusty bathrooms with squad toilets and sketchy stains on the sheets.
Then we headed to the beach, where we were the only westerners in bathing suits and a group of sketchy guys tried to film us and the ocean had sea snakes. But then we walked further down the beach and away from everyone and swam in the most GORGEOUS sunset (it was pure bliss) and ate an amazing dinner and then came back home to sleep with the mantises and lizards and coach roaches. (and now I'm in a really nice hotel).
So basically, Indonesia is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. I always feel a little bit alert and exposed, because there are no boundaries between outside and inside, and nature always finds its way to wake me up in the middle of the night. But at the same time I haven’t felt this carefree and not stressed out in a long time. I’m learning to be more flexible, because you simply can’t control basically anything here, and you have to put a lot of your trust into the program leaders and home stay family’s hands and just go with the flow. By the time I get back I’ll be as fucking chill as Higgs.
Well, maybe not that chill.
I love you alllll, come to BALI!!!!
Love,
Amanda

Benvinguda a Barcelona

¡Hola Chicas!

Pues, here I am in Barcelona! I can't put my finger on what exactly it is I feel here but its different, completely different then what I expected. Its a big city where you can be annoynmous if you want to and vice versa. I live with my host mother in a apartment in the hills, literally a two minute walk from Park Güell. I have a big room, nice bed, and a great view, I can actually see the Mediterranean from my window, its crazyness. So far I've been out and am starting to settle in with people in my program. I really want to get in with the locals which I heard isn't the easiest since people here live with their families until like 25. I've found this website, spotted by locals, and think I'm going to try and venture out to some of those places! I need a cozy coffee shop, jazz bar, etc. There is one girl in my group Cat who I get along with fairly well, she's from New Orleans and reminds me of Nay. She is into the whole blending with the locals and just vibing. One thing is for sure that you can be whatever you want here.lol. They make me miss my lip ring! People are hard to categorize and style here is something along sloppy chic which I can appreciate, I more so like that you can look and act however you want and its generally accepted, very laid back attitudes ;)

I think I'm in for a truly life changing semester, from the day I stepped foot in Barcelona I felt uncomfortable and out of my element and I think that's a good thing. I plan in visiting the of Spain to see Oriana, and an old friend of mine is in Madrid, need the well-rounded experience of España since Barcelona really does its own thing!

I miss you all! Skype dates soon!
Un besito y un abrazo,
<3 Dolce

I'm sitting in a cafe in Ubud, which is a town over from my host family. I kind feel like I live a double life here. In Ubud its all of these amazing, trendy but cheap boutiques and super luxurious coffee shops (Illy espresso and high tea!), but its all tourists and no Balinese. I mostly come into town to send emails, here internet is a place, not a state of being. Back home in my homestay, I have this absolutely beautiful guest house (Balinese live in compounds) with a gold and red painted door and my own veranda. Its really simple in the inside, but clean. My ibu (host mom) is a seamstress (its kinda dangerous, I packed more than anyone else already), and I have a 19 year-old host sister. I've been scary lizards and mice size cockroaches and gorgeous temples, and a cockfight, and rice paddies, and a cremation, and in the next few days, I'll go to a wedding and a tooth filing. Its been amazing and overwhelming, I'll write more when I can process it.

Lovelovelove you ALL!