The Journey Home.

So getting back to Oregon was a 3 day process. When we originally planned it, it wasn't going to be too bad. We would have a few nights in hostels in between traveling, and getting to the US wouldn't be too stressful. However, I had my mom try to cancel my flight from Oviedo to Madrid about a month ago so that I could just fly out of Madrid to go home. Since she bought all 3 flights home together, they wouldn't let her just cancel the first leg. Therefore, I had to go back to Oviedo after Greece. Booo.

Emily and I divided our journey into stages. Mine was a bit longer, and there were 9 stages total. We parted ways after stage 5. Here's the schedule:

1. Ferry from Mykonos to Athens (6 hours)
2. Metro to Athens Airport (2.5 hours)
3. Athens Airport (9 hours)
4. Flight from Athens to Madrid (3.5 hours)
5. Madrid Hostel (10 hours)
6. Bus to Oviedo (6 hours)
7. Flight back to Madrid (1.15 hours)
8. Flight to Dallas (11 hours)
9. Flight to Portland (4 hours)

So if you read the last post, you read about stages 1-4. Stage 5 wasn't bad. The hostel was fine, and we immediately showered and took naps. I thought we were in a room of all girls, but turns out it was co-ed and we were with 6 guys. And let me tell you, these guys all looked like models. In fact, Emily and I walked in to check in and saw a bunch of attractive men sitting around, and just gave each other a look saying "OMG what have we stumbled upon?!". They were tall (which is VERY rare for Spain), and half were American and half were Spanish. All the guys in our room were Spanish, and although I didn't talk to them too much, one of them kept smiling at Em haha. I had to leave around 10pm for my bus, leaving Em alone with them. Here's to hoping she made some friends! Haha :) I went to the bus station of the airport and got there about an hour early. I saw the bus that was supposed to leave before mine for Oviedo, so I asked the bus driver if that was where I was supposed to wait and he told me yes. So I waited. Buses came and went, and I sat there for an hour. My bus was supposed to leave at 11:59pm and was a "Supra" bus, one of the upgraded ones. At 11:55 it wasn't there, so I asked another bus driver about it. His bus was labeled as going to Asturias and Galicia (Oviedo is in Asturias). He looked at the schedule, looked at my ticket, looked at the schedule again, then told me there was no bus. IM SORRY, WHAT?!?! He said it doesn't exist, but I should go to the info desk and ask. He gave me 5 minutes, and the info desk was on the opposite end of the airport, so I ran. I hate being that person, absolutely hate it. But I had no time (despite being there an hour early) and was panicking, so I ran. I asked the lady and she said "Well you have a ticket so it has to exist. Let me stamp your ticket to make it official". Thank you, lady, because you stamping my ticket is going to make my bus appear.... I ran back, the guy looked at it and said that there was still no bus (no, duhhh) and told me to get on his bus. I tried to ask what was going on and he just told me to get on. So I did. He said he would drop me off at the station (I asked which station and he didn't answer...) and so I sat in the front and kept on high alert for something to happen. He just went to the Madrid Station, said Oviedo is number 32, so I went to 32 and got on. It was a Supra bus, so that was promising. I still don't know how my bus was waiting there (my ticket definitely said the airport) or even if that was my bus. But I got on and just prayed that I would end up in Oviedo. Lucky for me I did, although it was about 30 minutes late. I ran to Marisa's house and grabbed my things, leaving a note so I didn't wake her. Then I ran back to the station and got on the next bus to the airport. From there, the rest of the way home was pretty easy. However, on the Madrid to Dallas flight there was a group of about 20 middle schoolers, and when I heard them mention Oaks Park I knew they would be on my next flight as well.... Little did I know I would be sitting next to 2 of them... Oh well, I got home and was greeted by my parents and Mike, holding a lovely sign! After getting my bags, I was welcomed by my dogs waiting in the car haha.


Adjusting to life in Oregon has been a bit rough. I am so glad to be surrounded by my lovely family, but I really miss the Spanish lifestyle. I woke up Friday morning feeling like it was all a dream, and that scares me. I miss all my friends from Spain so much already. I have some great friends here, and I owe my littles and big so much for being so awesome! Spain really taught me a lot, it taught me how to deal with the unknown, how to accept people from all sorts of backgrounds, how to be independent, a new language, and how to cope with just about anything. I learned who my real friends are, and although some positively surprised me and some let me down, I have realized how blessed I am with great people in my life. I love Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, and I am so lucky to live where I live. I miss Europe and Spain greatly, but all I can say is..

Until next time, España :)

Greece!

So I definitely cried. When I had to leave Madrid it became real that I was leaving Europe for real this time. And then I had to say goodbye to my last friend still there with me and I lost it haha. I hope you made it home safely Em, and everyone was surprised!

Anyways... GREECE!

Em and I successfully got ourselves to Athens, and we were quite proud. However, upon walking off of the plane, we realized Greek is impossible to read or understand. How they make words out of all those symbols is still a mystery to me. Plus the whole language just sounds like a baby babbling. So good for them for being able to decipher the code and understand each other haha. On the bright side, nearly everyone in Greece speaks really good English. It is required in the schools there, and they must make people take English classes for many years, cause I was amazed at how well most of the Greeks could speak to us. I wanted to see the Acropolis, even though we only had a night in Athens. We bought metro tickets quickly, expertly asked a guy which one to take, then got off at the Acropolis exactly 30 minutes before it closed. The lady asked for our student IDs and we both gave her our Uni Ovi ones, and since it said we were students from Spain she let us in free; A lot of the museums in Europe give free or reduced admission to citizens of the EU. So we kinda manipulated the system, but oh well. We quickly took pics and climbed to the top, where there was an awesome view of Athens! Afterwards, we were super sweaty and gross, so we went to the hostel and showered. For dinner we went to a restaurant across the street that was good. Food in Greece is a lot cheaper than in Spain, so that was a definitely plus. Also, water is rarely more than like 50 cents, which was awesome! The weather was so nice, hot during the days and just cool enough to wear a dress at night. Such a nice change from Oviedo! The next day we took a ferry to Mykonos (6 hours) and then checked in and tanned on our hotel balcony. We went into town and had a traditional Greek dinner, then passed out from pure exhaustion! The rest of Mykonos mostly consisted of laying on the beach, drinking on our balcony, dinners out, and avoiding our stalkers. We also managed to teach ourselves how to open beer bottles with just about zero resources haha. We went swimming both days at the beach and it was absolutely gorgeous! The water is so clear and turquoise that even when you are 20 feet deep you can still see the pebbles perfectly on the bottom. It was absolutely unreal! On the way back we ran into a girl from Portland, and she even happened to be a Chi O at Oregon. She was a bit older and had graduated and had a steady job, and had just been with friends traveling Europe. We hung out with her on the ferry, then parted ways and Em and I got more Gyros for dinner (soo good!). We had all night to kill since we were planning on spending the night at the airport, so we took our time getting on the metro. We eventually got on, missed our stop, so rode it all the way to the end of the line, through all of Athens, only to find out that it wouldn't be going back (the man told us it was "going to sleep" haha) and we had to switch trains. It was around 11 and we were the only people there, so that was a bit scary. But it all turned out fine, we ended up burning up about 2.5 hours, and eventually made it to the airport. Sleeping in the airport was a terrible experience, in fact, I didn't sleep at all. It mostly consisted of me sitting there VERY bored and VERY tired. Eventually we got on the plane and everything was fine!

Leaving Europe

I think I may cry. Ill update later with our stories from Greece, but right now I'm having a mild panic attack. I'm leaving for oviedo in a couple hours. And once I get on that bus its one thing after the other until I get home. No more nights in Athens or Madrid. I'm actually leaving. And I want to cry.

I'm excited to go home, but I really don't want to leave Europe. Even leaving Spain is bearable, although I love it so much. However, as soon as I cross the ocean there's no coming back, no more quick flights to new countries and more adventures. Emily and I joked the other day about how all of our friends are slowly leaving, and how it feels like once they cross the Atlantic, they die out of our world. Kinda gruesome, but really true. Its unreal that I cant just call Laura and Chloe up anymore to go out. I know life doesn't stop, but the US just isn't in the same world. And most people who have spent good amounts of time in Europe would agree with me, I think.

I have the same feeling right now that I had coming here. I'm avoiding saying goodbye to Emily. I want to cry cause I'm scared of how life will have changed at home without me there, and because I don't know when ill be back here. It's scary. Especially since life always goes on whether you're there or not. And Ive got a huge ball of anxiety in the bottom of my stomach right now... I know everything will work out, but realizing that this is it, this is the end of the end, makes me want to vomit haha.

Airports

I love airports. I love the excitement of flying. I love the anticipation. The nerves. The emotions. I love watching the goodbyes and the exuberant hellos. I love the adventure in a person's eyes as they pass you. I love the countless amount of languages spoken. I love the culture sharing. I love the seasoned flyers and the nervous mom with the newborn child. I love the sports teams of young kids, excited to compete. I love the extravagent outfits. I love watching memories being made. I love airports, because to me they represent adventure, freedom, and risk.

See you soon Greece :)

Hasta Luego, Oviedo.

Today has been a bit rough. It still doesn't feel like I'm leaving tonight. I think I may be in denial.

This morning I slept in, then went on a walk. I took pictures, admired this beautiful city, and ended up sitting down on a bench to listen to the street trumpet player and to think. I love that people play music on the streets here, it gives the big city a small town feel. I sat on that bench for about 30 minutes, just taking in my surroundings and trying to convince myself that I'm actually leaving. It was exactly what I needed. Afterwards, I headed down to the elementary school to volunteer one last time. The kids all drew me pictures and then sung songs to me. These pictures are easily the best thing I will be taking home with me. In the end, Lourdes asked them to raise their hands if they had anything they wanted to tell me. Nearly every single student raised their hand and told me I was the best teacher in the world, that they'd miss me, that I helped them a lot, or that they love me. I almost started crying right then and there, but anyone that knows me well knows that I'm not a huge crier. Next, Lourdes and the other teachers gave us all a portfolio of the drawings, a certificate, and a pen from the school. It was absolutely lovely. Afterwards I went to AHA to say goodbye, and we had sidra and cake. Saying goodbye to Carmen, Silvia, and Reme was hard. I will really miss you guys!

This evening, Marisa took me to Valor for chocolate and churros. It was a great way to end my time here, since that is how I began it as well. Afterwards, we came home and Marisa told me she had some things for me. She gave me an Asturian flag, for which I am so grateful. It will be hanging proudly in my apartment next year, and for many years to come. She also gave me a beautiful necklace from a boutique here, and an absolutely gorgeous mug from Zara. It is pink with a flower, and it is definitely now my favorite mug. Every time I use it I will think of you, Marisa. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all you have done for me, and I could not have asked for a better host mom :)

I cannot believe I'm leaving Spain. It has become my second home, and it is seriously is unreal that I am leaving. But it is never goodbye, simply hasta luego :)

I'm off to say goodbye to my friends, then to Greece with Em! Wish us luck, and I will be back in the US in a week!

:)

Adios escuela

DONE WITH FINALS!!!

probably the most I've ever studied for finals in my life, and I'm doneeeee until September. It feels so nice. However, now I have nothing to distract me from the inevitable... 2 days til I leave :(

Mushy Gushyy.

I've learned so much from living in Spain. Being in a different country really makes you re-examine yourself and your way of life. I've learned that being an over-productive American isn't the only way to live. I've learned that family belongs above all else. I've learned to carry an umbrella if it's raining. I've grown so much as a person, and I think it's a shame that not everyone that can takes an opportunity like this! It's scary as hell, don't get me wrong. I came to Spain literally knowing no one. But I met some of my best friends, saw some of the most beautiful places in the world, and truly loved life. These past 5 months have been the best months of my life, and I am sad to end it. But not everything can last forever, and I am super excited to come home and see my family, friends, puppies, and be in the land of Taco Bell, street signs, and English speakers!

Laura:

Girl, I love you. You are pretty much my twin as far as any detail of our personal lives haha. I am so glad I was always paired up with you, cause if I was paired up with someone weird and Marisa always asked, "Oh, is _____ going too?" and I had to lie about being friends with them, it'd be a bit awkward. You are so outgoing and funny, and I feel like we can always relate to each other. So many long talks at McDonald's, Western City, and on our walks to go get shwasted haha. I've told you things I've never told anyone else, and I know you're the same way. I cannot wait for you to come to Oregon next year, and Chloe and I will for sure show you a good time! I'm also serious about the road trip, it just may be a few years. I love that you are so passionate about everything, and I love that you are always willing to travel. No matter what, you will always be welcome in Oregon, and I feel like even a year from now it'll be like nothing ever changed :)

Chloe:

Chloe, you are probably one of the most hilarious people I've ever met haha. I remember when we hiked El Cristo and went to the donut shop, and Em turned to me and goes "I never realized Chloe was so funny" hahaha. You are so laid back that sometimes people don't see that other side, but I'm so glad I got to experience it the last 5 months! There have been multiple times you have had me dying of laughter, and sometimes you just do the most unexpected things. Your obsession with your hair being straight, your legs being too skinny, washing off your sunburn, and cats are probably the most ridiculous things I've ever heard, but I'm so glad you have crazy obsessions for us to make fun of haha. Also, the fact that you asked David for a curve killed me hahahaha. I'm so glad I met you, and you're welcome to sleep on my couch anytime :)

Megan:

You are one of the nicest people I know girl! You never have a bad word to say about anyone, and it is so refreshing to spend a day with you, even if you make me feel like a terrible person sometimes cause you're such an angel :) hehe. I love our shopping days and our Fro-Yo obsession, and those were some of my favorite days in Spain. Whenever I need to take a break from the world or de-stress, you are the perfect person to hang out with. I love that you are always willing to take adventures and explore, and I will miss you dearly chica! But like I told Laura, the roadtrip will be happening!

                                       

Emily:

Oh Em! I don't know what I would have done without you this semester girl! I absolutely adore our Monday coffee dates in the cafe and I will miss them dearly. You are seriously such a blessing chica :) I love that you are obsessed with family, and that you will always put your loved ones before anything else. You are always taking care of everyone, and you are such a gem. You deserve the best, and I hope everything in New York works the way you want it to :) I cannot wait for Greece, and I am excited just to sit on the beach together sipping our cocktails and flirting with those Greek men ;)

                                               


Rio, Victoria, Jessica, Yessica, Kristin, Roberto, Nacho, Lilly, Angela, Goksu, and everyone else:

Thank you for being here and being my friends :) You all had an impact on my time here, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of people! I hope you all make it home safely (minus Roberto and Nacho haha), and continue to keep in touch!



I love you all to the moon and back, and I'm so glad Spain brought us together and we got to share this wonderful opportunity!

1 week

til I pack up my things and leave for Greece!

I am sad to be leaving Oviedo, but the hatred of studying for finals all week has made the concept of leaving a kind of joyous idea. I know that as soon as finals are over and it really hits me, I will be a mess and probably have my own little sobfest. However, right now I just want to be home cuddling with my puppies rather than studying for hours every night to pass my raging 6 finals.

I took 2 finals today, and I think they went fine. I never truly know whether I did good or bad here though, as Spain has an odd way of grading and sometimes I feel like the teachers just pull a grade out of their butt. Here's to hoping though, as I feel good about the tests today. Also, one of said tests was for David's class, and I am officially done with it! THANK GOD. It was a pain in the ass most of the semester, and his "no sympathy" policy was really starting to make the 3 of us who took it kind of bitter. So I'm beyond excited that it's over-I came home after the exam and stuffed my notes from his class into my suitcase so that I wouldn't have to look at them anymore haha.

One other thing our school does which I find ridiculous is having classes during finals. And not just during finals, after finals are over as well. I'm talking about how we take the final this week, and still have class scheduled until next Friday. Can anyone please tell me what the sense in having class after the final test is? It's actually quite annoying, and although about half of our teachers canceled class after their exams, there are a few sticklers who refuse (Silvia...). I have 3 exams Monday and 1 Tuesday, then I am 100% done having to pay attention and know stuff. And if Silvia is going to make us come to class after that, I am going to come with a bottle of wine in tow. Sorry Silv, but there's a taste of your own medicine for ya.

If only I had this hat. I can't even imagine what Silv's face would look like, but I'm sure it'd be priceless hahahaha

Día de la Madre

This past weekend we had Mother's Day-Spanish style. On Saturday Megan and I went shopping and then studied, and the entire day I kept telling her that I HAVE to buy flowers before I go home, cause the stores are all closed on Sundays. It was a great shopping day with tons of Mother's Day sales (aww yeahhh!), but before we knew it stores were closing and I had to run into a Chino that was closing and beg him to let me buy some flowers! I took the first ones he gave me, and although it wasn't the most gorgeous plant I've ever seen, I brought it home to Marisa and she seemed pleased, so mission accomplished! That night she asked what I was doing the next day and offered to take me to Llanes with her and Lucia. Needless to say, I was totally down.

Sunday we all got ready and left right around 11:30, which is actually quite impressive for all of us. We walked to Lucia's car, which I had never even seen before. Lucia drove, which was an interesting experience, let me tell you. Lucia drives like a maniac. She likes to go fast, and Marisa likes to yell at her about it. It was hilarious, and we got to Llanes pretty quickly! We drove right up to their family vacation home, which is adorable. It is the typical old "pueblo" type home you imagine. It's townhouse style, and all stone and rustic.

We hung out for a bit and opened up the windows, then Marisa drove us up to the beach. More fighting about the driving commenced. The beach was absolutely stunning! I could not believe how clear the water was, and how blue! Lucia proudly told me that Llanes and the surrounding areas have 31 different little beaches, mostly because the shoreline is jagged and the rocks separate each little beach. Next we drove into town, stopping along the way to take pictures at a cool little cemetery on the lake. We drove into Llanes, they showed me around, we ate some tapas and drank some sidra. After taking a million more pictures, we had coffee with the mother of Marisa's other daughter's husband, Diego. Virginia and Diego moved to Chile in the fall, and we were delivering a gift to his mom. We also sat and looked at pictures of the little granddaughter, Ines, for a while, of course. Afterwards we went back to the house, where Lucia and I sat in the sun until Marisa was done cleaning up. Then back to Oviedo, during which time I proceeded to take a nap in the back of the car (what's new?).

It was a wonderful day, and I was really glad that Marisa invited me! It was fun getting to spend the day with her and see their favorite place. Their family spends the summers in Llanes, and I have to say I'm a bit jealous! It is an absolutely adorable place, and is probably my favorite place in Asturias. Lucia yelled at Marisa a lot all day, which is just kind of the way their relationship works. But it made me thankful that my mom and I get along so well, and I am so sad that I have to miss Mother's Day this coming weekend in the US. To mom and Nina, I hope you guys have an amazing weekend with the families! Take lots of pictures, catch lots of fish, and remember that I wish I could be at the lake with you!

2 Weeks From Today...

I will be on my way to Greece with Em! And 3 weeks from today I will be on a plane back to the US. Wow, how the time has flown!

I have accepted that leaving is inevitable. Now that my denial is gone, I am actually looking forward to going home and seeing my family, my puppies, my friends, and eating some good old American food! I have things I need to do at home, and I need to get ready for summer and next year! However, I still don't want to leave Spain, so it is definitely bittersweet. I also have SO MUCH to do in these next 2 weeks! I have 6 finals and 3 papers before I'm done with school, plus I have to find time to do all the things that I want to do before I leave! These 2 weeks are going to fly, and I'm excited and sad at the same time.

Speaking of things I want to check off the list, Lucia told me of a few beach towns that she loves at dinner the other day. She told me I have to go, so I made it my goal to at least hit up one of them before I leave. I've been to Gijon and Salinas a few times, but I wanted to see as much as I can! Yesterday was a holiday, so Carmen invited us over to her house in Salinas again. When we got there we were talking and I mentioned that I wanted to go to Cudillero, Luarca, or Luanco before I left, and all of a sudden Carmen asked if we wanted to go right then and there. OF COURSE!!! Megan, Kristin, and I all got very excited and hopped in the car! Carmen drove us to Cudillero and let us explore a bit, although it was a really rainy and cold day. It is a cute little tourist town, and I bet on a sunny day it would be absolutely beautiful! Then she said Luarca was only 37 km more, so she said we could go if we wanted. We drove there and went to a beautiful cemetery, then walked down to where we could see the city. It  was cute as well, but I liked Cudillero better. I have pictures, but since I broke my camera during Semana Santa (oops) I have to use my phone, and sending them has been a problem lately. I'll add them to the last few posts once the internet decides to cooperate with me! Anyways, I think Salinas is my favorite beach town to date! I am so jealous that Carmen lives there, as it is absolutely gorgeous and a cutesy little beach community. Carmen made us chili that was amazing and very welcomed on such a cold day. After feasting, we harassed the cat (Luna) for a bit and then watched Love Actually, during which I took a short nap in the middle haha. It was a great day to hang out together at home, like raging Americans, and watch movies! Thank you once again Carmen!

This weekend I have to study A LOT! I have 2 finals on Thursday, then 3 on the following Monday, and 1 the day after that. And I need good grades on these tests if I don't want my GPA to drop. Pray for me to do well!

I got the pictures uploaded! Here are some of them:

Cudillero

Cudillero

Cudillero

Cudillero

Cudillero

Luarca

Story of the city, Luarca

Ouch.

I got in a fight with the water pitcher last night. It won....

Yesterday was interesting, to say the least haha. It started with a lovely day with Carmen and a visiting professor from UO, Luis. Luis is very nice, and I enjoyed getting to talk to him about study abroad programs, language programs, and university politics haha. We road the bus into Gijon together, where we met Carmen. Carmen drove us around and showed us some things I had never seen before! Being 21, the only thing I had ever done in Gijon was go to the beach, naturally. Carmen took us to the old Roman baths, and then to the university and the ethnographic museum. All of the things we saw were really interesting, and it was really cool to actually take in some of the culture besides topless oldies and guys in speedos on the beach. We went to lunch at an italian restaurant that was really good, and I got fettuccine with cheese sauce, of course :) It was a great day, and at the end Luis and I rode the bus back together, then went our separate ways.

Last night, Rio and I decided to go out together. Rio is fun to go with out with, cause she is always down to do whatever! I love all my friends here, but when I'm in the mood to rage hard, Rio's my girl! We bought a fifth of cheap vodka (I'm going to miss only paying 5 euros for a fifth...) and some coke, and walked over to the plaza by the cathedral where everyone drinks outside. Supposedly you aren't supposed to drink outdoors, but Spaniards seem to consider that more of a guideline. Therefore, Fridays and Saturdays this plaza is usually packed with twenty-something year olds and half full bottles of hard A. We sat there for a while and people watched, saying hi to those we know. A beggar set up a band next to us, so after drinking a bit of our concoctions we danced and sang. Or I danced and sang..oops. We took a walk, looking for this one club I like that I can never find. We walked up and down all the streets and I came to the conclusion that it must have moved, which seemed like a logical explanation. We went to seek out another club we like, Green. This one we successfully found! We stood outside to finish our cokes, and the guys outside made friends with us. They didn't speak English, so we taught them some crucial words while we finished our drinks. Then we went inside, but after chugging the 2nd half Rio wasn't feeling too good. Needless to say, we ended up leaving soon afterwards and walking home. Rio lives the opposite way of me, but she was a mess so I walked her my direction. We were going to go get Doner Kebab (only place open past 12), but of course we took the wrong way. I started to worry about Rio, so I put her in a taxi and forced her address out of her. After making my way home, I decided I was going to go get water, but the water container fell out of my hand and smashed all over the floor. It was awful. It was also 4:30am and I was trying to be quiet. Oops. There was glass and water everywhere, and I'm sure it would have been hilarious watching me try to clean it all up while highly intoxicated... I did my best, got cut a few times, and probably actually did a really terrible job. I heard someone get up right after I closed my door, so I feel really bad that I woke up Marisa or Lucia, and made a huge mess. Plus destroyed their water pitcher. I'm about to go buy another one. Marisa was gone this morning, so I left a note, but I feel really bad! Plus the stupid cuts all over my fingers are annoying as hell. Note to self: don't play with glass after a night out.

Today I'm studying in a cafe, then Rio and I are going to get some Doner Kebab. It's probably a terrible idea, since it is actually really kind of gross, and only a good idea when you are drunk. But we are both craving it after last night, so I'm hoping for the best! Afterwards, Em and I are going to go to the movies since we won those free tickets! Still haven't decided which one, but I'll post about it later! Tomorrow I've got to study since I need to do better on this next set of tests in order to keep a reasonably high GPA for when I get back to the good old US of A.

Let's go to the beach, each. Let's go get awayyyyy

Well, yesterday I skipped my classes. Ooops. Oh well, totally worth it!

Laura, Chloe and I headed to Gijon, the closest beach city, around 11:30. We got there, found a spot smack dab in the middle of the beach, and tanned in the sun all day! Megan came and joined us around 5, but by this time we were all pretty burnt, so we put our clothes back on and just hung out. Then Megan and I got the bright idea to go swimming. Well actually it was more of my idea, and I convinced her to go with me haha. I love swimming in the ocean, but it was freezing! Ever since a near death experience in the waves of Costa Rica, I've been a little afraid of swimming in the ocean, so I made Megan go first haha. We went out to our chests, but then decided it was too cold and came back. However, there were guys out there snorkling and swimming, so we could have done it. Oh well, we're pansies. Life goes on :) The water of the Atlantic was so blue in Gijon. Not like the Mediterrannean, but close! It was a lovely day :) Definitely worth cutting class. However, now I have a raging sunburn, which is probably karma.

Now that we have such little time left here, I am trying to accept it and stop just denying it haha. I love Spain and it will always have a piece of my heart. I may be back to live for a while, I may not. We will see where life takes me. But since I don't know, I need to live it up now! Tomorrow Carmen, Luis, and I are going back to Gijon to go to an ethnografic museum. None of the other girls wanted to/could go, but I've got nothing better to do and so I am excited to take advantage of the opportunity! Luis is a professor at UO and is thinking about coming here to teach at AHA. We are meeting at 11:20 tomorrow to catch the bus to Gijon, then meeting Carmen there! Tomorrow night Rio and I are going to rage out on the town, and then Saturday Em and I are going to hang out! We won a competition in one of our classes (by voting for ourselves...oops hahaha) and we were rewarded with movie tickets! So Saturday night we are going on a girl date to the movies! I'm excited because I haven't been to the movie theater here yet!

Things I miss

When shopping on Wednesday, Megan asked me a really good question: What is the thing that you are going to miss the most about Oviedo? And what is the thing you are looking forward to the most in the US?

I couldn't give her an answer right away, and I keep naming off more and more things every time I see her. There are a lot of things that you don't think about when you're here, and there are a lot of times when I've gotten so used to something that I have to ask myself "Do we have/do that in the US or no?". Here is a small list of things that I have come up with:



Things I miss from the US:
1. Friends and family
2. Food
3. Cooking and baking, and deciding what and when I'll eat
4. TV in English
5. The presence of street signs
6. Being in an actual house
7. My dogs
8. Driving
9. Independence
10. Cherry blossom trees
11. Real streets
12. Pandora and Netflix
13. Not having to hold the shower head
14. Being able to make important phone calls
15. Being able to hang out at home with friends
16. 24 hour restaurants and grocery stores
17. Stores open after 9:30
18. Dryers
19. My bed
20. The beach house
21. My bike
22. Being able to do my hair


Things I'll miss from Oviedo:
1. Cafe con leche
2. 1-2 euro wine
3. Personal pride in appearance
4. Being able to walk everywhere
5. Public transportation
6. 1 and 2 euro coins
7. Chinos
8. Children speaking Spanish
9. Siesta
10. Tortilla Española
11. Cathedrals
12. Lack of rules (or of the enforcement of them)
13. Ability to drink outside
14. The 100 million individually owned cafes
15. The cute bakeries
16. Pinchos
17. Accordion players on the street
18. The ridiculous obsession with cleaning the streets
19. The socializing methods
20. My friends, Spanish and American
21. Going out until 5 or 6am
22. All of the fountains, parks, and statues
23. The enormous amount of people outside, always
24. Not having to tip

Cultural Week

Well, we officially have less than 4 weeks left in Oviedo. This is absolutely depressing to me. I am excited to go back to the States and see my friends and family, but I am also dreading leaving, because I don't know if I'll ever be back. It's the uncertainty that puts me in denial about the whole leaving thing. But to all my friends and family back home, I am excited to see you soon!

This last week was "Cultural Week" at school, which basically equated to another spring break. We got assigned to 2 classes, each 2 hours per day. On Monday I went to both of mine, Video and Journalism, and both instructors told us that if we couldn't come certain days it was fine, as long as we did our work. Being a student, this translated directly to "you don't have to come to class". So I quickly did the assignments, and took most of the rest of the week off. On Wednesday Megan and I went shopping. It was gorgeous out pretty much all week, so that made the week even better! I bought a lot of things (oops) and now I'm just hoping they fit in my suitcase! It was lovely to decompress and relax, and spend the day with such a positive person (love you Megan!). We got FroYo at the only place in Oviedo, and then went home. That night I went to my friend Angela's birthday celebration with Emily. Angela organized a dinner at a pizza place with her school group, but was nice enough to invite Em and I to join them! It was so thoughtful of her, and although we were the only 2 people there not from Temple University, they all included us and it was so much fun! We got sidra sangria (probably the best alcohol ever), pizza, potatoes, croquetas (my fav), and peppers. It was delicious and we got to talk to some of our classmates that we didn't know too well. Let me tell you, some of those kids from Philly are absolutely hilarious! Also, the waiter looked like Dan from Gossip Girl. I told everyone that and no one agreed, but I compared pics later and I'm not giving it up haha (I snuck a pic so I'll post it soon and you can decide for yourselves). After dinner, we wanted to get drinks, so we walked towards the cathedral. One of the club promoters snagged us, and we followed her into the bar. We were literally the only people in there since it was a Wednesday, but there were about 25 of us so it was a blast anyways! The bartender was absolutely gorgeous, and all of the girls were flirting with him in their drunken state. Em and I got rum and cokes and danced with everyone. After about an hour, we were the only 2 dancing, but we kept dancing anyways! I can't wait for Greece with this girl!

On Friday we had the presentation of the cultural week classes. It was pretty much just a glorified talent show. Each class had about 15 minutes to present what they had done, and since I wasn't in a performance class I didn't really have to do anything. Em and Victoria had to sing and dance, and it was hilarious watching them! Victoria used to be a ballerina, so she can dance pretty well. Em was still drunk from the night before, so her singing was entertaining to say the least haha. One of the singing groups sang a song about Oviedo that made me almost cry, and I am in the process of nagging them for the lyrics. It was absolutely beautiful! After the cultural thing, the AHA girls and I went to the sidra museum with Carmen, Reme, and Silvia. The museum is in Nava, about 30 minutes from Oviedo. It was really interesting and we got to see how they process the apples to make the cider. We got to taste some sidra, and then practice pouring (I'm still awful at it...). Afterwards, Carmen took us to a little bakery that had these apple cookies that were soooo good. They were invented by the father of the girl working, and I bought to take back to Marisa!

Today, Saturday, Megan and I went to Fontan. It is the outdoor market, similar to a Saturday Market and a Farmer's Market. There is a glass building that has all kinds of food, especially seafood and Asturian food. Outside there are tons of little booths selling things. Some are handmade, others are from China. Megan had a long list of stuff to buy for her friends, so she made significant progress. I was almost done with souvenirs for myself and friends and family, and after today I just have 1 more thing to get! It was a beautiful day once again!

Two more weeks of classes, two weeks of finals, 1 week in Greece, and then I'll be back in the USA. Prepare yourselves :)

Packing List.

My lovely little, Clare, asked me to make a list for her of things to pack when studying abroad. She is going to France this summer and my other awesome little, Rachael is going to Costa Rica in the fall! I am so proud of both of them, and I am so glad that they get to have their own awesome experiences abroad :) The following is a list of things I brought that were helpful, and some that weren't. This is based off my experience, but hopefully it'll be helpful!

Good things to bring:
1. As much spending money as possible! Granted, you should probably leave most of it in your bank account. Take out about 100 euros or whatever the currency is where you are going, so that you have money for taxis or buses and don't have to worry about finding a bank right away. Save up as much spending money as you can, especially for Europe. It is super easy to travel here, and although there are cheap flights it does add up. Also, you end up spending more than you think you will by just living. You don't want to have to be cheap all the time, cause that just isn't fun!
2. A few good pairs of walking shoes. The first few days you will probably walk around a lot touring the city. If you are in a place like Oviedo, you will be walking EVERYWHERE. Good shoes are a must, make sure to bring at least 3 comfortable pairs. I have a pair of beat up old vans and a pair of boots that I bought here, and I switch between the 2 almost everyday. Now that it's getting sunny, I'm switching my boots for my Birks and I couldn't be more excited about it! (Everyone knows how much I love my Birks hehe).
3. A couple pairs of cute shoes. In addition to good walking shoes, bring 2 or 3 pairs of cute shoes that you can wear with a lot of different outfits-don't bring an odd color or style that will only work with 1 outfit. I have 1 pair of tall boots, 1 pair of dressy sandals, and 1 pair of black booties. When I got here I bought 1 pair of cheap sandals and 1 pair of leather boots. You can always buy more shoes once you get there, and remember that they take up a lot of room in your suitcase so only bring the essentials! I brought a pair of wedges and ended up sending them home with my mom.
4. A few T-shirts for night or for working out. If you run regularly and are going to do it abroad, bring 1 or 2 more. Although be aware that going to a gym abroad can be really costly depending on your city and program. I brought 3 T-shirts. I also brought some of my favorites, but I would recommend bringing some old crappy ones so that you can just throw them away when you leave (and make more room for souvenirs in your suitcase!).
5. 1 or 2 pairs of yoga pants or sweats. It is especially important that you do not pack more than this if you are going to Europe. Unlike in the US, people in Europe actually dress nicely on a regular basis (sorry, just being honest). I brought like 3 pairs of yoga pants plus a pair of sweats for night. Total waste of space. I sent the sweats and 2 of the pairs home with my mom. I have only worn yoga pants out in public twice since I got here, and both times were for specific reasons. And everyone at home knows how much I love my yoga pants! Other places may be different, but Europe is very into fashion and personal appearance, and unless you are in a big tourist city, you will probably get stared at if you are always in yoga pants.
6. 5 or 6 pairs of jeans. I brought 5 total, and I wish I had brought more. I also have my red pants and white pants, but jeans you can always wear! Also, I lost a lot of weight and now I can't wear my red or white pants anyways without them looking awkward. Some people lost weight, some people gained weight, so don't count on either one happening. Just be prepared to have to buy more clothes!
7. 1 or 2 good purses. I brought my black side purse that is medium sized and has the secret pocket hehe. The size is perfect and black is a great color cause it goes with everything. If you want another purse, you can always buy a cheap one here. Also, the cross-the-body design is really good for avoiding pick pocketers.
8. 1 good backpack. I brought my black Eddie Bauer backpack that has been absolutely lovely! I use it for traveling, especially if I am going for the weekend and don't need a full suitcase. On the cheap airlines, it can be really expensive to bring a suitcase, so make sure you have a good backpack!
9. 1 or 2 scarves. In Europe scarves are popular. I was here during winter and they were a necessity if you didn't want to get yelled at by your host mom or by strangers on the street! During summer they would be optional, but people use light scarves as a cute accessory. I brought 4 or 5, but I used all of them cause it was freezing for the first 2 months!
10. 2 weeks worth of underwear. My lovely mother told me that was going to be too much. However, if you are staying with a host mom they will probably insist on doing your laundry for you. Many places don't use dryers and hang up clothes to dry instead, so it can take a while to get your clothes back. Also, if you are going to be doing your own laundry, you probably won't want to have to do it every week anyways. Let's be real people.
11. Laptop, phone, and netbook. I brought my big computer, my small computer, and my smart phone. My phone has been on airplane mode for the last 3.5 months, but I use it for wifi whenever I go anywhere. Almost everyone has an American phone they bring with them everywhere they go so that they can use wifi whenever its available. You will not get 3G constantly like in the US. But it is nice to be able to connect with the world occasionally. Some people have their phone on airplane mode, some disconnected it. Best thing to do is talk to your phone company. My netbook was nice to have, but I sent it home with my mom because I didn't absolutely need it. I use my big computer every day. Some people only brought tablets, and they have a hard time doing some homework, registering on some sites, and watching shows online. So I would definitely recommend bringing an actual computer.
12. Gift for host family. If you are staying with a host family, you should definitely bring them a gift upon arrival. Something small and personal. I brought a bag of coffee and a post card from the cafe in Pacific City, where my beach house is. I could tell Marisa about my personal connection to it, and it was a great way to start things off! Other people have brought food items, souvenirs from their hometown, common small gift items, pictures, etc.
13. Peacoat! If you are going to Europe, bring a peacoat or another nice coat. Everyone wears them here, and I have worn mine almost every single day since January. If it is summer, find a light coat that is still nice. Mine is a cheap one from Old Navy, but it has been the most useful thing to me since I got here!
14. 1 sweatshirt. You do not need more than one sweatshirt, I promise you (especially if you bring that good coat I was talking about above ;)). A sweatshirt is not necessary, but it is nice to have when it is chilly inside your house or you are feeling a little homesick for America. I don't wear mine outside the house, but I wear it at night sometimes or on a lazy weekend.
15. Copies of all of your important documents. I made 4 sets of copies of all of my insurance and bank cards, as well as my passport and ID. I left 1 with my parents, 1 with  my Grandparents, and took 2 with me. I keep them in my room unless I travel, when I take 1 set with me and guard it at all times. I always put it in a separate place than my real passport or money. I also wrote the international number of my bank on each of the copies, so that I can call and alert them if necessary.
16. Travel sized shampoo/conditioner and deodorant. Bring small ones so that they don't take up precious room in your suitcase. You can buy big ones when you get there, but this way you don't have to worry about it for a few days. Also, it's really convenient to have them when you go somewhere for a weekend!
17. Adapters for your country. Most countries have different outlets than the US. Get an adapter before you go so that when you first get there you can charge your phone or computer and skype or let everyone know that you are okay. You probably won't know the best place to get them for a few days, so it's good to have them so that you can connect with the world right away! (Clare I got you covered! Rachael, I may have one for Costa Rica. My mom bought me a pack for Christmas and it had them for all over the world, so I'll check when I get home!). Also, you don't usually need the big old converters. I paid $20 for one at Best Buy and I think I could have gone without it (even though they say you need it). Also, if there are Chino shops were you are going, you can get them for like 2 euros.
18. As many tops as you have room for. I'm not sure how many tops I have, but I get tired of wearing the same ones. Bring as many as you have room for, but don't take out other things to fit every single top you own. I would guess I probably have about 14, which is plenty. But it is always nice to have a variety :) Also, bring a few dresses! Not too many, and only ones you would wear regularly. But sometimes it's nice to mix it up a bit.
19. Going out clothes! I don't care what people say, if you are someone who likes to go out on the town then bring clothes for it. Unless you are in a super remote area, there will probably be places to go out. I usually wear jeans, boots, and a top but the Spaniards like to dress up on Saturday nights and if I had a wider variety of skirts I would wear them every weekend! I would bring 4 or 5 going out skirts, tights, and some tops to go with. Some people wear heels, but everyone knows I can't walk in heels so I don't. You can always buy heels here, so only bring a pair if they are really comfortable!
20. A couple of reminders of home. I should have brought more, I kind of skipped out on this one. I'm not someone who gets very homesick, but it would have been nice to have a few pictures to hang in my room. Plus I think Marisa may be a little concerned that I don't have any pictures up... haha. I hang up every letter I get, and it makes me happy to see them on my bulletin board! Also, bring some small food items that you love. Don't pack a whole suitcase of food, but maybe your favorite candy or boxed food. Or peanut butter, everyone seems to miss peanut butter. For me it was mac n cheese and top ramen, which my mom graciously brought me before spring break (SIDE NOTE: I made the kraft mac n cheese in the hostel in Barcelona and shared some with a British girl. She had never had it, and after tasting it said she was going to see if she could order some to her house in England hahahaha).

That's pretty much everything I brought, with a few odds and ends added in there. I definitely would not bring more than 1 big suitcase, 1 carry-on, and a backpack. Most people that I know that had 2 full sized suitcases regretted it and said it wasn't necessary. I was worried when my parents limited me, but it was definitely a good idea (thanks Mom and Dad!). If you are only going for 1 term you will definitely not need more than 1 big suitcase! Do bring a small carry-on though so that you can travel with it while you are here. Ryan Air and other cheap airlines have strict rules about how big it can be, and most are way smaller than those in the US. But on buses and trains you can bring whatever you want, and for spring break my carry-on was perfect! You can also always buy things once you get there! I have bought more things than I was planning on, so I sent some home and I am planning on throwing away a lot of my older clothes before I leave.

Good luck littles, and the rest of the people I know who will be studying abroad in the future! It truly is a life-changing experience, and it is a shame that not everyone who has the opportunity takes it :)

Sunny sundays :)

I absolutely love it when it is nice over the weekends here! The city turns into a totally different place, and it has more of a small town feel. In Spain, most stores and restaurants are closed on Sundays, as Sunday is a designated family day. Coming from the US where we use Sundays to run errands, go shopping, or study all day, this was a bit hard to get used to. In fact, it still is. I get antsy sitting around all day, so I generally try to find a way to leave the house. I was supposed to meet up with Sergio today, but he had to cancel. So I decided to take a walk after lunch! I explored the part of town that I've never really been to, stopped by Valor chocolate (a Spanish chocolate company that has amazing chocolate!), and walked down to Fontan. Fontan is a plaza in the old town where they hold a Saturday market type thing every Saturday and Sunday where everyone catches up and shares gossip of the week. Since I was taking my time exploring, they were cleaning up right as I stumbled upon it. That was fine, but I think ill actually try go next weekend! On my way home I stopped by Parque San Francisco,  and I'm currently just sitting here people watching. Since I live in the heart of downtown, I am so used to seeing people hurrying about everywhere they go. It is so refreshing to sit here and watch people stroll by, enjoying the nice day and taking a little time for themselves!  Plus this park is just absolutely gorgeous :)

        

Salinas ❤

I have found a new favorite place in Spain :)

During the week, Carmen, our AHA site director, invited us over to her house in Salinas to have a meal and bond. We planned for Friday after school, but apparently the memo didn't get to everyone and we had some confusion. Poor Carmen had been cooking all day, and I felt so bad that we were not organized enough to come when we told her we would! Yesica and I finally just decided to leave, and some of the other girls met us after their class was over. It is about a 30 minute bus ride to Aviles from Oviedo, and then another 10 minutes into Salinas. Yesi and I took the bus, and then Carmen met us at the station to take us to Salinas. She was nice enough to give us a little tour and she told us all kinds of facts about the 2 cities. Next stop was the beach. We parked and walked out to a point, and as soon as I smelled the ocean I got unbelievably excited! I took tons of pictures, and she told us stories. There was a type of jetty going into the water, and it reminded me of Oregon. My family often rides bikes or takes the boat out to the jetty and we go perch fishing on the rocks, so when I saw similar ones it reminded me of all the good memories and I immediately decided I love that place! Next, we went to Salinas and parked near the beach again. Salinas is a very small town-Carmen said there are only about 7,000 people. She also told me that it used to just be a regular beach town, then people from Oviedo and other cities began using it as a vacation spot for summers. Now, it is home to many people who work in Aviles, and over the summers there are many visitors.

The beach was absolutely gorgeous! We took a walkway out to a point and took lots of pictures, then made our way back. While Carmen got the car, Yesi and I admired a little waterwork on the side of the road that Carmen said an old retired man works on regularly and adds to. We drove to Carmen's apartment, where she had a delicious feast of Cuban food ready for us! Carmen is originally from Cuba, but lived in the US for 20 years and has been in Spain for the last 30. The other girls got there and we ate. The food was amazing and it was so nice of her to prepare it for us! We had black beans and rice, a ground meat dish that was kind of similar to sloppy joe meat (but better), salad, bread, plantains, peppers, an homemade flan that she made the day before. It was absolutely wonderful! We got to talk quite a bit and meet her husband and son. Afterwards, Jessica and Yesica went back home while Megan, Carmen, and I hung out!

Carmen took us to the Niemeyer Center in Aviles and we went up to the restaurant and into the gift shop. Afterwards, we went back to the beach in Salinas and had a lovely talk about the future. Carmen knows that I am interested in coming back to Spain and teaching, and she told me about some programs and told me she would be happy to write me a letter of rec. Clearly, this made me so happy and excited for whatever my future holds! We made our way to the cafe on the beach while watching the surfers, and sat and had a coffee/tea. Finally, it was back to Oviedo for Megan and I!

I absolutely loved Salinas, and I can't believe I hadn't gone there before now! It reminded me of my favorite beaches in Oregon, although I couldn't exactly tell you why. It may have been because it seemed real, unlike the fabulous beaches of Monaco, Barcelona, and Villefranche. There weren't a ton of tourists, and it isn't flawless. There are prettier beach towns in the world, but because it wasn't a fairy tale beach I loved it even more! The little city reminds me of Pacific City, where my family's beach house is in Oregon. It's small enough to walk around without needing a car, and everyone seemed to have that laid back, beachy attitude compared to the city people in Oviedo. It is a great place to go to escape the city, which has always been what the beach is for me-my escape. Overall, it was absolutely incredible, and I am definitely going to try to go back in the next couple weeks! Thank you so much Carmen, this was one of my favorite days in the last 3 months, and it was so nice of you to organize it for us :)

Note the guy fishing :)

Lovers' Locks on the point

The little painted water town on the side of the road

The view from Carmen's kitchen. SO JEALOUS!

The feast Carmen prepared!

More food!

La Escuela

Today I volunteered at the school, just as I do every Thursday. I was dreading it today because I think I am getting sick, and I just wasn't in the mood. Poor Em had to hear me complain all morning, sorry chica haha :) Anyways, when I got there all the kids greeted me with hugs and smiles, as they always do. There is seriously nothing as gratifying as seeing all those 7 year olds who are so happy to see you each week! All the girls give me hugs and practice saying my name, and the boys all say "Hello", thinking they are really cool for speaking English! The last 2 weeks I have been taking small groups out of the classroom and doing a worksheet over invertebrates and vertebrates with them. It really is amazing how smart some of these kids are! It is also amazing how Spain teaches English regularly at such a young age. The school is a public elementary school, and there are English teachers and English lessons every day. The kids sometimes get annoyed that I speak to them in English, but it is crazy how much they have picked up over the last few years-I mean they are doing worksheets on invertebrates and vertebrates IN ENGLISH at the age of 7. I was nowhere close to that when I was 7, mostly because we simply aren't taught another language right off the bat. This was also one of the things that really became evident last week on the cruise-the US is very ignorant in the fact that most citizens don't speak another language. Almost everyone that is my age or younger in Europe has been taught a second language, and after being on the cruise with people from all over the world, it was almost embarrassing that I was just now becoming fluent in Spanish, whereas they all spoke anywhere from 2-8 languages.

It has been very interesting to work with kids here. Between tutoring Teresa and working at the school, I have gotten to be around them a bit and I have learned so much. It is actually easier for me to understand the children a lot of the time, because they don't have such a thick accent or as big of a vocabulary. It seems strange, but I think they speak clearer. It is sometimes frustrating that a 7 year old is better at Spanish than I am, but oh well haha. In addition, it has been interesting to experience the classroom dynamics. In the US, I generally work in classrooms where the teacher has control of the class (most of the time). We use a lot of clapping or singing exercises to minimize transition time and keep kids on track. In the classroom in Spain they don't do this. The teacher yells over the kids, and they generally don't stop talking-overall, it's a bit hectic! It may just be my classroom, because I have friends who volunteer in other classes and they said they were impressed with the behavior. But regardless, it has been a very interesting experience!

On a sour note, today one of the kids brought a plastic gun to school. Now, I'm not going to go all politics on everyone right now. I don't even want to bring up politics, no matter what side you fall on. Basically, it was just scary. It looked like a real gun. The teacher took it and yelled at him quite a bit, but I really hope to God that Spain doesn't start having the problems that the US has been having recently. Guns do not belong in the hands of 7 year olds, and while I know toy guns are different, I did get a little worried when I first saw it. Especially after Connecticut not so long ago. Elementary schools should be the epitome of a safe haven, and the thought of them being somewhere where people are afraid to be really kills me. God, please don't let history repeat itself anytime in the future.

Saint Week

Spain celebrates Semana Santa (Saint Week) every year as their spring break. It is the week of Easter, and ours ended up being nearly 2 weeks long (12 days)! It was a great way to get a break from daily life and responsibilities and see the world. However, I have to admit it was hardly "Saintly". If you are one of those people that like to pretend that I don't like boys or alcohol, you may want to skip over this post. It won't be too bad, but the 2 items will be mentioned a time or 2 :)

Okay, so if you are still with me, lets get started! This is gonna be a long one so bear with me.

We left Oviedo Wednesday night on the overnight train to Barcelona. The train wasn't bad, and the seats reclined to be basically beds. However, it was 10 hours and that sucked. Originally we had a 1.5 hour flight, but the ever popular RyanAir decided to cancel all flights out of Oviedo for last week. So train it was! We got to Barcelona around 8am and took a nap, then went out touring! We stayed on La Rambla, the main shopping street in Barcelona which ends at the water. After seeing a double decker tourist bus, we decided to hop on and tour the city that way since it would be easier. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we got to see most of the big monuments in the city. I loved Parc Guell, a park designed by Gaudi, and Santa Maria del Mar, one of the Cathedrals. I had been to Barcelona when I was in high school, so much of it I had already visited. It was fun being back with friends though! The cathedrals were amazing, and there is so much history in the buildings that it makes them absolutely stunning and grand. Since it was Easter weekend, we got to see a procession into the Cathedral. The Spanish celebrate Easter with many different events, and we stumbled upon the procession of people dressed in costume. At the beginning of the parade, men dressed in black carried a cross, as Jesus was forced to. The cross was huge, and each man carried it a bit by himself, then traded off. And let me tell you, that thing must have weighed a ton! After them, there was a long line of nazarenos, people dressed in robes and masked hoods that resemble the outfit of a KKK member. This is a long standing Spanish tradition, but it freaks me out a bit because of what those outfits mean to us in the US. There were tons of people in the street, and it was really cool to watch the celebrations!

Thursday night we went out with Chloe's friend. She had never met him cause he is the friend of her sister's boyfriend, but he was very nice and was happy to take us out! Him and his friends met us at Plaza Catalunya and we went to a really cool bar that almost seemed to be hidden and underground. We got a huge keg type thing of sangria and then beer, and after splitting them and playing some drinking games, we left for the bars near the beach. We went to a small bar and Balam (Chloe's friend) bought us a special, slightly inappropriate drink, then we all took tequila shots. Next stop ended up being the beach! We got to the beach and Balam bought us beers from this super sketch guy selling them, and we all shotgunned them on the beach. We hung out for a while, then Laura wasn't feeling too well so we took a taxi home. The next morning I was woken up by the hostel lady saying that my professor was waiting outside for me, so I ran downstairs looking terribly hungover and talked to him. Him and his wife are now retired and are staying in Barcelona for a month, then making their way to Oviedo and Portugal. They used to live in all 3 places, so they are back visiting. There's not a lot of ways to communicate here, so Kalter just showed up when he was close by. Unfortunately for me, I looked awful and probably smelled awful, but I told him I'd go to coffee with them, so I quickly changed and then went back outside. We had a nice time catching up and he told me all about the places I should go! The rest of the day the girls and I went shopping, then we went out with Balam again!

By this time, Chloe decided we needed 3 rules to follow for the rest of the week. I feel like these could apply to life in general as well:

1. Don't throw up
2. Don't lose your shit
3. Don't be embarrassing


The second night we were going to meet Balam at his apartment and then go to one of the big clubs on the beach. He knows the owner and asked to have us let in cover free. We all dressed up, and killed a bottle of absynthe at his apartment. Before we knew it, it was too late to go out so we ended up just kicking it at his house all night. We stayed up til 8:30 to watch the sunrise, then ate pasta together for breakfast and headed back to our hostel to get out stuff. After a short nap we boarded the cruise!

The first full day on the cruise we tanned ALL DAY LONG. There was unlimited food and alcohol on the boat, which was absolutely amazing since we are all used to being served only what and how much our host moms give us. I drank a bunch of piña coladas, and the bartender and I became quick friends :) The next day was Tunis, Tunisia. I was so freaking excited to go to Africa! We took a taxi into the city, and then a random man told us to follow him and he'd show us the city. Being dumb Americans, we followed him. Sorry Mom and Dad, I know we should have been more careful! But it turned out fine, and he was actually very nice. He led us to the top of a building where we could see the city, and explained a lot of things to us. We went shopping in the market, then came back to the port to take a ride on camels! Once back on the ship, we relaxed and ate our hearts out :)

After Tunis was Rome. We didn't have much time in Rome and it was pouring, so it was kind of unfortunate. We paid to go inside the Colosseum, which was cool! Afterwards, we took the scenic route (ie got lost...) on the way to the Pantheon. We went inside, then made our way to the Trevi fountain. Afterwards, it was back in the taxi to go see the Vatican and then catch the bus back to the ship. 

Florence was after Rome, and I absolutely loved Florence! It reminded me of Salamanca, Spain, in that it was a cutesy little town with a cool vibe. It was exactly what I picture when I picture Italy! We had fun walking around and shopping, then got gelato. And let me tell you, the Italians definitely have the whole gelato thing down! It was the best gelato I've ever had, and the guy working was so sweet :) We went back to wait for the bus, and then went out that night on the cruise. The cruise was absolutely amazing, and I recommend Pullmantur to anyone who is interested in going on a cruise! It was all inclusive, including alcohol, and they didn't make you pay for hardly anything once you were on board. This was nice, because my family went on a Carnival cruise a few years ago and EVERYTHING cost money. The cruise itself was also very inexpensive, as I payed less than $100 a day total. There was a big group from the University at Salamanca onboard, so it was mostly people our age, which was fun. The ship had a large discoteca, so we went up there and had some drinks. When I went to get another drink at the bar, my friends went to go dance. I was going to finish my drink and then join them, when the guy behind me started talking to me. He was just about the only other American on the ship, and he was glad to have someone to talk to. We talked for over an hour and he was very nice, but he is going through a nasty divorce and I feel very bad for him! His name is Robert, and he and his 2 kids were in the room next to us, so the rest of the cruise we befriended them. 

By this time, I had my eye on one of the bartenders, Ricardo. He was super cute, and just my type. We also made friends with most of the waiters. One of them really liked Rio, so we gave them our room number and he would call her at night. His friend was the one who asked for our room number, and he was super cute also. Anyone that knows me, knows that I tend to call all cute guys I meet my boyfriend right off the bat, even if I've never talked to them haha. So Rio had her lover, and I had my 2 boyfriends, Ricardo and the waiter, Larion. Most of the employees that we met on the cruise were from Brazil, since the ship goes there and they have a deal with the country. It was fun being the only American girls on the ship since EVERYONE knew us, but at the same time it was a bit embarrassing because we were ALWAYS in the buffet saying hi to people haha. 

Genoa was the next day, and I didn't really know what to expect. We got off the boat and walked up to the city. Near the port it was dirty and kind of ugly, but once we got up into the old town area it was actually very pretty. We walked around aimlessly and took pictures, and found a little market. The woman who sold us rings told us to go to the bakery across the street and get focaccia bread, which was seriously the best bread I have ever had in my life! It was absolutely delicious, and the women working were adorable, but didn't speak any English. We continued walking and came across a farmer's market, where we bought pesto that was absolutely delicious as well! Next, we sat at a cafe and talked. A man walking down the street stopped and stared, but I just kind of ignored him. At least until he wouldn't go away. He stood across the street trying to talk to me for so long that I finally got up and said hello. He spoke English and said I was beautiful and that he wanted to talk in the cafe. I told him he had 5 minutes, so we went inside and talked. Afterwards, he talked me into going on a walk with him, but I made it short. Let's just say, I thought the Italian men would be better kissers ;)

That night Robert and Laura and I got drinks before dinner. We talked for a while and Robert told us about his complicated life story. He is from Alaska, but moved to Frankfurt with his wife and kids to try to fix their marriage. Shortly after, his wife basically ditched him. I asked if he still loved her, trying to come up with some advice (or at least something to say other than "That sucks, Im sorry" haha), and he began telling me that he wouldn't have noticed me if he did, and that he wished he could ask me out. After that it got a bit awkward, since he is significantly older than I am, and not to mention the fact that he is married... I would never, ever cross that line. Plus I just thought we were friends. So after that he hung out with us a bit, but I tried to keep my distance. The girls and I went out again, and part way into the night Laura and I got the bright idea to start a drinking competition with the other 2. We began chugging Costa Azules, a drink consisting of tequila, blue curacao, and sprite. When I went up to get us some more, I tried flirting with Ricardo, but his friend kept smiling at me and I was a little worried he was trying to cockblock me haha. I tried ignoring him, but he asked my name and age, then told me he thought I was beautiful. After that, we were friends, cause lets be real, I love people who think I'm pretty. Doesn't everyone? haha. I still had my eye set on Ricardo, but he was keeping his distance, so in the meantime I let the new guy, Walter, serve me my drinks. Ricardo and Walter had fun laughing at drunk me and drunk Laura, and we had a grand old time. At one point I lost the other girls, and my key card was demagnetized, so I sat outside the room for about 30 minutes waiting for them to come back. When they finally got back, I felt so sick from the rocking of the boat that I had to make use the bathroom immediately. Then they started eating these awful smelling Pringles, so I had to repeat the process. Let's just say the night did not end well for me... haha.

The next day we went to France! We arrived in Villefranche, a gorgeous little town on the French Riviera. It was amazing! One of the guys working by the entrance hit on us upon arrival, and he was cute! We took the train into Monaco, since we didn't have enough time to visit both Monaco and Nice. Monaco was the prettiest place I have ever been! The water was so turquoise, and we kept saying how it felt like Disneyland, like it was just built for entertainment and everyone there must be hired to act like they live there. We climbed up to the palace and watched the changing of the guards, and even got a glimpse of the prince! The one downside was that we saw Ricardo, and apparently he has a girlfriend. Sad day, but oh well haha. 

When we got back on the ship Laura and I slept outside by the pool. I got some piña coladas, as I was trying to take advantage of the unlimited alcohol. Walter was working and began referring to me as his girlfriend, which was just fine with me since Ricardo was now out of the picture :) haha. He told all his friends that we were dating, and they all made jokes and laughed. After that, I never had to wait in line for my drink because everyone knew I was "Walter's girlfriend". And that was just great, cause those lines can get super long! After dinner Larion and Ramon came to our room because we decided that we would fake a marriage for Rio and Ramon. They are not allowed in guests' rooms and could get fired if they got caught, so it was cool that they risked their jobs for us. Ramon was very excited, but Rio had a change of heart and ended up kinda ditching all of us. We didn't know what to do, and Ramon was so upset that he was crying. He really liked her, and I felt really bad for him :( Larion suggested they leave, so we said goodbye. That night we went out again, but the boat was rocking so much that it was impossible to dance. We all began to feel a little sick, so we called it an early night. 

Getting off the ship sucked, as we had so much fun and made so many friends. All of our Brazilian friends swapped Facebook info with us before we left, so that they could add us. They were some of the nicest people I've met, and they were a blast to hang out with! Semana Santa was one of the best vacations I've ever had, and I am so glad I was fortunate enough to explore the world and make so many great memories :)