A Broad Abroad

In college I was lucky enough to do a couple of semesters of study abroad. The first was a summer semester traveling in Europe, and the second was a fall semester in Florence, Italy. Those six months and the surrounding two years or so were the best years of my life. I met my best friends, had the most fun, and became the most genuine version of myself I've met yet. I miss living abroad at least once a week, if not more. I miss speaking a foreign language, walking everywhere, the pizza margherita from Yellow Bar, sandwiches from Noe, and endless pints from Kikuya. I even miss the dog shit on the sidewalks and the men in suits pissing on the streets.

It's no wonder, then, that I enjoyed Blue Streak, an expat living in Spain with a foul-mouthed sense of humor and tendency toward snark.

In terms of design, the blue is ok, but the design is bland and generic. There's absolutely no personality, but it's nicely organized. There are a shit ton of posts on each page, though, so get ready to scroll (well, for the months where there are more than three posts). Is there something wrong with her apostrophes, or is it just me? She's got an about page, and it's great and funny and real, but I could use some more vital details like: what you do (generally speaking), why you're in Spain, who your hubs is, why Blue Streak?, etc.

Blue Streak is introspective and rambly and touching and bitchy and angsty bordering on whiny, but I don't mind because I whine about the same things. I have similar feelings about friends who have done well and my own chances of success. I guess we're just overeducated, maladjusted, childless thirty-something women with international tendencies, the grass is always greener mentalities, and a penchant for the word "fuck" who are searching for home.

There's some great stuff here: "In other words, I had the optimism of a village idiot eye-balling the haystack he just tossed his fucking needle in." And there are funny stories and tales of living abroad, which I found interesting and evocative and charming. But the only sex so far includes elderly flashers, which ew.

I can relate, and I don't live abroad anymore:

"Is this normal? Is it part and parcel to being "foreign"? A constant state of re-examination of what-ifs? Or is this what any mildy neurotic thirty something feels that has not had children yet to take away that curse of looking at ones wrinkles in the mirror too much or the sickness of dwelling on paths not taken, (wrong?) turns, U-turns..."

Blue Streak got off to a sputtering start, with just a few posts per month, but she's ramped it up recently and I'm hoping that's a taste of things to come. Her writing is personal and insightful and funny, and the only thing I can really hate on is the fact that there's not more of it. So, keep at it, give us more. And get a new template, one with some tabs and maybe some Spanish flavor and more functionality.

Today you get






because there's just not an awful lot here yet and the design is a bit meh. Otherwise, I really do fucking love you and I'm adding you to my reader.

P.S. Sorry about the hair. My suggestion? Move to Italy. Best haircuts of my life.