My direct flight from London to Seattle was a success. It was a little cramped, the food was mysterious, and I think I was seated in the elderly section... but I watched three new movies, so I was perfectly content.
Upon arrival in Seattle, I thought about the "How to deal with reverse culture shock" email that we received a few weeks before our program was finished in Spain. The email contained suggestions for dealing wiht th ereverse culture shock that most people experience more when returning to the states after study abroad. I decided that like my study abroad experience, I needed to come back to the states with an open mind.
As I waited for the hotel shuttle bus to come pick me up, I noticed something immediately. There was a typical American family of seven who were staying the night in Seattle before leaving for a cruise in the morning. Each of the seven members of the family had 2 LARGE suitcases each. I stared down at my 1 piece of luggage that had been more than sufficient for 5 months, made some rude comments in my head, and then remembered that there was a time in my life when I took the same suitcase on a week-long spring break.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
All Good Things Must Come to an End
Five months ago tomorrow I was saying my goodbyes in the Boise Airport. I was second guessing my decision to study abroad. I was telling myself that there was no way that I would be able to survive away from the people I loved most. I remember the sadness I felt looking back one last time before I stepped through security. I remember trying my hardest to keep the tears from flowing as I waited for my flight. I remember the last texts that I sent and the calls that I made. Then there was the five hour wait in the Seattle Airport. I remember seeing the "USAC" baggage tags but being too afraid to talk to anyone. I was fighting back more tears. Making more calls. Thinking that I was making the biggest mistake of my life. But after all of that...I DID IT!
I can't believe that I will be leaving from London tomorrow afternoon to head back to the states. The past five months have been some of the best of my life--I will never, ever forget them! A couple of weeks ago I was reading my friend Morgen's blog and she was reflecting on the things that she learned while she was in Spain. Morgen couldn't have said it any better, it's like she crawled inside my head and stole my thoughts. With that being said, I am going to have to share with you her words...
"I've also spent a good deal of time reflecting on what I've learned over the past semester. A few weeks ago I would have made a list looking something like this:
In Spain I learned...
-Velazquez is the greatest portrait painter of all time
-Cafe con leche and coffee with milk are not the same thing
-The uses of the subjunctive
-Spanish gender roles
-Chocolate chips are a necessity
-Fluency in a foreign language
... and so on...
Now, after rereading my journal and looking back on the past few months I think what I really learned while abroad can be summed up differently. In Spain I learned the importance of family, made friends I will cherish forever, fell in love with Spanish culture, discovered my passions, became more open minded... When it is all said and done it is not the grammar, the literature, the Spanish movies or the art history lessons that account for the life-changing experience. Instead, it is the people I met, the discoveries of self, the long walks on the beach... these are the things that changed my life. I will never be the person I was when I stepped on the plane in January. This experience has made me a better person and I cannot thank the wonderful people I shared it with enough." -Morgen Sedlacek
My experience in Spain taught me so many important things about life. I am a happier person than I've ever been and that is because I now know what it is I want in life and I know exactly what I have to do to get there. I was able to experience something that I never thought I'd be able to survive and I ended up loving every minute of it! I would not trade anything in the world for the experience, the friendships, and the happiness that I gained while studying abroad. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I had and I will never forget it!
I love this video because I think that it shows the happiness that I experienced and the wonderful friends that I made!
I can't believe that I will be leaving from London tomorrow afternoon to head back to the states. The past five months have been some of the best of my life--I will never, ever forget them! A couple of weeks ago I was reading my friend Morgen's blog and she was reflecting on the things that she learned while she was in Spain. Morgen couldn't have said it any better, it's like she crawled inside my head and stole my thoughts. With that being said, I am going to have to share with you her words...
"I've also spent a good deal of time reflecting on what I've learned over the past semester. A few weeks ago I would have made a list looking something like this:
In Spain I learned...
-Velazquez is the greatest portrait painter of all time
-Cafe con leche and coffee with milk are not the same thing
-The uses of the subjunctive
-Spanish gender roles
-Chocolate chips are a necessity
-Fluency in a foreign language
... and so on...
Now, after rereading my journal and looking back on the past few months I think what I really learned while abroad can be summed up differently. In Spain I learned the importance of family, made friends I will cherish forever, fell in love with Spanish culture, discovered my passions, became more open minded... When it is all said and done it is not the grammar, the literature, the Spanish movies or the art history lessons that account for the life-changing experience. Instead, it is the people I met, the discoveries of self, the long walks on the beach... these are the things that changed my life. I will never be the person I was when I stepped on the plane in January. This experience has made me a better person and I cannot thank the wonderful people I shared it with enough." -Morgen Sedlacek
My experience in Spain taught me so many important things about life. I am a happier person than I've ever been and that is because I now know what it is I want in life and I know exactly what I have to do to get there. I was able to experience something that I never thought I'd be able to survive and I ended up loving every minute of it! I would not trade anything in the world for the experience, the friendships, and the happiness that I gained while studying abroad. I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I had and I will never forget it!
I love this video because I think that it shows the happiness that I experienced and the wonderful friends that I made!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Maddy and Wyatt
Did I ever mention that my niece and nephew are the cutest kids in the world?? I know that everyone thinks this about the kids in their family, but this isn't a biased opinion, they are truly adorable! Not only are they physically adorable, but they have personalities to go along with their adorable button noses.
A little of this and that.
I realized something today...American women tend to complain that they can never find a man and that men never compliment them, well that is because we have been trained to take compliments as being "hit on". I was at the market today in Sicily and one of the young market men looked at me and said, "you are so beautiful". Instead of taking his words as a compliment, I immediately gave him a slight look of digust and started laughing. It was my natural reaction to give him this look because of the culture that we live in--any stranger who says something like that to you must be a creep. I gave that fruit vendor a second glance and changed my view on compliments from strangers. That'll be the last dirty look I give a European man.
In other news--today I was watching New Moon and I saw the preview for a movie that has already come out in the states, Letters to Juliet. The movie looks so cute!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz43rtBUVA0
Tonight I'm making dinner. I found this recipe on one of the blogs that I read, this is the first time I'm making it--wish me luck!
In other news--today I was watching New Moon and I saw the preview for a movie that has already come out in the states, Letters to Juliet. The movie looks so cute!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz43rtBUVA0
Tonight I'm making dinner. I found this recipe on one of the blogs that I read, this is the first time I'm making it--wish me luck!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Stranger
I have never met this girl, but I hope to meet her one day. Her name in Jana and I'm obsessed with reading her blog. She loves to cook and then post her recipes, she loves to take photographs and then post her pictures, she is good at almost everything! I found her featured on another friend's blog last year and I haven't been able to stop reading it since.
http://janalaurene.com/blog/
One day we will meet and be friends.
http://janalaurene.com/blog/
One day we will meet and be friends.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
"Gouda please..."
Today I spent the day doing "kid things" with my niece and nephew, I forgot how much fun it is! Wyatt and I jumped on the trampoline this morning and I made up a game for us to play, we also made up songs to go along with our game. Did I mention that I want a trampoline when I get home??
I made cookies this afternoon as well, which was a first in over four months. I forgot how much I LOVE cooking!!
After Maddy got home from school we jumped on the trampoline some more and then we took their dog for a walk. Maddy and Wyatt were both on rollerblades, which was hysterical! We took a break after our walk and I taught Maddy cursive and Wyatt practiced his letters.
The kids requested a snack, "Aunt Carly, can we please have apples and cheese?" I started cutting up the apples and then I was pulled some cheese out of the drawer, my 4 year old nephew and 7 year old niece said to me at the same time, "um, we don't like that kind, can we please have gouda." I looked at them and starting laughing adn proceeded to tell them that they are "cheese snobs". I guess that is what happens when you are raised in Italy.
I made cookies this afternoon as well, which was a first in over four months. I forgot how much I LOVE cooking!!
After Maddy got home from school we jumped on the trampoline some more and then we took their dog for a walk. Maddy and Wyatt were both on rollerblades, which was hysterical! We took a break after our walk and I taught Maddy cursive and Wyatt practiced his letters.
The kids requested a snack, "Aunt Carly, can we please have apples and cheese?" I started cutting up the apples and then I was pulled some cheese out of the drawer, my 4 year old nephew and 7 year old niece said to me at the same time, "um, we don't like that kind, can we please have gouda." I looked at them and starting laughing adn proceeded to tell them that they are "cheese snobs". I guess that is what happens when you are raised in Italy.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Don't Go Breakin My Heart
I just spent an incredible 4 days in Prague....and fell in love! It was such an incredibly beautiful city. I told my dad in an email that "Prague stole my heart and I will move there some day", his response was, "you say that about every city you visit". This may be true, but Prague was my favorite European city! It was a great trip to get my mind off of having to leave Spain. I had a great time exploring the streets with my brother Justin and his friend. One of my best chicas, Sarah, just happened to be there 3 of the 4 days and was staying in our hostel. Dear Prague, I love you, please don't break my heart.
After my 4 splendid days in Prague, I headed to Budapest to visit my best friend Brittany. Budapest was a facinating city. The language was so interesting and it was really fun to see Britt interact in her city. I am so so happy that I got to spend time with before I came back to Sicily and she headed back to the states. Thank you Brittany for an incredible weekend, I miss you already!
So now I am back in Sicily and I will be here for less than 2 weeks before I head back to the states. I can't decide how I feel about that...
After my 4 splendid days in Prague, I headed to Budapest to visit my best friend Brittany. Budapest was a facinating city. The language was so interesting and it was really fun to see Britt interact in her city. I am so so happy that I got to spend time with before I came back to Sicily and she headed back to the states. Thank you Brittany for an incredible weekend, I miss you already!
So now I am back in Sicily and I will be here for less than 2 weeks before I head back to the states. I can't decide how I feel about that...
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
3 days...
It is crazy that a little over 4 months ago I made a post similar to this...only last time it was because I was leaving the U.S. to go to Spain. This time I have less than 3 days until I leave my new home. Friday is my last day in Spain and then I'm off to Sicily to visit my brother and his family for 3 weeks before I head back to the states. I am so sad to be leaving Spain! I never in my life imagined that I would grow to love this place as much as I have. The past four months have been the best of my life. I will miss everything about this place, especially my friends! I don't know what I'll do without them....
Monday, May 3, 2010
Spring Break [Adventure]
My spring break this year was incredible, crazy, a joke, amazing, unforgettable; the best spring break of my life! Without a doubt, I will NEVER ever forget my big adventure.
[April 1-3]
The first few days of my break were spent with my dad and Brittany. We strolled the Explanada, had an incredible lunch overlooking the Port, sipped wine with my host mother, feasted on tapas, and even played a little on the beach.
[April 3-6]
Brittany, Dad, and I were able to visit Barcelona for a few days. We hit most of the main attractions in the city; Sagrada Famila, Gruell Park, etc. as well as some great tapas bars and Irish pubs. We stayed in a great little apartment right off of Las Ramblas. Brittany and I spent our last day together on the beach, catching up on life. My dad was also able to have some alone time exploring the city...I'm sure he needed it after spending 5 days with us two girls.
[April 6-11]
After an incredible time in Barcelona, my dad and I headed for Sevilla (my favorite city in Spain). I loved showing him around the charming cobblestone streets. We toured the cathedral, strolled along the river, sampled the local cuisine, and even made friends with some lovely Spanish women. After a couple of days in Sevilla we took a bus to Granada. I also had a great time showing my dad around this beautiful city. I showed him all of the main points and was impressed with my memory of how to get around the city. After 5 wonderful days we took another bus back to Alicante so that we could recooperate before our big Italian adventure.
[April 12-15]
My dad and I flew into Pisa on the night of April 12th. We stayed at a hotel near the bus station and anxiously awaited the arrival of my brother Justin, his wife Nikki, their two kids--Maddy and Wyatt, and Nikki's two brothers. We experienced our first Italian pizza in Pisa, it was delicious! Justin and the family arrived early the next morning. I couldn't believe how big Maddy and Wyatt had gotten! We spent the morning walking around the city and were able to see the Leaning Tower. Shortly after we took a train to Cinque Terre. I'll give you just a brief explanation of Cinque Terre for those of you who don't know...it's Heaven on Earth. No not really, but definitely my favorite place in Italy. It's a combination of five quaint coastal cities; Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso that are tucked into the cliffs bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There are no cars allowed in these five coastal villages so you can imagine how clean the air was. The five towns are connected and are a day worth of hiking will take you through all five. We stayed at a great hostel in Manarola, where an adorable Italian man cooked us some incredible Italian food. We hiked from Manarola (the second town) to Vernazza (the fourth town) and stopped for lunch. By then Maddy and Wyatt were all hiked out so I finished the journey to the fifth town by myself and met everyone else who took a boat. The hike was incredible. There were so many times that I would just stop and look out over the sea, feeling like I was the luckiest girl in the world. We took a boat from the 5th town back to the first and then hiked to the second town that we were staying in. I absolutely loved Cinque Terre, thinking about my time there is bittersweet.
[April 15-17]
After an incredible adventure in Cinque Terre we headed by train to Florence. Thanks to Justin's amazing research skills, we stayed at another great hostel. I really enjoyed our time in Florence. Again, we did the normal tourist activities. Justin and I even went for a run through the city, which was incredible! We ate too much gelato and I tried water buffalo mozzarello cheese, the most amazing food ever made! The buildings and statues in Florence were beautiful. Nikki recommended that we climb "the tower" of the cathedral, the view from the top was literally breath-taking. We spent our almost all of our second day hypnotized by the unbelievable leather market.
[April 17-18]
The last day of our adventure was spent in Venice. It was such a cool city...I'm still facinated by the fact that the streets really are ALL water. We got a big surprise within the first 20 minutes of being in Venice, we met Rick Steves. Rick Steves is basically the master of travel. Long story short--my friends and I had been joking about the posibility of meeting Rick Steves when we heard he was going to be in Europe updating his travel guide...well I was the lucky one! haha My family was so excited! We got our picture taken, he signed guide books, and even complimented my dad's "Rick Steves" backpack. We saw a little of the main city and then took a boat to the famous glass island where we were given a private tour of a glass blowing facility. We spent the day wandering through all of the shops, looking for famous Venetian glass souvenirs. Our time in Venice was short and sweet. It was really expensive compared to all of the other places we'd visited and everyone was exhausted after so much traveling, so it was the perfect day to end the trip. We said our goodbyes and went our seperate ways. My dad and I took a train to Milan where we were supposed to fly out and back to Alicante...little did we know, our big adventure was only beginning.
[April 18-23]
To be continued....
[April 1-3]
The first few days of my break were spent with my dad and Brittany. We strolled the Explanada, had an incredible lunch overlooking the Port, sipped wine with my host mother, feasted on tapas, and even played a little on the beach.
[April 3-6]
Brittany, Dad, and I were able to visit Barcelona for a few days. We hit most of the main attractions in the city; Sagrada Famila, Gruell Park, etc. as well as some great tapas bars and Irish pubs. We stayed in a great little apartment right off of Las Ramblas. Brittany and I spent our last day together on the beach, catching up on life. My dad was also able to have some alone time exploring the city...I'm sure he needed it after spending 5 days with us two girls.
[April 6-11]
After an incredible time in Barcelona, my dad and I headed for Sevilla (my favorite city in Spain). I loved showing him around the charming cobblestone streets. We toured the cathedral, strolled along the river, sampled the local cuisine, and even made friends with some lovely Spanish women. After a couple of days in Sevilla we took a bus to Granada. I also had a great time showing my dad around this beautiful city. I showed him all of the main points and was impressed with my memory of how to get around the city. After 5 wonderful days we took another bus back to Alicante so that we could recooperate before our big Italian adventure.
[April 12-15]
My dad and I flew into Pisa on the night of April 12th. We stayed at a hotel near the bus station and anxiously awaited the arrival of my brother Justin, his wife Nikki, their two kids--Maddy and Wyatt, and Nikki's two brothers. We experienced our first Italian pizza in Pisa, it was delicious! Justin and the family arrived early the next morning. I couldn't believe how big Maddy and Wyatt had gotten! We spent the morning walking around the city and were able to see the Leaning Tower. Shortly after we took a train to Cinque Terre. I'll give you just a brief explanation of Cinque Terre for those of you who don't know...it's Heaven on Earth. No not really, but definitely my favorite place in Italy. It's a combination of five quaint coastal cities; Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso that are tucked into the cliffs bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There are no cars allowed in these five coastal villages so you can imagine how clean the air was. The five towns are connected and are a day worth of hiking will take you through all five. We stayed at a great hostel in Manarola, where an adorable Italian man cooked us some incredible Italian food. We hiked from Manarola (the second town) to Vernazza (the fourth town) and stopped for lunch. By then Maddy and Wyatt were all hiked out so I finished the journey to the fifth town by myself and met everyone else who took a boat. The hike was incredible. There were so many times that I would just stop and look out over the sea, feeling like I was the luckiest girl in the world. We took a boat from the 5th town back to the first and then hiked to the second town that we were staying in. I absolutely loved Cinque Terre, thinking about my time there is bittersweet.
[April 15-17]
After an incredible adventure in Cinque Terre we headed by train to Florence. Thanks to Justin's amazing research skills, we stayed at another great hostel. I really enjoyed our time in Florence. Again, we did the normal tourist activities. Justin and I even went for a run through the city, which was incredible! We ate too much gelato and I tried water buffalo mozzarello cheese, the most amazing food ever made! The buildings and statues in Florence were beautiful. Nikki recommended that we climb "the tower" of the cathedral, the view from the top was literally breath-taking. We spent our almost all of our second day hypnotized by the unbelievable leather market.
[April 17-18]
The last day of our adventure was spent in Venice. It was such a cool city...I'm still facinated by the fact that the streets really are ALL water. We got a big surprise within the first 20 minutes of being in Venice, we met Rick Steves. Rick Steves is basically the master of travel. Long story short--my friends and I had been joking about the posibility of meeting Rick Steves when we heard he was going to be in Europe updating his travel guide...well I was the lucky one! haha My family was so excited! We got our picture taken, he signed guide books, and even complimented my dad's "Rick Steves" backpack. We saw a little of the main city and then took a boat to the famous glass island where we were given a private tour of a glass blowing facility. We spent the day wandering through all of the shops, looking for famous Venetian glass souvenirs. Our time in Venice was short and sweet. It was really expensive compared to all of the other places we'd visited and everyone was exhausted after so much traveling, so it was the perfect day to end the trip. We said our goodbyes and went our seperate ways. My dad and I took a train to Milan where we were supposed to fly out and back to Alicante...little did we know, our big adventure was only beginning.
[April 18-23]
To be continued....
Sunday, May 2, 2010
V-I-D-E-O-S
As I have mentioned before, my friend Melissa is a master with the camera. Here are a few of the AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL videos from the semester.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qo9YNfB6fM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzvgefbwk6c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLuWjkbuiII
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qo9YNfB6fM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzvgefbwk6c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLuWjkbuiII
"that was a top night ladies, a top night!"
I love my friends! I think that we should be on the cover of every Spanish magazine, enough said.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Love Today
If you are ever having a bad day, just listen to some Mika. I start my morning off by turning up the volume on my Mika songs...I can't help but have a good day!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Sevilla and Granada take two..
After my amazing weekend in Barcelona, my dad and I headed to Sevilla for two days and are currently in Granada for two days. I have already been to both Sevilla and Granada but my dad really wanted to see both cities so I compromised ;) It is amazing how much a little sunshine and blooming orange trees can change a girl's mind about a city...Sevilla was so much fun the first time I visited but has easily become my favorite city in Spain. The weather was absolutely incredible! My dad and I visited the Plaza de Espana, the Cathedral, and the Park Maria Luisa. I was glad that I was able to take my dad to all of those places, he fell in love as well! We spent our mornings sight seeing and our afternoons strolling the cobble stone streets, along the river, and enjoying good food and wine.
Yesterday we arrived in Granada. We checked into our hotel and then I showed my dad a few of the spots I remembered from my first visit. Unfortunately we didn't make reservations to the Alhambra but we were able to get tickets to the Gardens. My dad really didn't miss out on seeing anything by not getting the full tour. The only thing we couldn't do was enter the main palaces. The gardens were beautiful and I think my dad was fully satisfied. After visting the Alhambra I took my dad to the opposite side of the city so we could look at a full view of the Palace. We found ourselves inside a tradition Spanish bar where my dad tried the blood sausage...I couldn't do it. My spring break has been incredible so far and it's only going to get better. We are headed back in the morning to Alicante for a day and a half and then it's off to Italy to visit my brother and his family for a week. I already miss Sevilla, I can still smell the sweet orange blossoms...
Yesterday we arrived in Granada. We checked into our hotel and then I showed my dad a few of the spots I remembered from my first visit. Unfortunately we didn't make reservations to the Alhambra but we were able to get tickets to the Gardens. My dad really didn't miss out on seeing anything by not getting the full tour. The only thing we couldn't do was enter the main palaces. The gardens were beautiful and I think my dad was fully satisfied. After visting the Alhambra I took my dad to the opposite side of the city so we could look at a full view of the Palace. We found ourselves inside a tradition Spanish bar where my dad tried the blood sausage...I couldn't do it. My spring break has been incredible so far and it's only going to get better. We are headed back in the morning to Alicante for a day and a half and then it's off to Italy to visit my brother and his family for a week. I already miss Sevilla, I can still smell the sweet orange blossoms...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Barcelona
I just had an amazing weekend/start to my spring break, in Barcelona with my dad and Brittany! It was so much fun to spend a few days with two of my favorite people! Barcelona was an incredible city, but not my favorite of the cities I've been to in Spain. I loved the contrast of the city and the beach, Britt and I were able to lay out on Monday and soak up some Spanish sun. We visited Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and Gruell Park...both were incredible! I think that Britt and my dad were tapa'd out by the time our weekend was over. It was such a treat to get to share my Spanish experience for a few days. I was sad that Brittany had to leave back to Budapest, but I am so happy that we were able to meet in Spain, who would have thought two Idaho girls on the beach in Barcelona :D
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
bi·zarre
bi·zarre
San Sebastian. There aren't words to describe the city that I truly fell in love with. My friend Melissa and I took an overnight bus ride (10 hours) to visit some of my friends from the Madrid tour. The city was nothing like I expected...I felt like every building was ornate, even the bridges had been thoughtfully designed. I loved the Basque influences throughout the city. Melissa studied last spring semester in San Sebastian so it was really nice to have someone who knew their way around the city. The weather was absolutely beautiful when we were there, which was a rare treat for the winter. I almost regretted not doing better research for my study abroad, San Sebastian would have been an amazing experience. Unfortunately I haven't downloaded any of my photos from the trip to San Sebastian so those will have to come later.
/bɪˈzɑr/ 
Toggle for Spelled">Show Spe
[bih-zahr]
markedly unusual in appearance, style, or general character and often involving incongruous or unexpected elements; outrageously or whimsically strange; odd: bizarre clothing; bizarre behavior.
It had been forever since I've been able to update my blog because my computer suddenly decided to die--my friend Melissa is in Barcelona for the weekend and kindly offered to let me borrow her computer, so finally an update about the last month of my life. As you can see I've incorporated the work "bizarre" in several ways...first there is my title, then the pronunciation, and finally a definition of the word. I chose this for a very specific reason, this morning I was enjoying a cup of cafe con leche with some of my friends and we were discussing the series of events that have been occurring, more specifically the events of Semana Santa (I'll fill you in later), and my friend Morgen pointed out that if she could describe the festivals/celebrations of Spain in one word it would be "bizarre". I thought about it for a moment and then realized that if I could use one word to describe Spain in general it would be "bizarre". There are so many outrageously or whimsically strange events that occur every day. Then Morgen suggested that I start a new blog and share one "bizarre" story that happens to me each day...so, within the next few days I will be posting a link to my new blog about my bizarre experiences in Spain.
I'm struggling as I sit here trying to think of the best way possible to sum up EVERYTHING that I have done in the past month...
Sevilla. Sarah, Sara, Morgen, Mike, and I flew with Ryanair to Sevilla the weekend of March 5th. I had my first hostel experience. When we arrived our room wasn't ready so we had to leave our stuff in a back room so that we could wander through the city. The city was absolutely beautiful, even with the rain. We went to the cathedral and climbed to the bell tower..the view from the top was really amazing. We also visited the Plaza de Espana, which was probably one of my favorite parts just because it was a beautiful structure. Sarah, Sara, and I cooked dinner in our hostel both nights which was a lot of fun! Overall it was a really great experience!
Toggle for Spelled">Show Spe
[bih-zahr]
markedly unusual in appearance, style, or general character and often involving incongruous or unexpected elements; outrageously or whimsically strange; odd: bizarre clothing; bizarre behavior.
It had been forever since I've been able to update my blog because my computer suddenly decided to die--my friend Melissa is in Barcelona for the weekend and kindly offered to let me borrow her computer, so finally an update about the last month of my life. As you can see I've incorporated the work "bizarre" in several ways...first there is my title, then the pronunciation, and finally a definition of the word. I chose this for a very specific reason, this morning I was enjoying a cup of cafe con leche with some of my friends and we were discussing the series of events that have been occurring, more specifically the events of Semana Santa (I'll fill you in later), and my friend Morgen pointed out that if she could describe the festivals/celebrations of Spain in one word it would be "bizarre". I thought about it for a moment and then realized that if I could use one word to describe Spain in general it would be "bizarre". There are so many outrageously or whimsically strange events that occur every day. Then Morgen suggested that I start a new blog and share one "bizarre" story that happens to me each day...so, within the next few days I will be posting a link to my new blog about my bizarre experiences in Spain.
I'm struggling as I sit here trying to think of the best way possible to sum up EVERYTHING that I have done in the past month...
Sevilla. Sarah, Sara, Morgen, Mike, and I flew with Ryanair to Sevilla the weekend of March 5th. I had my first hostel experience. When we arrived our room wasn't ready so we had to leave our stuff in a back room so that we could wander through the city. The city was absolutely beautiful, even with the rain. We went to the cathedral and climbed to the bell tower..the view from the top was really amazing. We also visited the Plaza de Espana, which was probably one of my favorite parts just because it was a beautiful structure. Sarah, Sara, and I cooked dinner in our hostel both nights which was a lot of fun! Overall it was a really great experience!
View from the bell tower of the Cathedral.
Entrance to the Cathedral
Another view of the Cathedral
San Sebastian. There aren't words to describe the city that I truly fell in love with. My friend Melissa and I took an overnight bus ride (10 hours) to visit some of my friends from the Madrid tour. The city was nothing like I expected...I felt like every building was ornate, even the bridges had been thoughtfully designed. I loved the Basque influences throughout the city. Melissa studied last spring semester in San Sebastian so it was really nice to have someone who knew their way around the city. The weather was absolutely beautiful when we were there, which was a rare treat for the winter. I almost regretted not doing better research for my study abroad, San Sebastian would have been an amazing experience. Unfortunately I haven't downloaded any of my photos from the trip to San Sebastian so those will have to come later.
The next trip in my series of weekend trips was Las Fallas in Valencia. Sarah, Melissa, and I took the train from Alicante to Valencia and spent the entire weekend there. First of all there were millions of people--the city was so crowded that it was impossible to navigate through certain parts. For those of you who aren't familiar with Fallas it is a festival that takes place each year in Valencia...artists spend an entire year designing and building paper mache sculptures and on the night, not to mention spend thousands of dollars, on the night of Las Fallas they burn all of the structures to the ground. The Fallas were truly incredible works of art, as an artist I would have been irritated and crushed to watch such an amazing creation be burnt to the ground in a matter of seconds. The weekend of Las Fallas was really exhausting but I'm really glad that I got to experience such a huge part of the Spanish culture.
[Pictures of Fallas to come]
Last weekend there was some sort of festival going on, it seems there is always a festival in Spain, and my friends and I ran into a Spanish rendition of Grease on the Explanada...I almost died of laughter because if was one of the funniest/strangest things I've ever seen. There was also some sort of pageant event in which girls were bawling because they had to give up their title as princess of the Explanada, fireworks, etc. it was a strange night.
Semana Santa, or better known as Holy Week, recently took place in Spain. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but Spain loves their holidays! There was a 5 hour parade every single night during Holy Week. My dad arrived on Wednesday so he was able to experience one of these lovely parades [can you sense the sarcasm?] The parades consisted of traditional Spanish dress, music, and large statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary...it was interesting to say the least. However, 6 nights of the same parade lasting well into the night, it got a little old.
As I mentioned earlier, my dad arrived Wednesday...the poor thing had a walk about 10 miles the first day he was in Alicante because I'm not familiar with the bus system here because I walk everywhere. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon touring around the city. Thursday my host mother made a delicious paella for lunch and I got to work on my Spanish translation skills. Brittany arrived late Thursday night and also had to great joy of experiencing the 5th parade that week in Alicante. My dad, Britt and I had a great day in Alicante on Friday and left early Saturday morning for Barcelona. I will post a separate posting with details from our weekend in Barcelona along with more pictures!
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