Huelga, Huelga!!! (emails from abroad)

Well, here I am folks, the end of this fantastic journey... well almost.

I just got back yesterday from Barcelona, where I a) went and finally got myself back to Manresa to save the cave of St. Ignatius, where he wrote the spiritual exercises b) spent a morning at the United Nations Forum looking at worldwide social justice issues and then spending the afternoon walking along the beaches of Barcelona (and encountering my first nude beach---did not partake) and finally c) spent a day writing a paper in the incredible "Biblioteca de Catalunya," an ancient building with vaulted romanesque ceiling and full wood furnishings. Then I went and got into a literal fight with a hairstylist, who ended up buzzing my head so I now have a full military-style mohawk. (dont worry, I like it)

So, it was an exciting weekend all in all, and I loved getting off on my own for a bit. This is, of course, a good thing becuase I will be leaving June 1 for a month of hiking on my own.

I turned in the last of my Trabajos today, and it felt awesome to have that intense part of my semester behind me. I dont know that I have written that intensely in English in many semesters. 5 pages for History, 8 pages for Lit, 11 pages for Theology and finally 7 pages for Dialectology, all within about two weeks. Now I have a couple days of class and then exams... But WAIT!!! Along with the relief of handing in papers today, I was told that several of our profs will be participating in the national education strike (Huelga! Huelga!) tomorrow, so my schedule is extremely diminished. Cool!

On a business note, the University asks me to remind everyone NOT to send me anything after tomorrow (the 20th) because I will not be around to get it. And from my end, I BEG of you all NOT to send me any large emails within the next month or so. I will be hiking from small city to small city in the northern part of Spain, and I anticipate that I will only get to my email every once in a while. But DO feel free to send up a few prayers for me along my pilgrimage. And I probably have a couple more "updates" in my system before all is said and done.

To all the Seniors on my list, I was thinking today about how much I am going to miss everyone, and seriously will think of you often next year as we all scramble to fill your shoes. I would not be the person I am today if it wasnt for a large number of upper-classmen that have touched my life in very profound ways these last two years. If you havent done so already, please send me your updated email info for when Emarq boots you.

Otherwise, the city is all geeked up for the Royal Wedding this weekend, and it should be an interesting piece of histoy to be here for. And I am gearing up for my big hike and return to the States. This experience has been incredible, but likewise it will be incredible to be home.

All my love to all,
Christian

“Fifty years ago today, nine judges announced that they had looked at the Constitution and saw no justification for the segregation and humiliation of an entire race,” Bush said May 17 praising the activist court of the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision. Hmmm... isnt retropect nice??