Ballon inflated in vaginia

Recently Iñaki had an interview with Mexican Youtuber FullHakiMarco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa3mePaqqSw&ab_channel=FullHakiMarco
Here are the most important and new tidbits:
-He had a plushie of Dr.Simi (Mexican drug store mascot) and Viz’s OP volume 1.
-Iñaki mentions he had only used discord some years ago back when he played GTA Online. He downloaded discord just for the interview.
-He had never been on a twitch stream prior to this one.
-Iñaki is studying Japanese 2-3 hours every day.
-Right now he’s reading a Chaplin biography. He considers Chaplin´s humor and physical comedy similar to One Piece’s.
-Every straw hat has visited Mexico already. In fact Iñaki has a tour for his foreign buddies that visit. Jacob even went to Iñaki’s aunt wedding.
-Iñaki and Mackenyu became gym bros while training for OPLA S1. After training they used to play APEX Legends.
-He is a HUGE fan of Nintendo. Loves Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pikmin, MOTHER (He calls the series MOTHER btw, not Earthbound). Super Mario Galaxy in his opinion is one of the best works of arts ever. His favorite Zelda is Majora’s Mask.
-Iñaki mentions he just went to Similandia. (WTF I didn’t even know there was a Similandia haha.) he gets excited and FullHakiMarco (Interviewer) mentions how Iñaki getting excited for going to Similandia is so Luffy. (Similandia is a park with Dr.Simi stuff basically. Not super big or anything I imagine).
-He knew Luffy from Super Smash Flash. “He is the guy who smiles a lot.”
-At first he didn’t know what the audition was for. Once he knew what the audition was for, he watched a “Who is Luffy?” from a spanish-speaking youtuber while taking a shower. He is asked what youtuber it was, but he doesn’t remember.
-Iñaki watches OP content from Spanish speaking youtubers (In fact he was the one to contact FullHakiMarco for the interviewer).
-When asked about Oda Iñaki says that Oda was very involved in his casting. “Es buen compa”, “He is a cool dude”. And that Oda is always aware of the OPLA stuff.
-Oda-san is reserved but charismatic, friendly, very fun. Very confidant, in a good way. Extremely humble down to earth person. He LOVES eating meat.
-When asked what the rarest thing he saw when he met Oda. Iñaki didn’t want to say too much. He just said “the bathroom/restroom” (Bathroom and restroom are said the same in Spanish…) (I think there are some photos of Oda’s bathrooms so just google them if you are curious).
-Iñaki is currently watching OP anime, right now he´s on Punk Hazard.
-Iñaki is spoiled of current events (He knows of everything that has happened on Egghead).
-Top 3 things Iñaki wants to act: Vivi’s farewell in Alabasta. I want to live. Marineford
-FullHakiMarco teases Iñaki saying he will be 40ish with gray hair and 3 kids and the series would probably not have finished. He asks him if he believes the LA can cover the entirety of the manga. Iñaki doesn´t really respond to this, but he seems confident and nodding. Is not that Iñaki doesn’t want to reply to this tease, but before he was to reply FullHakiMarco continues and asks if they have talked about that, or if Iñaki is worried about that to which Iñaki replies: “I am happy to play Luffy and will play Luffy for as long as it makes sense. Whatever time it takes, if I am playing Luffy is because I am happy to play him, I want to play him, and it makes sense for me to play him.”
-Iñaki wanted to be an actor since he was a kid. He is fond of Luffy because, just like him, he always knew what his goal was. Iñaki mentions that due to his hard work, maybe destiny, maybe just luck and with the help of many people he achieved his goal.
-Talking about goals, FullHakiMarco mentions how some people don’t have the luck, the means, or just don’t try to reach their dreams, he asks Iñaki to motivate the nakamas watching to follow their goals. Iñaki first makes a playful remark mocking viral salesman. Then he says, “Dreams can be accomplished. I say this because it happened to me. Maybe today, tomorrow or in many years… OR maybe never. But as long as you are alive there is a chance for your dream to be achieved. Whether I would have gotten the role of Luffy or not, I would have continued to do what I like. I would have continued trying. Persevering. Destiny can be beautiful, but the best moments are the moments in between your goal and how long it takes. As long as you are doing something you like, it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to be successful. Enjoy the process. I don’t know where I Will be in 10 years, whether I will earn an Oscar or if I won’t be to be in a role. Don’t let anyone mock your dreams.”
-Top 3 Iñaki moments from OPLA S1: When Garp launched the cannon balls and Luffy inflated into a ballon. Nami’s “Help me”. Every scene when Luffy eats. Because Luffy is a savage when he eats. Iñaki spilled some salsa on his lips. The make up artist tried to clean it, but Iñaki said to keep the salsa in his lip.
-When asked why he wanted to be interviewed FullHakiMarco first says some people thought this interview was all a Netflix PR stun for OPLA S2 which Iñaki denies, he said he just wanted FullHakiMarco to interview him. Iñaki says that without fans they (Actors) would be nothing.
-FullHakiMarco then asks Iñaki questions but tells him to answer them as if he was Luffy. Q: His favorite straw hat? A: All of them. Q: Favorite attack? A: All of them. Q: When you poo, is your poop gum too? A: I don’t know. I’ve never checked. Q: Do you think about your mom? A: Nah! Q: Can I join your crew? A: Can you fight? Do you have meat? If you do, you can join.
-Finally Iñaki sings happy birthday (Las mañanitas) to FullHakiMarco. He has a Pinguino (Small cake sold in Mexico) with a small candle on it.
-Iñaki hints at a secret project. (I doubt it’s OP-related).
-In the last part of the interview FullHakiMarco says Iñaki has all the qualities of a great actor. He is talented, disciplined and he has balls to which Iñaki replies, “The crown jewels” (The phrase Luffy mentions when he refers to his balls in Amazon Lily).
-Iñaki mentions if a Luffy skin comes to Fortnite he won’t ever stop playing it.

Recently Iñaki had an interview with Mexican Youtuber FullHakiMarco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa3mePaqqSw&ab_channel=FullHakiMarco
Here are the most important and new tidbits:
-He had a plushie of Dr.Simi (Mexican drug store mascot) and Viz’s OP volume 1.
-Iñaki mentions he had only used discord some years ago back when he played GTA Online. He downloaded discord just for the interview.
-He had never been on a twitch stream prior to this one.
-Iñaki is studying Japanese 2-3 hours every day.
-Right now he’s reading a Chaplin biography. He considers Chaplin´s humor and physical comedy similar to One Piece’s.
-Every straw hat has visited Mexico already. In fact Iñaki has a tour for his foreign buddies that visit. Jacob even went to Iñaki’s aunt wedding.
-Iñaki and Mackenyu became gym bros while training for OPLA S1. After training they used to play APEX Legends.
-He is a HUGE fan of Nintendo. Loves Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pikmin, MOTHER (He calls the series MOTHER btw, not Earthbound). Super Mario Galaxy in his opinion is one of the best works of arts ever. His favorite Zelda is Majora’s Mask.
-Iñaki mentions he just went to Similandia. (WTF I didn’t even know there was a Similandia haha.) he gets excited and FullHakiMarco (Interviewer) mentions how Iñaki getting excited for going to Similandia is so Luffy. (Similandia is a park with Dr.Simi stuff basically. Not super big or anything I imagine).
-He knew Luffy from Super Smash Flash. “He is the guy who smiles a lot.”
-At first he didn’t know what the audition was for. Once he knew what the audition was for, he watched a “Who is Luffy?” from a spanish-speaking youtuber while taking a shower. He is asked what youtuber it was, but he doesn’t remember.
-Iñaki watches OP content from Spanish speaking youtubers (In fact he was the one to contact FullHakiMarco for the interviewer).
-When asked about Oda Iñaki says that Oda was very involved in his casting. “Es buen compa”, “He is a cool dude”. And that Oda is always aware of the OPLA stuff.
-Oda-san is reserved but charismatic, friendly, very fun. Very confidant, in a good way. Extremely humble down to earth person. He LOVES eating meat.
-When asked what the rarest thing he saw when he met Oda. Iñaki didn’t want to say too much. He just said “the bathroom/restroom” (Bathroom and restroom are said the same in Spanish…) (I think there are some photos of Oda’s bathrooms so just google them if you are curious).
-Iñaki is currently watching OP anime, right now he´s on Punk Hazard.
-Iñaki is spoiled of current events (He knows of everything that has happened on Egghead).
-Top 3 things Iñaki wants to act: Vivi’s farewell in Alabasta. I want to live. Marineford
-FullHakiMarco teases Iñaki saying he will be 40ish with gray hair and 3 kids and the series would probably not have finished. He asks him if he believes the LA can cover the entirety of the manga. Iñaki doesn´t really respond to this, but he seems confident and nodding. Is not that Iñaki doesn’t want to reply to this tease, but before he was to reply FullHakiMarco continues and asks if they have talked about that, or if Iñaki is worried about that to which Iñaki replies: “I am happy to play Luffy and will play Luffy for as long as it makes sense. Whatever time it takes, if I am playing Luffy is because I am happy to play him, I want to play him, and it makes sense for me to play him.”
-Iñaki wanted to be an actor since he was a kid. He is fond of Luffy because, just like him, he always knew what his goal was. Iñaki mentions that due to his hard work, maybe destiny, maybe just luck and with the help of many people he achieved his goal.
-Talking about goals, FullHakiMarco mentions how some people don’t have the luck, the means, or just don’t try to reach their dreams, he asks Iñaki to motivate the nakamas watching to follow their goals. Iñaki first makes a playful remark mocking viral salesman. Then he says, “Dreams can be accomplished. I say this because it happened to me. Maybe today, tomorrow or in many years… OR maybe never. But as long as you are alive there is a chance for your dream to be achieved. Whether I would have gotten the role of Luffy or not, I would have continued to do what I like. I would have continued trying. Persevering. Destiny can be beautiful, but the best moments are the moments in between your goal and how long it takes. As long as you are doing something you like, it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to be successful. Enjoy the process. I don’t know where I Will be in 10 years, whether I will earn an Oscar or if I won’t be to be in a role. Don’t let anyone mock your dreams.”
-Top 3 Iñaki moments from OPLA S1: When Garp launched the cannon balls and Luffy inflated into a ballon. Nami’s “Help me”. Every scene when Luffy eats. Because Luffy is a savage when he eats. Iñaki spilled some salsa on his lips. The make up artist tried to clean it, but Iñaki said to keep the salsa in his lip.
-When asked why he wanted to be interviewed FullHakiMarco first says some people thought this interview was all a Netflix PR stun for OPLA S2 which Iñaki denies, he said he just wanted FullHakiMarco to interview him. Iñaki says that without fans they (Actors) would be nothing.
-FullHakiMarco then asks Iñaki questions but tells him to answer them as if he was Luffy. Q: His favorite straw hat? A: All of them. Q: Favorite attack? A: All of them. Q: When you poo, is your poop gum too? A: I don’t know. I’ve never checked. Q: Do you think about your mom? A: Nah! Q: Can I join your crew? A: Can you fight? Do you have meat? If you do, you can join.
-Finally Iñaki sings happy birthday (Las mañanitas) to FullHakiMarco. He has a Pinguino (Small cake sold in Mexico) with a small candle on it.
-Iñaki hints at a secret project. (I doubt it’s OP-related).
-In the last part of the interview FullHakiMarco says Iñaki has all the qualities of a great actor. He is talented, disciplined and he has balls to which Iñaki replies, “The crown jewels” (The phrase Luffy mentions when he refers to his balls in Amazon Lily).
-Iñaki mentions if a Luffy skin comes to Fortnite he won’t ever stop playing it.

Last flare/hospitalization was 1-17-24. Have been patiently waiting for my pre-surgery colonoscopy, which is on Wednesday.
The past 4 days I’ve been feeling way off and bloating is to the max. So bad when I sit down it feels like a too fully inflated ballon is going to pop inside me.
Have a call tomorrow with the surgeon and am just full of aniexty that I’m not going to be able to get the colonoscopy, which will throw my 5-14 surgery day out the window.
Has anyone experienced this? I’m not in pain other than the random (once a day or so) shocks to my testicles and very low energy.
Ugh, I’ve been waiting for months and now this.

In my last update to my last post, I had said things had improved. That same morning, she coded and went to ICU. She’s better and back to med surg now. I’m going to summarize what happened because I think some of this could be useful info. We still don’t know the cause.
Mom had dissolvable nasal packing in both nostrils and an inflatable ballon in one nostril to stop bleeding from her fall. Order of events of that morning: PT and OT visited. Nasal balloon was removed and morning meds given within a 10 minute period. She ate a good sized breakfast and was sitting with the bed upright. All of this occurred before 8am.
I’ll skip the details of how I realized something was very wrong. Since she wasn’t on any monitors I didn’t see it happen as fast as I could have. I ran to the nurses, they called code team, no one could get BP. Finally did and it was 54/44. It took a while to get her conscious again. Full CT in ICU showed no issues. Labs mostly normal other than low potassium, slightly low blood count.
I don’t know what caused this and I have zero medical training. However I did learn that nasal packing can cause minor issues and even fatal reactions - including exactly what happened to my mother within 30 minutes of removal. So for anyone that needs a nasal pack, insist on being on monitors. From what I have, constant monitors are a basic guideline. This 2023 paper explains guidelines for nasal packing and possible side effects.

I (20M) have been having severe Anxiety & Panic Attacks since mid December last year and have basically had my Life turned upside down due to the constant physical symptoms and worry I've been experiencing these last few months.
Lately I've become concerned with my Heart Rate as it's always above 100bpm when standing or walking around (not exercise, just around the house).

• Sitting down comfortably:60-87bpm
• Sitting down but feeling anxious:90-118bpm
• Standing up in place:80-90bpm
• Gently Walking around:110-125bpm
• Doing House chores:120-130bpm
• Exercise (This one doesn't concern me but may as well show):120-140bpm
• The worst it ever got was this one time when I was feeling anxious while doing my walking exercise:167bpm

I've done a few internet searches even though I know it's probably best I shouldn't and it says that prolonged Tachycardia can result in Heart Attack, Stroke, or Sudden Cardiac Arrest (My biggest fear) and it's made my Anxiety 10x worse than its already been. In the last month, I've been completely bedridden almost every moment of everyday, unless a family member is near me around the house, due to the fear that I may experience a Cardiac Event when home alone and in need of Resuscitation .
In January (before I made that regretful search), I had a Complete Blood Count & Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) done after experiencing a really traumatic Panic Attack that completely knocked my energy off its feet. The Blood test came back perfectly fine, as well as the ECG, but while discussing the results over the phone with the Doctor, he said that my Heart Rate was pretty fast on the ECG, but was most likely due to my nervousness. This did not settle my nerves whatsoever as I'm someone who needs 100% certainty in every situation, and in the back of my mind, I could not agree with the doctor and still figured that something is wrong with me that he didn't want to further search.
Throughout my life I've been pretty energetic, always loved to run around the house as a kid and only sat down when I had to go to bed. I also have a really bad history with my weight and was a fat kid my entire life up until I was 16, in which I dropped a much needed 100 pounds, and have been living a fairly healthy life up until now. But because of this new concern surrounding my heart, I wonder if all that energy and junk food when I was a kid/teen are catching up to me now as my heart rate could've possibly been in Tachycardia the entire time without even knowing.
I believe I've always had anxiety my entire life, especially during my High School years, but had a way of managing it as my focuses were solely on getting the hell out of there as fast as I could. Yet, I remember my heart constantly racing/pounding when I had to walk in the halls and/or when I had to get up from my chair to go to the washroom. This is where I have a hard time dividing the problem between me being anxious or overweight at the time as the contribution to possibly being in severe Tachycardia.
I also always had a racing heart throughout College when I was sitting in lectures but never really thought much of it as I thought it was from the stairs I climbed to get to the room, but my Anxiety has left me wondering if all these times it was pointing to a much bigger problem that needs action taken immediately, that being my Heart.
I started going to a Mental Health Day Program due to this excessive worry and its been pretty good for the most part, but am still having trouble dealing with this constant thought that something is going to happen to my heart. I've expressed this worry to my Psychiatrist (whose been amazing throughout my time there), and he recommended throwing my FitBit away as he believes its been the contributing factor to my excessive racing heart. I can understand where he's coming from, but I feel the need to have it for reassurance that all of this isn't in my head. I only check it a few times a day, and only get concerned when it goes over 100bpm while sitting during one of the classes at the day program.
This worry has been the only thing on my mind for a month because it feels like solving this grand mystery, yet feel like you have no way of proving this because you're still conflicted abut all of this.
On one hand I can see this being a result of my Anxiety, but something deep down tells me that something really is wrong with my Heart.
I've also been experiencing these Anxiety symptoms throughout the last Four Months:

• Left Sided Chest Pain (Felt like someone was squeezing it)
• Left Arm Singleness/Partial Numbness
• Tension Headaches (Like a Ballon was being inflated from the centre of my head)
• Bounding Pulse
• Centre Chest Pain (Like I was just hit by a Bowling Ball shot out of a cannon)
• Left Shoulder Blade Flutters
• SHORTNESS OF BREATH (May as well have taken my helmet off in space)
• Partial Face Numbness
• Upper abdomen tightness
• Feeling Dizzy/Faint
• Tachycardia

Sorry that this is a lot, and I congratulate you if you made it this far lol. Can anybody relate to this??

In my world Vrosk the turn of technology has only happened 34 years ago when my world starts. The turn of technology was hot air balloons, and a type of cannon on land, normally cannons would be too heavy to move unless they were on a ship. At this point guns had lasted for years. They were expensive pieces to an army, navies and land armies had lasted for years, but what about the air? Hot air balloons had been made but about a blimp?My main idea is what if blimps were made. My design for blimps is made with people building a building and attached an oval shaped ballon, supporting it with iron and lighting torches on the top to inflate it. Would this be able to work in a 1500 piracy setting?

Say I inflated a balloon at 1 atm. Put it in a tank of degassed mineral oil and weight the balloon down so it stays under the mineral oil. I then seal the tank and pull vacuum. Let’s say the mineral oil doesn’t evaporate under vacuum, would the ballon expand? I’m thinking it wouldn’t since the balloon is still under pressure from the mineral oil. Thought? The reason for the ask is a lab mate did this and l he swore the balloon expanded but I can’t think of a reason why it would.

Where can i find (cheap) helium to inflate balloons? Ava inflates ballons in their shop, but i need a bottle.

I wanted to make a circular ballon arch for my gender reveal! So I bought one of those circular metal frames. I also bought two balloon arch kits. Besides the balloons, the kit includes ribbon, glue points, balloon arch strip, and a tying tool(don’t think I’ll use this). This is my first time making balloon garland, so I’ve been searching YouTube for tutorials. From what I’m understanding, the easiest way is to inflate two balloons at once, and tie them together. Once you have two bundles of two, you twist those together. After that, I’ve seen some tutorials use 260 size balloons to tie them all together, and other just wrapped the balloons right around the arch. Some just used the 260 to tie the clusters together at the bottom.
Question 1: Do I need to tie them together, or can you wrap them around the arch?
Question 2: If I have to tie them, do I need buy 260 sized balloons to tie them together, or will the ribbon included work just as well?
Question 3: a lot of these videos aren’t even using the arch strip, or the balloon glue. Do I need to use either of those?
Finally, any advice for me? It seems easy enough. I’m thinking I may do clusters of 8, in total I have 200 balloons to work with, I hope that’s enough to fill a 7 foot arch. Does that sound reasonable or stick with clusters of 4 to be safe? Thanks in advance!!

I have been on 150XL for 6.5 years for depression and it’s been great. SSRIs were never good for me but I have loved Wellbutrin. But 2 months ago, I quit smoking. The loss of my beloved nicotine has caused me to spiral into a weird mini depression that just isn’t going away. So on Monday, I called my prescriber (who is my PCP not a psychiatrist) and asked her about upping my dose to 300XL
Started the 300mg Tuesday and I’m experiencing some crazy side effects. I’m wondering if they’re normal adjustment symptoms or if this dose is just too high for my body/brain. In the past 3 days I’ve been experiencing:

• feeling like my head is full of air or an inflating ballon.
• loss of my sense of time. so distracted.
• sweating like crazy (not normal for me) -ears consistently feeling like they are on fire.
• very blurry vision.
• forgetting words mid sentence.
• inability to complete a single task.
• general stupidity: yesterday, I LEFT MY CAR RUNNING IN MY WORK PARKING LOT…ALL DAY. 8 hours. Radio on and all, just fully got out & walked away I guess haha.
• anxiety at an 11/10.

This is all from only 2 days at 300mg! It should have been 3, but today, I actually took one of my remaining 150s because I had an important meeting this morning and didn’t want to risk being too weird. Even with the lower dose today, I have been distracted, anxious, hot, sweaty, and forgetful.
Basically wondering if it’s smart/safe to wait out this adjustment period, or if I should just switch back to 150s ASAP? Did anyone else have side effects this intense when upping their dose, and if so, did they fade? Or did you end up reducing back to your original dose?
For context, I’m 31F & 115 pounds. I was on a pretty high dose of Adderall throughout college so I thought I could handle any stimulant-esque side effects but this is so different than anything I’ve experienced.
Thanks for any advice or experience anyone is willing to share! Feeling desperate here :(

As a scuba diver there are rare occasions when you might put something on the seafloor for a moment and you forget you need to pick it up (while adjusting gear, etc.), or you drift away and can't find it. If only there was a way to float it to the surface... Let's say I had a remotely triggered device attached that would cause compressed aiCO2 to fill a ballon to float the object to the surface.
I used ChatGPT to try to understand what this would look like, and it took me deeper into the math than I think is needed for my purposes.
Question:
1) How small can a standard CO2 cartridge be to fill a ballon that would float it to the surface? Here is a typical company that sells CO2 cylinders - I'm unable to understand how much pressure each holds, but I think it's there on the site somewhere: https://www.lelandgas.com/our-cylinders I expect the same product specs would apply for any prefilled CO2 cylinders that are manufactured for bicycle tire inflation, life vest inflation, air guns, etc... 2) Assuming the ballon where round when it arrived at the surface, what would the diameter of the ballon be when fully inflated and at the surface?
Here are the parameters for my example:

• The weight of the object to be floated is 300 grams.
• Assume it's a typical freshwater lake (little to no salinity) with the surface at sea level.
• The object's depth in the water is 20 meters.
• We're on earth... so standard gravity at sea level.
• Assume a recreational swimming water temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (if it makes a significant difference).

Also, rather than using a premanufactured CO2 cartridge, could the cylinder size be noticeably smaller if the gas were helium?
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Hello,
I am looking to buy the Ballon Bleu Cartier 28mm which is for 5500 EUR. I was wondering if anyone knows how much it costed before inflation times, back in 2019?
Also, any reputable sites that I can maybe purchase a second hand one with good conditions, rather than purchasing a new one that costs a lot? Looking for advice and tips.

Section One:
Age: 27
Occupation: local government
Hometown: Montgomery County, MD.
Number of PTO days & how you accrue them: I get 10 vacation days a year but negotiated an extra 5 days before I accepted the job. I work for a municipality that has 12 paid holidays and I get 12 sick days per year.
Section Two: Assets + Debt (As of January 31st)
Checking Account: $2,721.71
Savings Account: $1,961.21
Car Loan Balance: $13, 562.64
457(b) Account: $8,482.62 (I contribute 3%, my municipality contributes 6%).
Roth IRA: $3,050.40
Schwab brokerage: $97.83
Total Savings: $1,961.21 general and $11,630.85 retirement
Net worth: $2,751.13
Section Three: Income
Salary: $93,000 (This went into effect July 1, 2023. I accepted this job at $90,000 in August 2022, and was making ~50,000 prior).
Bi-Monthly Paycheck (after deductions) : $2,471.71
Deductions: Federal taxes, social security, medicare, state taxes, city taxes, 457 (b) = $1,093.89
Section 4: Regular Expenses (all monthly)
Rent: I pay $1,950 for a 1-bedroom. This includes my utilities (except internet), parking space, access to the building’s gym & outdoor pool, & a 24/7 front desk.
Car Payment: $422.75
Internet: $55.89
Spotify: $12.61
Wine Club : $216.91
Kindle Unlimited: $11.65
Donations: $25 to Planned Parenthood & Joyce Preschool
Car Insurance: $145.33 for Geico
Savings Goal: Lol I have fallen off the rails with savings since my breast reduction in December 2023 + family implosion shortly thereafter. After this trip, I am grounding myself (aka no buying plane tickets) until I add $10,000 to my savings account. It’s expensive to run away from your problems!
Section 5: Travel Expenses (& gifted money)
* Airfare to Valencia- IAD to CDG, CDG to VLC in Air France Premium Economy- $144.74 & 30,000 Flying Blue Miles
* Airfare to IAD— BCN to YUL, YUL to YYZ, overnight layover, YYZ to IAD- Air Canada Premium Economy $115.34 & 61,000 Aeroplan Miles
* Passport Renewal— $130 + Money Order Fee $1.75, $9.65 Mail & tracking, $18.19 photos at CVS— total of $159.59
* Euromed train from Valencia to Barcelona- $49.79
* Barcelona Hotel for 3 nights - $522.41
* Airport Parking (12/25 to 1/02) - $169.70
* Small crossbody from Portland Leather Goods- $86.27
* Amazon Order 1 (Travel toothbrush, RFID blocking cards, mini hairbrush, inflatable wine bags) - $40.12
* Amazon Order 2 (Wine Angel bags, after inflatable bags wouldn’t inflate) - $41.32
Total Pre-trip spending: $1,329.28
My father had euros leftover from his trips in 2023. He gave me 362 euros or $391.26
My maternal grandparents had euros leftover. They gave me 155.90 euros or $168.50
My paternal grandmother sent me $40 USD as a Christmas gift.
In total I was gifted $599.76. Additionally, my father paid for the AT&T global passport while I was traveling. I offered to reimburse him, and he declined.
December 25th, Central PA/Viriginia
1:00 p.m. After a couple of days at my parents, navigating holiday stress and the upcoming one year anniversary of my sister and father’s estrangement from each other, I finish loading my car & leave. Last Christmas, I had been recovering from my breast reduction. My mom came down to loom after me & meanwhile, my father & sister’s relationship was deteriorating beyond the already incredibly shaky relationship they had had for a few years. In March, I realized that there was every possibility that this would not stabilize by Christmas 2023 & I started looking at flights using points.
3:30 p.m. I had pre-paid for my airport garage parking after seeing that the Red Line would shut certain stops for the holidays for repairs & confirming that somehow several days of garage parking would still be cheaper than roundtrip cab/uber fare.
5:35 p.m. I’m parked, through security, & settled into Vino Volo. I get a so-so brie, prosciutto, & fig sandwich & two glasses of wine. While I have generally heard good things about Air France’s food, a rather wretched meal on Air Austria in November 2022 has ensured that I will be eating SOMETHING before boarding. This pre-cautionary meal and tip costs me $70.
6:15 pm I meander to my gate & get a notification that there is an issue with my reservation 7 that I need to see an agent. After reporting to the desk, they indicate that my bag is “too big” & make me gate check. I don’t have to pay for this bag, but the Air France gate agent is not inspiring confidence that 90% of my clothes will make it to Valencia with me. Cross your fingers!
8:00 p.m. After a late takeoff, we get served dinner and it is surprisingly lovely. Arguably the best airline food I’ve had. of takeoff champagne, & the long day, I doze off pretty quickly after dinner. The flight is turbulent, so this is not good sleep but I get 20-30 minute snatches. One of these snatches is during breakfast service.
December 26th, Paris
8:30 a.m. We land 15 minutes late, & I am nervous. I have to get through passport control and catch my flight to Valencia with less than 1.5 hours between the two. Passport Control is a breeze (30 seconds & only because the dude has to remind me to move my mask down), but the European airport habit of not telling me a gate until precisely 30 minutes before the flight has me stressing. I speedwalk over to where I need to catch the bus to my terminal and hope there is enough time.
9:55 a.m. I am on my flight & hopefully so is my bag. Due to mad airport hustling, I have no water and I am hungry. The flight attendants don’t speak English and my Spanish makes minimal sense, so I end up with a cookie but no water when service occurs.
December 26th, Valencia
11:48 a.m. We made it! I have a ridiculous amount of high denomination euros due to family members and mercifully a few euro coins as well. I spend 1.6 euros on a bottle of water at the first vending machine I see. $1.75 USD
12:00 p.m. MY BAG MADE IT!
12:15 p.m. While the line for metro cards is ridiculous, it lets me pay in euros! I get a 72hour pass for 13 euros. $14.24 usd.
12:45 p.m. Make it to my metro stop. I grab a bottle of water for 1 euro. Outside of the station are Jehovah’s Witnesses, which messes with my jet lagged brain. $1.10 USD
1:07 p.m. I walked to my hotel because it is a beautiful day with pleasant 60-ish degree weather. Plus it orients me to the metro. Once at the hotel, I muster enough Spanish to get through checking in. My dumbass pays with the card that has a foreign transaction fee. I pay 303.6 euros/$335.24 USD for the hotel & with the fee I end up paying an extra $10.05, for a total of $345.29.
?3:45 p.m. I have showered, blowdried my hair (I can not remember the last time I did that), & partially unpacked. At this point I’m starving & emotional. I start walking around the area, get a little weep but text my mom, & pull myself together to find a restaurant.
4:15 p.m. I stumble my way through telling a waitress that I just want food, no paella, & a table for one. I thought I had stopped crying earlier when I stopped to take photos of the orange trees and text my mom, but apparently sitting down activates my tear ducts. Texts to my sympathetic mom don’t resolve it.
4:40 p.m. between the tears and the bad Spanish, I manage to get a huge cut of whitefish and clams. I’m trying to not cry and disturb the 20+ person family meal happening to my right. My appetite has fled. It’s an embarrassing mess & I am grateful for the waiter who steps in for my waitress & gets me the check. 25 euros for a meal I don’t eat at Casa Vidal, also on the card with a foreign transaction fee. $28.43
4:45 p.m. I decide to walk across Valencia to a wine shop I had scoped out previously. The walk, the laundry hanging from so many balconies, the lingering warmth— all of this contributes to drying my tears & steadying myself. It also leads me to think about how the permanently attached laundry drying racks I see on some balconies would be nice to have at my place but a nightmare from a liability standpoint.
5:30 p.m. I am at Navarro Bodega, which has gotten online praise for the wine selection and staff. I grab three bottles— a 2019 Bobal tentatively earmarked to give to my parents , a 2020 Malvasía, & an impulse grab & a bag to carry them back for 70.65 euros. I pay cash of 71 and get 0.35 euros back. $77.37 USD
6:15 p.m. I am back at the hotel & gently bundle up my wine in the special carry bags I bought for this trip. The Iberian peninsula has long been my favorite wine region & I promised myself that I would hand carry wine home from this trip.
7:45 p.m. I accidentally fall asleep for an hour or so. Thankfully Spain is running on a timeline that accommodates this. I head to El Corte Ingles for some breakfast items & bits and bobs.
8:15 p.m. My hotel is only two blocks from El Corte Ingles but I lose time wandering around. I grab some tinned fish for a friend, bio-active smoothies from the health food section, paella and steak spices for myself and my dad, bottled water, and some intriguing gin infusing kits. All of this and a bag comes to 30.04 euros paid in cash. $32.90 USD
9:00 p.m. it dawns on me that I have not eaten enough for the day. While I am calmer than before, I am not prepared to go to another restaurant. Thankfully I am staying at a property that has a hotel bar and kitchen/. I have status so I get a free glass of wine. I get jamon y pan con tomato, plus another glass of wine. This runs me 14.5 euros paid in cash. $15.88 USD
December 27th, Valencia
10:30 a.m. ish I wake, dazed, confused, & spend thirty minutes on my phone in bed figuring out what I want to do today vs what I want to do when my friend arrives tomorrow afternoon. For the past year or so, I have been trying to break myself of the mindset that vacations must be scheduled in 30 minute increments & that part of my trip should be allowing for a slower pace & being spontaneous.
11:20 a.m. ish I am dressed & have my smoothie pouches in hand. I am heading across the city to catch the metro to visit the Museo de la Seda, the Silk Museum, as it is supposedly phenomenal & potentially also visiting the ceramics museum, Museu Nacional de Ceràmica i de les Arts Sumptuàries Gonzàlez Martí.
11:37 a.m.I mistime making it to the station and have to wait for the next metro out. People watching entertains me— there’s a different set of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a group of guys clearly returning hungover from a guys trip. I eventually make it onto the metro. I’ve got a bit of a ride, so I read on my kindle app and test my rusty Spanish listening as I eavesdrop.
12:25 a.m. ish, I get to the general area of where I need to be & decide to amble slowly. The sunshine feels good & I debate stopping at one of the dozen or so cafes I pass, but I still feel a little raw from the whole crying in public thing and decide to postpone any food stops.
1:04 I pass a jewelry stop with a gorgeous necklace in the front display but they’re closed for lunch. This feels early but it is the holiday season & Spain so this might just be me! I make a mental note to try and stop by later.
1:37 p.m. After wandering around the building three times I think I have finally found the entrance to the Museo de la Seda.
1:41 p.m. I am inside! I pay my admission fee in cash. It includes an English audio guide and is 8 euros paid in cash. $8.76 USD
2:27 p.m. I have been to my fair share of museums and this might be my favorite. It’s a fascinating mix of history, economics, socio-political information, and really pretty fabric samples. I am testing my reading skills by reading the wall signs first to see what I can pick up and then letting the English audio-guide fill me in.
3:08 p.m. I read a sentence that my eyes insist is a guy faking his death, and my brain insists is me misunderstanding the vocabulary being used. Audio-guide is the tiebreaker and it turns out the dude DID fake his death to go on his quest to improve silk. Reading more about his life has me delighted and happy I stopped in.
3:39 p.m. I go a little insane in the museum store. I pick up a beautiful silk embroidered pouch, a journal with a removal silk cover, a book of Valencian recipes, and a stunning blue/orange/green silk scarf. It might sound like the colors of the Edmonton Oilers plus a little extra but I promise you it is stunning and tasteful. The scarf alone is 108 euros and I wrestle with myself for a solid 9 minutes as I lap the store. I remind myself that when my grandmother handed me euros, she insisted that I use it for something fun. A gorgeous scarf that I would normally never justify buying? Yeah, that fits. Scarf and everything else comes to 141 euros total paid in cash. $154.42 USD
3:47 p.m. After misunderstanding directions from a staff member in the cafe, I wander into a private party. I wander back out at full speed, find out they are done serving lunch in the prettiest courtyard I have seen in the city, and promptly exit the museum premise before I embarrass myself further.
3:52 p.m. Google informs me that the ceramic museum is only open until 5 p.m. due to the holiday. I give up on making it there today and decide to wander the shopping district.
4:07 p.m. I find a chocolate & sweets shop, & I’m taken in by the flavors. I get a box of their “Valencia Mix” & a small box of what appear to be olives made out of chocolate. The “olives” made me giggle & think of one of my best friends, so I have to get them. I spend 44.80 euros, so $49.06 USD
5:20 p.m. I have staggered back to my hotel, souvenirs & metro vending machine water in hand, & decide I need a shower before my next move. I cannot figure out how to dress for this weather. 1 euro in cash, so $1.10 USD.
7:09 p.m. a shower, a nap, blowdrying my hair & looking at train schedules on my phone for when we head to Barcelona before el Corte Ingles. This time I pick up a 3 pack of 187ml Tempranillo bottles, some more smoothie pouches, jamon serrano, a bottle of olive oil to take home, some other snack bits, & some hair ties. Part of the overheating nonsense from earlier is having to have my hair down because I packed no hair ties. All of this & a bag runs me 37.77 euros in cash or $41.36 USD
8:47 p.m. Upon dropping my packages off, I realize I need to actually eat some food. I remind myself that not every meal has to involve me pushing myself to go talk to people or try local delicacies. Sometimes you go to the hotel bar, order some pan con tomate, a glass of wine, and chat with whoever pulls up a seat next to you. In my case, a couple in town for a wedding, who insist that I need to go see the Oceaonografic while I’m in Valencia. I order another drink and a different tapa at some point in this conversation. Armed with the advice for tomorrow, I pay 31 euros for my meal in cash or $33.95 USD
December 28th, Valencia
9:45 a.m. I wake up a bit earlier, & see a few texts from the friend who is coming to Valencia today. They’re catching the train down from Barcelona but their flight timing is tight and they’re worried they’ll miss their train. I would be more worked up but this is how things go with G.
10:22 a.m. I grab my smoothie pouches & head out to the park around the City of Arts and Sciences. I grab a bottle of water from a vending machine outside a store for 1.55 euros in cash. G. should know within an hour or so if they’ll make it today or if I won’t see them until I go to Barcelona tomorrow afternoon. If they make it, I’ll go to the train station to meet them (& make sure that they don’t get lost due to jet lag) later today. $1.70 USD
11:37 a.m. G. made it to the train!
1:35 p.m. I attempt to grab a bottle of water, lose a euro to the machine, & end up grabbing both water and a coke. 3.9 euros in cash in total or $4.27 USD
1:40 p.m. I grabbed G. no problem, got us on the right line, & think my luck has turned around. It hasn’t. My 72 hour metro pass wigs out & there is no machine on the side I’m on to attempt to reload it. After a conversation with G. I give them a fistful of euro coins & have them go through to buy me a new pass. It works! 5 euros or $5.48 USD
1:42 p.m. G. is thirsty & I end up getting getting waters for us & an iced tea for G at the metro station. 5 euros to the vending machine or $5.48 USD
2:00 p.m. Back at the hotel, G. showers after a nap while I scout out things to do in Barcelona on Viator. The hot air ballon ride I’d sent a link to a few weeks back is almost sold out & requires us to be up and an hour outside of Barcelona at like 8 a.m. I could maybe swing it but G? Notoriously not a morning person. I continue to look at options but don’t book anything yet. Let’s see how the first morning after arrival goes for G.
4:20 p.m. We make to the Oceaografic! I pay for admission for both of us, knowing this will get thrown in Splitwise, & I remember to put this on a card with no foreign transaction fees! 72 euros on my Amex or $78.85 USD
6:30 p.m. The Beluga whales have maybe the best set up I’ve seen in an aquarium for large animals. G. has been playing PG-13 tour guide & google translate guru. Apparently Oceanografic is the largest aquarium in Europe. In between my laughter & looking for crocodiles, I try to get G. to lower the volume on the shark sex jokes. It’s a losing battle.
7:30 p.m. We wander into La Taquesta Valencia for dinner. Gambon al ajillo, patatas bravas, cloxtina valenciana, paella valenciana, & some extra bread, & a bottle of wine. G. grabs this bill & this will go into Splitwise eventually. We’re mindful of our volume in a vain attempt to not be the loud Americans everywhere we go. G. mentions during dinner that they forgot a few toiletries and wants souvenir snacks for the family members they’ll be seeing after leaving Barcelona, I’ve been mentally attempting to figure out how to pack everything I picked up in my carry-on, and we realize we can solve these issues at my most favorite place in the world— el Corte Ingles.
8:48 p.m. I have bought a European sized carry on in a gorgeous orange color after G. and I had to hunt through 7 levels of shopping to find where the suitcases are kept. It’s on the floor with menswear, off by the ties. I spent 132 euros, put on my amex, or $144.56
10:37 p.m. After both of us swearing we were done for the night after getting back with our goodies from el Corte Ingles, we look at each other and realize that if we’re talking about the Things (family for me & grad school for G.) we need drinks & snacks. To the hotel bar!
11:43 p.m. Neither of us cried in public, both of us judged the drink orders of the event going on in a room next to the bar (ok taste, bad manners), we pack it in for the night with the knowledge that we are taking the train up to Barcelona in about eleven hours. 30 euros paid in cash or $32.85
December 29, Valencia/Barcelona
10:45 a.m. We’re in the ubecab to the train station, because I did not want to spend an hour+ on the metro lugging multiple suitcases. G. laughed but humored me. 15 euros on the amex or $16.43 USD
11:12 a.m. At the station, I square off with my old enemy, the vending machine that does not want to take my money. G. shoves me about 18 inches to the left & insists I use a different machine. I get a bottle of coke to combat my slight hangover for 2 euros in cash or $2.19 USD
12:15 p.m. This baby is unhappy & crying, but still preferable to the two women sitting across the aisle to me listening to news in French at full volume without headphones. After crying in public not too long ago, I have a lot more sympathy for the baby.
2:27 p.m. We have made it to Barcelona! Now starts the struggle to figure out where at the train station we can get a cab. We go to where cabs seem to be but none stop. Eventually, a woman in her 50s/60s comes to herd all of us confused tourists off the side where the ACTUAL taxi line is. G. is trying to figure out some MTG related business as I watch the city roll past. 16.55 euros in cash or $18.12 USD
4:08 p.m. We’re checked into the hotel & this property actually made me pre-pay to get the member prepay rate months ago. The only thing I’m responsible for now is the local taxes. There is a holiday card with chocolates in addition to the standard bottles of water waiting for us in our rooms and it is surprisingly good chocolate. We settle in, G. continues handling some MTG research, I do some reading, & eventually we get ourselves ready to head out for dinner. 30.53 euros on the amex or $33.43 USD
5:23 p.m. G. fixes their hair as I look at some tour options we’d previously considered to see what is available. After some back & forth about morning times, G. swears they will get up to do a tour of Montserrat & a nearby vineyard with me on the 31st. I book it through Viator & will put this on Splitwise later. $179.88 on the amex.
7:38 p.m. We’re having dinner at Xorus, which is close to our hotel and relaxed. They’ve got heaters so we agree to eat outdoors rather than wait for an hour plus for an indoor table. Gambas a la plancha, chipirparrillada de carne, a mixed grill of meat for me, galician veal for G., & a bottle of wine. G. grabs the tab & this will go into Splitwise.
9:29 p.m. After a delicious dinner, G. mentions wanting to stop into a nearby grocery store. We hustle because it closes soon. I grab chocolate bars (mango, orange, & strawberry fillings), jamon serrano & mixed cheese cuts. G. grabs a 1-L thing of boxed wine, some mini coronas, activia, & some different ham. I use euros to pay for everything because G. forgets that sometimes places have a card minimum. It’s 22.19 euros or $24.30 USD.
11:15 p.m. G. is making a dent in the boxed wine, I’ve snacked on jamon & cheese & had a beer or two, & we revisit the Family & Grad School conversation, now with the context of my sister’s birthday being tomorrow/more details about what G.’s parents have said about their eldest kid having a bachelor’s & not going immediately into grad school. Eventually conversation tapers off, and I nod off to the sound of G. typing and muttering as they look at MTG websites.
December 30, Barcelona
9:03 a.m. I wake up & text my sister a happy birthday. Over the past two years, our relationship has improved significantly but her relationship with our father has… I don’t know words to describe it. It’s like a nosedive from a plane that was already landed. You never think it can go that low.
10:15 a.m. I’ve gotten dressed & realized that with both G. and I using my contact solution, my tiny travel bottle won’t last. I need to make a store run soon. G. is dead asleep. They drank the liter of wine all by themselves & I plug in the laptop that they had jostled unplugged last night. I read for twenty minutes before I get fidgety & start thinking about the wine shop a few blocks away that was also by a grocery store. A perusal of Reddit indicates that the grocery store, different from last night’s snack run store, is generally consistently stocking contact solution. Mind made up, I leave G. snoring and head out.
11:09 a.m. I’ve made it to the store & for the first time in my life see a grocery buggy lockup that is basically a bike rack mounted on the wall with the rubber lock bands also attached to the wall. I stop staring & focus on actually finding what I need. It’s quick work to grab a bottle of solution, a thing of tinned fish, 2 bottles of water, a coke, & 1/4 liter of fresh squeezed orange juice. The smell of oranges is so delightfully pungent as the machine presses them for me. I have the morbid thought that it would be interesting to put a human heart through it & see how much comes out. 10.49 euros paid in cash or $11.49 USD
11:40 a.m. I am in Vinalium on Rambla del Poblenou, & I am ready to buy some wine. Walking in is a delight— several hundred bottles, from all regions, & all sorts of price points. I get helped by Hector, who is super helpful & pretty comfortable talking wine in English with me occasionally guessing the words he forgets based on context. It’s a fun hour or so, & I end up leaving the store with 6 bottles, 2 things of intriguing local candies (in crema catalonia & green lemon flavors), & some dried local oranges and the like for adding to cocktails. I get bottles from the Basque Country, from Jumilla, Rioja, Penedes, Montsant, & Bierzo. All bottles are either unavailable for purchase in the U.S. or, in the case of the Penedes bottle of Syrah, sold at a markup that is ludicrous. I show Hector on my phone & do an app calculation to show the euro conversion. I’ve never seen a person so appalled in my life. Once Hector has recovered & I have given myself a stern reminder that I have already bought one suitcase & I should not buy another, we checkout. Hector claims there is a señora discount of 5 euros & I smile & say thank you. Whether there is or isn’t a discount or if this is just a condolences gesture after seeing the prices of certain bottles is not my business. I spend 104.30 euros on the amex or $114.22 USD
12:30 p.m I’m sitting on the floor, packing up my bounty & eating more of the leftover jamon & cheese on crackers, when G. finally wakes up. It’s a slow process for them to get up and moving but it gives me time to figure out the bottle math. I’ve got enough room across suitcases to be able to comfortably fit in two bottles of wine & no more from the winery we’re scheduled to visit tomorrow.
1:22 We head out. My sister’s warnings about pickpockets are in my head & I remind myself that anyone can be pickpocketed anywhere. G. & I get different metro passes, as G. is staying on a bit after I leave. It is 16.40 euros for a 48 hour pass or $17.83 USD
1:37 p.m. or so— G. wants to walk to the Museu Nacional D’Art de Catalunya via La Rambla. I, being a fool who likes walking, agree. It’s definitely the most touristy area I’ve been in so far but we point out interesting products on the stand and enjoy the sunshine. Partway there, G. gets thirsty & I decide fuck it & get a beer to go. It’s a weird lemon beer that I can’t finish & I say that as someone who loves sours & citrus. 0.87 euros or $0.95 USD
2:43 p.m. We are now in line at the Museu Nacional D’Art de Catalunya. The line for those of us without reservations is IMMENSE. Eventually we get in, with nobody making us buy a ticket. G. & I are confused but roll with it. (A later google search shows that the museum is free every Saturday after 3 p.m.)
3:52 p.m. I’m getting really tired, G. is running on all engines as we see portraits that make it clear who had paid their artist well & who didn’t, & a brief stop at the cafe on the inside is suggested. I get two macarons & a coke for 5 euros or $5.44 USD
4:09 p.m. The snack fails to revived me & something has me agitated enough that I want to snap at G. After some back & forth, during which I do not bring up how late they slept & only remind them I was running around before they got up, we agree that I will go back to the hotel & nap. G. and I will reconvene for dinner at Bar Brutal. Before I go, I make a quick pitstop at the MNAC gift shop because I want postcards & an art print. I am notorious for sending friends postcards and I haven’t done it in months because frankly I’ve been too caught up in my family shit to think of more than texting and sporadic FaceTime calls. 46.98 euros on the amex or $51.08 USD.
7:22 p.m. G. & I are at Bar Brutal, which I had heard about through a TikTok food account I follow (KATHERINEWANTS) & I am charmed. I make G. do the ceremonial wine taste & we toast each other for actually making it to this reservation on time. I start with oysters, G. starts with scallops, & our server has to weigh in on the entrees because I am TORN. After a little bit of angst & some wrestling with myself, I order the duck breast on cauliflower foam with dried fruit $ spices. G. orders the grilled octopus with tarragon & smoked paprika mayo. I do not like cauliflower but I like the dish so much that G. asks me if I’m ordering a second serving as my desert. I do not, but we do each get a vermouth. I can’t remember, I was having rhapsodies about the duck and cauliflower foam. G. grabs the tab. I grab a t-shirt for 29 euros in cash or $31.53 USD
9:40ish p.m. G. & I start heading back to get some sleep before our final day together & the monastery/winery tour. We realize we are TIPSY & need water & caffeine for tomorrow. We dart into a random corner shop by the metro station & grab liquids. Amex tells me I spent 16.27 euros or $17.69 USD.
December 31st, Barcelona
7:34 a.m. I am awake & chug water. And then I have jamon & drink a coke. G. is asleep as I start getting dressed. I am concerned. We have to leave no later than 7:45 to make it to our pickup location to check in. I realize I have no small bills for tour guide tip. G. wakes up & sprints through getting ready. We have enough time that I can run to the front desk & exchange $40 USD cash for 31.29 euros (commission fee of 15%, but for that convenience I do not care).
8:13 a.m. Upon realizing that we drank all our water, I grab two bottles while G. gets us squared away with the tour leader. 3 groups are sharing a bus up to Montserrat & the Oller del Mas winery, but we’ll split up onsite. 4.3 euros or $4.68 USD
9:25 a.m. We’re at the Montserrat Monastery & it is GORGEOUS. Our guide talks us through the history, the current state of the choir, & the lets us loose for a smidge over an hour to see the Black Madonna, do the optional hike, & get souvenirs.
11:13 a.m. G. & I are doing the hike. I am sweating & the wind has moved from pleasant breeze to “I think I might get blown over the side”. We get some amazing photos & I take in the view of the valley. Seeing this every day would make me believe in God.
11:42 a.m. We’ve finished the hike & I insist we stop at the gift shop. After grabbing post cards, arguing olive oil with G., & getting distracted by the local cookie specialties, I check out for 30.65 euros on the mastercard or $33.32 USD
11:55 a.m. with minutes to spare for our bus collecting us, G. & I try the cottage cheese and honey dessert for 2 euros and grab yet more water for 2 euros. The dessert has a weird texture so I eat one bite. G. powers through a few more before I ask if they remembered lactaid. We then discuss the lactose of various dairy products as we board & get told about the tension between locals and tourists as we drive to the vineyard. 4 euros in cash or $4.35 USD
12:40 p.m. I am now in love with a winery that has been in the control of one family since 964. No that isn’t a typo, the winery is older than the United States. Hearing about the political and military choices that led to its creation, exploring the family keep, & taking in the stunning views positively blows my mind.
1:25 p.m. We have a robust lunch of various tapas (including my beloved pao com tomate, a very mushroomy croquette, & something with tuna that is surprisingly delicious) & sample three wines from the winery. It’s fun and goofy & G. and I make conversation with the other members of our tour group.
3:02 p.m. I buy my last two bottles of wine for this trip— a Picapoll from 2018 (one of only 2484 bottles produced & of a very regional varietal!) & a 2019 Ròmia. These two bottles are almost as expensive as the six bottles that I purchased yesterday but I have special plans for them. The Picapoll will be saved for when I add $10k to my savings account. The Ròmia for when I hit six figures pure salary. This is 105 euros on the amex or $114.16 USD
5:22 p.m. We are back at the hotel, resting before heading out for dinner, and I am repacking my wine once again. Final arrangement sees ten bottles in special cases in my larger carry on, one bottle of wine (my second cheapest bottle) and the olive oil wrapped in clothing and shoved into the collapsible duffle. The monastery souvenirs are packed into the Valencia acquired suitcase. In the end, G. bought two or three small liquids but keeps saying they won’t check a bag. Lol babe you wish.
6:14 p.m. We are wandering near the Cathedral of Barcelona and popping in and out of side streets. We mistime our Cathedral visit and can’t go inside due to the fact an actual service is happening. I can’t imagine having my go-to church be a major tourist destination. We keep wandering to kill time before our dinner reservation.
7:08 p.m. We wander into Cassette and I fall in love with two sets of earrings. G. laughs but waits while I checkout. Are these as fancy as my Athens earrings? No. Do they conjure similar good memories? Oh yes. 46.98 euro on the amex or $51.08 USD
9:03 p.m. Are we early for our dinner? Yes. Do they still seat us at La Marea? Also yes. G. and I give off enough of a “talkative American” vibe that the older British man traveling solo starts talking to us. We hear about his motorbike journey, his Aussie friend who will rendezvous with him in Africa, and his frankly ludicrous custody situation as we order a bottle of wine, tapas (including my beloved pan con tomate and our mutual fave patatas bravas) and a huge mixed mixed grill of seafood for two. The conversation across tables moves to housing (he has a weird situation, G. had a strange conversation before they left with their landlord, and I have found the rare good landlord), bribing of governmental officials (for the record, I have never been offered a bribe), and which currency is preferred for bribes (USD or Pounds, not euros, apparently). I grab the tab. 124.4 euros on the amex or $135.35 USD
10:35 p.m. I call a cab for G. and I. G. is talking about going out but I am tired and have an early flight. We debate options as we ride back to our hotel. Orur driver is a woman in her 50s who knows every shortcut and I am in awe. Including tip, 12.60 euros on the amex or $13.70 USD.
11:27 p.m. G., after almost falling asleep on their laptop, rallies to go out. I pass due to being picked up for my flight at 5:50 a.m.
January 1, 2024, Barcelona
4:38 a.m. G. is back and apparently has been extorted???? robbed???
4:41 a.m. I am now very solidly AWAKE and getting the details. G. is ok and has their phone in hand. I make them drink some water, and start slowly getting dressed as I listen.
4:57 a.m. G. had had a good night but was ready to call it quits and the took the metro back to our stop. G. couldn’t remember which direction our hotel was so phone was out to get oriented and all of that. Someone exiting the station snatched it out of G.’s hands and took off running with their friend. G. chased them (Reader, at this point I screeched WHAT loud enough to wake the dead). G. caught up with them, unhappy conversation occurred, fingers were pointed, a third party got involved (suspected to be a friend of the thief), and finally a tense exchange where the phone was returned for the euros G. had on them. G. said they wanted 200 euros originally but settled for the 160 euros on hand. G. attempted to make a police report shortly thereafter but was told no-one who spoke English would be available until after 10 a.m.
5:30 a.m. G. is falling asleep after promising to go back to the station and I head down to the front desk. While there, I ask for a late checkout. The staff is able to grant a 3 p.m. checkout and I text G. My driver is here early, so off to the airport we go! This was paid for before I left the U.S.
6:15 a.m. My driver was great and walked me and my many bags to the Air Canada check in counter. I say goodbye to my wine, olive oil, and 95% of my clothing with a desperate hope that nothing breaks. I see many people that had clearly been out for the night and went directly to the airport. I’m charmed by a quartet of women in their early 20s. The one in a glittery black dress and heels that are easily five inches is guiding a clearly out of it friend through security and the other two women are making sure nobody actually has forgotten their passports or tiny clutches.
6:27 a.m. I have been spoiled by Precheck and Global Entry, and make a fool of myself. I’m blushing and then distracted by the entire family that somehow has six bottles of water, a mother that REFUSES to empty her pockets, a toddler with a physical ticket they are gnawing on, and promptly make my exit from the scene.
7:03 a.m. I definitely have enough euros to buy the orange juice and sandwich set from the dedicated Iberian jam vending machine. The machine by my gate hates my five euro notes. I wander away in search of either another vending machine that will take my euros OR another open breakfast place. The one by my gate is swarmed with airline staff and I am not getting in between a pilot and their coffee.
7:19 a.m. Success! I find another of the Iberian jam vending machines. It also hates my five euro notes. I give up and buy a water bottle and get so many coins that I realize if I get something else with the other five euro note I will have enough coins for this damn sandwich and orange juice. I spend 2.2 euros on a mask (honestly 10/10 more vending machines should sell individually sealed kn95s) after spending 2 euros on water. Using coins from these transactions plus all of the other random coins I had acquired, I then spend 10.9 euros on the sandwich, orange juice, and jamon flavored potato chips? 15.1 euros total in cash or $16.42 USD
12:37 p.m. I am now in Montreal for my layover before I go to Toronto for an overnight visit with one of my best friends. The bathrooms are so gross & out of stock that I come to the conclusion it would actually be more hygienic to pee in a public pool. I have leftover handwipes in my personal item and I am making it work.
12:48 p.m. I get two rolls & a mediocre glass of white wine from the health food/powerbowl/Japanese???? restaurant in my terminal. It’s fine. $51.57 Canadian including tip or $38.40 USD
1:45 p.m. After attempting to read in a chair by my gate, I give up & head to the sports bar showing a Soo Greyhounds game to start working on this travel diary. I get chatting with a sweet bartender named Christina. I have two pints of Blue Moon & make it through chronicling Valencia. Including tip, it was $35.11 Canadian on the Amex or $26.14 USD
5:57 p.m. I have made it to Toronto! The bags made it!! I head outside to wait. D. texts me asking what I am wearing & I tell her I am in an apple red coat.
7:51 p.m. After the sort of emotional catchup conversation that I always associate with Toronto visits, I get the check. $79.95 Canadian food & tip. Amex tells me that is $60.67 USD.
8:30 p.m. D’s boyfriend gets back from the gym to find D. & I cooing at their Akita. I threaten to kidnap the dog. D. reminds me of what she just paid for dog knee surgery a few months ago. I shut up.
9:02 p.m. My yawning won’t stop & D. promises she’ll think about what we discussed if I just go to bed.
January 2- Toronto/Virginia/Maryland
9:08 a.m. I slept like the dead. D. is awake & we make a quick breakfast as we talk a bit more about last night’s conversations. D. has been flaking on a mutual friend of ours and we talked about what was underlying that. I am optimistic that both of my friends will be ok— they’re good communicators 99% of the time & have been close friends for over a decade.
12:33 p.m. The digital ordequick service place I get a sandwich & beer from is packed. I am almost certain this is the place where I lost my nice portable charger with the built-in wall plug five years ago. Food & tip comes to $56.33 Canadian on Amex or $41.94 USD.
3:45 p.m. I am at Dulles & schlepping my many bags to the car. All of them made it to Dulles with no visible breaks or spills. I load up my car and start the drive home on 495.
Total Spent $3,635.61 USD
Money Gifted from Relatives: $599.70 USD
Money paid payback via Splitwise: $298.15 USD
Total Spent less Gifted Money & Splitwise payment: $2,755.76 USD

This is a long one and is not all-inclusive. I learned a lot through the forum Inforoo, YouTube, and by searching online. REI Co-op has a great guide for festival camping, but it has more than what you "need" to survive as they do sell this stuff. I have camped at all but last years Hinterland and only didn't then due to having poison ivy. I will try to answer any follow up questions. I will post some other guides later such as cooking at Hinterland and things to do in the area before the festival starts and in the morning before the music gets started.
The campgrounds traditionally open the morning of the first day of the festival. Times have varied for this between 8am and 10am. This should be announced officially once we get closer to the festival. The festival grounds are located off of a two-lane county road. You will want to enter from Interstate 35 to the St. Charles/St. Mary’s exit then turn to the west. Failure to come from this direction will force you to figure out how to turn around and get in line from this direction. Please pull over to the side of the road when you are in line. This road is honestly not wide enough for this line and we want to make sure that if needed emergency vehicles and locals are able to use the roads. Make sure you know where your camp is. There will be signs on the road directing you. If you have day parking, you will want to turn to the east and follow the signs. If they do have hanging parking passes you will want to put this on your mirror when you get in line. If they have the stickers like in 2023 you will want to place those prior to leaving for the event. This will allow the volunteers to direct you as needed. The event takes place on five different pieces of property so getting in can take some attention. All parking is within fields and can get muddy if it rains. The lots are closed from dusk to dawn and after the event in the case of one day parking.
Within Innerland and Outerland you will not be able to pull up to the camping area. You will park and then need to lug your gear to the camping area. For VIP you will be directed to a loading zone next to the fence. You will be able to unload and then go park. You will not be able to set up then move to the parking area due to others needing to get in. There are no spots marked out or true size limits. As a single attendee I try to take up the minimum space possible. 10x20 is not unreasonable depending on equipment and group size. Car camping and RVs appear to be first come first served for locations. For Saints Pass and Glamping, I do not currently have reliable information. I believe Saints would be similar to VIP load in. Glamping should be parked and then locate your spot.
What to bring for camping is a common question. I will only get into detail about what I considered required. Each person will have their own opinions and there is a wealth of knowledge and opinions to be found online.
Required:
· Tent: A highly reviewed tent that features a bathtub floor, seam tape, made of mostly mesh, and includes a rainfly. The mesh allows for breathability and the rainfly allows for privacy and protection from the elements. Do not buy a $35 Wal-Mart tent and expect it to be ok. Cheap tents have a high risk of leaking, breaking in the wind, and will trap in heat. All of these issues can cause injury or death.
· Extra tent stakes: The ones that come with most tents are easily bent. Iowa has been in a years long draught and the soil is often hard. For tents I recommend Coghln’s 9” Ultralight tent pegs. At the time of writing this they can be found for $1.78 at Wal-Mart. You can find similar designs in bundles. For canopies I recommend Coghlan’s Heavy Duty Steel Tent Stake ($2.98 at Wal-Mart). Canopies can be very dangerous if they come loose during a windstorm so you want to have something sturdy. Avoid any with a plastic top to pull out the stake. I have had these break several times on me and nearly had to remove my canopy’s foot to pack it up. Make sure to measure the stake hole in your canopy to ensure whatever stake you buy will fit your application.
o Tip: Place tent stakes at a45 degree angle with the head facing away from the tent. This will allow for greater resistance from the stakes coming loose or being pulled out under high winds.
· Tent Stake Hammer: Never press a tent stake into the ground with your foot unless you want 70% of them to be bent and useless. Entry level hammers are often simply rubber mallets with a hook screwed into the end of the hammer. These work fine, but I would recommend finding a heavier duty hook at a hardware store and replacing the one that is on there. The stock ones will often bend when trying to pull your stakes out if it is dry. The method I prefer is to use a piece of paracord to pull up on the hook of the tent stake. This allows you to use your legs more in their removal which are bigger and stronger muscles than your arms. Other styles are made of aluminum have a built-in hook at the end and a pull strap. I do not recommend relying on the pull straps, however. These can be found for $13 and up.
· Sleeping Surface: There are different methods to get a good night’s rest. The cheapest and most reliable is a sleeping mat. Several of these may resemble yoga mats, but I would recommend on that is inflatable by a foot pump or air pump. These have a lower chance of deflating over the night and give you a bit more cushion than the yoga mat style pads. I do not recommend inflating these by mouth. The reason in this case is it just takes longer. An air mattress is the most common set up. These can run more expensive than sleeping pads depending on the quality. I recommend ones that come with patch kits and will have multiple methods of inflation. If you only have an internal air pump and it fails you want to have a plan B. These are more prone to deflating during the night so make sure you have an extra set of batteries for the air pump. If you want to avoid the issues of air mattresses and have the money to spend a camping cot may be the way to go. There are several styles of these and can pack up quite small. The one I have allows me to be higher off the ground and is easier to get up from if you suffer from back or joint pain. These can be found from well-known manufacturers like Coleman who also sell these in queen sized versions. Some will have inflatable pads as well. The single occupancy versions of these can run quite narrow so I would have someone measure your shoulder and hip width before purchase. These ones would not be comfortable for a wider person.
· Sleeping gear: I personally use a sleeping bag for this purpose, but you could bring sheets and blankets if that is what your budget allows for. For sleeping bags, it is important to note that the rated temp refers to the minimum temperature that the bag will keep your internal body heat at normal for. So at 45 degrees a 45 degree bag may not keep you warm but it should keep you alive. Being that typically you do not need to worry about it being cold in August in Iowa, I have a basic warm weather bag rated at 60 degrees. I usually end up sleeping on top of this due to the heat. It is important to expect the unexpected in Iowa for the weather. In 2017 it was very cold at night. I and the friend I took had three or so layers of clothes on combined the sleeping bags and cuddled all night and were still cold. Always check the weather before leaving for Hinterland. Having an extra fleece or wool blanket is not an unwise idea. A regular pillow from home is fine for the weekend, but if you have limited space in your vehicle camping pillows can really help with this as they take up little space when packed. These can be found as pillows that can be rolled up and put in a compression bag as well as inflatable versions.
· Lighting: There are portable lights in the camping areas once the sun goes down. These are supposed to be turned off around 11:30pm, but that time varies, and they are not found in every area. LED Lanterns can be found inexpensively from Wal-Mart or Amazon. You don’t need a huge one that is 800 lumens. I have actually downgraded to having a couple of small LED lights that I can attach to my canopy frame via removable zip ties. These were found at Menards (big box hardware store in the Midwest) for under $5 and came with a remote. The lighting source that I will put as required is a headlamp. These are so helpful when coming back from the campfire stage or just using the restroom at night. You don’t want to drop your phone down the porta-potty.
· Battery Pack: There is not electricity at Hinterland to charge your phone or other needs outside of a few RV spots. Battery packs or portable chargers can be found at pretty much any store at this point. Most flagship phones have around 5,000mAh batteries. So to get a full charge each night you would need 15,000mAh worth of battery packs. These rarely get the amount of charge they state on the package so you will want to buy bigger. Because of the ability of hackers to use these and cables to hack into phones I recommend buying these in physical stores rather than online marketplaces like Amazon. There are well -known brands like Samsung that sell these, but my preference is Anker. Wal-Mart sells Anker PowerCore Select 20,000mAh for $33.95 in my area. This should get you through the weekend without issue and has dual ports. I also like having a smaller one (lipstick charger) that I can carry in my pocket into the festival itself. I have multiple packs so I bring one specifically to charge that more portable charger. Don’t forget the charging cables!
o Tip: Do not plug into the charging stations that they have Within VIP and GA+. Hackers can program the cables (USB-C and Lightning) to install spyware and malware onto your phone from these and it becoming an increasing concern within festivals, airports, and other areas where these are found.
· CooleFood: You can use any cooler you have and don’t need something like a Yeti. I have primarily used Igloo coolers that I have used online hacks to increase the performance of. Instagram and youtube are filled with cooler hacks. I would say that you should get one rated for 3-4 days and expect to get more ice. Do not buy ice or anything else from the Hinterland General Store unless you have no choice. In the past they have sold 6-pound bags of ice for $20. The best options are the Casey’s General Store in St. Charles or Dollar General depending on where you are camped. They bring in semi-trucks to ensure they have enough, and the Casey’s warehouse is only an hour away so they typically don’t sell out. For Food there are a ton of food trucks and options even within the campgrounds. At minimum I recommend things that don’t need to be cooked and won’t melt. Trail mix, beef jerky, etc. The 2024 map does not indicate that there will be water stations with only drink stations listed on the map. This could indicate that you will have to buy any water. Slipknot in 2021 only had one water station at their festival and lawsuits were filed. I doubt this is the case here, but better to be prepared until they specify this.
· Other: Random stuff are chairs, games or something to occupy downtime, insect repellent (don’t be cute and try to save the planet or whatever. Use DEET or expect to get ate alive). Some way of getting clean or items for the shower, and items for dental hygiene. The other stuff I wouldn’t go without is a first aid kit (first aid stations are not open 24 hours a day), and a rain poncho.
· Optional: A canopy will bring welcome relief from the sun during downtimes and shelter from the rain. Having canopy walls are nice but can cause issues during windstorms. Know the weather and pay attention so you can lower the canopy if there is a storm coming to lessen the chance of it being damaged. If you choose to not have a canopy you should buy a tent with an awning or screened room. Please remember to not cook in your tent. Having a camp marker such as a ballon flying high above your campsite, or a flag can make life easier. You can also use various apps to pin your camp location or digital marker such as an Air Tag or similar product. The phone-based options will only work if your phone is charged and has a signal.
During the festival you will notice that there is only one stage. There will be sometime between artists due to this. While there are ways, they could do this quicker, the time between sets allows for restroom breaks, getting food and drink, etc. Hinterland will release the food and drink vendors closer to the festival. I will say that for alcohol they have always used Iowa Beverage Systems which distributes Miller-Coor’s products as well as White Claw, Dos Equis, Lagunitas, and other national brands. It looks like they have lost several local brands, but Peace Tree is one of the better craft beers in the Midwest. The exact offerings may not be known until the festival itself. Spirits are sold by the state in Iowa, but they usually purchase items from the marketing firm that handles Beam-Suntory products. Usually Jim Beam, Tito’s Vodka, and Maker’s Mark are usually available. Cedar Ridge is typically available in the VIP Lounge and previously won Distillery of the Year over the likes of Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and others. There have been vendors in the past along the western side of the festival grounds that sell shirts and other products. There is also a local record shop (Vinyl Cup) that sets up shop and has offered autograph sessions in the past from some of the smaller artists. Information can be found on their website in the events session. They also have local events leading up to festival itself.

Kettle hissing
Forgotten
Kissing Roman candles with my teeth
A glass door without hinges
Useless
With handles polished
Failure as buoyancy
Left out in the open when the tide runs
Abandoned
Waiting for applause
Hesitate like a blank stare
Digging trenches
Avoid despair
Plaster on walls of sand
Don’t hold much
Dancing from mortars
Life’s an ambush
Nerves like tripwire
Probably will puncture
With alveoli full of helium
From all I inhale
I swallowed the ocean
Got dizzy
Bloated as a tick
Fell to my back
Colliding to strangers as bumper cars
Fell through their hands as particles
Nicotine tinged the tips do the fingers
Elastic love like rubber bands
Brings back life when snapped on a wrist
I’d sell my marrow if it meant feeling it
That’s how my turbine goes
My motivation is pouring gasoline on a carousel
Being frantic, I mistake for doing well
Walking as a typo, I feel as graceful as calligraphy
All this I keep intaking
Inflating on self hate
Like helium in a ballon
Tie me to a wrist
Or tear into the ceiling
Popcorn asbestos
My ending.

Kettle hissing
Forgotten
Kissing Roman candles with my teeth
A glass door without hinges
Useless
With handles polished
Failure as buoyancy
Left out in the open when the tide runs
Abandoned
Waiting for applause
Hesitate like a blank stare
Digging trenches
Avoid despair
Plaster on walls of sand
Don’t hold much
Dancing from mortars
Life’s an ambush
Nerves like tripwire
Probably will puncture
With alveoli full of helium
From all I inhale
I swallowed the ocean
Got dizzy
Bloated as a tick
Fell to my back
Colliding to strangers as bumper cars
Fell through their hands as particles
Nicotine tinged the tips do the fingers
Elastic love like rubber bands
Brings back life when snapped on a wrist
I’d sell my marrow if it meant feeling it
That’s how my turbine goes
My motivation is pouring gasoline on a carousel
Being frantic, I mistake for doing well
Walking as a typo, I feel as graceful as calligraphy
All this I keep intaking
Inflating on self hate
Like helium in a ballon
Tie me to a wrist
Or tear into the ceiling
Popcorn asbestos
My ending.

So, we've got the problem of Russian air defense preventing Ukrainian air superiority. The answer is of course pretty simple:

1. Buy balloons. Party balloons would be ok, but weather balloons would be best. Improvise with some inflated "personal protection" or plastic bags if needed.
   
2. Fill the balloons with floaty gas (hydrogen or helium if possible, regular old methane would also be ok).
   
3. Strap "gifts" to the balloons and use a GPS system to release them at the right time. Drones programmed to fly to certain locations by GPS, SDBs/JDAMs if you have big balloons. Add some balloons with dummy payloads to force air defense to waste ammo.
   
4. Release a balloon bukkake whenever the wind is blowing in the right direction.
   

The advantages are many. Firstly, the ballons are cheap ass fuck. Secondly, the balloons will force the Russians to waste missiles, or use fighter jets to shoot the missiles down, unless they want the balloons to get through. If flying at high altitude this will make the advantage even bigger. Thirdly, you can release huge waves. The balloons will get through. And finally, we can make Monkey Putin memes where he is throwing darts on a Bloons TD map.
This plans has no flaws and is absolutely fool-proof.

There was a news story in bloomberg a couple days ago saying that Xi's purge of the military was the result of corruption so extensive that Chinese missiles were filled with water, and was shared here:
US Intelligence Shows Flawed China Missiles Led Xi to Purge Army : neoliberal (reddit.com)
That struck me as suspicious, since the vast majority of missiles these days use solid fuels, not liquid fuels. Apparently, one of the ways in Mandarin for fill with water is Zhùshuǐ, which also means inflate numbers (like inflate in English literally means fill with air but is unlikely to be literal unless you are talking about ballons). I know competence in the intelligence community varies widely, so I really hope whoever the bloomberg source is was fluent enough to recognize idioms and not rely on AI translation.

My post is a simple one. 2023 is coming to a close and I want to reflect on what Ethereum means to this community. I have two questions.
Why do you hold Ether?
What is something that Ethereum could accomplish that you can look back in 50 years and say "I held through the bear because I believed in Ethereum's ..." Or "Ethereum is a success to me because it ..."?
​
For me, I got into crypto in general because I believe that the global financial system is rigged. Anything worth owning became more and more expensive every year, and the dream of owning a home or land became further and further out of reach. It felt like I was on one side of a ballon and my dreams were on the other side. The balloon was being inflated, and it felt like my dreams were literally being inflated away.
Bitcoin struck a chord in me because it espouses transparency, fiscal responsibility, and financial freedom. Here was a money that couldn't be printed into oblivion. Here was a money that wasn't first distributed to the mega-banks and the mega-rich where they buy up assets, creating inflation before finally filtering down to us little people. Here was a money that couldn't be confiscated because the owners embrace ideas that weren't popular. Here was a money that could be sent across the world at the speed of light, 24/7. Here was a money that was controlled by everyday people and not some nameless, unelected, unaccountable, government bureaucrat.
I believe that Bitcoin ossified too soon, and Bitcoin started banning anyone who suggested that the code should be upgraded.
That's when I found Ethereum. It was a project that had similar characteristics and desires of Bitcoin but, unlike bitcoin, it was going to continue developing. I hope for Ethereum to become a neutral, global settlement layer. I hold Ether because I want to be a part of the money revolution. I want my children to inherit a world with a fair financial system where the average person can get ahead by saving their ether because the value of their ether isn't being inflated away.