Slappy Toad

01/23/2025

Acadia National Park in Maine 🇺🇲

01/22/2025

First time ever a man gave up his seat for me on a train just now. Typing this as he stands next to me. He’s either a super gentleman, or I’m really starting to look old. I prefer to believe the former. So nice!!

01/22/2025

Gosh. TikTok is so much fun. But nobody ever explained it could be lucrative too! 🤦‍♀️ I’m genuinely curious about these types of scams. Like, what kind of person are you? Do you go home and kiss your wife and kids every night? How much free time do you really have in a day? Is this your 9 to 5? Do you sleep well at night? Is your mama proud?

01/21/2025

I swear, sometimes the weirdest stuff happens to me.

I was outside on my balcony hanging up my laundry and I had the song, Cry To Me by Solomon Burke, stuck in my head.

I don't know all the words, so I only sang the part where he says, "Come on, come on, cry to me".

I swear to you, once I sang that, I heard the cry of a baby. But it echoed like it would if the baby was in a stairwell. Remember, I was outside. I have ocean views. Nothing here echos like a stairwell (that I know of).

It took a moment for that to sink in. At first, I waved it off and thought I was hearing things.

Because the song is stuck in my head, I ended up singing again. Right on cue, I finished singing that part, and I hear the baby cry echo again.

I have never re-entered my home so quickly. LOL!

So now I have a vampire house up the hill, and haunted crying babies on my balcony. This keeps getting more and more "interesting"!

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01/21/2025

Going to the doctor in a new country is such a weird experience. I went once in Germany and now in Spain. It’s never not weird.

01/17/2025

JOURNAL ENTRY

Well, life has become "everyday" at last. I'm starting to find my routines and my nervous system has finally settled. Thankfully, more than expected. My anxiety is at an all-time low, my depression is gone, my body feels like it's finally getting what it needs from food and movement. I've made some friends, and I've even traveled a little.

I'm not sure what comes next in this new life. I know I want to work on my health a lot more and I'm proud to say that I navigated getting registered and getting an appointment all by myself for the local doctor where they do not speak English.

I guess with public medical care, you go to the doctor who is in your neighborhood. It's all based on your home address. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but as long as I can get basic care, I'm good.

I'm thinking it's time to set some new goals. Although, I have to admit, I'm enjoying the art of doing nothing for a little while. I'm still working, of course, but to have nothing else pulling at my time is exactly the break I needed. So I'm not in a rush.

My son is coming to visit me again in May, and I know we'll do some traveling then. We are thinking about Italy or Turkey. But he wants to do a little research to see where he wants to go most. I'm up for anything and anywhere!

I have to leave this apartment in June, so we have until then to figure out where we are going. I will probably just put my stuff into storage here until we get back this summer and I find another place to live.

I'm really getting used to the idea of being able to go anywhere. At first, it was daunting. But now, I absolutely love the thrill of it.

This last trip to Seville was really life changing for me. I learned a lot about myself on that trip and that's never a bad thing. Travel definitely changes you.

As I type this, I'm sitting in the recliner in my living room looking out the sliding glass door at the Mediterranean Sea. There is a storm brewing and I absolutely adore how dark the ocean gets when the storm clouds roll in. I love everything about the ocean. I will never live very far from it ever again. But I will definitely miss this view when June rolls around.

This apartment is so calm, quiet, and serene. I hear the neighbors occasionally, but it's nothing that would really bother anybody. I kinda like the sounds because you always know somebody is close by. It's reassuring in a way.

It's funny. I've never felt so free knowing I can go anywhere, but I'm still stuck on wanting to buy a house. Yesterday, I was walking home from the doctor's office and I passed a small house that has unobstructed views of the ocean. It's almost directly on the edge of the cliff. It has a huge patio, and it looks like it's been abandoned. As I walked passed it, I could see a whole life there. Especially sitting out on that patio. So I'm clearly still looking for something, and hopefully I'll find it. Hopefully I'll find my forever home soon.

My friends here talk about dating all the time, and as much as I enjoy looking at men, I'm not ready to date. So for now, it's just me and my girl, Izzy, and it's a nice life. It's small, but wonderful, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

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01/16/2025

I got my phone back!!! €49 and it’s back in business!!

01/15/2025

Heading to Seville? I don't blame you. This incredibly beautiful city is packed with history, beauty, and crazy-delicious food. Here are some of the best things to do in Seville, Spain.
https://slappytoad.com/things-to-do-in-seville-spain/

01/13/2025

I posted 3 new videos today on Spain. Check em' out!

🐸 Adventurous Toad 🌍 Hopping Around the Globe ✈️ Inspiring Wanderlust 📸 Capturing Lilypad Moments 🌟 Join me on SlappyToad.com for quirky travel tales & toad-ally fun adventures! Let's explore the world one hop at a time! 🎒✨

01/12/2025

Is p**ping a problem when you travel? (Yes, I went there). Here are the tips and trick I use to keep my travel "moving smoothly".

https://slappytoad.com/how-to-p**p-while-you-travel/

01/11/2025

Well, it's a foggy day at the airport. I arrived at 9:30am and my flight isn't until 3:30pm. But I just wanted out of the hostel I was staying at. I think overall, it was a good hostel. But I think it's safe to say that my back is too old to sleep in those kinds of conditions. So from this day forward, if I can't afford a hotel, I'm not going.

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01/11/2025

Bwahahaha!!! That'll teach em'! As much as I love to travel, I loath airlines with every fiber of my being. They have zero accountability.

01/10/2025

I'm an American who moved to Spain in September of 2024. But when I first seriously started the process, like most people, the first question I asked was, "How much does it cost to move to Spain?"
https://slappytoad.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-move-to-spain/

01/10/2025

I was supposed to visit Cordoba today. That's not happening without my phone. Crazy how dependent on them we are, isn't it? Like, I grew up without one, so I know how it works. But I don't feel safe navigating around Spain without it. But that's okay. I saw so many beautiful things and really enjoyed myself here. So I don't feel like I lost out. I head home tomorrow and am definitely looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. That's always the best part about coming home!

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01/09/2025

Travel Lesson #59230923:

Never use a $5 selfie stick. (Euros, not dollars, but you get the drift).

I wanted to get a photo or two of stuff with me in the picture, and I saw a selfie stick for $5. I went to Plaza De Espana this morning and was happily taking photos and videos when I remembered I had the stick with me.

So I put the phone in the holder, went to take a photo of myself standing by the canal, and the spring gave way on the selfie stick, my phone fell out, bounced off the railing and directly into the canal.

Good thing I like a man in uniform because I found some police officers and they jumped into action to retrieve my phone from the canal. At least I had a show to watch while all this unfolded. Haha! (Seriously, what is it about men in uniform? God help me...)

So anywho... it's a darn good thing I uploaded the rest of my pictures from this trip this morning or I would have nothing from this trip other than what I uploaded to Facebook.

Right now, my phone is sitting in a bag of rice and I'm hoping for the best. I tried to buy a new phone and the stupid bank wouldn't accept the charge. They keep flagging my card as fraud because I'm using it in Spain, despite me telling them I moved here.

There is never a dull moment with me...

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01/08/2025

My day today!

The Castillo de Colomares is located in Benalmádena, a town in the province of Málaga, in southern Spain. It is situated on the Costa del Sol, a popular coastal area known for its beaches and tourist attractions. The castle is about 20 kilometers southwest of Málaga city and easily accessible by car or public transportation.

This unique monument was built between 1987 and 1994 to honor Christopher Columbus and his “discovery” of the Americas. Despite its name, it is not a castle in the traditional sense but a symbolic structure with elements of various architectural styles, including Gothic, Romanesque, Byzantine, and Mudejar.

01/08/2025

I may write a whole blog post on how to p**p while you travel. 💩😅
(If you know, you know)

01/08/2025

I get it. Traveling solo can be scary, especially if you've never done it before. But I'm here to tell you that it may very well be the best decision you'll ever make, and I'm going give you 28 reasons why, plus 9 tips for planning your next solo trip.
https://slappytoad.com/traveling-solo/