Experiences in "Putting Myself Out There"

I spent most of last year very focused on the situation I'd gotten myself into: new job, new country, new language, new friends, new apartment, new adventure. A new man seemed like the absolute last thing I could focus on in a million years. This year I've been, as they say, "putting myself out there" a little more. When a man approaches me, I don't immediately run away or pretend  to  not understand what they're saying (or not pretend-- sometimes I really don't!). I don't think I necessarily am looking to date, but the idea also isn't the worst one I've ever heard of. I really loved being a boyfriend-haver in college, but this 20-something single-life is also pretty fun. Maybe it's Italy, maybe it's just life in general, but I'm finding that the whole flirting thing leads to some interesting, hilarious, and disturbing situations. Here are some scenarios I've found myself in these last few weeks.

Jessica Day is my soul sister

A truly beautiful man approached me at a club. 

Truly, truly beautiful. I was coming back from the bathroom and trying to make my way back to my friends, when he stopped directly in front of me. He delivered his line in heavily accented English: "You are beautiful, kiss me." Um... What? The only other English phrase he seemed to know was, "I am a Sicilian gentleman," and he repeated it a number of times. A little while later, I was trying to get him to dance with me rather than attack me. Anyone who has seen me dance can attest to the fact that my go-to move is what I like to call "Throwing Out the Snaps," which consists of alternating snapping hands and wiggling your shoulders a little (very rhythmically), and occasionally adding in a ballerina twirl. It's quite elegant. As I tried to make him twirl, he looked at me like I was a complete lunatic and walked away without another word. Apparently silliness is not a desirable quality to Sicilian gentlemen.

*Throwing Out the Snaps Fun Fact: I taught my move to my friends' 7 year old, ninja-loving daughter and she loved it. She thought it was the best dance move ever! Her exact words were, "This is great! It's like you're snapping out a protective barrier around yourself. Like a shield." I guess, in a way, The Snaps do create a protective barrier around me...

Preach!

Fast-forward to a few weeks later, same location. 

It's Fashion Week in Milan, and the place is absolutely full of models. I swear I saw Kendall Jenner- this girl there looked just like her, and the next day the little Kardashian sister Instagramed a picture from Milan! Anyway, this guy is talking to me and being very flirtatious. He keeps telling me how beautiful and little I am, but then glances up at the bar in disgust. Each time I've been to this particular place, there have been girls dancing on the bar. He leans over and says to me, "Look at those girls. Those thighs... McDonalds." That makes no sense, and I'm sure it's just that I'm not hearing him correctly so I ask him to repeat himself. This time he tells me, "I look at their legs, their thighs, and I know they eat McDonalds. Foods that make them fat." Are you kidding me? They are literally runway models, paid to be pretty and skinny and he thinks they're too fat?! I don't give him my number, but I do shout my name over the music and tell him he can find me on Facebook if he wants. The next day, even though I spell my name weird and so am probably hard to find on there, I have a message from him. Direct quote: "It was a pleasure to meet such a funny girl from NY... I always find fat or angry girls from there." WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, JUDGEY MCJUDGEY PANTS!?!? Needless to say, I did not respond.

This one isn't funny, and it isn't flirtatious-man related. 

Other than knowing how to tell cab drivers how to get home, this pretty much sums up
my situation. 

It was actually one of the scariest moments I've ever had. Part of this "Putting Myself Out There" mission is that I've been going into the city a lot, and therefore taking quite a few cabs. After Verona, I hopped in a cab back to Opera. My driver was a elderly man and I noticed immediately that he, unlike most others in Milan, didn't have a GPS. Now, I can't say much in Italian, but I've perfected my taxi speech: "Opera, per favore (then I tell them my address)." If they hesitate at all, I say "Via Ripamonte a Vigentino, e sinestra attraverso Noverasco di Opera (Ripamonte street to Vigentino, and left through Noverasco to Opera)." There is never any hesitation after that and the ride from this particular cab stand home takes no more than 15 minutes, 20 euro. This time, I must have been a little distracted. I was playing Sudoku on my phone, and when I looked up a little while later we were somewhere I didn't recognize at all. The trouble was that I didn't know how to tell him that, and wondered if he was just going a different way. I let it go for a little while, but the longer we drove, the more nervous I became. Finally I started looking at the GPS on my phone and saw we were headed to a completely different town. I was very turned around and now didn't know how to communicate or how to direct him back to where I lived. At this point we'd been in the car for at least 25 minutes. I reminded him my address and offered my phone to him to see the GPS but he didn't want it. We drove through another town, but by then it was dark and he started driving verrrrrry slowly (less than 15mph), and cars were starting to honk and pass us. He was getting very upset and started yelling and swearing I'm assuming at the people behind us (maybe at me? I don't actually know). At least three times he pulled over (once in the middle of a roundabout!) to ask pedestrians or other drivers where we were. I felt bad for him, but the meter was ticking up past 30 euro and I had absolutely no idea how help him find my apartment.

Don't you DARE "Grazie" me!!!

Anyways, nearly an hour later he finally found my apartment. I had nervously looked on Google Translate for how to tell him that there was no way I could pay 55 euro for what should have been a quick ride home but was relieved when he said what I thought was 15 euro. I can't count past ten in Italian without a serious amount of thought, and handed him a 20 trying to be kind. He looked back at me and started speaking very quickly about needing 35 more and I realized that even though he had taken me on a crazy drive, he still expected the full amount. I nervously told him what I'd been practicing in my head, that usually it was a quick ride, it was only 20 euro typically, and that's what I could give him. He hit the lock button from the front seat, and started screaming at me about having a family and needing my money and wasting his entire night. I pulled out the map on my phone again and showed him where we'd been, where we went, and where we were now, and how he should have gone but he just kept screaming at me and wouldn't let me out of the car! Finally, I threw 30 euro at him and he unlocked the door, suddenly and terrifyingly switching from screaming to smiling, saying "Ahh grazie, va bene (which is like, it's ok)." I got out, slammed the door shut, and screamed at him "NO! NO VA BENE!!!!" which I don't think makes sense, but hopefully he still got the gist of what I wanted to say. In hindsight, I should have gotten his cab number or told him to take us to the police, but I was so terrified and upset.

Whew! That started out as what was meant to be a funny, light story and ended up a little intense. Sorry... 

My Personal Paradise: Granada

Most of this post was written from Bird Poop Plaza <3

As I said about Barcelona, Spain is my soul sister and being there makes me feel complete.

 Granada is forever close to my heart after being my first taste of Europe back in 2010. Studying abroad in the charismatic city was one of the best times of my life and I’m so grateful to have had that experience.  There’s something special about Granada. Yes, you could say that about any city, but Granada is a place of intense relaxation and reflection, as well as the site of some of my craziest and most memorable nights. Other than the Alhambra, there isn’t much pressure to do intense sightseeing, but there’s still so much to take in. When Holly and I first spoke about her visiting Europe, I knew I wanted to bring her to the Europe I first fell in love with. Booking our trips was a job and it was kind of intimidating trying to do all of our planning, but while looking at our hotel options on Google StreetView, I actually cried seeing where we would be staying. I could quite literally go on about the amazingness of Granada for about 11983740193847093487403872 years, so I’ll narrow it down to a few of the best moments.

Checking into our hotel in Plaza Nueva

Realizing that this was where we were staying was what brought on my Google-Street-View-Happy-Tears. It's such a central part of the city I love so much and was amazing to be back. From our balcony, we could see a little piece of the Alhambra and could look down at flamenco shows being performed in the plaza below. 

The Alhambra

The Alhambra is by far the most amazing place I've ever seen. It magnificence goes beyond beautiful gardens or architecture- ever inch of the incredible palaces is a work of art. The intricacy of the details that cover the walls and ceilings is so breathtakingly beautiful. Holly and I would often catch each other's eye and just shake our heads, mouths hanging open, at complete loss for words. 

 

Meeting Holly's friend for tapas

One of Holly's friends was studying in my beautiful city and we met up with her our first night. She reminded me of so many of the little things that made the experience what it was, like how slippery the sidewalks were and that there is no better drunk food than shwarma. I was beyond jealous of her for being in the middle of her Granada experience, but it was fun to here about what's changed and what experiences carry through the years.

Tea, crepes, and hookah 

We stayed right around the corner from streets filled with little tea houses that serve all different flavors of tea, delicious crepes, and hookah and spent one sweltering afternoon sampling all three. You wouldn't think visiting a tea house would be a great way to spend a hot day, but it was. Afterwards we got terrible henna tattoos- both were beautiful and intricate when wet, but mine looked like I was scribbled on with magic marker, and Holly's flaked off immediately. A month later, my arm hair is still dyed black... 

 

Shopping our way through the Albaicin

The Albaicin is an amazing section of Granada that feels like an old Moroccan medina. The little gift shops are filled with colorful, mosaic glass lamps, inexpensive jewelry, beautiful paintings, incense, and more. I love tourist shopping anywhere, but the shops here are my favorites and it was a ton of fun to wander back into my favorites from years past. I bought much too much: A beautiful lamp for my bedroom (Holly and I picked up one for our parents, too), earrings, sparkly pillowcases, a little ceramic pomegranate ("Granada" means pomegranate and you can find them all over the city), and a bunch of great little gifts that I can't name for the sake of a certain sister-reader :) 

Museo de Cuevas Sacramonte

This museum was one of the places that made my little sister love the idea of visiting Granada (other than the fact that I never shut up about how amazing it is). My study abroad group toured the museum, and I was so happy to have Holly experience the view of the Alhambra, and the culture of the gypsies that inhabit the caves. Between the history, the flamenco dancing, and the gorgeous pottery, it's a really interesting culture to learn about!

Photo credit goes to Holly Streisel :)

Tortilla, Tinto de Verano, and Spanish Olive Oil

Three of my favorite foods/beverages/condiments: It makes no sense that an egg and potato omelet would taste good on a sandwich, but tortilla bocadillos are one of my favorite foods ever. Try as I might to recreate tinto de verano with wine, lemonade, and seltzer, it's never the same. Italy has Lemon Fanta though, so maybe I'll be able to do it here! Finally, Spanish olive oil has a very distinct taste and I swear I could drink it. 

Night out at Hannigans and Camborio

Nights out were some of my favorite Granada memories, and most nights out included a trip to Hannigans (karaoke night!), Camborio, or both. Holly and I had a 7am flight back to Milan from Granada, so we went to Hannigans for an early drink. One of my favorite Granada people was supposed to come back and be at the bar (but got there too late), so one of his friends (the bartender) kept us company and said he'd meet us later if we wanted to pack and come back. So that's what we did- packed, took a nap, got back up around 2am, and headed back to the bar. We made a few new friends before heading to Camborio, an amazing club in a gypsy cave that overlooks the Alhambra. Watching the sunrise over the Alhambra as we headed back to the hotel to pick up our suitcases (and treating my sister to her first shwarma) was such a "Granada" experience!

Questions and Comments from Flight 2359

Maybe I'm becoming cynical, maybe I'm mean, and maybe I'm just incredibly jet-lagged. But yesterday on my flight to see Krista in San Jose, I found myself sitting next to an 18-year-old who I had absolutely no patience for. I had planned to spend the time finishing up a few blog posts, reading, and working on some teaching things for next year (you can find a few in my new teachers-pay-teachers store! I made my first sale!). Anyways, after a layover in Minneapolis and on my second flight of the day, I found myself with a finished book and a dead computer. How to occupy my time? Why, make a list of all the ridiculous questions, comments, and actions of the boy who'd sat next to me on the previous flight of course!

Anastasia just gets me.

image by 20somethingsproblems


*Quick note: many, maybe even most, of these are perfectly acceptable questions to ask while getting to know someone. But when rapid-fired over the course of two hours when it's not even 7 in the morning? No. Italics will represent actions.

*Other quick note: Yes, I do have boundary issues when it comes to flying. There is only so much space in those little seats and I get territorial. I also don't like strangers touching my face.

• You wear contacts.
• Is your hair red or brown?
• Touches hair on right side of my head This part of your hair that has light on it is red, but over here without the light (touches other side) is just brown. 
• What's your favorite subject?
• What's the best part of college?
• Why do we even have to buckle in on an airplane? If we crash it's not going to do anything.
• If you could be in any movie what would it be? What about show?
• Do you like trees?
• Your nails and folder are pink. What other pink things do you have?
• What are your dreams for the future?
• If you could do anything today what would it be? (We're on a flight to California that I'm really excited about so I say go to California). What about world peace?!
• Do you have to shave your legs everyday?
• Where'd you get that scar?
• Do you want a cookie? (Keeps putting cookie on my tray, I say no thank you, I don't want your cookie). Why won't you just eat the cookie!?
• You'd rather read than talk?
• You have humongous eyes. But not like an alien!
• Leans directly into my seat to look out the window.
• Are you wearing socks? Don't your feet get sweaty?
• I'm sorry. I keep looking in your eyes. Some people don't like that.
• I have a friend named Jesye and you both look the same. Except her hair is darker and she doesn't have freckles. Do you know her?
• Are you a right brain or left brain person?
• Can I watch you type?
• What's in that desktop folder?
• What does that mean? (Pointing at something I'm typing)
• The face you just made just made my day. (I ask what face?) I don't remember.
• Hopefully you look the same when you're 50.
• Why are you a teacher?
• Don't you think teachers should do a better job and actually make sure kids learn important things?
• I can tell you're a teacher because you smile a lot.
• Since you're short does your neck hurt when you fly? 
• How to you sleep on a flight? Shows me different ways someone might sleep. Like this? Like this?
• How many inches tall are you?
• Do you like flying?
• Boops me on the nose because that's apparently where most of my freckles are.
• We're probably going to crash and die.
• Are you a democrat or republican?
• Who did you vote for in the last election?
• Brushes hair off my face.
• Why did you buy that ring?
• What did you go to college for? (I say childhood/early childhood education and literacy) Am I literate? Was that not a literate thing to say?
• Jesye. Jesye Jesye. I just like saying your name. 

I tried my absolute hardest to be friendly the whole time but oh my gosh, GRKJDPASOIJFPOQIEJPKEJD:QWKLJD:WQLKJ:KQLWJ!!!!

Me on the inside.

image by howdoiputthisgently?

I Met Joe Jonas

I, Jesye Streisel, now a fangirl, met Joe Jonas at Men's Fashion Week in Milan, June 2014.
My life is complete :)

I almost took it off the list. I almost gave up and decided it was too far-fetched! I almost changed

"See a celebrity at fashion week" to just "See a celebrity." But I didn't, and now I get to check it off the list. I met Joe Jonas!!

In high school I dragged Holly to a Jonas Brothers concert with me, and while we made fun of all the screaming girls, not gonna lie, that was me on the inside. At the end of the concert, as we crankily tried to find our parents' car, the car the three brothers were in drove by us with one of them waving out the window and I made some sort of involuntary little screamish noise I had no idea I was capable of making. Joe Jonas was my laptop background freshman year, and now we have spoken to each other. Anyways, here's what happened.

School is out, so on Monday I went into the city to do some celebration shopping. Unfortunately, my other reason for going into the city was closed (panzerotti is basically pizza in a donut). Between that, the fact that I accidentally bought my new dress in the wrong size, and my complete lack of obligations, I headed back in on Tuesday as well. I was well fed, had a new dress, but didn't want to go back to Opera so wandered around for a few hours. Sometime around 2:30 I noticed a crowd of girls standing around, apparently waiting, but didn't really think anything of it. A while later, I wandered back to the same area and saw the same group. This time, I asked a cab driver what all the girls were doing and he said waiting for a celebrity but he didn't know who. A girl told me it was Joe Jonas, who I knew was in town for Men's Fashion Week. She told me that he had gone in a few hours before and had promised to take pictures with everyone when he came back down.

At this point, it was really a moral dilemma: completely invade a person's privacy by creepily waiting outside their hotel and take a picture with my longstanding imaginary boyfriend, or walk away and respect personal boundaries. The immoral side won, and I joined the girl crowd, waiting a full hour (I made a new friend to pass the time with. She wasn't a Joe-fan, but it was rumored that Dougie Poynter was in there too) for him to emerge. And oh, he did. I'm so lame. I thought I could be all cool and collected but completely joined the swarm and took a bunch of pictures. 

I know that these pictures are basically the same, but my kindhearted future boyfriend Joe
Jonas took a few so that I'd have options. Whatta guy <3

At first it seemed like there were too many girls to get through to actually meet him. But Anna (new friend) got up to him first and I took their picture. Then, it seemed like time went by really slowly. There were probably 3 seconds where it was clearly my time to move in but it felt like a few minutes. I jumped in there though and said (with my heart racing like... something really speedy...), "Hi, I'm Jesye, it's nice to meet you." I don't remember what he said but oh my God, he is adorable. Anna had disappeared, so I asked a bodyguard if he would please take our picture but he wouldn't, and that was when Joe said, "Here, we can just take it ourselves." And he took a few pictures with my phone. Then I was shooed away by the guards. 

I am now following him on Twitter, and watched Camp Rock last night. How on Earth did I turn into a fangirl? Ugh. Well, I think it's probably the fact that he was wearing a wolf shirt, and I've come to realize that that is my type in men. I use to think my "type" was dark hair, dark eyes, kinda scruffy, but both longterm boyfriends have been much more fair (light brown/blondish with blue/green eyes). My new theory is that it's all about the animal clothing. 

Taking Candy from Strangers

Rainy day in the park

Another item checked off The List, and my first "Get on the Next Train Leaving the Station" trip under my belt. 

At first, my trip to Torino (Turin? I don't know which is right) seemed a little like a bust. Leaving the train station may as well have been just jumping in a lake. It was pouring! Not even an umbrella helped. I had decided on the train to book a hotel, and after a few wrong turns found Hotel Diplomatic. Not a bad place- I mean, not great, but inexpensive and comfortable enough for the night!

Wandering through the rainy market

At that point, all I wanted to do was spend the rest of the day avoiding the rain but set out to find Piazza della Repubblica and it's market. 

A beautiful day can make all the difference, and I'm sure that usually Torino's Saturday market is wonderful to walk around. Unfortunately for me, it was pretty wet and miserable; the kind of rain that makes it's way into your shoes and you end up not even trying to avoid puddles because there's no point. I spent as much time as I could wandering through the stands and drippy tents where vendors sold everything from socks to flowers to food. Much as I was ready to leave, I didn't end up making the decision for myself. A man came up to me as I walked behind the vegetable stands and said something to me. I gave him my go-to look of confusion and favorite phrase ("Mi dispiace, non parlo Italiano!"), and he grabbed my arm, started pointing at the vendors who didn't have booths (the ones selling umbrellas and iPhone cases and those types of things) and saying "bad boys!" over and over! He walked me over to the crosswalk, said "bad boys!" again, and waited until I went across the road. One of the men he had pointed at yelled at him a little but, needless to say, I have no idea what they said. Not exactly a confidence-inducing event for my first solo-trip!

Statue of Hathor, Goddess of the sky, love,
beauty, joy, motherhood, and foreign lands.
I knew there was a reason I was drawn to her!

I see no shame in taking
myself on a romantic dinner
date. I love me. 

Next was the Egyptian Museum, which was incredible. 

They had a room full of all the items found in a tomb of a married couple, and the things that they knew about this regular little family was amazing- they even had her wig! Anyways, at that point I couldn't really figure out what to do. It was getting dark but still wasn't late, so I tried shopping but set off the alarm going into literally every store I tried. I was kind of mopey and ended up just going to the Apple Store to buy myself a iTunes card so I could watch some movies that night. While awkwardly waiting to buy my card, the guy in front of me and I got to talking and he asked to show me around Torino. He had some things to do that night though, and I had a fancy dinner date to take myself on, so I spent the rest of the quiet night on my own, reading, eating, and generally relaxing.

Easter Sunday rose as beautifully as Saturday had been gloomy. 

Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of Torino at that point and was ready to leave but got a call from Apple Store Guy and decided to give the city one last chance. He said he could pick me up and show me around, but isn't that how "Taken" starts? Yes. BUT it's also how many a rom-com starts as well. Though I wouldn't get in this stranger's car, I did spend most of the day walking through beautiful parks and gardens, sipping cafe macchiato, and sitting on the banks of a river with one. He walked me over to the train station when it was time for me to go, and rather than getting lunch or another coffee as planned, we bought a ton of candy and had a picnic in the park instead while I waited for 4:54 (train time). So I also took candy from a stranger- I'm living on the edge!

I don't know if it was the more appealing weather or seeing the city with a local as a guide, but either way I like Torino much more than expected! My first solo-travel experience was definitely one to remember.