Entering food coma...

Operation: Thanksgiving Potluck - SUCCESS!

Everyone had a great time, there was more than enough food, and it's so great to just have a night to relax with friends. :)

I'm so thankful for all of you!

And ze bird is out of ze oven!

Checking on the bird...

Aaaaand, it's DONE!!!!!

This is the first time I've ever cooked a turkey with someone who also has little experience. The ultimate test will be taste. I can tell you all that it smells and looks good!

Nom nom nom nom

So close...2nd round of basting! It's looking really good. The whole dorm smells like Thanksgiving. :)

Mmmm...TURKEY!!!!

1st round of basting! It looks and smells so good!

Also, check out our take-over of the kitchen. This will be a feast fit for QUEENS!!!

Slapsgiving 2010

The bird is in the oven! Countdown to an amazing potluck with uber-cool people: 3-4 hours. So excited!!!!

The Bubble

We joke that Swelles has a lovely little bubble where we often forget that there is an outside world, and we can comfortably discuss intense topics (my dinner conversations regularly include religion, war, politics, etc.).

It also means that you tend to forget to communicate with said outside world. Or leave campus, but that's another story.

I just remembered that I actually do have a blog, and should maybe post every once in a while.

I'm also trying to pretend that I don't have a crazy amount of work due before Saturday. Despite such denial, the work will get done on time. It always does.

I want to go back to my dinner conversations. I have to say, I am really going to miss those when I graduate. It's not just the level of conversation (I could have the same level at home), but I'm going to miss sitting in the dining hall having hour long conversations while different friends come and go (and sometimes, come back again). I'm going to miss marathon weekend brunches and marathon dinners. This is what scares me about graduating - this lack of a community. I know my friends will still be around, but we'll be physically scattered around the world. We won't have a communal dinner time in the same space where we can run into each other at any time when hot food is served (or even when it's not served). This is what I love most about college, this is what I will cherish most about college, and this is what I'll miss the most.

Well, the cruel reality of research papers and midterms beckons me...

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

After 9 months, I am back at lovely ol' Swelles. It feels good to be back, and not all that weird. As soon as I got onto the property (well, actually, it was once I was off the highway), it just felt right to be back. It was like I was seeing the campus for the first time again, and my love for the school was renewed. I'm glad I took a semester abroad, but I'm also glad to be back.

One of the best things about being back is that a lot of my friends are back early, too. It's so great seeing people that I haven't seen since either last December or last May! I find this to be, quite possibly, the best part of going abroad. You get to come back and share stories with your friends and hear theirs. Also, everyone is just so excited to see one another again, and that's just wonderful!

I can also feel and smell fall in the air! It's glorious. After a long, hot, and humid summer, I embrace this cool crispness. Some of the trees have even started turning! I'm so glad to have a tree outside my room...I hope it turns all kinds of pretty fall colors!

And so, the end is near...

I just finished my last full week at my internship. I finish on Tuesday to allow ample time for packing up 8 months, 3 seasons, and 8 countries worth of stuff. It's funny that I gave Tuesday as my official day for that reason, and here it is, Sunday, and I'm mostly packed. Oh well - I guess that gives me time to do laundry and make some last minute tourist destinations (like the National Archives or the Air and Space Museum).

I can't believe it's almost time for me to go back to school. While I'm excited and want to go back, I am going to miss my internship. It has been a great summer. My internship was interesting, living on my own, and cooking for myself were all great learning opportunities.

Whoa-oh, we're halfway there

Wow, I can't believe it has been 5 weeks since I got to DC, which means that my internship is halfway over. It's strange to think that summer is almost over.

So far, I've been enjoying DC. I haven't gotten too attached since I'll only be here for 10 weeks, and I find that being incredibly homesick for both California and Swelles makes it difficult to want to establish any sort of home-like feelings for DC. So, on the one hand, I'm excited that I only have 5 weeks left - that means I only have a little over a month before I see all my friends again, which is really exciting. I'm also excited (and incredibly nervous) for senior year.

Getting Started

Today was my second day as an intern and wasn't too eventful. It's taking a little while to get everything all set up for me. I seem to have the computer that likes to have all the problems that need to get fixed as we discover them. For example, we discovered today that my default printer was to the Congressman's office printer (uh-oh), but luckily, it didn't actually print and we quickly fixed that problem. I think my computer should be all hooked up and ready to go - yay!

I've also done a couple of tours (well, I shadowed a seasoned fellow intern). It's not too bad (now), but I bet by the time summer ends, I'll be a little sick of them. The best/worst part is the movie at the beginning. Seeing it once is fine, but watching it over and over again (although, I can wait outside for the group, but sometimes, it's just easier to sit through the 15 minute video and stay with the group) makes you realize how over the top it is. I mean, it's not a bad film - it's a history of the Capitol and Congress and how important Congress is to the nation. Sometimes, the phrasing is a little overly dramatic, but that's to be expected (the goal is to show how great our Congress/government is). The thing is is that they combine the overly dramatic script with equally dramatic music (there's a choral piece, almost like a solemn hymn, playing when discussing the uncertainty of America's future on the brink of the Civil War). And, of course, they gloss over the uglier acts of Congress in our long history of ignoring things like Civil Rights (they recognize the Indian Removal Act and do focus on the changes of the post-Civil War Congress, which I suppose acknowledges that there weren't Civil Rights before such acts). Anyway, it really isn't too horrible of a film, but I've seen it two days in a row now, so I'm looking for little things to pick out. Other than that, the tour isn't so bad, and you get to meet some constituents (there's lots of "oh, I used to work in this city" and "Oh really? I live there.").

I also started on constituent mail. It's not the most glamorous job, but it's pretty interesting (and clues you in on what's going on in Congress/the nation/the world). The form letters (the letters that you send out when you get mass mailings of the exact same letter) are pretty easy to figure out, especially if there's a letter that has already been drafted or approved. I actually haven't gotten the chance to draft a new form letter, but I'm sure that day will come. It's just going to take some getting used to a new computer program (and you know how literate I am when it comes to computers, haha).

I have also discovered the awesomeness of receptions held after work hours on the Hill that offer free food in addition to discussions on selected topics open to staff (including interns, yay). I actually hit up 2 of them tonight and grabbed enough veggies, bread, cheese, and salami to keep me content (thank you, Spain, for teaching me how to live on a smaller dinner and a larger lunch). It's cool on the free food bit (which, come on, we all know gets people to come...all college students understand the free food rule) and on the topic bit. Some of these have really interesting topics and are probably really great places to network. Today, I met a guy who is the chair (I think) of the Texas Medical Association, and he chatted with us (me and the other interns) about life in general. It was pretty cool. Tomorrow, there's a NASA thing going on all day. Definitely going to hit that up.

We were talking about NASA in the office today, and I mentioned how the first time I went to Cape Canaveral (when I was, like 3), I saw a space shuttle take off. Granted, I was in the parking lot and not at the actual site, but I could still see it, and more importantly (and this is what I remember most), I could still feel the ground shake as it took off (which I found really cool). The second (and most recent) time I went there, they had an astronaut signing his autograph on his official NASA photo. I don't know how, but somehow, I managed to end up at Cape Canaveral on days when exciting things were going on. This makes me really excited to take Astronomy in the fall! (Ah, yes, you must love my asides and random trains of thought...since this is something of a journal for me, it's going to be a little random, and maybe not quite so put together. Bear with me.)

Well, that's about it in my glamorous life as a hilltern (as we are so "fondly" referred to on this one gossipy blog about the stupid things some interns do - mostly stories of interns flashing their ID badges thinking it'll make the world stop and revolve around them. News flash guys: we're pretty low on the totem pole. Get used to it. You have to work your way to the top).

Off to bed...my commute is about an hour walking and on the bus (no Metro stop nearby...thank you, residents of Georgetown for not supporting that), so that means early starts to the day (and finishes, haha).

Oh Crap! I'm Actually Supposed to be an Adult Now

As mentioned in the entry I just posted, I have a little bit of an emotional ping-pong going on. I think this is mostly brought on by the harsh reality that I am actually supposed to be an adult now. This is the first summer that I will be completely on my own - I'm not at home, I'm not away at Nana and Papa's, and I don't have a Wellesley-run program taking care of me. No, I am on my own. I am paying rent, utilities, and groceries like an adult and working 9-5 almost like one, too (I say almost because I'm still the unpaid college intern). It kind of fully hit me today, as I went grocery shopping for the week. Then, I convinced myself I was fine as I walked home (I was rather proud of myself for figuring out how to get back from Safeway without my written directions). Of course, Skyping with your family kinda makes you realize how much you miss them. There is definitely a part of me wondering why I decided not going home was a good plan (well, in terms of my resume and job prospects for next year, I suppose it is a good plan to be in D.C.), and the small child in me just wants to go home, curl up under the covers, and let Mommy and Daddy deal with and worry about the big stuff. On the other hand, the more practical side of me is saying that it is a good plan being on my own and it will help me after graduation and that I need to grow up and be an adult (however unappealing it may sound).

I'm pretty sure as soon as I start working, I'll feel better about being so far from home. I'll have a routine and be busy, which will cushion the blow of being so far from home for so long. I didn't really realize how hard it is to be away until I saw my family again. All in all, I have to say that this blog post was really mostly for me - a therapeutic way to just release my feelings and have it out there. I guess what it comes down to is that sometimes, I find it really hard to reconcile my desire to travel with my desire to be near my family.

Last Leg of the Heritage Tour

I am currently back in the US. I'm happy to be back, but sad to leave my family (and Europe), and now, I'm just a mess of emotions, but more on that emotional ping-pong later. On to happier subjects, like the last couple of days of the Heritage Tour.

Day 16 - Poland to Vienna - We left Poland a day earlier than planned as we had completed our task of genealogy research, and drove to Vienna. We made it through 4 countries in one day (all of them in the EU, so no passport stamps, lame). It was interesting to see the differences between Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria all in a day. I believe Hungary had a more Americanized/Westernized way of farming as opposed to the little individual farms owned in Poland and Slovakia. Then, of course, Austria is much more westernized than the other 3 countries and is on the Euro, which was another interesting comparison. We arrived in Vienna just in time to hit a deluge of rain and hail.

Day 17 - Vienna - Today, we saw the Schönbrunn palace in Vienna. It was very nice and interesting to see the old Austro-Hungarian map hanging in one of the rooms (which showed why it's so complicated in figuring out if my family is Polish, Austrian, or something else). I also had a giant pretzel (that I could barely finish) that was very soft and tasty! We also went to the Mozarthaus museum which is located in one of the apartments Mozart lived in during his time in Vienna. It was a pretty good museum if you stopped listening to the audio guide (which was rather long and overly-detailed and not wholly relevant to the room it was supposedly talking about).

Day 18 - Vienna - Today, we took a bus tour around the city. We didn't really do much since we were exhausted with ambitious plans to see entire cities in 1 or 2 days at the end of the tour.

Day 19 - Vienna to Rothenburg - Today, we packed up once again for Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. Along the way, we stopped near Füssen to see the Neuschwanstein Castle (which is famous for being the inspiration of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle) built (but never finished) by Ludwig II. The finished rooms are very interesting. Ludwig II built the castle as an homage to Richard Wagner. His bedroom has a Tristan and Isolde theme, one of the rooms leads to a false cave that is supposed to be grotto (based off of one of Wagner's works), and there's a large room that was supposed to serve as a staging place for operas. It is a beautiful castle and very Romantic sitting up on top of a hill surrounded by the fog rolling in. Afterwards, we finished the last leg of our journey, and headed to Rothenburg. Rothenburg has very strong preservation orders, which has led the town to remaining like a little slice of Medieval history. The tour book described it as a "Medieval theme park," which isn't completely inaccurate. I like it - it's charming and full of history.

Day 20 - Rothenburg to Frankfurt - Today, we wandered around Rothenburg looking in all of the cute little shops (and of course, stopping in the large Christmas store). My dad and I went to the Medieval Crime (criminal?) Museum which showed a bunch of instruments of torture as well as decrees and laws from the Medieval times. It was interesting and better than the one in Cordoba because it wasn't just instruments of torture, but also information about laws of the time. We also tried the local specialty - the schneeballen (snow-ball), which wasn't quite like I expected it to be. Afterwards, we headed to our last stop - Frankfurt.

Day 21 - Frankfurt to Washington, D.C. - This was another one of those bittersweet days. I was excited to return to the U.S. after 134 days of being in Europe, but I was sad to say goodbye to my family. Sometimes, I think it's harder to see people for a short period of time after a long time apart, and then have to say goodbye again. The flight wasn't so bad - I slept through most of it. And, so ends the Heritage Tour. Onto my internship!

Whirlwind Tour

It has been 2 weeks since I embarked on my Heritage Tour with my dad and grandma, and we've seen London, Paris, Sweden, Berlin, and are currently situated in Poland. So, to give you a (brief) summary of what has really been quite the whirlwind tour. Day 1 - May 28th: Day 15 - June 11 (for reference)

Day 1 - London: Despite having a cold (thank you, Spain for that lovely parting gift), I enjoyed London. We took a bus tour to see all the most important sights (the London Eye, Parliament/Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the bridge, etc.) and got off to go into the Tower of London, which was really awesome. I love Medieval and Renaissance history and such, so it was great to see such a vital part of British history from those time periods (I still think that the princes in the Bloody Tower were murdered...they didn't just "disappear").

Day 2 - London to Paris: We took the bullet train in the morning to Paris. To all my friends who are giant Harry Potter nerds, er, I mean, fans, I didn't leave from King's Cross. Bummer, I know. Going under the Channel wasn't too bad - I didn't really notice that we were in an underground tunnel. After a long, complicated, stressful trip from the train station to the hotel, we went to the Eiffel Tower. Now, the tower is cool and all, but I do see why Parisians found it offensive (?) at first. It is a rather ugly (in comparison to the rest of Paris) large metal thing with no real useful function sitting in the middle of the city. That being said, it provides an amazing view of Paris and the surrounding area. It's interesting that this tower was considered so offensive to Parisians once upon a time, and now, it's one of the most iconic pieces of Paris.

Day 3 - Versailles and Giverny: Versailles was quite possibly one of the best palaces I've seen in Europe (the Hall of Mirrors is rather impressive). It was also nice that I could take pictures since the palace isn't in use anymore (unlike El Palacio Real in Madrid and the Royal Palace in Sweden). The trip to Giverny and Monet's Garden was very nice (despite getting lost along the way...but, we managed to figure out the not so detailed maps that we had and go the right way). The countryside was absolutely gorgeous and made for a splendid drive. The garden was also breathtaking and it's not hard to see how Monet could have painted so many masterpieces using his garden. Upon returning to the city, my dad and I took a walk around just to see what there was. We ended up returning to the hotel at night, so I got to see Paris all lit up.

Day 4 - Paris: This was the day with A LOT of walking because we went to the Louvre, but before that, we headed to Notre Dame. Despite being a little worn out with cathedrals (do you have any idea how many there are in Spain?), I was excited to see Notre Dame (perhaps it had something to do with it's fame). It is a beautiful cathedral and I got to get my ARTH 100 geek on and tell my family all I could remember about Gothic architecture. After the cathedral, we hopped back on our "boat bus" that took us down the Seine to the Louvre. Oh, the Louvre. I knew it was big, but I didn't realize how big until I walked in it. I saw the Winged Victory of Samothrace (my favorite work of art from ARTH 100), Venus de Milo, and the Mona Lisa (Annie, definitely thought of you and your photo project), as well as other works of art...I spent a lot of time in the Egyptian section of the museum. I think I saw a handful of rooms on each floor of each section, which means my dad and I probably walked the entire length of the Louvre at least twice (if not 3 times). Needless to say, I was a bit exhausted at the end of the day.

Day 5 - Paris to Lund (via Copenhagen): This was pretty much a travel day. We flew from Paris to Copenhagen, where there was a scare at Charles DeGaulle. Someone had left their luggage unattended and the police were called in and the passengers relocated. It turned out to be all ok, and we proceeded to fly to Copenhagen without any more drama (although, the flight was a little bumpy, if I remember correctly). Sorry, Leslye, but we didn't stay too long in Copenhagen - only long enough to get our bags and catch the train to Sweden. Our hotel in Lund was actually like a studio apartment - a sleeping area, a kitchenette, and a bathroom. It was quite nice. We then had dinner with cousin (my 3rd cousin once removed) and his family, and he made us reindeer stew. It was very tasty. That's one new big game animal that I've tried! There was also a fabulous LOTR reference at dinner, a sure sign of the awesomeness in my family. :)

Day 6 - Lund: Today, we saw my great-great grandmother's birthplace in Torpa, Sweden. It's amazing that the house is still standing. Afterward, we wandered around the parish church's graveyard and found my great-great-great grandparents' tombstone (in the prime location right behind the church...wonder how they ended up there?). Then, we had tea and sweets with some more cousins, and my grandma got some more information for her family tree. I tried wild boar for dinner - game animal number 2.

Day 7 - Lund to Stockholm: Today, we flew to Stockholm, and then drove to Skinnskatteberg (the name comes from the fact that the area is full of sheep farmers and they are known for sheep skins or something like that). We stayed in a beyond adorable bed and breakfast with a wonderful old couple who ran it. There was a lake, a little porch/veranda (on which, I took a nap), trees, sheep, sheepdogs, and just plenty of beautiful sights.

Day 8 - Retracing Footsteps: Today, we retraced my great-great-grandfather's footsteps from his birth in Skinnskatteberg to the last known location in Österåker before heading to the USA (where he met my great-great-grandmother whose house we had seen a couple days earlier). It was amazing to think that he had followed the same road (more or less), except not in a car and during the winter. I don't know how they traveled from farm to farm in the winter, but somehow, they made it. We, then had dinner with more cousins, which was another fabulous event. I've found the Swedes to be generally nice, polite, friendly people, which only makes me more proud of my heritage. Everyone we met in Sweden (especially, in the little towns) chatted with us and answered all of our questions about the history of the places we were in. I would love to go back again and again and again!

Day 9 - Stockholm: Today, we toured the capital city. We saw the royal palace (and a bunch of its museums), the changing of the guard, and the Vasa Museum. The Vasa is a 17th century warship that sunk on its maiden voyage, but due to some wondrous biological processes, the ship didn't decay, and they pulled it out of the water intact in the late 1960s. Nowadays, you can see the ship in the museum, which is made of 95% of its original material. It's the only ship like that in the world - crazy, right? We also went to Old Town and did some souvenir shopping and got some Swedish food (I had elk...it was ok...really tender, but had a funky texture...large game animal number 3). Stockholm is a very lovely city - I wish I could have spent a little more time in the city, although I did thoroughly enjoy our days in the countryside!

Day 10 - Stockholm to Berlin: Alas, all good things must come to an end, and we packed up and left Stockholm. After some delays, we ended up in our hotel just outside of Berlin. It was in a very nice little town with a traditional German restaurant near the hotel.

Day 11 - Berlin: Today, we toured the city of Berlin. We went to see remnants of the wall and a museum about the Nazi-era, and later, the era of communism in Germany. I attempted, yet again, to climb the wall. This time, since it was at a more run down remnant, there were some bars to hold on to, but I still didn't make it very far up the wall, which I suppose, was the point of the wall in the first place. Then, we saw Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (didn't wait in the 1 hour line since my dad and I have been up there, and my grandma didn't have much interest in climbing the dome), Checkpoint Charlie, and Charlottenberg. It was a rather nice day and there was a lot of "we're in West Berlin. Oh, now we're in East Berlin." as we crossed over the double row of cobblestones marking the old outline of the wall (yes, we could feel the cobblestones as we drove over them).

Day 12 - Berlin to Poland: We left Berlin and drove pretty much all the way across Poland to the south-eastern area (our town is about 1 hour away from the Ukranian border). It was a long 11-hour drive, but the countryside provided for a beautiful view. It wasn't so bad until we hit the area where there had been flooding earlier in the week and the roads were being worked on. It's interesting to see how Poland's membership in the EU has led to some changes in the past 6 years. The roads are getting makeovers to be more up to date with the rest of European roads, so there is a lot of construction, which makes for a very interesting drive.

Day 13 - Przemyśl: Today, we went to a small town in southern Poland (10 km from the Ukrainian border - too bad we couldn't just pop over) to do some genealogy research. I had a small (if you can call it small) Hungarian potato pancake for dinner - there's a pancake (which is pretty thick) made of potato topped with a meat goulash sauce, cheese, and sour cream. It was very delicious even though I couldn't finish it!

Day 14 - Osobonica: We went to a village to do some more genealogy research. The priest was very nice and even made us have lunch (even though he already ate). We had chicken that had probably been alive a couple of days before we got there. It's so interesting being in the countryside, especially in Europe. So many people think Europe is completely like Paris, Madrid, or London, but especially in Eastern Europe, it's not like that and there's more countryside than cities (even the biggest towns would be considered small to Americans). In Osobonica, I saw people with old tractors, plows, and carts that were pulled by horses, and I even saw one pulled by a guy riding a bike attached to the cart. The animals also grazed pretty much wherever they wanted to - there were very little fences and the livestock just hung out in the pastures (some of them were even almost at the road). It was refreshing to see farming going on the way it was in the "old world" or "back in the day" instead of the agribusiness that we have in the US and just knowing that the animals here are probably only killed when meat is needed and it's done by hand, not by some factory. It makes me want to spend some actual time on a farm working the land. I feel like I would gain an appreciation for my food and home and just the Earth in general that I couldn't get any other way (K.Kelles, I feel like I'm channeling you right about now & Karena, I know you understand what I'm saying here).

Day 15 - Polish Countryside: Today, we drove around the Polish countryside looking for something to do, but weren't quite successful. At least it was a nice, relaxing, beautiful day. We did walk around Krosno, which is the biggest city/town in the area, and it's probably smaller than Cordoba. It was nice - I had some ice cream and the cones are shaped like cups, which made it a lot less messy to eat (always a plus when dealing with me)!

Well, that about wraps it up! Next stop - Vienna!

Sonrisas y Lagrimas

Title explanation: Sonrisas y Lagrimas is actually the name in Spanish for The Sound of Music, but it literally translates to "smiles and tears," which makes this appropriate for my reflection on the last week in Spain.


The entrance way to Feria. One of my favorite photos that I've taken.

So, our last week was filled with Feria and parties (por supuesto). We kicked off the last week with a party at Feria where we had arroz (paella), danced, and drank a variety of beverages (I'm sure lots of people chose alcohol...the extreme heat told me I should pick a more hydrating beverage). All in all, it was a fun day, despite the crazy heat.

A couple of days later, we had the Lluvia de las Estrellas - a talent show of the cultural courses (Sevillanas, Coro, and Guitarra) and a big party for the families, friends, professors, and students. That day was definitely a blast! It was a little bit bittersweet, especially knowing that the semester was at an end and we'd all be leaving for whatever adventures awaited us in the summer, but it was great way to top off the semester. Despite nearly falling (perhaps dancing in 3-inch stilettos should be saved for the likes of Ginger Rogers, but my black heels just looked better with the dress) on the second Sevillana, I would like to say our performance went rather well.

Then, we said "adios" to Cordoba, once and for all, and packed all of our suitcases on a bus to Madrid. There were tears (none shed by me, though...perhaps it's my calm, collected, stoic Asian-ness?), smiles, and promises to visit one another. It was a nice (long) bus ride up to Madrid (even with the hail), and there was a rather lively game of "Never Have I Ever" going on the in the back of the bus that turned into "Somebody come up with something that Sarah has done" since 3 people got out before I even put one finger down (haha!).

I would like to return to Cordoba someday, preferably for Feria or Patios or some sort of fiesta, but before it gets above 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fiesta Time!

As I have mentioned before, Spain is well-known for going out all the time and it often seems that they party more than they work. Well, there is a very good explanation for this (which I have just learned). Spain is mainly an import country, so they don't really export a lot of goods, which means their economy is much more dependent of tourism and the general population going out all the time. It's actually better for Spain's economy for people to be out shopping, eating, drinking, etc. instead of working all the time. It all makes sense, now!

Anyway, May in Spain (especially in Andalucía and Córdoba) feels like even more of a party month. In Córdoba, the first weekend of May was Cruces de Mayo. Basically, there were a bunch of crosses around the city decorated with flowers surrounded by people getting drunk. It was an ok festival...a huge crowd of people standing around outside doing nothing but getting drunk isn't exactly what I had in mind (I expected music and dancing in addition to the druken crowd).

In the second week or so, there's the Patio contest, which my host house is a part of...and should have won, but the weird rules led to them not getting anything. I didn't quite understand when my host mother told us in a rapid frustrated manner, but I know that it's a sore subject, and refuse to ask clarification. I got the basic jist - they were robbed of first place, despite a handful of judges thinking that they deserved it. I, personally, only found one other patio to be as guay as ours, and that was our next door neighbor's patio.

After the patios, we went to a Romería. How do I describe Romería? Well, there's a religious aspect (every Romería has a specific saint and every pueblo [little country town] has a Romería) in which there's a parade that follows a float (of sorts) with a statue of the saint from a church in the center of town to a church in the middle of the town. Basically, it was a giant party where people ate paella (a really bad one that tasted like it had fake fish flavor instead of real fish flavor), drank, and danced Sevillanas. Anyone catch a pattern here - festivals with religious meanings, but everyone just gets drunk. Actually, Romería was a lot of fun, since there was more to do than just drink, and I got to dance a lot of Sevillanas. The 4-mile pilgrimage was also very beautiful as we were walking through the olive fields.

After that, there was a blues festival, which was a lot of fun. Over three days, there was a series of free (always a plus) outdoor concerts. It was a lot of fun getting together with everyone to watch the concerts and celebrate the end of classes and finals.

This past weekend, I went to Cádiz (not a traditional Spanish festival, but an AWESOME day, nonetheless). Cádiz was gorgeous, and despite the wind that blew sand at us all day, it was a fabulous day. I'm so glad I was able to go to the beach and that I went with a great group of people.

Now, we have Fería, which is a huge county faire. It makes me want to eat something fried and/or sugary that isn't particularly good for you (like fried dough or a funnel cake).

El Fin (Almost)

As classes come to an end, I've been thinking about my time here in Spain. We only have a little more than 2 weeks in Spain, and all of the Preshquitas/os are well aware of this fact. Every time someone asks if I'm excited or ready to go home, I have a conflicted response.

Honestly, I have been ready to go home for a little while. Yes, Spain is great, but it's not home. I feel like this homesickness has been brought on by the sobering reality that I am going to graduate from college next year, that I won't be back home (California) until Thanksgiving, and that someday, I will be referring to my parent's house as just that and not as my home because I will have my own place that I call home (and pay the bills for...this last one dawned on me as I took care of my summer housing and had to sign a lease for the first time).

At the same time, I don't want to leave Spain because there are so many things I love about it (like, how going out to eat or get a coffee is a 3 hour affair where you relax and enjoy the company of friends and family or that the workday is really split into the morning and the evening, and you spend the afternoon relaxing at home with the family).

I think, I am a lot more excited for the end of May because I'm going to embark on what I'm calling the "Heritage Tour" in which I will be visiting Northern Europe with my dad and grandma. I call it the "Heritage Tour" because we will be heading to countries where our ancestors hail from (and anyone who knows me very well knows that I really love being part Swedish...going to Sweden has been a dream of mine for a while, now...I hope I get to see the fjords [*hint hint* Dad *hint hint*].

I think the fact that I'm a) not leaving Europe right away at the end of the program and b) the end of the program means I get to see a couple of family members makes me answer "yes" to the questions about being ready to go home/excited for the end. Besides, we're staying for the fun stuff, and then it gets into June, which means ridiculous summer heat (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit pretty much all the time...ew). So, yes, I am looking forward to the end. Studying abroad in Spain has been an amazing and wonderful opportunity and chapter in my life, but I am ready to move on to the next chapters, which include the "heritage tour," a summer internship, and senior year of college.

Ay! Que calor!

It is definitely springtime here. Actually, it feels more like summer. It's quite glorious - 77 degrees Fahrenheit at 9:30 PM? Perfection. It's actually not quite so perfect when the sun is actually out. I don't know what the temperature actually is during mid-day, but I'm going to assume that it's somewhere in the 80s (maybe 90s) and it will only get hotter as we head into May. I now understand why there is a siesta where you relax in your house for a couple of hours. It's to avoid the heat. I do have to say that I prefer the sun and it's rays full of Vitamin D (as well as other not so beneficial things) to the rain and the cold.

I apologize for not updating in a while - there really hasn't been much to report on. We went to Granada and saw the Alhambra (which I remember learning about in high school and was super excited to go there). Actually, funny story - the bus arrived an hour late to take us to Granada, so our tickets that we had reserved were given to other people (since the tickets have a specific time). Somehow, through some connections that PRESHCO staff have, we managed to get almost enough tickets to tour the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a Moorish palace, and it's gorgeous. I have discovered that I prefer Islamic art to Christian art. The cathedrals that we've been to all look the same - Gothic architecture with Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, and Neo-Classical art decorating the inside. The Islamic art is also very similar in all of the places that we go to, but since it's ornate in a less-gaudy kind of way (because, let's face it, the cathedrals have a touch of gaudiness to them), it's a lot nicer to look at.

Also, in Granada, we learned that "Al" is Arabic for "the" and all of the Spanish words with "al" at the beginning are derived from Arabic. This is also why Spanish and Portuguese sound so different from other Romance languages (like Italian and French) - because of the Islamic rule in the Middle Ages and the Arabic influence on the language. I was really excited when I discovered why French and Italian are more similar to each other than to Spanish.

I have also been watching a lot of television here (a byproduct of not having a lot of schoolwork to do since everything is lecture based & we aren't responsible for hundreds of pages of reading a week). It's actually probably a good thing, since everything (well, mostly) is dubbed in Spanish, so it's another way for me to be exposed to the language instead of watching programs in English or listening to music in English. I have found that cartoons (dibujos animados) are easier to watch since the mouths don't really look too different with the dubbing, and have been watching a lot of Bob Esponja (Spongebob Squarepants). From Bob Esponja, I have learned some valuable vocabulary words, like "cangrejo" (crab), "calamardo" (Squid[ward]), "aranita" (Sandy), "fondo de bikini" (Bikini Bottom), and more. I have also discovered that Dora la Exploradora is just as annoying in Spanish as she is in English - I watched about half of an episode before deciding that I couldn't take it anymore.

Yes, so that's about it. Nothing too terribly exciting, but the May festivals are going to be starting soon (including the patio contest, so there will be tons of tourists coming to our patio & I may have to prove to tourists that I do indeed live in this house and am not trying to cut the line). Hasta luego, amigos!

Veni, Vidi, Vici

So, I'm back from Rome (I've been back for a little over a week) and settling back in to classes. Tomorrow, we head to Granada (Pomegranate) with the group.

Coming back to Córdoba was rather interesting...we had an early-ish flight out of Pisa on Tuesday morning and decided it would be best to leave Rome in the evening and spend the night in the Pisa airport. Well, it turns out that the Pisa airport COMPLETELY shuts down between the time of the last arrival and 4 AM. So, from 1 AM to 4 AM, we had to hang out outside of the airport. It turned out to be a lot of fun, despite the cold (we dug into our bags and fished out the clean clothes we had left...I even threw my towel on top of my head, and then put my hood up to create a makeshift scarf/hat). Needless to say, I was exhausted when I came back, and ended up sleeping for 16 hours (after staying up for, more or less, 30 hours). It was an amazing trip! So much fun! :D

Volcano Day!

Ok, so to update you on what I did on Saturday and today.

Saturday, March 27: We toured pretty much all of Rome and the Vatican. I SAW THE SISTINE CHAPEL! It was so cool to stand underneath Michelangelo's frescoes! We also saw the Spanish steps (and I went on about Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, and Roman Holiday), the Trevi Fountain (I threw a coin in and made a wish), the Pantheon (it was way too crowded to get in, but I caught a glimpse and got to be the nerd I am and explain everything to my friends that I learned about the Pantheon in Art History last semester - be proud, Annie), and the outside of the Colosseum (we arrived too late to go in - that's our plan for tomorrow). We also finally had gelato! YUM!

At night, we had to stay out in Rome all night because the first train to Naples was before the hostel's shuttle started running. The reception told us there'd be a bar to go nearby the train station. There really wasn't. We ended up finding a chill place with comfy couches and waited there until the train station opened up.

Sunday, March 28th: Our longest day by far. It was crazy! We got on the train at quarter to six this morning and got some sleep on the 3 hour train to Naples. After that, we grabbed breakfast (an espresso based drink included) and headed to Pompeii. I have been wanting to see Pompeii since I was in 6th grade, so it was so awesome to go! I recommend a guided tour so that you can actually understand what's going on. Plus, the tour isn't too expensive and the guides are really good (and the groups are about 6-8 people, so you can actually ask questions and pay attention). I really loved Pompeii! I also couldn't help but think of the Doctor Who episode, haha!

After Pompeii, we went back to Naples to get PIZZA! We wanted to go to the original restaurant, but it was closed. At 4 in the afternoon. After walking all day (on little sleep and food), we were a little upset. We finally found a place that was open and probably a whole lot cheaper than Pizzeria Brandi. Besides, anywhere you go in Naples, the pizza is going to be great! The dough was different - a little spongier/stretchier (I can't quite explain it), but it was great. Plus, they used buffalo mozzarella and had a great balance of sauce, bread, cheese, and toppings. All in all, I love pizza from Naples, but I don't care for the city itself. The city is a little dirty and kinda sketchy and doesn't really have a lot of attractions. Although, making a stop on the way back to Rome from Pompeii for pizza is a MUST! By far, the best pizza I have ever purchased (and you know what? I've never actually purchased a Chicago pizza nor homemade pizza, so Naples can definitely receive that title). I'm still partial to Chicago and homemade pizza, but Naples is truly fantastic. I'm so torn.

Well, we finish up our tour of Italy with some more sightseeing in Rome tomorrow and leave from Pisa early Tuesday morning. I'm pretty sure we'll see some Semana Santa events in Spain, so I'll have to fill you all in on that later.

Ciao!

Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy

Ok, so I'm taking advantage of the free internet at the "Rome" hostel (it's actually about half an hour away) and Ke$ha comes on with "Tik Tok" and we all stop and sing the opening, hence the title of the post.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm in Italy now. We flew into Pisa yesterday and stayed in a fabulous little hotel (it was way cheaper than the cheapest motel in the states and the quality of a 3 star hotel or so). It was quite an adventure getting there. The first bus driver directed us to the wrong bus and the second bus driver kicked us out in the middle of freaking nowhere near Pisa. Luckily, there was an open cafe with a super nice owner who not only called us a cab, but waited 10 minutes on hold. It was really frustrating, especially since no one spoke English or even Spanish, but we survived.

This morning, we went to the tower. I refused to pay the 15€ to climb up the stairs since it seemed rather unnecessary to pay that much money to climb up a bunch of stairs. I did take the touristy picture holding up the tower, though! :)

We meant to go to Florence, but fell behind schedule, and ended up just taking a train to Rome this afternoon (thank goodness, because we didn't get into Rome until 7:45, and didn't get to the hostel (after taking the Metro) until, maybe 9 PM). Sorry, statue of David, but I'll have to come back to Italy to see you.

So, moving on to Rome. We got into the train station and ended up having to take the metro out to the suburbs (which, are supposed to be like the inner-city). The metro was a little sketch, but we found the hostel, and it's actually not so bad. Plus, we ran into another girl from our program, and some other cool people on the way. I also had pizza in Italy for the first time. The crust was thin like Chicago pizza (further proving Chicago pizza's awesomeness). It was quite delicious.

I feel like I had a K.Kelles moment today. I felt very accomplished in successfully navigating the metro of a foreign city (and in a country where I don't speak the language). I don't know why I thought of K.Kelles, but I think perhaps the phrasing I thought in my head was something similar to her phrasing.

Ok, well, there's my epic adventure of attempting to navigate public transit in Italy (one succes story and one not so successful story). Stay tuned for my adventures in Rome (including the Vatican), Pompeii (I feel like we picked Pompeii over Florence, sorry Annie), and Napels!

Aula de Informatica

I´m taking advantage of my Universidad de Cordoba e-mail account and using the computer room to surf the web (without the interruption of my finicky computer). The Spanish keyboard is slightly different from the American keyboard, especially since there is an extra key for the ñ right where the semi-colon key should be. Anyway, moving on.

Last Friday, I went to Sevilla with the group. It was nice - not my favorite. The weather was beautiful, so that was a bonus. We saw another cathedral and just chilled in the city. I did enjoy going to the Plaza de España. A bunch of cities have mosaics in the plaza. We definitely went to the Cordoba one to take pictures.

Ok, off to the other computer to print off my boarding pass for ITALY!!!!! Tomorrow, I leave from Sevilla to Pisa. I will update you all on my Semana Santa vacations after Easter!

Que pasa, calabasa?

So, I just realized that it has been almost a month since I last posted. Oops. For those of you who don't know, I've been having some computer issues, and thus have not been posting much (in fact, this is my second attempt at posting this one). Anyway, I'm hoping to get better at updating my blog.

I finally have a class schedule (we didn't do final registration until March 3rd - talk about being different than Wellesley). With the program, I'm taking a class on image, gender, and sexuality in contemporary Spanish cinema (AKA, watching a lot of Almodovar films), a class on the history of Islam (with special attention to Andalucia), a comparative politics course on the political institutions of Spain and the United States. As a part of the program, I have to take at least one course of "direct matriculation" into the University of Cordoba. For that course, I am taking a course at the Facultad de Derecho (which I guess would be the school of laws/rights) on the Spanish constitution. I don't have class on Fridays, which is fabulous (although, I get really confused during the weekend because I'm not used to having 3 days).

This past month has mostly been me settling in, picking my courses, and finally having a regular schedule (of course, I didn't get this regular schedule until all of my friends in the states were heading into mid-terms, haha).

I've also started taking Sevillanas, which is a lot of fun. I can't wait to dance it at Feria in May! I've also been taking the cooking courses when they're offered. The classes aren't quite what I thought - a lot more watching than actual doing. I'd prefer to learn how to cook by doing. Oh well, at least I have recipes for a lot of Spanish food (and we go to a restaurant after class to try everything that we learned how to cook in class, so I guess I can't complain if they want to feed me).

I have also been watching A TON of TV in Spanish (American movies and TV series, Bob Esponja [Spongebob Squarepants], etc.). I actually watch a lot of American series here that I don't watch at home because it's difficult for me to watch my favorite series (I keep wanting to hear the original actors' voices). I did watch The Sound of Music the other day - that was pretty great. In the song, "Do-Re-Mi," my favorite Spanish line was "Fa es lejos en ingles" (Fa is "far" in English).

Yes, so, that's about all. I'm going to Sevilla next week, and Italy the week after (I'm going to Rome and Pisa for spring break & I'm going to be in Spain for part of Holy Week. I'm really excited!). We also have a trip planned to Granada in April and there are a ton of festivals coming up in May. I can't believe I've already been in Spain for 1.5 months and I've been in Cordoba for a little over a month (and only have about 2.5 months left)!

Hasta luego!

Pictures!

Here are some photos, as promised.

Ávila:


Salamanca (La Plaza Mayor at night):


Segovia:


- The Aqueduct (totally knew it - thank you ARTH100! --> the Romans loved the arches)


- El Alcázar:


Madrid (El Palacio Real):


Toledo:


Barcelona:


Córdoba:


I'll probably post some more later or work on making a slideshow...

¡Estoy en Córdoba (finalmente)!

I'm here! Yay! I'm living with a family near the university. I have a host mom and a host dad. They have 2 adult daughters who live with their families in the apartment-like houses upstairs. They all share a patio and everyone is always coming in and out of the other houses.

Apparently, central heating & air conditioning is a new thing to either Spain or the smaller cities, like Córdoba. Because of this, houses have been built to keep things cool during the summer, which also means it's quite cool in the house during the winter. This also means that it's pretty chilly in my bedroom. I can't wait for the weather to warm up. In the meantime, we have the kitchen and family room tables! Why am I so excited about the tables? Well, there is a heater under each table, and a blanket (held in place by a piece of stone or wood that serves as the actual table surface) covering the table. So, we sit around the tables with the blankets over our laps to catch the warmth from the heaters! It's a really nice system and I especially enjoy it in the morning & on days like today when it's cold and rainy (and my socks are wet).

And, as promised, I'm going to talk about food with the host family. Breakfast is usually a little something with coffee or hot chocolate. They drink whole milk, so I usually put the Nesquick chocolate powder or instant coffee into it. Lunch and dinner vary from day to day (in terms of what is served - the hours are pretty standard), and there's usually a salad of sorts at one or both of the meals. There is always fruit in the house! We usually have an apple or orange or banana (or a combination of the three) after meals. We also always have bread! It's kind of like heaven - all I need is a bunch of cheese. Today, at lunch, we had oranges in oil (olive, I believe) with some sugar and ate it with bread (in addition to a stew like dish that I can't remember the name of -- I can't really remember any of the names of the food we eat, but it's all SO GOOD!). I think the orange dish my new favorite food. I mean, it doesn't get much better than fruit and bread (well, I could use some cheese! I LOVE CHEESE!). Well, moving on...

I've also noted a couple more cultural differences that are very interesting. It's superstition in Spain that you get sick from walking around barefoot on the cold floors. Our program director warned us of this superstition, and I thought that walking around in socks would suffice, but alas, it did not. My host mom asked if I had house shoes, but of course, I forgot my slippers at home. She quickly found a spare pair for me to borrow while I'm here.

Also, I meant to mention this before, but we went over some stereotypes that Spaniards have of various ethnic groups. I don't think anyone in the group has encountered racism here, but there are stereotypes. Apparently, all Asians are Chinos (or Chinese) and they're the people who have all of the counterfeit goods.

One more thing: THEY USE "VOSOTROS " (2nd person plural familiar) HERE! To all of the Spanish teachers that I had in high school, remember when you said, "Don't bother learning the "vosotros" because they only use that in Spain"? Well, I'm in Spain now, and I don't know it. I can recognize when people are using it, but I'm not able to conjugate verbs into the "vosotros." I think it's common in the United States for Spanish teachers to skip "vosotros" and vocabulary words that are only used in Spain, and that kind of sucks for their students that go on to study in Spain. I guess it makes more sense to focus on the stuff that all Spanish speaking people use, but it would be nice if they at least taught us "vosotros."

Well, that's all for now.

Somos diferentes - Parte 2

I forgot two of the most important cultural differences- the greeting and their stereotypes of urban vs. suburban!

When you meet someone new, you give them a kiss on each cheek in addition to shaking hands and all that. I realized how formal, and dare I say, stiff we are when it comes to greeting people in the United States while talking to this guy in Barcelona. He asked the group of us how we greet people in the United States, and we told him that the first time, all we do is shake hands. With our friends, we'll shake hands, maybe give a quick nod (you know, the "hey, what's up?" nod), and sometimes, hug them (depending on how close we are), but we'd never do more than a handshake with strangers. He exclaimed something along the lines of, "How cold!" and I realized that it is indeed rather cold. In Spain, the greeting is a lot more warm and friendly. Despite the fact that greeting people in Spain requires getting a lot more into the personal space of a stranger, I haven't found it weird to transition into at all. It makes things feel a lot less formal, and I think it loosens people up a little bit. Plus, it kind of feels like everyone is family or close friends upon their first greeting, and I really like that. So, look out guys, I may come back to the states ready to kiss everyone on their cheeks!

Ok, on to the urban and suburban stereotypes. In Spain, the stereotypes concerning the inner-city and the suburbs are the complete opposite of American stereotypes. So, in Spain, the closer you are to actually living in the city, the better off you are. The richest neighborhoods are actually in the city and are close to the center. The poorer neighborhoods are in the suburbs. It is interesting to see this flip.

Somos diferentes

I just wanted to take a moment and highlight some of the cultural differences that I've noticed this first week in Spain.

The most obvious is the daily schedule. Spaniards are on the extreme Western end of their time zone, which means that the sun rises and sets at later times, plus they often add on extra hours, so that people can utilize as many hours in the daylight as possible. Because of this, Spaniards are known to do things 2 hours later than everyone else. To use a tour guide's example: A German will wake up at 6, a Spaniard at 8. A German eats dinner at 7, the Spaniard at 9. It is definitely something that has taken a little while to get used to, especially the late huge lunch. Instead of eating around noon, the Spanish eat around 2, and lunch is the most important meal of the day. The usual eating schedule looks like this: breakfast at 8ish, a mid-morning merienda (a very small snack - maybe a very small sandwich and a cup of coffee), lunch around 2, another merienda around 5 or 6, and dinner around 8 or 9. It's taken me a while to get used to this, but I do enjoy the later larger lunch and the smaller breakfast. I've never been a big fan of breakfast, and the Spanish breakfast is often some sort of thinly sliced meat (usually a sausage or ham), a bread, and fruit with coffee, water, and/or juice. It's nice and balanced. I like it. (There has also been an abundance of cheese at the hotels' continental breakfasts, which makes me happy!) Lunch is fabulous. When you go out, you get the daily meal - an appetizer, a main course, a dessert, and a drink all for about 10 Euro. I haven't had lunch with a family yet, but I'll let you know what it's like when I do.

Another cultural difference is the custom of tipping. In the U.S., we tip for EVERYTHING, and we are taught to tip generously. In Spain, you don't really tip people. In fact, prices at restaurants include the service charge (or what we would leave as a tip). It is sometimes considered an insult to leave large sums on the table, but if you are satisfied with a meal you can choose to leave a small 5% tip (if you want). The custom is usually to round up and leave some spare change. Other industries are taking up the restaurant industry's practices in regards to service charges. So, while things here may seem like they have a higher price, if you think about the inclusion of service charges, it's really not that much more expensive. It's also nice not to have to worry about tipping because there are often debates over how much to leave.

This may not be a cultural thing, but in hotels, you use your key card to use the electricity. Without your key, you can't turn on the lights or use the outlets to charge your electronics. It makes for a much more efficient use of energy because you can still turn off the lights while in the room, but once you leave, the lights will turn off automatically. The environmentalist in me definitely fell in love with this idea (and also made me think of a certain E-Stud major). I think American hotels could learn a thing or two from this system.

Oh, and churros y chocolate! It's a little merienda, and I'm pretty sure people usually have it in between lunch and dinner. Anyway, it's hot chocolate (which is, as I said before, basically melted chocolate served hot) and churros. You dip the churros into the hot chocolate, and it's, in a word, perfection. I really love the food here - a lot of meat and seafood and fruit. Can't beat that with a stick!

The Rain in Spain (a bit lengthy)

So, I know I promised pictures, but the internet is really slow here in Madrid (well, at least in the hotel). Maybe it'll be better in Barcelona. Well, it's been a while, and a lot has happened in the past couple of days. We've been so busy that I can't believe this is only the 6th day that I've been in Spain - it feels like it's been a lot longer.

The second day in Salamanca (2/5) we had a guided tour of the city and saw some cathedrals and went to the Plaza Mayor. Later, a bunch of us went out, and found a bar near the Plaza. That day happened to be Women's Day in Salamanca. There were a bunch of old ladies dressed up in traditional clothes walking around asking men (and only men) for donations. It was quite a sight and quite fabulous.

Saturday (2/6), we drove to Madrid, with a stop in Segovia to see El Alcazar, an old palace. I climbed the 150 (?) stairs in the spiral staircase to the top of the tower. I was definitely afraid of slipping on the stairs. Later, we stopped to see El Escorial, which was a monastery (I believe).

Sunday (2/7), we took a tour around Madrid and saw El Palacio Real, which was the old palace. The last king to live there was the current king's (Juan Carlos I) grandfather. They still use the palace for official ceremonies, but it's now a museum on a daily basis. The U.S. Ambassador to Spain was taking a tour while we were there and my group happened to be in the throne room at the same time he was. Our program director introduced the group and the Ambassador said "hi" to us. It was pretty cool. After the palace, we drove around Madrid, taking a panoramic tour of the city. Later, a group of us went to the Prado Museum during its free hours. I saw Velasquez's Las Meninas, a bunch of Goya's work (including Saturn Devouring His Child, the 2nd of May, and the 3rd of May), Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, and I think I saw some Rubens (but I'm not sure...I was pretty tired by the time I got to that area). Anyway, it was so cool to see all of these famous works that I've studied in various classes in person. After dinner, I had planned to go watch the Superbowl, but it started at 12:30 AM here, so I went with a group to a jazz bar. It was lovely. The live band was fantastic!

Yesterday (2/8), we took a day trip to Toledo (that's Toh-lay-doh, not Toh-lee-doh). Again, we saw a bunch of churches/religious buildings. It's getting difficult to remember all of the different churches, especially since the vast majority of them are Gothic structures with Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-Classic decorations inside. Well, it was rainy and cold yesterday, and I was feeling a little homesick, so yesterday was not that great of a day. I was also exhausted and ended up sleeping from about 5 pm to 1 am (oops), but that didn't stop me from sleeping a full night's sleep later. I think I've finally caught up on all of the sleep I've missed (here's hoping...).

Tomorrow, we head out to Barcelona for a couple of days. I'm really excited!

¡Hola España!

Well, I made it! I am in Spain and I am exhausted (a hazard of a transatlantic flight). The flights were pretty uneventful - we had a lot of turbulence, but it wasn't too bad. We landed in Madrid a little early (HUZZAH!) and got all the luggage stuff squared away and headed out to our first stop on the Orientation tour - Salamanca (with a pit stop in Ávila).

The scenery was beautiful on the way to Salamanca (pictures to come - I'm low on battery and without a charger).

As I mentioned above, we took a lunch/merienda break in Ávila - this fabulous city that still has a very medieval look to it (complete with a stone wall surrounding the perimeter). I think I have found my dream city to live in. We didn't spend too much time there, so I'm basing this all off of looks, but it looks like a charming place to be.

After our lunch, we continued on our way to Salamanca. We arrived in the late afternoon and we're staying in this wonderful hotel. It's gorgeous - again, pictures to come. After settling in, my roommates and I walked around the city, just walking down any street that looked promising. Salamanca has this wonderful old world charm to it, but at the same time, there are very modern (and very American) chain stores occupying these old style buildings. It is interesting to see this mix of old and new.

There are also quite a few churches (our hotel is across the street from this beautiful cathedral - I believe it's in some sort of Gothic style), which are all gorgeous. I think they, as well as other historic landmarks, give this city the traditional vibe that it has despite the chain stores.

After wandering around, we decided to do what all people in my generation do, get on the internet! The gorgeous fancy shmancy hotel charges a daily fee for use of the internet, so we decided to head to a little cafe/bar and take advantage of their WiFi and chocolate clásico (or hot chocolate). Let me tell you something, this is not just ordinary hot chocolate the way we Americans think of it (thank you, Swiss Miss). No, this is basically chocolate melted down and served hot...well, at least that's what it tastes like. I have no idea if there is any liquid in it or not. It is quite possibly the best hot chocolate I have ever had (although, I do love Mexican Hot Chocolate, which is a brick of chocolate melted down and served hot). It was so rich and delicious. It might also prove the perfect pick me up to get me to last to a decent hour so I can adjust to Spanish time!

All in all, I am loving it here! The one complaint I have is that Europeans (and Spaniards) LOVE to smoke. It's commonplace here to smoke inside almost any establishment. So far, it's the only thing I don't like about Spain.

Well, my battery is quite low now, and this post is quite long, so I will sign off. I promise that once we get to free WiFi in the hotel rooms, I will post some pictures!

Operation Packing: Success!

I have about 7 hours until I embark on my flight to Spain. I just finished packing my checked luggage. I weighed my large suitcase, and (drumroll, please....)

IT WAS 50 LBS.!!!!!!!!! No surprises in store for me at the airport tomorrow, unlike last time (see previous entry entitled "Home"...).

Anyway, now that the stress of packing is (almost) over, it's sinking in that I am indeed leaving the country tomorrow, and I won't be back for 4 months! It's very exciting and also very nerve-wracking, but mostly, EXCITING!

Next time I update, it'll be from SPAIN!

¡Hasta luego!

Nerves...

Ever since I decided to study abroad in Spain, I've been on a roller coaster ride of emotions, usually ranging somewhere between anxious-excited and anxious-nervous. Of course, I'm really excited to study abroad, especially in southern Spain. Ever since we learned about El Cid, la Alhambra, and la Mezquita in high school, I've wanted to visit the region. At the same time, I'm nervous that my speaking skills won't be good enough and that my nerves and tendency to be embarrassed speaking a different language to native speakers will hinder me in increasing my fluency. I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that I don't know how to say "speak slower" in Spanish. I can say "habla más rápido," but that's asking people to speak faster, not slower. All these years of Spanish, and the word for "slower" has never been burned into my mind. You'd think I would be able to remember it as it would be handy in trying to overcome language and accent barriers. After further musing on this matter, I thought of it as either a really good thing or a really bad thing. Obviously, it is a bad thing because native speakers speak Spanish faster than I can process it, so I should be able to ask them to slow down. On the other hand, I have to listen carefully and try and get over my fears of making mistakes. I can't rely on the crutch of asking people to speak slower if I can't remember the word. So, maybe it'll be a benefit. I don't know. I'll let you know in about a month.

Thanks for listening to/reading my ramblings.

¡Hasta luego!