Twenty something...

I get to claim twenty something now. Twenty. It's come so fast. It's strange that it will be here in 25 minutes. I'm not even impatient for it! I've enjoyed the teeny bopper years...

...let's take a second to reminisce on the awkward years...

All done. 

Woo Hoo! I AM TWENTY YEARS OLD! Tengo veinte anos. 20. 

Don't worry, guys...

A seat at the adults table at Christmas and Thanksgiving is not necessary, I shall gladly continue to sit with the children. Bills? I'm good...really. Ask me about a job, I'll forever be a hippie. And regarding the never-ending implications towards the successful, married, traditional life I will ultimately have...let's not get carried away now. I was nineteen yesterday.

However, I am a globetrotter as of recently and in my past home of Spain, I've been 20 for 7 hours! So, Happy Birthday to me...this old lady is going to bed.  

Margarita Isabel

Bam Ba Lam.

I was totally and completely wrong about Switzerland.

It was cold but not too cold and the mountains...oh, the mountains. Our "moto gang" -- lame, we know-- roamed the mountain roads for two days straight! It was incredible. Check out facebook pictures.

And The Swiss live up to their famous: chocolate, knifes and cleanliness. Also, most of them speak like 4 languages! It was really, really great.

My parents are coming in 10 days!! I can hardly wait. And Juli will be here shortly after that...I'm so lucky!

I have less than a month here at this point...it's FLOWN by. I'm so ready to see all of you and LBK.

Oh Lord, classes here are like 9:30 to 12:30, 4 days a week. I wrote out my schedule for next semester and it was definitely a nasty welcome back to real life. 7 classes. Only 15 hours (thanks dance minor)...but I don't go to class on Fridays and I've definitely got a travel bug now, so...

ROADTRIPS! You're all invited. On this list so far...San Marcos and San Antonio, Norman OK, Missouri...everyone must come to my farm at some point this Spring, Tyler, Houston (Easter with family)...feel free to add to it.

At least I found my voice again...

Man, I sound so overwhelming-make-me-want-to-throw-up in love in my last post. With Paris, of course. Miss it for sure but let me put my normal voice back on, it's much more suiting, I think.

Don't ask me why I would pay to fly/train into one of the coldest, most expensive places in Europe right now, to spend five days fighting snow and rain...looking for something interesting to do in a place that has the worst reputation for their lovers and their cooks.

Interlaken, Switzerland, everybody. I'm going to have to update you when I get back.

Plan: Nap, movies, shopping...cross your fingers for sunshine. Meals. Friends. Napping. Among other fun activities, inside of course. We'll probably venture out for a snowball fight if we're lucky...take 293784234890 pictures and run inside to thaw out our fingers. Pictures can be so deceiving, hmm??

No worries, I'm going with my favorite people on this trip and in general and definitely going to enjoy it.

In other news: listen to ratatat, I'm still obsessed. learning Sevillanas...seriously SO COOL, make me show you when I get back. Will you go dancing with me because I'm also learning: bachata, merengue, cha-cha-cha, salsa and pasa doble. Holla. French is the next language on the list. A jungle is the next place.

Take me home. Or come to Europe...alright familia? 25 daysish.

U Can't Touch This.

Paz Fuera.

Paris a volé mon coeur.

Paris has stolen my heart. (Paris a vole mon coeur). 

I don't know how a city takes your heart like that. And believe me, I know it's cliche...but it's irresistible. I could live there. Teach ballet to little French girls and live in an apartment. It's going to happen. Oh, I'd like to think so.

As far as being all touristy...castles, palaces, museums, cathedrals etc. are GREAT, but what I really, really love is the feel of a city. You can find that walking down the street. Parks are good, too. 

...The feel of Paris almost childlike. I was constantly excited and wide-eyed...at the most simple things. Chicken and tomato paninis. A swing in the park. A brass band on a street corner. The rosy-cheeked child that just ran past me, speaking French! It's seriously impossible to not feel it. The fact that it was 50 degrees outside, so I was wearing a scarf and a peacoat the whole time only made it better!

Paris, France and Rome, Italy are sister cities and there's a phrase for them...

"Only Paris is worthy of Rome, only Rome is worthy of Paris."

If so, I must go to Rome. 

Au revoir.

Margarita Isabel...back to spanish life.

My heart is a crowded place.

I recognize this is a long post for the casual readers. So, here's a key...

a) random.

b) spanish.

c) music.

d) the states, my dears.

e) you.

f) venice.paris.switzerland.greece.

g) palabras in spanish.

h) flamenco.

a) My blog is asking me why I don't wear scarves and telling me that my neck feels naked (who cares?), but funny that they ask, because...I've become a little bit obsessed with pashimas -- mine is kind of that color, too -- while in Spain. I bought a beautiful one in Granada, which according to Jennifer "compliments my eyes and skin tone and really, truly enhances my look as a whole." Well, I feel like that's what I'm going for anytime I put anything on...so, one point for me.

b) I think all the Spanish women went shopping in my 7th grade closet, because their clothes are about that big, on fully grown bodies, and from 1999...awesome. UNLESS, they're going to a wedding and then, they seriously could walk down a fashion runway in 1923. 

c) Levi Smith. Really, sometimes I just really get hooked on music and I am for sure. I'm listening to his myspace right now (I know, myspace, 9th grade...) and I love it. You know it's a good song if you like it the first time you listen to it. 

Try...I'd Like To Think So, Bitterness is Sexy, That's What I Meant By Goodbye, Lay Me To Waste...

d) There are so many things in The States that I took for granted before coming to Spain. And more than wanting to stay in Spain, I want to go back and appreciate all that I have. I was reading my first post about how much I'll change...little did I know, I'll be fighting a lot of those changes. 

Why didn't I think about that? 

Think about: Stores that never close vs. every store ever being closed on Sunday and during siestas (3pm - 6pm). Walking everywhere vs. Driving everywhere. A freaking hamburger. No exchange rate. Phone calls that aren't charged by the minute. Protestant Churches. Understanding the news about your home and Ike...impossible. Having more than 28 friends that speak English.

...let me clarify. I have the best legs ever from all the walking. I love the 28 Americans I'm with right now. Siestas rock. The rest of it really does suck...

e) Do you feel grown-up? When does it happen? Do I want it to? Nahhh...

f) I'm going to Venice, Paris, Switzerland and Greece. Ask me if I'll have any money when I get back. So, so, so, so worth it. 

g) Whether or not I'm fluent depends on who I'm talking to. Team 1607 (love you two) YES. A Sevillian with a thick accent and no idea that I'm catching every 6 words...hell. no. Hahahaha. 

Two things that I've recently learned about the language and am loving...

1) Lots of big, more "complicated words" in Spanish...let's take revolution for example, are practically English...like, revolucion--the o has an accent--. Love it, I can usually guess those.

2) Lots of times a noun is just the verb in a slightly different form. 

The forgotten: Los olvidados, verb: olvidar. Holla!

h) OH MY GATO! I bought a Flamenco poster with my name on it! Well, my Spanish name...Margarita Isabel...I'm so excited about putting it up in my room/house when I get back!

You're right here. Love you.

Me.

Otra vez, otra vez...

Otra vez means again...like...say it again. I totally missed that. Or at least that´s how I constantly use it.

In my host family we have a...

Mamá, Manuela...
...a mid-fifties beach bum, who loves to make fun of her daughters (that includes Jessica and I, plus Lola y Ana--her actual daughters) and cook delicious foods! Fried fish is a favorite, Gazpaucho, Paella and she loves the tinto verano...Sangria, but who doesn´t?!

Dos hermanas, Ana...

...25 and quite the little sister to Lola, bratty voice and all, but really a lot of fun and very patient with Jessica and I. She´ll literally spend 10 minutes trying to explain one word or phrase to me and then spell it in English, because she can´t speak it but she can spell it! Crazy! Her boyfriend...Robert, is around some, too--turns out he speak fluent English!

y Lola...

She´s older and really sweet but SASSY. She´s really patient también (also), but doesn´t live at the house, so we only see her at a meal a day or so. She´s engaged to Jose...this guy is HILARIOUS. I have to go into detail...

He´s SO tall for a Spaniard. He reminds me of Robert off of everybody loves Raymond. He speaks English as well, well...he´s learning. His English is a little better than my Spanish. He talks so fast and has the thickest accent ever. Yesterday in the kitchen he was asking me all sorts of questions about the...trash in The States...?? Who knows and I could not understand a word he was saying...thus otra vez, otra vez and mas despacio (more slowly...) hahaha. We´re constantly dying laughing.

Funny Story...

Saturday we got home from the beach and we were about to eat dinner, so I say to my host Mamá (en español)...I´m going to change my clothes, but instead of ´cambiar´the verb for to change, I said ´caminar´, which means to walk. So, my sassy sister, Ana, immediately stands up and struts her and her shirt across the kitchen...laughing, vas a caminar tu ropa, Maggie? (You´re going to walk your clothes, Maggie?)...haha, I freaking love them.

That´s the family update...I need to take pics of them, but you can check pics on my facebook for Ronda, Marbella and random things in Sevilla...more to come, of course!

Last but not least...corazon literally means heart in Spanish, but my host mom always says ´de nada corazon´...so, I think it means like sweetheart! It´s one of my new fave phrases in espanol.

Paz corazones...

Peace sweethearts...

:P

No me ha dejado.

It's a phrase that defines Sevilla. It means "They have not left me". It's the story of some general and his men, obviously, they didn't leave him. :) 

But what hit me TODAY is that He hasn't left me. 

He is here, was here before I got here and will always be here. 

There are literally hundreds of things I could say at this point and I don't even know where to begin, honestly...I'm sure most of them will come with time and experience and...dedication to this blog. 

People have been telling me since before I came to Spain that I wouldn't leave changed, but it's UNREAL how much of a reality that is to me in this moment. 

Every place I go is different. Every word I say is different. Every person I meet is different. Every food I eat is different. Every thing I learn is different. How could I not leave different? 

How could I write that down? 

I'll attempt in the near future when I'm less exhausted and have uploaded some pics. Until then, much love from Spain and my address:

Maggie Nickens

Recaredo 44

41003 Sevilla, Spain

(79 cents for a carte.)

Maggs. 

Want to talk to me this summer?

...this is where I'll be until AUGUST!

The Cove with all the Pines...PINE COVE! Aha.

Address..

Bailando on the Farmo (my camp name, haha.)
Pine Cove Ranch (Woods--in July)
P.O. Box 9055
Tyler, TX 75711-9055

PACKAGES (yesssss)

" __________________"
"___________________"
17152 Pop Mckenzie Rd.
Flint, TX 75762

And I'll be facebook/cell phone available on Saturdays 12 until Sundays at 12. Just leave me a mensaje and I'll call ya back. Have a great summer! I'm going to miss you guys a lot!

Honey (Bunches)

I was thinking of the title for this and wanted to incorporate two very special things/people in my life.

1) Last night I watched the movie, Honey, it was honestly much better than I expected.
2) I call Leslie Amber Palomo honey bunches sometimes and I'm pretty sure she deserves a shout out in the this post because...
a) I miss her. b) I need to call her back. c) I called her the other night at 1am and she talked to me. d) She's my home girl and honey bunch, it's pretty much the only pet name I have for anyone. Well, one of few. So, here's to you my office-loving, american apparel wearing, spurs-obsessed, tiny-BFF who has a love interest that keeps my life exciting. AHAHA. Love you!

Just finished my first and second-to-last final. MUY FACIL. Mass Comm, everyone, B. Dean.

Proximo, voy a tomar mi examen de espanol. (..and I obviously need to study because I chose to use present voy there instead of conjugating in the future tense. Awesome.)

Sometimes, I get a hot chocolate from the SUB, but I secretly only really want a little bit of hot chocolate and a lot of the whipped cream they put on top. It's deliciosa.

MY MOM IS COMING TOMORROW!!! Does anyone know how much I love her?!? I've missed her so much. SO MUCH. Everything will be wonderful when she gets here!!! Haha, that sounds so lame but I'm super serious right now.

"I just like to smile, smiling is my favorite." My favorite, Buddy the Elf.

"Excuse me, then! (now) you know my heart;
But dearest friends, alas! Must part." -John Gay

Mother's Day

Take advantage of this exclusive blogspot offer... 

DON'T SEND YOUR MOTHER ROSES FOR MOTHER'S DAY. 

That is all. 

Options: Anything but roses. Photos. Something she actually likes. Spa trip. A hand-written card. 

She got powersss...

Blackalicious. Powers. = Totally radical. Hahaha, I like the song.



I tried to add a picture last time, it didn't work. But it will this time.

I've discovered an unfortunate truth about my age group. We're very unreliable. As a whole, we don't show up where we say we will, we don't do what we say we will or be there when we're supposed to be. We think that because people see us as flighty and unreliable, we are. NOT TRUE. Believe me, I understand sitting on the couch with your best friend and a good movie is more fun than showing up to rehearsal, work, a study group etc. but skipping it is not this 'okay' option. I'm not mad. Or specifically speaking about one person or group. I've just discoved that in making plans, most of the time I may as well not, because they'll likely fall through.

Happier things...

Good hair days make life so much easier. Take it one day at a time...especially during finals time. Riding my bike actually gives me energy instead of taking it away.

"Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands." ---> name the movie, please.

workschoolchoroegraphypackingleavingsleepingfinalspinecovecamperstiredspainlivingmoneyclothes...

...this is my idea of a streaming consciousness.

I love/hate it when I'm listening to my ipod and a song I don't like comes on, yet for some reason I don't turn it. Like I'm not even listening. Then, half way through I realize it's a dumb song and that I just wasted good listening time.

How deep the Father's love for us. How vast beyond all measure. That He would give His only son and make a wretch his treasure. How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away. As wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory.

Marc preached on adoption and the prodigal son this morning. It hit home for a lot of reasons I don't really want to talk about, but that might be one of my favorite parables because it has so, so many learning opportunities in it.

He also talked about God as Father. So easy to forget, right? So easy to feel obligated to 'do good'. So easy to feel guilty. So easy to ignore. But think about your earthly father. My relationship with him has hardly anything to do with what I do on a day to day basis and is just about enjoying each other in the small and big moments. That's how it is with our Father in heaven. It's not about the sins I commit by the minute but about His grace. About our relationship. About His people. How much He loves us and we love Him.

Rambling...

"The UV light on their faces and Joseph rinsing the rags in the sink, his tired eyes in the cracked mirror, meeting her eyes in the corner, blinking back her holy tears."

-Gas Station Christmas Story, ask me for a copy of the song asap.

Until next time, Me.

Mr. Jones and Me...

You know those random good songs by random good bands, but you only have that one random good song by that one random good band? Ya follow?

...Mr. Jones -- Counting Crows. 

...Hey There, Delilah -- Plain White T's

...Under the Bridge -- Red Hot Chili Peppers

...Butterfly -- Crazy Town (hahah.)

...Boston -- Augustana (Which I love, I should buy the CD.)

...Walkin' on the Sun -- Smash Mouth

Just to name a few. 

And then you have albums and albums of bands I hardly listen to and/or don't like their music...

...Spice Girls...Lindsay Lohan (I only have one dumb song!)...GRITS (excepts for some of the things are okay). 

That was pointless but I know you relate. And my music mood fluctuates so much I feel like I have to keep the neutral stuff...

So, today my fried Josh and I were talking about how muffins are like...thousands...of calories and NOW I'm at J&B...eating a muffin. Ahaha. Good times.

Just in case you bite your nails a lot (LIKE ME!) you should try keeping them painted, even if they're short. It helps me not bite them, for sure. I don't know...just an idea. 

She's famous for her nails.

People at coffee shops make me laugh. Faux studying...checking out the people across the room...drinking way too much coffee/tea...small talk with strangers...I love them, seriously...I do.

You know being 'trendy' is so difficult. I think it comes naturally to some people, but I've decided not to embrace it. Hahaha, I always feel like I'm trying to hard, because I probably am, but some people do it so well! Honestly, it stresses me out, so mostly I stay safe with my outfit choosings. From what I hear though, in Spain 'trendy' is like skinny jeans, nice shoes and a plain t-shirt...oh, I've got that. 

And that's all she wrote.

Lots of growth. Really hard.

Man, oh man.

I spent this last weekend at Pine Cove, where I worked last summer and this coming summer. Now I'm super excited to go back! And everybody knows that school is depressing, so that didn't really help my will to come back and finish strong. But I'm going to do it, I am.

I want an Oompa Loompa NOW, daddy. <--- Have you ever played Boxers or Briefs? It's really fun. Game night at PC. Funny phrases, we'll have to play sometime.

'Under the Sea' just came on my ipod. Hahaha. But you have to admit, Disney movies have undisputed quality songs. Just say it.

So, you may have noticed on my facebook page that I've recently starred in a horror movie. Gruesome. I haven't seen it yet, though...so I'm excited! Everyone dies. :( But the blood is gooey and makes for good pictures.

Read Luke 11. Also, think about The Lord's Prayer. It can get so routine but it's really incredible. I don't know about y'all, but sometimes I feel like my prayers should be a certain thing or way, but Luke 11 and Matthew 6 (I think) really speaks to your prayer life and opened my eyes a lot last night. I could go on for a while but you should just read it and let me know what you think.

Well, it's officially 10:45, regardless of what blogspot might say, because it's always wrong. So, it's also officially the time I should get my bike and head to the dance building for jazz. Starting my final dance routine TODAY! Yay, it makes me feel like it's almost over.

Hahaha, I just thought of something. And if you're familiar with LBK, you should appreciate this. This time of the school year is like Roscoe. You reach Roscoe and your mind says YAY, I'm almost to Lubbock, but then you keep driving and it goes....on....forever...but you'll make it eventually. Promise...Sweetwater...Post...Lubbock COUNTY...city...home.

Happy April Fool's Day!

This day is fun if everyone is a good sport, but most of the time people don't like to be a fool.

Speaking of fools...

"The fool shows his annoyance at once, while the prudent man overlooks insult." 

Proverbs 12:16

I've been CRAVING peppers lately. I drove to Subway today just to get a bunch of banana peppers on my sandwich. (They were delicious!) And the other day at Olive Garden the peppers in the salad made my whole meal. My mouth is watering...

Mmm...

What have you been craving?

School-is-almost-over. 

I started packing today. A little crazy, I know. But I'm so ready to get outta hurr. 

Peace ouuuuuut. 

Me.

Take Five...

My Dad is OBSESSED with Jazz music-well, music in general. He always has been. The funny thing is, he can't carry a tune in a bucket. It's one of my favorite things about him. He loves music SO much, but he has no rhythm either. Anyway, the song 'Take Five' on a jazz CD I have reminds me of him, so this post is dedicated to him and his unmusicality. 

I'm at work ahora. Been here since 5:45am. It's unreal how obnoxious 5:45am can be when you're sleepy. I usually want to cry/throw up whenever I have to work on Thursdays, but I've gotten really good at going to bed early the night before which makes the shift SO much more bearable. 

Spring Break is a funny thing. EVERYONE does the same thing. Nothing. Everything. Beach. Friends. Sleep. Travel. I mean honestly, did any of you do anything other that that? Didn't think so. And that's fine...the funny part is, we all come back and that's all we talk about for the next week. As if it were something exciting...Don't get me wrong. I want to hear all about your Spring Break, just know that I've already heard it 78 times. Hahaha, is that rude? Nahh. 

"I've been rapping for about 17 years, okay? I don't like my stuff anymore, I just kick it from my head. You know what I'm saying...I can do that. No disrespect but that's how I am."

- Seventeen Years, Ratatat. 

Speaking of, whenever I talk about that band people always ask me "Wow, how do you spell that?"--seriously, without fail. It's silly, though because then I have to say...r-a-t-a-t-at. "Wait...how many 'at' 's is that?!"

So does anyone want to tell me how to subscribe to someone else's posts? Does anyone know? Can you do that? I'd like to. Ok...peace out.

Me.

Rockin' the Suburbs...

Ooooh Deer Park.

It's tiny. NO ONE lives here. Well, actually most of my friends from high school were on Spring Break last week, and so it's super boring. Needless to say 'I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go'. Haha, I'm actually all dressed up with about 11 Lost episodes to watch. And my sister just got back from California, so she'll be entertaining me shortly. Until then, I have her little puppy...Murfee, to play with. This place is insufferable. Hahahaha. It's insufferability is exhausting. That probably explains how I can go to bed early and wake up late and still feel tired in the least.

At least I have my bike here! I might go explore this tiny little city tomorrow on my bike.

Also, I'm off to Tyler tomorrow to visit my sister at school, and some friends from summer camp. That'll be fun for 2 days.

Has anyone ever been to Fredericksburg? It's this small German town and it's quite adorable. There were a lot of tourists there when I drove through it on my way to San Antonio. I want to stop there sometime.

Speaking of San Antiono, one of my best friends lives there and I got to visit her this weekend! It was our friend, Stuart's birthday (I guess I can say 'our friend'. I only him because Leslie lives in SA, but...I mean, we are friends.) Anyway, it was a lot of fun. We mainly sat around playing games, but they're more creative and hilarious than you would imagine. Hopefully, we can play these games together one day. Then, I got to go to her huge, wonderful church on Sunday. She's an intern there and it was interesting to be around junior high/high schoolers again...they're smaller than I remember. Stuart talked about Daniel...it reminded me of one of my favorite Veggie Tales songs...

"We could use him as a chessboard or a table to play scrabble on, and tie him up and beat him up and throw him out of Babylon."

Classic.

This was random and boring, but quite a perfect example of my life at the moment. So, if you're bored to tears by this...have sympathy. Call me. If you're in Deer Park or not, cause I'm probably doing nothing.

Much love.

Me.

Ratatat

It's so early in the morning, I can't sleep. That's why I created this blog, I don't really know if anyone will read it...

I haven't been able to sleep a lot lately. I think it might have something to do with the coffee I drank at...10:30, I should refrain in the future. 

I was watching a terrible movie tonight. The main character used the word 'insufferable'--to not be able to suffer someone or something. That's much more obvious than I thought the meaning was, and I find it kind of funny. I'm going to try and use it more often. 

Everyone used to have blogs like this before myspace/facebook...they've taken over these days, though. I prefer the blog now that I think about it. It's much more up my alley...I've just got all these thoughts bouncing around all day in my head. Irrelevant most of the time, but still fun to write down. 

Spring Break starts tomorrow...I can't wait to see my family. And relax. And see friends...I never go to go home and see them. 

Ratatat is a band I've recently discovered. Most of their music doesn't have lyrics, which makes it great for my Choreography class. *I'm a dance minor...party. My Choreography professor won't let us use songs with lyrics, but Ratatat manages to still have personality. I like 'Seventeen Years' and 'El Pico'. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out.

I think I'm going to fiddle around with my layout now...we'll see how all of this works out. 

Buenos noches hombres...much love.

Me. (Maggie Elizabeth)

PS. Can someone tell me how to subscribe to other blogs???