theViatrix

Last week, my dear friend Erin over at La Tortuga Viajera invited me to participate in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots, and while I wanted to take her up on it right away, narrowing down my favorite photos to just seven was really tough! If the assignment had been to simply choose the seven shots I consider my best, it would have been much easier, but the images would probably have been very different from the ones presented here (save the last one). But throw me a bone, I’m trying to stick to the categories! For some of the ones I’m truly proudest of, check out my photo page at stephaniedosch.com/photos. While you’re at it, stop by my Flickr stream as well. In the meantime, enjoy these 7 Super Shots. [...]

I’ve been back in the US for a little over a month, and while I’ve enjoyed placing my cookie order with a neighborhood Girl Scout, slurping noodles in Chinatown after the New Year parade, and watching the Super Bowl with a bunch of new friends, I’m really missing some things from Spain. [...]

No, that’s not Madrid’s skyline. [...]

Dear Readers,

This is one of those postcards that arrives after the sender has already returned home. Our trip was wonderful, and even after two and a half weeks, I could have stayed longer. I’ll reveal more soon, but consider these critters a little something to whet your appetite until then (fried spiders, anyone?).

Love,
The Viatrix [...]

Dear readers,

Having a fabulous time in Cambodia. The temples at Angkor are like something out of a movie, and the number of them, as well as the uniqueness of each one, is unbelievable. Wish you were here! In the meantime, here are a few photos.

Love,
The Viatrix [...]

I consider Madrid 100% my home now, but after a couple weeks back in the US I’ve been reminded of a few things that I love about my motherland. Some I miss, some I just appreciate, but all are things I can’t or have a hard time finding at home. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far (in no particular order):

• Real hot dogs (the kind that snap when you eat them, not those bologna sticks)
• Drugstores
• Shoes in my size (US 11, EUR 42-43)
• College sports
• The fact that people bake (and the supermarket has a baking section)
• Television in general (turn on the TV in Europe and you’ll know why)
• Southern accents
• Pre-measured butter (for said baking)
• NPR
• Good hamburgers at reasonable prices (vs. good hamburgers at outrageous prices)
• The cereal aisle
• Backyards
• Food Network

Have I forgotten anything? What do you love about your homeland?

The Viatrix is back in the US and she can’t help but notice the football frenzy all around her. Going through security during a layover in Portland, she was surrounded by green and yellow Oregon fans (one older lady had even dyed her hair green) shouting “Go Ducks!” to everyone they saw in school colors. Apparently they were all flying to some big game in Arizona.

The next day, the Viatrix could tell that there was a Seahawks game by all the jerseys she saw people sporting around town. Indeed, the Seahawks had a playoff game against last year’s SuperBowl winners, the New Orleans Saints, and what a match! The Viatrix’s grandfather kept calling from Boise to make sure her family was watching, and Marshawn Lynch’s run in the last quarter was the stuff careers (and seismic events) are made of.

Football season is much more fun than the Viatrix remembered…

Wow, I’m really behind! Between having no internet in Ghana, having my mom here visiting me and now the holidays… whew! Anyway, I apologize for the delay in new posts.

So now I’m faced with the daunting task of summarizing a two-week trip in one blog post. But here goes: the top five things to know about Ghana. [...]

A bewildered Viatrix tries her hand at relaxing Turkish-style. [...]

Pretty much all our food was good, but there were some places that stood out [...]