Travel – SAMHOPEHANSEN

Misconceptions About Living Abroad

I recently had the pleasure of going to a Jim Gaffigan comedy show in Barcelona with my good friend, Megan. The show, part of his international PALE TOURIST tour, took place at Club Capitol on Las Ramblas on a Saturday night in late February. It was hilarious – almost two hours of non-stop belly laughsContinue reading “Misconceptions About Living Abroad”

My First Podcast Appearance!

Over a week ago I was approached by Francisco, a chiropractor here who happens to go to my church, The International Church of Barcelona. He reached out over Instagram and said that after having read my blog, he was interested in featuring me on he & his wife’s new podcast, called IllumINNATE Barcelona Podcast. AccordingContinue reading “My First Podcast Appearance!”

36 Hours in London

Munich, New York City, London… I think most people would agree that these are top destinations for holiday season travel. I had been to London once before years ago on a quick solo trip, but the last time my mom came to visit me, I surprised her with a mom-daughter getaway to London in earlyContinue reading “36 Hours in London”

24 Hours in Sevilla

Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, has a special place in my heart for many reasons, but one of the top ones certainly has to be their hospitality and warmth. In general, the people are nice and friendly, and there’s so much to see, do & eat down there. Here’s a recap of what toContinue reading “24 Hours in Sevilla”

Girls’ Weekend in The Netherlands

As my first post back after a long hiatus from blogging, I knew the first thing I wanted to share about was my late September trip to the home country of one of my best friends, Charlotte. Another friend of mine here in Barcelona, Olivia, and I had been long-wanting to go to The NetherlandsContinue reading “Girls’ Weekend in The Netherlands”

Working Hard, Staying Happy.

“The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.” – Fabienne Fredrickson Is it really that simple? Say I was extremely passionate about surfing… If I don’t become a professional surfer or instructor, does that consequentially mean that I’m not following my calling? I’m not quite sure. But what I doContinue reading “Working Hard, Staying Happy.”

…You look weird.

Holy tolito does time ever fly! It’s been a packed three-weeks since I last had a chance to blog, so here goes a fat post. July started off with the USA’s sad loss against Belgium in the World Cup. We had a lot of fun cheering on the home team with fellow Americans at theContinue reading “…You look weird.”

Alicante & Calpe – Starting off Summer 2014!

“Keep yourself grounded and view the world through your heart. You will find balance.” – Ketut Liyer (via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love) Well vacation is over, aka back to reality here in Barcelona (which is admittedly not such a bad reality). Damian and I took a 7am Renfe train from Barcelona Sants down toContinue reading “Alicante & Calpe – Starting off Summer 2014!”