ii Andalucia, Las Canarias, y Barcelona !!

Hi Everyone!

It has been a fantastic past few weeks. I have been so fortunate to have done all the traveling that I have in such a short amount of time. So much has happened, I don't even know where to begin!

in the Alhambra

My spring break began with a ten hour bus ride to the city of Granada in Southern Spain. It is part of the region Andalucia, and is well known for its fabulous weather and great tapas. However, we didn't experience much of this weather because all of Spain was rainy and miserable. We were in Granada for a day and half, and my favorite part was the Alhambra by far. It is a palace and fortress complex on the top of a hill bordering the city. The architecture was so impressive, not to mention the surplus of wildflowers, trees, vines, fountains, and cascades. It seemed like something straight out of a fairy tale. The next city we hit was Malaga. Malaga is the one of the biggest, southernmost cities in Europe. It is an ocean city sitting on the Mediterranean. So, obviously, making it my second favorite city in Andalucia. However, because it was rainy, I feel like I didn't get the best experience I could have. The final city we saw was Sevilla. I knew Sevilla was my favorite of the three within the first half hour of being there. This was pretty shocking considering the stormy weather we experienced. It rained almost the entire duration of our city tour, but it was still so beautiful considering. The buildings, streets, and atmosphere were all amazing and full of life and color. My highlight of Sevilla (round one) was Plaza Espana. It is a huge plaza with a fountain that shows each of the districts in Spain. It also had a little lazy river where people were row boating and lounging. I loved it! After these quick four days, it was time to say goodbye to our ESN club. It was very bittersweet because it was our last trip with the club before we go home, and we always have so much fun on them. However, our next destination was the Canary Islands, so we didn't dwell too long on sadness :). After getting all of our big suitcases from the bus in Sevilla, we headed for our hostel all in smiles. Within a block of wheeling my suitcase through the city, my arm started getting tired. Within three blocks it started raining. And within the next block, the sky opened and it started downpouring (I didn't bring an umbrella). Because it was Semana Santa (Easter spring break week) there were many processions. We came to find out that our hostel was right near one of the parades, and was completely blocked off. I can only imagine what a sight all six of us looked like soaking wet, running with our huge luggage through the 3rd largest city in Spain. The people of Sevilla were laughing and pointing, so at least someone got some enjoyment out of our struggles. FINALLY we made it, took out our clothes from our suitcases to dry, and relaxed before our next day of travel.

The next morning came quickly as we set off for the aiport. Naturally, it was sprinkling when we left with our luggage, but we made it to the airport mostly dry. Because of strikes in Paris, our flight was delayed 4 hours, but eventually the time came to head for the Canary Islands! We got in around 6, and wheeled our luggage through Las Palmas to our hostel. We were very tired, so we went to a supermarket and bought our lunch food for the week, and then bought supplies for supper. We made spaghetti, and got settled into our hostel before going to bed. We woke up early Wednesday morning with our sights set on the beach. We made our lunch, lathered on sunscreen, and got our towels prepared. When we walked outside it was still not quite warm enough for beach weather, so we walked the length of the coast until it was the perfect temperature. We found a great sandy spot and parked it there for the next 6 hours. We were all very excited to swim in the ocean, but were dismayed when we saw the red flag and jellyfish flag. The hundreds of dead jellyfish that had washed up on shore was enough of a warning for me.  This lazy day repeated for every single day of our lovely vacation. However, Friday we were in for the surprise of our lives. The owners of our hostel are also in charge of some of the extreme sporting activities for Gran Canaria. They told us that the whole week they would be paragliding, and offered us a huge discount if we were interested. With our highly adaptable and flexible daily schedule, we immediate decided we'd try it. Not really any of us had any clue what it was, and were a little nervous as to what we were getting ourselves into. We showed up to the sight on Friday, and were greeted with huge parachute-like things flying all around us in the sky. The entire process consists of partnering up with a professional para glider, getting strapped in, and taking off running towards a cliff. Before you even get to cliff, you're lifted into the air by the wind. From there, you're solely in the hands of the wind and the para glider who is directing the parachute. It was hands down the most amazing thing I've ever done in my life. It's almost indescribable. I think it would be a lot like flying, you get an absolutely stunning bird's eye view of the landscape around you. In our case, the sparking turquoise waters, beaches, and the island terrain. I was up in the air for about a half hour, just floating around taking in my surroundings. It was so breathtaking.

It was so difficult to leave the island. The six of us girls had gotten surprisingly even closer, and had fallen in love with the island and its relaxing atmosphere. But each vacation has to end somewhere, so we boarded the flight, and said goodbye to our friends we had met on Gran Canaria. We got back into Sevilla around 1, and had the rest of the day to kill. It was soooo much different exploring this enchanting city when it was sunny. I think I fell in love with it even more. We walked around a lot, but our highlight was taking a horse and carriage tour through the city. Sevilla is definitely on my list of cities to return to. Around eight we headed back to the bus station, and began our 11 hour bus ride back to Oviedo. For me, it was a race with my mom and aunt to see who would get there first. Luckily, I prevailed which gave me a few hours to nap before their arrival. I woke up to a phone call that they had arrived safely, so I set off to the bus station to pick them up.

It was so exciting to see my mom and aunt again after all of this time. It's so strange to think that I hadn't seen them since January, the longest time span in my life. It was great to be reunited, and get updated on life back at home. We taxied to their hotel, and after some persuading, got the jet lagged ladies ready to spend the rest of the day sightseeing. I gave them a city tour, and we spent time relaxing at a nearby cafe. Sadly, this was our best day of weather. We managed to keep busy and dry the other days by going shopping, touring the Catedral, the museum, exploring parks and markets, and trying new restaurants. Tuesday night, Cruz prepared us a typical Austurian Dinner to give my mom and aunt a taste of the region. We munched on the Spanish cheeses, fish spreads, and chorizo. For the main course, she served chicken with a special cheese sauce. We also got super lucky because she served arroz con leche (rice pudding) a very typical Spanish dessert. It was mentally exhausting for me to be translating for the entire meal, but I think fun was had by all! Cruz is definitely a great host. The following night, I took them to Gascona to try more typical Austurian food. We ordered seafood paella, baby squid, and of course, Sidra. I had a lot of fun showing them the Spanish Tradition of Sidra, because it really is unlike anything in the world. After hours of eating and drinking, we headed back, and started planning our weekend trip to Barcelona. 

La Segrada Familia

Friday after class we set off for the airport. We arrived in Barcelona just in time to get situated in our hotel, and go for supper. Some of Cruz' nephews recommended a fabulous restaurant called La Fonda, so we set our sights on going there. Coincidentally, this place ended up being a mere two minute walk from our hotel! We waited in a line outside for about ten minutes before entering, and it was totally worth the wait. I ordered cream of zucchini for an appetizer (absolutely delicious), and Krissy and I shared the typical black rice dish. Black rice paella consists of rice and squid cooked in the squid's ink (where the black part of the name is derived from). This was a completely new taste for me, and hopefully one I'll get to have again. After supper we did some exploring of our neighborhood. We walked the duration of the famous "Las Ramblas" and walked around the harbor. When we returned to our hotel, we saw two ambulances out front. A little concerned, we asked the hotel worker who said it was for a man in room 109---right next to ours. I dosed off instantly, but my mom and Krissy were up for quite some time from the paramedics. They found out that the man next door had passed. Quite unfortunate and sad. We didn't let it damper our weekend though as we were very busy all day Saturday. 

At Park Guell

We got up and walked along Las Ramblas again, saw a very big food market, and all of Gaudi's works. Antoni Gaudi was a famous architect who created so much beauty in the city. The first thing we saw was the Block of Discord. This is a block were there are houses that were built to outshine the other houses. As it was a competition, each house is extravagant. Next we walked by Casa Mila, which was extravagant yet again. It's nearly indescribable. There is so much detail that is put in every single aspect of each of Gaudi's works. Next, we took a bus to Park Guell and my amazement continued. This park is exquisitely designed. Once again, I do not think I can give an accurate description to do it justice. The tiling, architecture, and buildings were so outstanding. Up until this point, I truly though Gaudi was a genius. When we got off the metro at our next stop, I was actually speechless. We were standing in front of Gaudi's last work- The famous Sagrada Familia dedicated to the Holy Family. This is a massive church that he designed  completely knowing that he would never live to see the day it is finished. It is possible too, that I may not ever see the finish either. The church's construction has been stopped and resumed many times over the course of the century, and has such great architectural potential that it may not be finished for many many years.  Again, words do not do it justice. The interior was just completed a few years ago, and the detail work is amazing. The glass stained windows look like gems, and the columns show so much intricate detail. The entire time we were there it seemed like something from a dream. It is definitely a goal of mine to return someday, and hopefully see the whole thing completely finished. 

Paella and Sidra!

My final day in this fantastic city was spent at a Chocolate Museum where our entry ticket was a bar of chocolate! It was so cool, every work of art there was made of chocolate. My kind of place. We, again, walked down the Ramblas and wandered throughout the city before it came to depart. When it came time to say goodbye to my mom and Krissy in Barcelona I had a very hard time. I got super homesick. I think this is due to not seeing any of my family in such a long time span, and our time together seemed to fly by! All the same, yesterday marked my last month here so I will see them soon! It is insane to me how fast this time has flown. I can't even imagine being home with all my family and friends I haven't seen in 5 months time! Not to mention all the weight I will gain from eating all my favorite foods I've been deathly missing. If someone wants to send me skittles and Dr. Pepper to hold me off until then I would not decline (***Mom, since I didn't get one in Barcelona) ;) But, it will be VERY bittersweet having to leave this paradise. I can't even think about it without feeling sad. Until then, I intend on making good use of the short time I have left. I leave next Wednesday for Rome :)

A Very Filling Weekend...

Hola a Todos!

I have had an excellent few weeks, and this can most certainly be attributed to the weather. It is so gorgeous here! Ideal 70 degree weather, and no rain. I wish I had more bragging rights over all of you since Iowa has been equally as enjoyable. Anyway, I had a much slower week/weekend that that of my last post! Not necessarily a bad thing, and it's definitely going to change here in a few hours. After my last post, I spent the rest of the week diving into my classes to prepare for exams I had this week, with the exception of Thursday. Last Thursday I met at a friend's apartment for a rare American Gathering. I say rare because the apartments here are designed for just the people living in them. Most people here, when they want to gather or meet up, go to a cafe, an outdoorsy restaurant, the streets, or plazas. My friend Madison obtained permission to have people over, so we took advantage of it! We watched the movie She's the Man and had a girls night. It's so crazy to think that that has been the first one of those in the last few months. At UNI it seems like they are every other night :).

When Saturday arrived, I got up bright and early to meet up with the UNI clan, as well as our advisors for a trip to the mountains! UNI sponsors various activities for us, and this was one of them. We began at a supermarket and picked out food for our entire group to eat over the course of the next day and a half. We managed to spend $159 euros for everyone's meals that we would make. After this, we took off for the pueblo called RioSeco about an hour away. I'm so glad I fell asleep on the way because I got very carsick on the way home. Upon arrival, we immediately set off for our mountain hike. The path was called Roman Cazada, because the path was what was partially left from the Romans. Our advisors got us very excited saying how beautiful and easy it was. However, as soon as they said it would be over 5 hours long, and 11 kilo,s I started to doubt them. I was definitely right. We trekked straight uphill for 2 hours without rest. Finally, when we couldn't take anymore, we found a spot to lounge and eat our lunches. We stumbled upon possibly one of the best views for this spot. As we ate lunch and socialized, we had a breath taking view of the mountains and river below. After lunch, we continued on only to find that we had a mere 10 minutes left to the top. The view up top was grand also, and we stopped to take tons of photos. As we began our descent we were all thinking of how great it would be to give ourselves a rest. Little did we know, the path down was flooded. It took so long trying to jump from rock to rock, to patch of dry grass. Being as graceful as I am, I jumped for a rock, and completely missed. Thus, sending my shoes into thick mud. After about thirty or so minutes of this, we hit dry ground and it was easy going from there. Finally, we made it back, and started supper. We rented a house, and began alternating showers. Mine was so cold that I couldn't be all the way in it. We were totally roughing it. Haha. I also witnessed my first Spanish Spider. Luckily, my brave friend Emma came to my rescue, and killed it for me so I could continue on. Some girls made fajitas, chips and dip, and fruit salad and we all ate very well. We ended the night playing both Spanish and English games with our advisors. It was a very fun and satisfying day. The next morning we woke up, and it was my turn to help with the meal. I was in charge of making the 36 eggs. Once again, we ate until we couldn't any more, and relaxed until we left. As we were sitting around waiting to leave, we composed a list of the amount of food we all took down in two meals time. Prepare yourselves for this monstrosity:
36 eggs
4 jars of queso, 6 salsas
11 bags of chips
3 bags of cheetos
2 bags of tomato chips
10 liters of milk
4 bottles of Sunny Delight
7 bars of chocolate
8 liters of pop
30 muffins
30 tortillas
8 chicken breasts
3 pounds of strawberries
3 pineapples
6 onions
3 bags of oranges
2 boxes of cereal
3 bags of candy
3 peppers
Let's just say we had a very filling weekend as not very much was left over.....

This week was spent exactly the same as the last, enjoying the weather, and studying. Wednesday, me and a few girls were asked to come speak to our advisor's English class. We went with her to the school, and spent an hour and a half talking about our lives in Spain, differences we've noticed, and our lives in the US. The class got a lot out of it as they were all learning and had to interact with us in English. It was very interesting to hear their questions about our lives, and to find out their opinions. One interesting thing I learned is that going to college in Spain is a lot less expensive. Per year for a student's tuition in most public colleges rarely exceeds 1,500 US dollars. Pretty crazy! It was worthwhile interacting with them, as I think it beneficial for both parties.

Yesterday was a huge day in Spain, also. I'm not sure if it was on the news or anything, but yesterday was Spain's national Huelga (strike). Buses, trains, flights, stores, schools, banks, jobs all were closed down for the most part in big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Oviedo was still impacted, as most places were closed. Our airport remained open, but very few buses were operating to get there. This strike is supposed to force open the eyes of the Spanish Government to do more to stimulate the economy and help the people. The unemployment rate currently in Spain is exceeding 20% which I could not believe! According to Danny, the strike happens every year, and this year wasn't quite as bad as last years. He said there are usually riots, and many people in the street protesting. This happened a little in Oviedo, but no where near to the extent of Barcelona. I guess shops were burned down and huge massive riots were held in both Barcelona and Madrid. I'm not exactly how effective it will be, but I'm sure it definitely got the government's attention.

As I am writing this, I am packing and getting ready for my next adventure! In an hour I leave for Southern Spain. We will be visiting Malaga, Granada, and Sevilla with our ESN club until Tuesday. Tuesday morning, 5 of my friends and I will be taking a flight to the Canary Islands! I cannot wait to be lounging on the beach. I return to Oviedo Monday morning, and around that day, my Mom and Aunt will be arriving. Definitely a fun-filled busy next few weeks. So excited!

Madrid-London and everything in between!

Hi everyone!

It has been quite some time since my last entry, but I have been very busy. Last I left off, I was anxiously awaiting the RM soccer game in Madrid. After a 6 hour bus ride to Madrid, we arrived at 7AM. As you can probably imagine, not too much is happening at this hour. We ate breakfast and hung out in the bus station cafeteria waiting to start our day. We toured all famous plazas (Plaza Mayor, Plaza Espana) as well as the Royal Catedral and Palace. We walked around a lot, exploring this enormous city, and ended our sightseeing by going on a cable car ride over the city. The night, however, was complete when we went on our way to Santiago Bernabeu. Crowds were forming, people chanting, and fan memorabilia was everywhere. My friend Drea and I quickly found our seats in the grand stadium and waited giddily for the first whistle signaling the start of the game. The atmosphere was ballistic as there were songs and chants for every aspect of the game. In no time, Ronaldo scored the first goal sending the crowd (and me) into a frenzy. The rest of game kept this momentum as RM swept to a 5-0 win. After the game we headed to Burger King, then to the bus station to wait for our 2 AM bus (not the best part of our trip..) Overall, I liked Madrid. However, of all the cities I've been to so far in my travels, it was my least favorite. Nothing really stood out to me, and I didn't see the beauty in the city. Believe me though, the game made it so worthwhile!

The next week flew quickly. We met up with our advisors at one of their homes and learned how to make the traditional Tortilla Dish. Her kitchen was pretty small, so I did more listening to them instructing than actually making it. I did, though, do my share of eating it! We also explored more of Oviedo as we went to a museum that happened to be about 20 steps from my piso. I'm one to like art if there is a good history and explanation behind it, but this was all in Spanish. One of the paintings in the museum was of Spain's own Picasso, so that was awesome that I got the opportunity to see one of his paintings in real life. I also spent an entire afternoon with Cruz. She gave me a personal tour of the Catedral of Oviedo. I walk by and admire it everyday, yet I never had been inside. It was great hearing her perspective, especially since she is an art/history teacher. Saturday during the day, Cruz and Tino invited me on a biking escapade through the Austurian Mountains. I came out of my room thinking I was dressed appropriately, only to be given specific biking pants, a biking top, and biking gloves. Turns out, they bought me a helmet too. After I was done getting ready for my biking debut, or so it looked, we set off for the trails. They took me to La Senda de Los Osos (The path of the bears). This path wasn't too hilly, and we literally weaved our way through the mountains, caves, and over bridges. It was absolutely stunning, and such a beautiful, perfect day for it. Two hours later, we circled back around and ate a quaint lunch on the riverside. It was such a great day spent with my host family!

When Sunday FINALLY arrived, I scurried to the airport to pick up Marcus. I was pretty nervous that something had gone wrong with his flight or something along those lines, because I went with my friend Kelsey who was picking up her parents from the same flight. She has had a lot of bad luck with this, and I was hoping I wouldn't have the same. When we saw them through the automatic doors, we were so relieved and excited that Kelsey and I tried to go through. Needless to say we were quickly scolded by airport security. It was so great to be reunited after two long months! We spent the duration of Sunday touring Oviedo, and spending time on Gascona Street. For dinner, we ate with Cruz who was enthused to have a guest to cook for. On Monday Marcus, Emily, her boyfriend Ryan, and I all hiked to the top of Naranco together. Even though I've already done it twice, it never gets old. It is truly the best view of the city. Afterwards, we got a group together to meet on Gascona and play some cards/games and to enjoy some Sidra.

Tuesday after class the excitement began as Marcus and I headed for London. Our flight ended up going well, and before we knew it we were on the Stansted Express headed into the heart of London. We easily navigated the Tube and found our Hostel. We explored our district a little (East Court), and then headed back to prepare for the next day. After assembling all six maps we had acquired, we planned out our day. We started off going to Harrods, London's largest department store. While doing research, we found that this place reserves the right to turn down people at the door. Luckily, we made it in! We looked around a few floors, then headed to try some of England's famous tea and crumpets. After we finished that, we took the Tube to King's Cross Train Station. For anyone who immediately doesn't recognize this, you should discontinue reading my blog. Just kidding (kind of). King's Cross is where part of the Harry Potter Movies were taped. We made a beeline to platform 9 3/4 and had an almost embarrassingly long photo shoot. It was so amazing to be at the very wall where Daniel Radcliffe transported to the magical world of wizardcraft. When we had our fill of Harry Potter Fantasy, we went to Camden which is one of the largest markets in London. We walked around for hours exploring the little shops, and stopped to enjoy some Chinese food and DR. PEPPER. After not having Dr. Pepper in two month's time, it was safe to say I was just so refreshed! Our next destination was the British Museum. Here we saw the famous Rosetta Stone, and spent a lot of time looking at the Egyptian exhibits. I found it all very fascinating, especially the Museum's building structure. By this time, we were obviously masters of the Tube, and made our way to Eastern side of London to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the Thames River. My favorite out of all of these was easily the London Eye. The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel that overlooks the river, and at the top, a view of 25 miles. It was spectacular to say the least. We went later so it was stunning to see the city lit up at night. After all of this we went to Piccadilly Square which was my favorite district. Right after stepping out of the subway, we encountered a break dancing competition. We continued wandering around until we saw the UK's M&M World. I had never even heard of such a thing, but upon entrance we were greeted with 4 massive floors filled with every kind of M&M memorabilia that you could possibly ever want. It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, but pretty entertaining. After this packed day, we were starved and set off to find a restaurant to try England's famous "fish and chips" dinner which was very delicious and lived up to its expectations.

 I loved everything about London, and really didn't want to leave. I ended up getting what I wished for, as we missed our flight due to delays in the metro, as well as the train. They told us that we were going to have to wait until Sunday to get the next flight, which we realized we possibly could not do since that was how long Marcus was going to be here. After I had a small panic attack, we purchased new tickets that sent us to Bilbao. If you've been reading my blog, you'll recognize that I've been there already. While it wasn't the most desirable option since we had to take a night bus to Oviedo, it was still better than being stranded for days in  England. Especially when our plane landed, and it was announced that Bilbao Athletic had beaten Manchester United. Man-U is one of the best soccer teams in the world, so needless to say, the city was going nuts as Bilbao was the very unlikely underdog. We found a place to relax until our bus left, and then were finally on our way to Oviedo. Friday we spent the whole afternoon at one of the parks walking around, playing ping pong (there are outdoor tables set up everywhere?), and "working out" on the outdoor workout equipment. Saturday we took the train to Gijon, the ocean town near Oviedo, and explored the city walking along the coast. Both Friday and Saturday night we spent a lot of time with Tino and Cruz, as they went all out trying to show Marcus a good time. We had a traditional Austurian Supper consisting of calamari, mussels, tortilla, sidra, chorizo, and sushi. After dinner, Tino wanted me to demonstrate my newly acquired Salsa dancing skills. While Tino and I danced, Cruz took it upon herself to try and teach Marcus. I think she enjoyed the challenge :). The week went by too quickly since Marcus had to be on his plane early Sunday morning. It was so great seeing him, but so hard when he left! I got terribly homesick later, and I think it's mostly because he's the first person I've been in physical contact with since I've been gone, and it made me miss my family and friends THAT much more. It finally made me realize just how far away from home I really am.

This week started off great though, a perfect cure for homesickness, as we were surprised with Culture Week! This is a week during the month of March that we dedicate to cultural classes. Instead of our usual classes, we spend a week taking two classes each day that add to our culture experience. I signed up for cancion, y periodismo (singing, and newspaper writing). I love it so far! In my singing class, we were assigned a Spanish song and had to change the lyrics and part of the tune. This was fairly simple, and I was so thrilled by it until today. I found out we have to perform our songs in front of the whole school which makes me a little nervous! Yesterday, I also met my conversation partner. The purpose of a conversation partner is to practice my Spanish, and her English. We meet for about two hours and just talked about everything. Her name is Angela, and she's an English major so she loves talking with me already! I think this will definitely be very beneficial to my Spanish. Today, after class, my friend Emillie and I baked some chocolate chip cookies! We both ate so much dough and cookies that I could hardly eat supper, and now I have a terrible stomach ache. Guess that's what happens when you try and make up for two months worth of cookie cravings. However, these two months have flown already! Last week we hit the halfway point of the trip, and it's definitely bittersweet. I'm thrilled to see everyone again, but I do not want this experience to ever end. Once again, I am so blessed and so grateful for all of the opportunities I have had to come here.

Paradise in Oviedo

Hello Everyone!

This week has been one for the books. After Portugal, I was afraid I would be in a minor depression coming from a weekend filled with glorious weather. However, these last two weeks have been just as entirely gorgeous. Just about every day hit 60 degrees, and I would say we definitely took advantage of it. It also helped that I feel almost completely recovered from my cold. This is mildly surprising given my busy weekend! Saturday I went with Cruz and Tino to their Pueblos (pueblos means small town). We went to Cruz' first, and were greeted with a  large house in beautiful countryside. She told me that her house was originally owned by her great grandmother, and that she lives here each summer. It is three stories, containing six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large kitchen, and many gathering areas. Outside she has a lovely patio complete with a BBQ. She claims that the spacious house and outdoors are perfect for weekly family gatherings, and I can definitely imagine so. It seems like the perfect escape from city life. We ate and lounged there, then headed to Tino's town. It is near the mountains, and very noticeably colder. We weren't there long, just to pick up a bike for one of Cruz' friends. Both pueblos were very impressionable, and I was thrilled when Cruz told me that we would be returning there many weekends. When we arrived back in Oviedo that night, the city had completely transformed. Everyone was decked out in costumes, each restaurant or bar was extremely decorated, and you could hear music and fireworks all night. I went out with Cruz and Tino for a bit, so both me and Cruz sported our masks to go along with the festivities. On our way back home for dinner, we came to the end of a parade. It was so crazy! We followed it to the Cathedral where the entire plaza was filled with people. There was a stage set up, and people partying all night. Later, when I went out with my friends the above picture was taken on a street near where I live. While it was a little overwhelming, I loved every minute of it!

In contrast, the week started off a little more slowly. Monday was completely devoted to studying for my first exam in my Literature class. This is the class I have with quite possibly the most boring, monotone teacher. Thus, making paying attention in class quite the tall task. All of us that have the class met up together to study in a cafe. It was very helpful, and I left feeling very confident. The test went just as well, and I'm very happy with my results in my exams so far this semester. After school Tuesday a few of us headed to La Gorda, a statue on one of the main roads that has a bunch of benches. Because it was such a perfect day, we hung out there for a few hours reading, talking, and taking in the sun. Simultaneously, I guess we were putting on quite the show. As I've mentioned in previous blog entries, Spaniards are very blunt. They stare all they want, and tell you exactly what is on their mind. As we were just sitting there relaxing, the nearby benches filled up quickly. We had people constantly talking to us, asking where we were from, and laughing at us? It was so bizarre, but I guess we were doing the same. Pretty interesting to think that we were all sitting there talking about each other in our different languages, and neither party having a clue what the other was saying. There was even a guy who stopped to tell us we were foreigners. Like we haven't noticed...Wednesday brought yet more sunshine, so after school Michelle, Emillie, and I packed lunches and headed to El Parque Invierno. We hid our lunch food, and went for run. Safe to say I'm pretty out of shape, but it was nice to get a workout in. Thursday at our meeting with our advisors, we played the Spanish version of Scattegories (My FAV game ever), but it proved a LOT more difficult. We had a lot of fun, and I'm really starting to look forward to the weekly reunions. The rest of the week has flown by, and I have enjoyed the great weather. My weekend is about to get a lot more exciting, though, as I leave for Madrid tonight. We are going to Real Madrid soccer game tomorrow night!! It will be amazing, the games seem to have such a great atmosphere! Also, it will be fun to watch Christiano Ronaldo. He is not only a fine looking man, but an outstanding player.

As the weeks have continued to fly by, I have noticed still more cultural differences. As I continually mention, I'm so surprised with how blunt the Spanish people are. It seems like social acceptability is just up in the air, and nonexistent. This week, while walking home, two construction workers yelled, "RUBIA" across the plaza to each other, pointing me out. This caused many people to stop and stare as I walked by. Pretttttttty awkward. I also have friends who have told me that their host families never fail to point out their zits or other flaws. Thank goodness Cruz doesn't do this. However, even my Vocab professor is very blunt. She stood in front of our class demonstrating almond shaped eyes by putting her index fingers in the corner of her eyes and stretching her face. I was shocked! But, she has told us along with other people, that everyone speaks their minds always, and that most of the time they have good intentions. For example, she told us that instead of calling someone fat (gordo) you would call them gordito, and it's not offensive. It's pretty crazy how those two letters completely change the connotation of the word.  I don't think I'd be fine with either, frankly. Also, surprisingly, I was told that the police are very lax. I was talking to Danny yesterday, and he said that the police are never called, or really used unless it is something extreme. He said that for someone to get arrested you would have to set something on fire, or kill someone. He said they never break up parties, fights, or anything of that nature, that they are almost nonexistent. So strange when you compare this to the United States, perhaps crime rates are lower here? I thought that it was very interesting, I'll have to see what I can get away with. Just kidding mom and dad :)
 Other things I've noticed that are very different from home:
How many times I have seen/done things since my arrival....
Seen a gas station- 1
Charged my Spanish phone-3
Had actual take home homework-3
Seen alcohol in vending machines (even at school)?- countless
Seen any type of drive through eatery- 0 (like I have mentioned, no one is ever in a rush)

Random information, but surprising nonetheless.

Carnaval in Portugal!

Hola a Todos.. Ha sido un tiempo!

I am currently writing this on my first day being home from school sick. It's not all too surprising that I'm sick given my long and adventure filled weekend, as well as the fact that Cruz is just starting to get over her sickness. It's all worth it, though, because I spent this last Friday-Tuesday in Portugal. We loaded the buses with ESN at 12:30 AM Friday, and set our sights on Lisbon. After a night of meager rest, we arrived around 10:30AM in the beautiful city, to our coordinators blasting The Pirates Of The Caribbean theme song. While it was really annoying to anyone trying to sleep, I couldn't stop laughing. We dropped our stuff off at a hostel, and began a busy day. The first thing we did was go on a little city tour that led us to a trolley that took us to the best view of the city. At the very top of Lisbon sits an enormous castle. We spent about two hours in total exploring every crevice, and going to the top of each tower. Not to mention taking plenty of pictures the magnificent view. After this, we were given free time, and we all decided to spend the perfect, sunny day eating outside, as well as lounging in the sun by the city square. After about an hour, a few of us were even sunburned. Including me. On our way back to the hostel, we stumbled upon a parade. Not the usual parade you would think of, though. Right now in most of Europe, a celebration called Carnival is going on. It is the celebration of the days before lent begins, and there are many various activities that it includes. This parade consisted of people of all ages dressing up in ridiculous costumes, some bands, and just people walking along the parade throwing confetti. It was one of the craziest things I've ever seen. After this, my friends and I walked around the city and did some exploring. We went to this old famous elevator called BellaLisa that has another great view of the city. However, my ticket was the only one that worked, so I went by myself. So worth it for the bird's eye view! After, I met my friends at the bottom and we succumbed to eating McDonald's. I wish I could say this only happened once....but it happened again the following day. I don't regret it though, it was amazing! Just a little piece of home I guess. After this delightful snack, we went to the main plaza where there was a huge concert in celebration for carnival.  We only made it for the end of it, yet the vibe was great, and we all had a ton of fun.

The next morning, before we took off for our next Portuguese city, we made a little pit stop in Bellin.  It is famous for desserts, and is right on the water. It was once again an ideal day, so we walked the water front and encountered street performers, markets, and a TON of pigeons. Bellin is famously known for its desserts, so naturally we had to get that to try, also. It was great start to the morning. After a few hours we met up back at the bus and headed for the city of Porto. Because ESN is always, always, always running late we didn't get there until later (we were about 5 hours behind schedule). Most of us in our group were exhausted by the time we arrived, and so we decided to stay in and just chill in the hostel to rest up for the next day's events. 

After our hostel breakfast, we got ready for our city tour. We saw many monuments, and historical churches. My favorite part though was the river. Its sparkling blue waters made it our top destination in Porto for the next two days. We talked, ate, and napped by the riverside. We realized while relaxing that it is sort of a blessing that we do not have our phones. In the United States, we all would have been undoubtedly texting, but here it was just so nice to not constantly have the interruption of technology. ESN organized a wine tasting for us for the famous Porto wine, as well as boat tour. I don't really know much about wine not being 21, but the tour of the business was very interesting. The boat tour offered breathtaking views, and so it was one of my favorite parts. The rest of the trip was spent looking in various stores, and getting ready for carnival. I purchased a cheap mask, as did most of my friends, and we got ready for the celebration! It was one of my favorite nights I've had in Europe yet! Portugal was definitely worth every cent that I spent, I loved every minute of the warm sunny cities. I would easily go back in heartbeat, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I was given. It is so hard for me to believe that I only have about three more months in this paradise, time is flying so quickly. 

Things is Oviedo are about the same, except brilliantly sunny :). It definitely helped sooth the blow from coming back from the perfect climate of Portugal. Last week I had my first round of exams, and I was pretty nervous because I had no idea what to expect for testing. They all went very well, and I am hoping that I can keep it up for the rest of the semester. I am really looking forward to this weekend, as it is Carnival in Oviedo.  Get ready for a lot more crazy pictures and crazy costumes! I am hoping that I will be feeling better so I can enjoy the weekend, and with my antibiotics I received today that seems very possible! It has been hard being away from home this past week as Madalyn had her ACL reconstruction surgery, but all went well, and thanks to my dad's new Skype app on his phone I've been able to keep in touch with my family a lot easily (it's been used about 6 times in 2 days). Haha, not a bad thing, though. However, please keep her in your prayers!

Soccer At Last

Hello Everyone!

This week's entry will most likely be shorter than the rest. However, I guess we'll see what happens by the time I am actually finished :). I had an excellent week, but not much has been new news to report. Per usual, I will begin with the weather. Last week was miserable, and the rain didn't really let up until Friday. Tuesday was the worst day, as I woke up late. Knowing I couldn't miss my first class, I grabbed my stuff and took off. I ran the entire way to school in a downpour only arriving a few minutes late. At the end of the day, the weather seemed to not let up at all. Although, my entire walk home is uphill. Thus, I was trudging uphill in tide-like conditions. Kidding, sort of. My shoes were completely soaked through by the time I was halfway there, and the highlight was when I was standing too close to the street not paying attention, waiting for the light to change. While doing so, a car layed on its horn, and zoomed by inches in front of me. Conveniently, there was a huge puddle right in front of me, and I got completely soaked. Words can't describe how goofy the look was that Cruz gave me when I arrived home holding an umbrella, yet completely soaked.

In contrast, Wednesday proved to be a much better day. I was invited at the Superbowl party last week to play soccer. Through word of mouth, I showed up at the meeting place to quickly find out I would be the only girl. Not that unusual, considering most of the pick up games I play at home are the same way. However, I was pretty nervous because this is Europe, and most people learn how to play from the time they start walking. Since I have been dying to play since I've arrived, I still jumped on the opportunity. Quickly, the Spanish guys we played against let it be known that almost no girls play in Spain. I ended up being able to hold my own pretty well, scoring a goal and having an assist out of three goals. I should also mention, though, that I fell down countless times and even got hit full force in the face with the ball. So graceful. The first hour was pretty fun, but because there were no subs and it seemed intense the entire time, I got exhausted and was dragging the final half hour. Oh, I had to play goalie too. Not my best position....

Thursday we met up with our advisors. Paula brought an advice book that each group of students fills out at the end of each semester. It was so amazing to get the chance to read it, and hear about the experiences the other students had. The best part was reading the funny advice and comments about the teachers. We spent a solid half hour mimicking some of the weird quirks of our professors, and ended up laughing until we were all crying. Each and every entry solidified, once again, that this will be the best experience of our lives. They all highly suggested to try our best to immerse ourselves in the language and culture. Also, the entries all said something along the lines of don't worry about the money that you spend, because it is the best possible way you could spend it. I am a little precarious about that bit of advice, but it is the best time in my life for traveling.

Friday I was asked to play soccer again, so I headed out right after school. I was even more nervous because one of the guys told me that this is a lot more intense, and taken more seriously (news to me, I thought the last time was taken seriously too). I was still so sore from the last time we played, but I figured nothing would help it more than to play again. The guys we played this time were all very good, but I seemed to be able to keep up the entire time. When I got back to the pizo, I was taking my shoes off when I noticed my entire sock was drenched with blood. Cruz freaked out, and kept saying we should go to the hospital. Luckily, Danny was around to calm her down, and tell her it wasn't a big deal since all I could do was stiffle my laugh since I was imaging how different my dad's reaction would be. It ended up being that my largest toe nail was cut, and completely destroyed. Pretty painful to walk on, but Cruz went to the pharmacy and got me a little contraption to put around my toe. Friday night was pretty chill as we headed to an apartment that our friends from Boston own. Cruz is pretty sick right now, so there really wasn't much going on around the house.

Today I woke up, and went with some friends to the market. It is my favorite way to spend Sunday because the atmosphere is absolutely marvelous. The streets were packed, vendors were haggling, and some live music from street performers was blaring. I found a few treasures that I already cannot wait to give to people back home. Because it was very cold out, we headed home early. Thank goodness, though, because at the door I was greeted with a huge rib dinner. It was hands down one of the best meals I have had here, and filled me up quickly.

I know this hasn't been the most exciting blog entry, but I've been studying a lot for two exams I have this coming week. I'm not sure what to expect in either one, so I guess I'll just have to find out. My Spanish has improved greatly, and I also seem to be a lot more confident in my speaking. Already, though, I can feel my English declining quickly. I know that may seem strange, but I keep finding myself using the same sentence structure as is used in Spanish Grammar. My favorite example: "What are you doing tonight for the party of Superbowl?" I also seem to be a lot less careless when it comes to making grammatical errors, so I apologize if any of you have noticed this.  This weekend I will be heading to Portugal with the club, so that seems to be promising as far as my next week's blog entry goes.

Where Has The Time Gone?

Hi Everyone!

Once again I have the same intro, but I really have had another great week.  On Tuesday Kelsey, Lara, and I decided that we were going to climb Mt. Naranco again. This is excellent exercise, and we wanted to memorize the way to the top so that we could take those we knew when they came to visit. We only took one wrong turn, which is pretty impressive considering there is one sign in four kilometers, and since we take many very small, one person wide paths. We brought our lunches, and it was so worth the time it took to go up. Even though I'd already seen the view, it seemed just as impressionable as the first time.

The weather here has continued to hold consistent to its reputation, and I've made the bold observation that Oviedo weather is crazier than Iowa weather. I really didn't think I would ever be able to say that about any place. On my way to school on Wednesday I unfortunately stepped outside into snow flurries (I really shouldn't be so spoiled in my thinking, because snow flurries are still 10X better than the snow filled ditches I would see at home). It was so strange and very comical to walk to school, because the people here are so dramatic when it comes to the weather. Heaven forbid it should get to 30 degrees. I saw countless long fur coats, people with covered faces, and even snow boots. The best thing I saw, though, were ALL of the people using their umbrellas for the snow. I got a really good laugh out of it. When I left school, it seemed the weather had drastically changed. It was sunny, and had heated up about 20 degrees. I got really warm walking home, and there was no sign of any snow. Pretty crazy.

Thursday was definitely one of two highlights of my week. We usually meet with our advisors at a local bar to discuss our classes and daily life, but this week we were invited to join them for free dancing lessons. I was a little skeptical at first because they were said to be taught in Spanish, which is challenging enough considering I would have problems understanding dancing lessons in English. Our first class was break dancing. Yep, break dancing. It was also my favorite, and the easiest for me since I have so much swag. Haha, just kidding. Seriously though. It was so fun.The only thing I could half way decently do was a headstand which really surprised me. The next class was the Flamenco. I decided to just watch it since I was pretty tired from all the break dancing. I'm pretty sure I made the right decision since the dance included intricate steps while moving your hands and wrists at the same time. Every single person in that class had some difficulties with it, except for Kelsey being a  fabulous dancer back home and all. After the Flamenco was belly dancing. It was the most packed class with girls/women of all ages. The instructor made us reveal our stomachs so that she would make sure we were doing it right which was weird at first. It was the most challenging thing I can say that I've tried yet.  I would try it again for sure. The final class was  the Salsa. I felt like I had a good understanding and grip in that class since Tino and I dance together nearly every weekend. All in all, it was a very exciting and fun night until I got super lost on the way home. It took me nearly fifty minutes to find my way home, but I love the city so much that I didn't mind it. Especially since having to ask in Spanish for directions and navigate using the Spanish street system isn't the easiest thing. Very great practice though. Also on Thursday, a girl , Lisa, from England came to stay with us for the weekend. She stayed with Cruz in the past and decided to come for the weekend to catch up and visit. I really liked hanging out with her, and it was so nice to hear about her experience and relate it to mine. Also, having someone to talk to in English at dinners was a relief since she could translate some things for me.

Yesterday was my other highlight. Cruz woke me up early and her, Tino, Lisa, and myself went to the coast for a picnic and a hike. The hike took a few hours, but it was so worthwhile. We were constantly surrounded by a snowy mountain range on one side, and the beautiful, sparkling ocean on the other. After we stopped briefly for lunch, we walked to a cliff side where I encountered the strangest sight. We saw the bufones, which translates to jesters in English. I've never seen anything so miraculous before. There were many deep craters in the ground and when the wind and ocean would pick up, the water would spray out of the top right in front of your eyes. The day we went wasn't even that windy, but I still was so impressed and in awe of its beauty. I undoubtedly want to go back again.  After we came back I took a long nap, because I knew I was going to have a long night ahead of me. All of the girls and I went to a local bar to watch the Superbowl.  While I'm not big into the NFL, they offered hot dogs and tacos. Naturally, it was quickly added to my calendar. With the time change, the game started at 12:30 AM. It was such a blast to hang out with everyone, and some of our other American friends we've met here. Since I didn't get to bed until nearly 5 AM, today proved to be a rough day for class, but I just somehow managed to not fall asleep.

Here are some more cultural differences that I've noticed more in the past few weeks. First of all, I've seen some police officers walking around. It's very hard to take them seriously when their uniform is similar to leggings, boots, and a helmet. I also think another reason I find it hard to take them seriously is because I imagine my Uncle Jason wearing a similar getup. Another thing I've noticed while being here is that nearly everyone has a blatant staring problem. It seems no matter how European I dress or try to fit in, it's still completely obvious I am tourist. Not to mention that aside from my American friends, my name is known as "La Rubia" or the blonde. No kidding, everywhere I go, people will give me weird look and stare at me the entire time I walk by, and EVERYONE calls me the blonde. Other things I've noticed have had to do yet again with food.  I am completely addicted to this candy called Regaliz. It is a long thin piece of fruit flavored delight covered in sugar. Luckily, a bag only costs one euro which so far is kind of adding up. Whoops :). The next difference I noticed is that desert is mandatory after each and every meal. I know it's utterly ridiculous to complain about this, but for some unknown reason, out of every person seated at our table, I get the largest proportions of food. Maybe because Americans are known to eat more? Either way it's not even a little bit rational, and I can never finish my plate. By the time I try and stuff myself full of the normal meal, Cruz is creating a platter of desert. Cookies, fruit, and yogurt are usually what it entails, but lately there has been a lot of cake and other sweets. I honestly hardly ever want it, but every time I say I do not, I think Cruz gets offended so I try and eat less to save room for desert. Unsurprisingly, this past weekend brought some more interesting food. I hate to admit it, but after I completely devoured what I thought was a chicken leg, it turned out being a rabbit leg. :S I'm also pretty sure that Tino said we might have horse, which I really don't think I'll be able to do unless I eat it without asking. This has been my strategy thus far, but after this experience I might reconsider.

As my title suggests, the time has flown since I have been here. It's been one month already, and I cannot believe it. Is it strange that I already have a sickening feeling knotting up in my stomach when I think of leaving in four months? I'll have to take advantage of every second of every day while I am here. I have updated my facebook album with more pictures from the weekend from our dancing lessons, to showing some of the food dishes we've consumed. Feel free to check it out! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2670660284063.2123741.1182780102&type=3