When I was preparing to leave Barcelona last summer *sob*, the Director told us all to "be a tourist in our city" to help get over that initial depression of returning to the familiar and yearning to go back to the unexplored. So, that's what I did; I began to traverse Center City, Philadelphia to see what I could find. Pretty nice things!

Since I'm practically married to my bike, I spent each day taking a great bike ride into the city and roaming around. The Ben Franklin Parkway is always great for a leisurely stroll, and it's perfect for art enthusiasts and artists, housing the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, and the Barnes Foundation all in a straight shot down the road.

Love Park and Logan Square are also great places to just hang out and take a breather. Afterwards, there's a library, natural science museum, and the Franklin Institute just a walk away. Chinatown is further along, as is Penn's Landing and all those Independence landmarks, such as the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House. I guess I'm lucky to live in such close proximity to all of these wonderful attractions!

Biking back home, I usually take one of three streets: Market, Chestnut, or Walnut. Going home on Chestnut one day, I found my Heaven-on-Earth: New Delhi Indian Restaurant. On 40th and Chestnut, it offers fabulous Indian cuisine, and a buffet option (which I usually don't go for, since I end up wasting money with the little amount of food I eat). Yet, this food is so delicious, that I almost always get the buffet, and my dear, I don't regret it! Dessert is included, but I usually decline, and instead walk a few blocks down to 36th Street to hit up Kiwi Frozen Yogurt. Weigh and Pay by the ounce (I won't tell you my all-time high!).

Enough about food (sometimes I swear I'm a wannabe foodie). Going downtown into Center City is always a joy, for I see new people each day. There are tons of shops for any style and budget. Cafes, bars, and restaurants line the streets (if you haven't been to Reading Terminal Market yet, and you live close to Philly, what are you waiting for?). And the art is awesome! Claes Oldenburg's  clothespin sculpture got a new friend with the artist's Paint Torch, a giant paintbrush dripping orange paint. You can find it on Broad Street's Avenue of the Arts (love that name).

Note: I provided only a sampling of what there is to do here, guess you'll have to come here to get the real deal...!!!

So, while I wait for an interview from any of the 15+ places I applied for so I can work this summer (womp), I go into Center City and marvel at the awesomeness that I have so close to home. Great exercise and great adventures too!

So that's what this Gringa Loca does when she's hanging around her father's house (my current living arrangement). Ah, another college grad crashing with the 'rents...although I do have a job for September...and it's in ECUADOR! Woohoo! Until then, I'll keep looking for trabajo [work], and "be a tourist in my city". Try it! No matter where you live, I'm sure you can find something to spark your interest, or at least meet someone new!