Its coming to an end :(

This past weekend was so much fun and I have more amazing memories to add to my collection. We went to Nerja for Friday and Saturday and of course it was the most beautiful weather for the beach. The first day we found a smaller beach in a little cove surrounded with rocks with some huge waves. We all eventually ended up in the water even though it wasn't particularly warm. We had a blast tackling each other, dodging waves, and almost peeing our pants (even though we would have been safe because we were in the water :) ) laughing. Then we would crawl back to our towels (cabanna for me because I needed some shade being fair skin and all) soaked up more sun until we were hot again and headed back out to the water. After we were done at the beach for the day we went back to the hostel, showered, and of course being with 2 boys in our group went out looking for some food. We were going to go to a pizzeria but on that day in Nerja there was a feria (a festival) and pretty much everything was closed except a gas station and this one restaurant that we stumbled across owned by a guy from England. So by this time we are all starving and will eat anything. We all ordered little individual pizzas which I'm sure were microwaved but at that point I didn't care. After dinner we walked to the gas station to get more food. What a surprise! I mean actually I'm not surprised at all; living in a Spanish woman's house for the last 4 months of course I would need more food. My stomach has learned to stretch its limit to be able to consume the MOUNTAIN of food that is on my plate EVERYDAY! Then we had a pretty wild night with all our friends that came down to Nerja as well with the drinking age being 18 and all...need I say more? And the next day our plans were another day at the beach. Could it get any better?! It was a nice relaxing day, the waves weren't as big so we didn't play in the water as much but more friends joined us form Granada and we definitely enjoyed our last weekend at the beach. We took the afternoon bus back to Granada so we could get back in time to do some last minute studying before finals. That night (Saturday) we met up with Jeff and Mitch to go up to the mirador to see it one last time at night. It was so nice, all of us sitting on the ledge gazing up at the Alhambra all lit up at night sharing our memories, stories, and what we will miss about Granada. It was really a picturesque night; I felt like I was in a movie and what is the most unreal about it is that my time here in Spain is almost over. The next day, Sunday, I was very productive with getting all my studies out of the way and making last minute plans for when my parents come. After my day of being so focused I just needed some Tagallina ice cream so Tammy and I trekked up to Plaza Real and on our way we saw a procession (like Semana Santa) it was so amazing and unexpected. I love that about Granada you could just be leaving to go on an evening walk and find a concert, procession, or a flamenco proformance in Plaza Carmen. We watched the procession for a while, it was the Virgen Maria. The imagen (the image on top) was beautiful with candles and flowers. We ate our delicious ice cream cones and strolled back to our piso on the warm May evening. Then Monday made my way through 2 finals and then celebrated Jeff's last night in Granada by going to a teteria. I've started to say goodbye to people little by little and Thursday will be the worst because most everybody leaves on that day. Cassandra and I will be making the journey to the airport with everybody with panuelos (Kleenex) stuffed in our pockets to say goodbye. Then it will really set in that the semester abroad is over. 

The tip of the iceberg

So I have been in Morocco for 2 full days and starting a third. I am on the bus on our way to the Rif Mountains. I don't even know where to start! We took the bus from Granada to Algeciras (about 3 hours), got off the bus and waited around for our group leaders. These two young guys walked up to us asking us if we were part of Morocco Exchange of course we all said yes because it was quite obvious as we were the only ones left in the bus station and we are all clearly American. These guys turned out to be our trip leaders, Ben and Rick. So we made our way to the hostel for the night before we headed off to the port to catch the ferry to Africa in the morning. The ferry ride was really nice because it was only about an hour and I stayed out on the deck the whole ride admiring the scenery and watching the land of Africa slowly approach. The closer we got the more excited I became knowing that I was going to have one of the best experiences of my life.

Our first stop after the ferry we went to a woman's center, Darna, in Tanger. We met with 3 Moroccan students and had a group conversation over Moroccan mint tea and pastries asking questions about the culture, religion, and their daily lives. They were so curious and eager to share what their life is like because as Moroccans they aren't able to travel as Americans do. The way they travel is through the people that come to their country. This conversation was just a start to all the discovery and hundreds of questions for the trip. We had lunch at the center which was couscous with vegetables and chicken, which was delicious! On Friday's in Morocco it is a tradition to have couscous because it is a nice family meal when everyone gathers for Friday prayer at the mosque. Friday is the most holy day of the week in Islam. After the delicious meal we got onto the bus to Asilah along the Atlantic Coast and we made a stop along the way on the beach the ride camels! CAMELS! I couldn't believe it. Of course everybody said, "Taylor, go first, get on get on!" I didn't even have any time to process that there was actually camels in front of me before I hopped onto the camel's hump and teeter-tottering from side to side as the camel stood up. I have never seen a camel stand up before but let me tell you...hold on for your dear life! And it was especially hard because I was the guinea pig for everybody else so I had no idea what to expect. It was so much fun, you are up so high! Then after I got off, actually it wasn't that simple I didn't just get off. I had to hold on for my life again so I wouldn't flip and roll off the front of the camel. Then after the camel hits the sand with a thud then you can get off. Then I had the pleasure of watching everybody else go through the whole process which was just as fun. There was a baby camel that was a month old and the guy that owned the camels wanted me to walk it. So I grabbed the strap and pulled the baby to walk along with me but it wasn't going anywhere. It was so stubborn; it would bellow/yelp/moan and then finally I just decided to try running. I started running down the beach and the baby camel started to awkwardly run/gallop after me :) I never ever thought I would say that I have run on a beach in Africa with a baby camel! After all of that fun we hopped back onto the bus to the Medina of Asilah where we just took a walk through saw a mosque and wandered through the Jewish part of town which looks just like Greece because all the buildings are white and blue...absolutely beautiful. Since I won't have the chance to go to Greece at least I had a taste of what it might be like. After we made our way to Rabat, which is the capital of Morocco, for the night. As soon we got off the bus we met our home stay families. Tammy, Brigette, and I stayed with a family of 5 people; 2 younger girls, Aya and Zenib, a man, Ahmir, and then the 2 parents. None of them spoke Spanish and very very little English but they did speak French (the second language of Morocco). But they had a nephew, Chafie, who spoke English really well and hilarious! He is 23, a surf instructor, pretty much the best surfer in Rabat, and is known by everyone. You would walk down the street with him and it would take 15 minutes just to get down the street because he had so many to stop and say hi to. He was really fun and always concerned if we were happy and having fun. Everybody in Morocco is so genuinely nice; it is so interesting how different ways of life change how you are as a person. So on the first night Chafie took us around Rabat and showed us some of his favorite stuff. Then the next morning  I woke up and had the wonderful surprise of being sick! :) At first it was just a stomach ache and a little queasy but then it quickly and progressively got worse. It was definitely not fun being sick and I really did not want to miss out on anything so I tried to tell myself that I'm not sick . Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't. I was sick for Saturday, Sunday, a little bit of Monday but it's alright it happened and there was nothing I could do about it. It was kind of disappointing because Moroccan food was so delicious but even just walking through the market and smelling all of the spices made me want to puke but I did get one day of eating the food before I got sick. 

On the second day (yes it is only the second day...our days were packed!) we went to a French school and had a discussion with a professor there about "West and Islamic worlds- images about each other." It was more informative than a discussion which I hoped it would be but I still benefited from the meeting. One of the professors published a book called "Requisition of the Arab and Islamic Mind" which I bought and am very excited to read. After we went and visited the Roman ruins (Chellah) and the Mausoleum of Kind Mohammed V. Chellah was beautiful, it was a natural park with Roman ruins (where aren't there Roman ruins?). There were tons of storks in Chellah and the babies just hatched so they were everywhere! Storks in Africa are a protected species so there is definitely not a shortage of them anymore. In Chellah there was also ruins of a mosque with a pond with dark little caves with eels. There is a belief that if you throw pieces of egg in the pond and an eel eats your egg then you'll become pregnant soon. So women who were trying to conceive would come to this pond with this belief and there are still eels in the pond to this very day. The Mausoleum of King Mohammed V was absolutely beautiful, it was supposedly going to be one the biggest mosques but when Mohammed V died it was never finished and throughout the years has been damaged by earthquakes so it is definitely not up to its potential. Then we headed back to our home stays for lunch. Although I wasn't able to eat anything  it still looked delicious; I took a nap while everyone else ate and that helped give me a little boost since I wasn't feeling good at all. After lunch or next thing on our agenda was go experience the Kashba and street life in the medina market. We were separated into smaller groups and paired up with students from Amideast/Rabat University and wandered around Rabat talking with the students asking them questions. They decided to stop and take us to a cafe that had the famous Moroccan mint tea (which is delicious) and pool tables all around. I'm not sure if they call it pool but the game was very similar. That was a lot of fun and it was so interesting to see the differences between our lives with the Moroccan students even though we are all students and the same age. Then later that night the rest of the group went to the Hammam, which is like a public bath where they have different temperatures of water and you scrub your body with different soaps and do different treatments. I didn't go because it is like a sauna in there and dehydrates you and I was already dehydrated and weak as it was; I think I would've fainted if I went so I stayed behind with our group leader Ben and Chafie. We went on a little walk and got some natural yogurt (really natural) with some sort of chocolate sauce on top. Chafie gave me a bracelet and said that if I ever come back to Morocco he'll teach me how to surf. He is so comical; he called me his buddy but the way he said buddy with this accent was hilarious. He was such a nice person; the perfect example of a typical Moroccan person. 

The next morning we left Rabat and made our way to the Rif Mountains. We hiked into a village to have lunch in a house of a family and to have a conversation with the family about their life in this small village. The whole speed of life changed going from Rabat, the busy capital of Morocco, to this small mountain village. We all squeezed into their living room and enjoyed a traditional meal of couscous and mint tea. After we finished we asked the family about their daily activities, their farm, religion, economic challenges of rural areas of Morocco, etc. I really enjoyed how Morocco Exchange incorporated many different perspectives from the Moroccan people. I really got the sense of the culture as a whole form many points of view. We hopped back onto the bus to drive to Chefchaouen (our final stop). When we arrived we settled into our hostel and then walked around the Medina and did some souvenir shopping. After we had dinner altogether in a restaurant in the Medina as it was our last night in Morocco. To finish off our night we met as a group up on the roof terrace of our hostel to reflect about the trip. It was really cool to hear what other people had to say about being in Morocco. Even though we all did the same things and were in the same places we all experienced it differently and absorbed different aspects from the trip. What I absorbed form the Morocco trip is that the people here take you for you not for where you are from and open up to you regardless what's happening in the media. They form their own opinions about people not letting the news and media shape their views of you. They are truly and deeply interested in you and they will do anything in their power to help you. They are hands down some of the most honestly nicest people I have ever met. It amazes me because they have so many reasons why they could not be so kind; the fact that they can't easily get out of their own country to travel or find a job, their financial situations, or the stereotypes held on them by people who don't even know them. But the kindness of their hearts pushes all that aside and treat you how they would like to be treated. Morocco really put things into perspective for me because as Americans we take every little simple aspect of our lives for granted. We were passing over the border between Chefchaouen, Morocco and Ceuta, Spain (Spanish city in Morocco) and there were hundreds of people crowding around border control windows trying to shove their way to the front to get their passports cleared so they could cross the border. Many people were getting denied and here we are having no trouble getting across because we are Americans. Why is it so easy for us and not for them? We have so many privileges that they would be so appreciative for and yet it doesn't even come to mind that it is not the same for other people. I want to go back to Africa after I finish med school and do Doctors without Borders. I want to give people something from me that they rightly deserve just as any other person in this world deserves. People as what was your favorite part about Morocco? I don't respond with the delicious food, riding camels, or the Roman ruins in Chellah but the people. The people of Morocco were my favorite part.

I was sad to leave Africa. It was such a rich and memorable experience that I wanted more and I didn't want it to end. With our groups we talked about experiencing some culture shock going back into Spain because its almost like two different worlds. And as soon as I stepped out of the bus station I could already see the differences; people bumping into you not saying excuse me or even a warm smile as you passed like what was experienced in Morocco. Here's a poem that I really like that Ben (our group leader) gave us along with some tips on how to continue your experience ad deal with the differences in culture.

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.

I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.  -Oriah M.D.

I won't forget who I met and what I experienced in Morocco and I plan to have the opportunity again in the future because I know I haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg. 

Off to Africa!

Getting ready for Morocco...can't wait!!! I read the itinerary and watched the documentary on the website and I am so excited. I have a feeling that the expectations that I have are going to be blown out of the water by what I'm actually going to experience. :)  Can't wait to write about it! Then right after Morocco I'm off to Ireland. It's crazy how many trips I have coming up and how many countries I will be going to in the next 3 weeks (Africa, Ireland, and Portugal!) A different country every week. Miss you all and talk to you soon!

p.s.- I just posted a whole bunch of pictures if you want to check it out!

for pictures... http://photobucket.com/taylorspain

itinerary and documentary of Morocco... infomoroccoexchange.org

Barcelona

Thursday March 27th

It was so nice taking the plane straight from Granada to Barcelona with no long 5 hour bus ride to Madrid for our flight. We found our hostel after a few trial and errors but we did it. When we walked through the door both Tammy and I looked at each other, it was as if we had went back in time into a ancient Spanish hotel; very high ceilings, antique furniture, and that old, beachy smell. It is run by an old couple who live here and the whole place in furnished like a house; very homey and cozy but odd at first. Dropped off our stuff and headed out to explore and get the feel for the area. We got ice cream close to our place which was DELICIOUS then just took in the liveliness of Las Ramblas at night.

Friday March 28th

We got a pretty early start to the Broqueria market which is the largest fresh market in Spain (definitely not anywhere close to Pike Place) with tons of exotic fruit, EVERYTHING from animals  (sheep heads complete with teeth and eyes, everything inside and out) which is considered just meat or types of meat here in Spain, breads, and candy (which was way too expensive which I learned from experience). So here's my candy story...so I put all the little candies in a bag that I wanted of course all of the different flavors mixed because that is how you do it in all the rest of Spain! Well the vendor put it on the scale and said, "6 euros". I was like 6 euros?! What?! and the lady acted like it was nothing and nodded yes and her reasoning was because it was mixed. And I refused to pay that much money for stupid candy so then the lady asked me to put each and every kind back into its little place. It was so ridiculous I wanted to set it down and walk away but I nicely stood there and sorted it all out for her. The market also had seafood (all different and tons of types) including sea urchin, huge eels, and baby octopus. We also got to experience Las Ramblas during the day which was just as lively and entertaining as the night. Tons of street performers were getting ready and putting on their face make-up for their costumes. Flower and pet kiosks also lined the sides of the strip. In my Spain book it said that kids bring their parents to Las Ramblas to buy them pets on Sundays. There were even little baby sea turtles in water swimming around! They were so cute. :) Barcelona had a lot of big commercial streets, black and yellow taxis instead of green and white ones like in Granada, different language (Catalan) even though there was still a lot of Spanish, not as many dogs as Granada, not a lot of tapas :(, and tons of tourists (a lot of English being spoken). So it was very different form the rest of Spain.

Saturday March 29th

Went to the Broqueria Market for breakfast and met Tammy's friends that are studying abroad in Wales. It was really cold and rainy which was kind of a bummer but we still got a lot of sight seeing in. We saw Columbus' statue where he is pointing to the "Americas" but technically he is pointing the wrong way because the statue is pointing east out to sea but America is to the west inland of Spain. We saw all of the Olympic buildings from the 92 Olympics and then to finish off our day we saw the Magic Fountain show in front of the Catalan Art Museum which was so amazing, colorful, and so much fun!

Oh you know...just travelin around Spain :)

Wow I am so lucky! This popped into my head when I was sitting in a plaza in Cordoba eating a delicious ice cream cone in the warm sun with the infamous Mezquita in the background.  This weekend we went to Salobrena, which is a beach about a hour away from Granada. It was really fun; our search for a frisbee finally ended when we found one in Salobrena. So we spent the day playing frisbee , soaking up the sun, and might I add I swam in the Mediterranean! The water was too cold last weekend in Almunecar but this weekend I ventured out into the sea several times, it was so refreshing! :) Then we cam back to Granada and left for Cordoba the next morning, The first thing we saw in Cordoba was The Mezquita. The Mezquita is an extraordinary figure mixed with Islamic and Christian influence. It was first a Visigothic church built in the 5th century then when the Moors ruled Abd Al-Rahman bought the church, leveled it to build the mosque but there are still ruins from the church below the mosque today. The mosque contains 850 columns topped with double arches to reflect the immensity and complexity of God's creation. Then in 1236 Christians conquered the city and turned the mosque into a church. Most of the mosque was kept intact except in the middle where 16 columns were removed to make way for a Gothic chapel. It was amazing to walk through and see the different styles and types of architecture all in one place. Also in Cordoba believe it or not there is also a Jewish Quarter form the late Middle Ages and has one of three synagogues in Spain. This synagogue that we saw was the last and only one to still be preserved in Spain today. All in all the day in Cordoba was perfect!  

March 12th

The weather is fantastic and it is supposed to continue to be so keep your fingers crossed! Last night we had our first soccer game and it was so much fun playing again! Of course we WON!!! Lol jk, the score was 3-2. It actually got pretty aggressive. I know I am very competitive but I thought that would build up as the games went on, only being intramurals, but nope as soon as I stepped on the field I was full throttle. J It was so fun and I have missed it so much. The field was cement and smaller so it was an indoor field outside, which was interesting but fun cause it was quick and fast paced. The next morning I was a bit sore having used some muscles that I haven’t used in a while. Lol Tammy and I were talking how it makes us feel old when we are sore the next day from just playing one soccer game. Compared to when we were much younger we could just go out and play no matter what sport it was and play without any soreness afterwards. Yes yes…now I know all you ol’ folks reading this are laughing because you’re thinking what is she talking about she is only twenty! I’ll you keep you updated with the status of my team and how we do in the league. I’m goin for the big win of the whole league!

 

Segovia

This past weekend we went to Segovia from Madrid and again as I always say in every journal entry...it was beautiful. The Roman aquaduct towered in the middle of the city, standing tall for 2000 years and counting. The aguaduct was made without mortar or anything, just support and balance from the stones themselves have kept this piece of ancient history standing. And until this day it can still hold a stream of water and function as it did 2000 years ago. The cathedral was also a sight to see with the rich, cream color of the stone against the bright blue of the sky. It was a perfect day; no clouds and warm sun. On the other side of the city was the Alcazar. Primarily was a palace, prison, and artilerary school but burnt down and was rebuilt to be a museum that is somewhat Disneyesque looking like a castle on a cliff. Like yesterday  we started to roam and wader wherever the wind took us; stopping and sitting on an ancient Roman wall and watching the geckos scurrying around. I love not having any time restraints or rushing from sight to sight because then I believe you miss all the details and real beauty of the city.  

Mas fotos

http://photobucket.com/taylorspain

Weekend Day Trips from Madrid

This weekend we took the bus up to Madrid and did day trips to Toledo, Segovia, and El Escorial. Yesterday we went to Toledo, it was a quick 45 minute bus ride from Madrid. It was beautiful of course. The town was basically a little circle on the top of a hill with a stream running at the base of the hill. It was so funny because we took a tourist train around the city, it was the cheesiest looking little antique train that "typical tourists" take, snapping every picture they can regardless if its a good shot or not. So, I guess we were "typical tourists" for the day. It was well worth it though, the train took us to parts of the city with spectacular views that we would not have known to go to or how to get there. Toledo was just this fortress city where you could only get into the city by crossing a bridge and climbing up the hill into the heart of town. Toledo is known for mazapan with many different varieties with your choice of nuts, fruits, sugar, or plain. After seeing all of the sights we wanted to see we just wandered around the city. We ended up walking around the outer edge on a pathway that overlooked the stream at the bottom of the hill. It was so nice just taking our time and venturing out of the "typical tourist" areas. As we were walking around and talking I realized that I forget that I'm in Spain and that I have the ability to travel all throughout Europe. The thought that I'm actually living in Spain. I get so wrapped up into my routine and schedule and forget to appreciate the small things like walking to school everyday passing so much history or looking out the window on the bus rides to really absorb how beautiful the countryside is. But sometimes the realization smacks me in the face every once in a while but I think the most profound and ultimate smack in the face will come when I return home to all the familiar places and faces and think...I just lived in Spain for 5 months...WOW! 

More pictures :)

I added some more pictures so check it out! Here's the link...

http://photobucket.com/taylorspain

February 27th

Today I went to the Alhambra for the second time but with my Art History class. It was sunnier and warmer this time which was really nice. I will never get tired of going to the Alhambra it is so beautiful and there is so much to see so it doesn't feel like you are seeing the same things every time. This time we got to take more time and really admire all of the details. More flowers were sprouting up in the Generalife gardens but definitely not to the full capacity. I can't wait to go back at the end of the semester to see it one last time and with all the flowers in full bloom. Then we got delicious and I mean DELICIOUS ice cream in Plaza Nueva and strolled around there for a while. Then we just explored random streets around Granada. We left @ 10:30 am and got back @ 7 pm. 8 1/2 hours??!!! of walking all over the city and the only time we sat down was for lunch for only about 20 minutes. If I were to do that in the U.S. I would be dead but today I thought nothing of it. What a Spaniard I've become!  :)

February 24th

Today is my birthday!!! Its been a great day so far. Tammy surprised me with flowers, my fav candy, and 3 books! All my favorite things. :) Then Julia made a special lunch that she has been planning for a couple weeks. She ordered a cute birthday cake from the pasteleria by our house and set the table with special dishes and table cloth. It was so cute how excited she was to do this for me. 

I haven't written for a while, busy with going to classes during the week and this past weekend went to Carnival in Cadiz. Carnival is a huge thing in Spain; people come from all over just to go. There was music, singing groups, parades, people dressed up in costumes, and good food EVERYWHERE! I could not believe how many people were actually there. And of course being in Spain people stayed out until 6 or 7 in the morning partying in the streets. Absolutely crazy! We tried to fit in with what we thought were extravagant, colorful masks but of course people out did us with their crazy costumes. It was fun and definitely an experience. 

***Went shopping on Wednesday the 25th for my birthday presents with my birthday money!!! I got 3 tops, 3 tank tops, a jacket, and a dress. SO CUTE!

Pictures!

Finally! and more to come...

http://photobucket.com/taylorspain 

Sierra Nevada

Today we went up to the Sierra Nevada, about a 20 minute drive outside of Granada, and hiked. It was absolutely spectacular! The view was not only panoramic but a complete 360 view of the Sierra Nevada and Granada off in the distance. The sun was warm, the skies were clear, and there was absolute silence in the mountains. As we were walking back we even saw a mountain goat which is really rare at this time in the season. Our hike was a nice break from the city and the clean fresh air was refreshing to breathe in. On our drive back we stopped in a small town called Monachil. Monachil was more of a town where people lived in houses instead of apartments with narrow streets and chimneys in every house that filled the air with a smoky BBQ smell. All in all the day was relaxing and fantastic and I'm definitely going back.

Knitting my own tapestry with strands of different cultures...

Becoming somewhat accustomed to Granada I thought that would desensitize me for seeing great things and great places. But when I first arrived in Madrid I thought that it would kind of be like Granada and I wasnt that excited about it because I had France to look forward to. I was wrong. I am definitely not desensitized and Madrid is not like Granada. I dont think anyone cannot be amazed by beautiful things no matter how many places they have been to and how many things they have seen. I was reading through my Spain guide book and found a couple of quotes that I really liked,
¨Globe-trotting destroys ethnocentricity. It helps you understand and appreciate different cultures. Regrettably, there are forces in our society that want you dumbed down for their conveniences.¨
¨Travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Rather than fear diversity on this planet, travelers celebrate it. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop, and back door travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry!¨

Back to Paris (Feb. 8th)

Right now I´m sitting in a cute little sandwich shop in Paris, it is 5 degrees celcius which is a little chilly but a lot better than what it was when we were here earlier this week. This morning we made our way to the train station. It was so amazing to see the weather change as we glided through the French countryside on the train. First, it was sunny and blue skies. Then it was cloudy, then rainy, then lightly dusted with snow, then A LOT of snow, then back to clouds with some sun. When we were going through the snow I think there was ice under the tracks because every now and then we´d hear these big cracking/thumping sounds; a little concerning at first but with how big and fast the train was I knew nothing would go wrong. That´s all for now we´ll see what else we do in Paris.

(Later on...)
We checked into our hostel, there was a private double room so we snached that up because it was only 2 € more for it to be just Tammy and I. Dropped off our stuff and then headed to Musee d´Órsay on our way walking along the Seine river we stopped at a little souvenir/painter´s stand and I bought some old fashion Paris advertisements that I plan to frame and hang in my future apartment! Then we made it to the museum which had more modern, impressions, and landscape art. Some of my favorites were Monet, Van Gogh, Henri Edmond Cross, and Seurat. Then we went to the grocery store to buy baguettes and cheese for dinner since we ate out for lunch. Haha that´s what we do, eat our for either lunch or dinner and make our own meal from the grocery store for the other. We were so proud because on our little outing we didnt even need our map...we felt so proud walking around Paris not even needing a map. What travelers we are!

more from Nice...

This morning we got up early and went to the bigger market on Saturday mornings in Nice before we caught the bus to Monaco. Monaco is not part of France so it is its own country in a way but it is only the size of a city. It is actually considered a principality. It was about a 45 minute bus ride, gorgeous because its on a road that winds along the coast. We got to Monaco and did not know what to do. It´s a VERY wealthy city; shopping at Gucci, Prada, etc, the beach, yachts, and eating expensive food sums up Monaco. We walked around for a bit and climbed up steep stairs to see a palace that the royal family resides in during the summer months. Then we caught the bus back to Nice and when we arrived the sun was shining and there were blue skies! It was picturesque, we bought authentic pizza made on foccacia bread, sat on the promenade and ate our lunch in the sun. We looked at a few more shops, bought souvenirs for family members then got ice cream/gelato on a waffle type pastry, went down to the beach, sat in the sand and enjoyed our food once again. lol. The sun on the ocean, waves crashing, and sailboats off in the distance made me want to sit there forever. I really want to come back to Nice in the summer! Now just packing up, making some dinner in the kitchen of our hostel and getting ready for our early early train back to Paris tomorrow.

NICE, FRANCE

I LOVE Nice!!! This city is pretty much my Mom and I in a nutshell. haha. Bright colored buildings with antique shutters and quaint balconies with curling rod iron railings over looking the aqua blue Meditteranean. Today we walked up castle hill (chateau) up to what they say is the best and most beautiful panoramic view in the world...and it was! Walking up was almost like walking through a jungle with little pathways leading off to sights or pieces of history. It was spectacular, the only thing is that is started sprinkling and then pouring down rain when we were going back down. It was like a waterfall down the steps. Even all the rain didnt stop me from enjoying it. We also walked through the cutest (I am probably going to over use the word cute because everything is literally that cute in Nice) open air market with fruits, vegetables, different varieties of olives, spices, and flowers. It was so CUTE (haha)!
Tonight, we walked around for a bit, of course it was raining but I think tomorrow is supposed to be better, still cloudy but no rain hopefully. A surprising thing was that all the shops were closed by 7:30 pm on a Friday night so we ended up stopping at a little ourdoor restaurant and had some pasta for dinner. We didnt have the room in the hostel to ourselves anymore a lady from London came today. She is very nice and knows Nice quite well because her mom lived here for a bit. Her mom and sister are both supposed to be coming but are stuck in London because it snowed 10 inches. We are getting lucky with the people we share rooms with...which is great and hopefully it stays that way. An interesting thing is that McDonalds is more chic and modern here, it even has a McCafe that people get espressos and sit and drink their coffee. Interesting...I got to talk to my family today which was exciting because I havent talked to them in about a week or so. I missed them so talking with them was nice. More to come...

February 5th

This morning @ 7am we made our way to the train station to catch our early train to Nice. It was a 5 hour ride, wasnt too bad because I slept for about 2 hours on and off with Mr. Phsyco across from us. haha this guy would check his phone every 15 minutes and let out a big irratated sigh, he got up and down in his seat a thousand times and looked so impatient. Tammy and I were wondering what the heck was wrong or what his problem was. As we got a few cities away from Nice the ocean came into view out the wondow. The water was so blue and pretty with rocks and houses along the sides. We got into Nice and it was so nice because it was much warmer than Paris. It wasnt t-shirt weather but it was definitley warmer. When we started walking to find our hostel it started pouring down rain so we decided to stop in a little restaurant to have lunch. By the time we were done it had stopped raining, checked into our hostel, and then went back our to explore Nice. Nice is pretty mucha coastal town (bigger than most), cute, relaxed, and perfect. If I were to own a beach house anywhere and choose what city to be near by it would be Nice. We are just missing the carnival of Nice just by a few days which is too bad because it looks really fun but at least we get to see them setting up for it. I guess its a huge deal, I would compare it to New Orleans and Mardi Gras but just a little smaller. Our hostel is close to the beach so we´re hoping the sun is going to peak out while we´re sight seeing tomorrow. More to come from the cutest city, Nice! :)

Paris

Cold...Cold...COLD! It is freezing here and actually today a few flakes fell today in Paris...so pretty! Well we got aan early start and our first stop was Notre Dame. It was absolutely breathtaking, the gothic architecture and stained glass windows that tell the stories of the bible. Then across the Pont Neuf (one of the oldest bridges) and walked along the Seine. We saw the Hotel de Ville off in the distance. Then we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower and of course it was amazing as it is Paris´ main attraction. We climbed the stairs to the middle level. Climbing the stairs was definitely worth it for 3 euro and it helped us get a little warmer. Next, was the Arc de Triomphe which was amazing as well, then down the Champs-Elysees street with all the shops and trees lining the street. The Champs-Elysees ledto the Louvre. HUGE! We just admired the outside and tonight (when its cheaper) we are going in to see all of the paintings. We have an early morning tomorrow because our train to Nice departs around 7am. I´m excited to see a whole different part of France and Nice is the furthest you can go! :)
Tonight we took a nap after our long day 9am to 5pm (of walking and sight seeing) and then prepared ourselves to go to the Louvre. On our way we stopped to grab a crepe with chocolate :), while we were waiting in line to buy tickets for the Louvre a lady came up to us speaking in French (of course I had no idea what she was saying, Tammy had a little idea) she heanded us 2 tickets and said that 2 people in her group didnt show. I was skeptical that she was trying to rip us off or the tickets werent valid but they worked! So we got into the Louvre for free!

February 3rd

Alright where do I start? Well first of all i am typing on a french keyboard and all the letters are mixed up so this is going to take me longer than I thought. In the Madrid we had the most awkward breakfast of my life. Haha Tammy and I were in this tiny TINY kitchen where ¨breakfast¨ was served  at our hostel. When we first went in two Asian girls were eating there quietly with the selection of croissants, muffins, cereal with warm milk, and left over jam flavors that nobody likes fro, a hotel. Then a french guy comes in and says ¨good morning, buenos dias, bon soir (doesnt that mean goodnight?), or whatever.¨Now its already pretty tight in there. Then an old spainsh guy comes in with his greased back hair and his bathrobe on and ,ight I add he took up half the kitchen so now that tiny kitchen is packed with everyone weaving around eachother to get what they want, eating in awkward crowded silence. (hilarious I had to keep myself from bursting out laughing) After our awkward breakfast we made our way to the grocery store stocked up on bread, cheese and mini olive oils. We decided to just start going to the airport because we had to figure out the metro and how to get there. Good thing we went pretty early because it took quite a long time but we made it. Flight from madrid to parid was fine but we soon found out that we flew into the outside of paris so we ended up taking about an hour bus ride into the actual city then had to figure out the metro again to get to our hostel. We found our hostel went up to our room and there were 2 people already there. By their stuff we thought it was two guys. I started laughing out loud out of sheer uncomfortanleness (probably not a word...lol) just by the thought of us and two other guys in this tiny room. But it ended up being a guy and a girl from australia . Very nice people... so thats good! The room was a little sketchy but good roomates so thats an okay second experience with hostels. 2 down 1 to go! 

February 2nd

Today we saw the Royal Palace in Madrid, it was absolutely crazy how detailed every aspect of every room was. There are seven floors and 2,800 rooms! I would run out of uses for every room. In the dining room there was a table that stretched the whole length of the room (this room was once three different rooms for each important royal family member but King Charles 3rd made into one room), the table sat 145 people. After seeing the palace we walked back to the hotel grabbed our stuff and went on a search to find a hostel. We found one called Miguel Angel it is really nice, bright colors in the rooms, and a clean private bathroom. There are six beds in the room and we are hoping that no one else comes for the night so we can have it all to ourselves. lol. This is the start to adventures in France and hopefully good experiences with hostels.

February?!

Wow its already February?! It seems like it was just Christmas...time flys. So today we were supposed to go to the Escorial (a palace an hour outside of Madrid) bit it started SNOWING and the roads were closed.(More about it: built 400 years ago to serve as a grand mausoleum for Spain´s royal family, a monastery, and school to ¨embrace humanism in a way that promotes the Catholic faith¨) So instead we took the Metro to the Natural Science Museum. It was like OMSI but OMSI is better but it was still fun and free! Then took the Metro back to the hotel and relexed for a while because it was so cold and wet outside. Plans for the rest of the day: little bit of shopping, the theater to see a play with the whole group, and a wonderful Spanish dinner.

Madrid

We left Satuday morning and boarded a really nice charter bus that we would be riding for 5 hours. The first hour and a half of the ride was really long because i couldn´t sleep and people were talking too loud. But then after we stopped at a cafeteria to take a break fomr riding in the bus, the ride went faster and soon we were in Madrid. I thought it was going to be like Granada and not amaze me but I was wrong. Madrid is totally different...grand, tall, and busy. I was just as amazed with Madrid as when I came to Spain.
We first came to the hotel after getting off the bus and was even more amazed at how nice our hotel was (Hotel Moderna). Modern, clean lines, rich colors, and right in Puerta del Sol (one of the livliest, busiest plazas). Then on our way to El Museo del Prado (one of the world´s greatest museums loaded with masterpieces by Diego Velaquez, Francisco de Goya, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, and Albrecht Durer). Walking to the Prado and seeing Madrid´s wide open streets with grand towering buildings on the sides is really what amazed me and made me realize that Madrid is not the same. The museum itself was awesome with so much history and so many paintings. Then we walked through Retiro Park with statues, a big pond/small lake, and pretty lanscaping. It was cold but really fun. Then luckily the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia was free on Saturday nights so we walked through a floor or two. The Reina Sofia is a modern are museum that featured Picasso´s epic masterpiece Guernica. It was huge! After the museums we walked around the city and explored a little bit, came back and hung out with some friends in the lounge, laughed and went to bed with the long pillows that cover the width of the bed (best invention that Spain has! lol :) )

On my way to Madrid, Paris, and Nice

We are just finishing up orientation classes and taking our final test today to confirm what level of classes we will be in for the rest of the semester. Then tomorrow we go to Madrid with the whole program group until Monday and then on Tuesday to next Tuesday we are free to travel wherever. Tammy and I are going to Paris and Nice, France. I´m so excited to see different parts of Europe! We are staying in hostels and roughing it with food to save money. :) We´re going to go to the grocery store and buy bread, cheese, and olive oil to make sandwiches (our favorite kind that Julia makes). We´ll stash some in our backpacks and make due with what we have! (just like the typical poor students traveling Europe right?!) The days are going so fast, I can´t believe orientation is already over. Soon I will be writing that the program is starting to end and I will be coming home soon. CRAZY! But now I have to fill in exciting adventures in between. More to come from Paris and Nice! :)

The Alhambra

Went to the Alhambra today. It was so beautiful I almost wanted to cry. Being there and seeing such beautiful and ancient history and buildings really expanded my world and made me realize that I am part of a world that is so much deeper and more complex than I have ever imagined. Traveling and seeing other parts of the world that I have never been exposed to is starting to broaden my perspective little by little and the weird thing is I can feel the change happening.
I can’t even explain how seeing the Alhambra was. The tour was so long because the Alhambra is said to be it’s own city. It was one breath-taking thing after another. I will have to post some pictures of it so you will understand only a fraction of what I’m talking about (even pictures don’t capture what your eyes see). The gardens located throughout the tour are lush, modern lines, and filled with many fountains. We found a little garden with benches and orange trees to eat our bocadillos (sandwiches). Sitting there eating our cheese and olive oil sandwiches (so delicious!) and taking in the peacefulness of the garden was absolute heaven!
On our walk home in the rain with our umbrellas we stopped at the cutest cafeteria/heladeria (café/ice cream shop) and had delicious, rich ice cream and a pastry filled with a little bit of chocolate and honey drizzled on top. So yummy! It is so funny because Tammy and I were talking about how we think about the next meal before we even finish the meal that we are eating. The food is so amazing here. Good thing walking is our transportation! I am so tired because our days are packed with fun things and of course we walk EVERYWHERE so I think I might take advantage of the siesta they have here. :)

1-20-09

I am actually feeling like I kind of belong here finally! I still don´t have my luggage (it was sent to Grenada, Florida instead of GRANADA!) which is not fun but everything else is falling into place. I got a phone today and found an internet cafe so having those things doesn´t make me feel so lost.
We were placed into our classes today for the orientation. I am in the intermediate level, which I am happy with. the class is grammar and conversation to get us started and ready for the rest of the semester which oficially starts on Feb. 11th.
We (Tammy and I) walk to school everyday and I love it! It takes about 20 or 25 minutes and I see something new everyday. Everything I mean EVERYTHING is beautiful! We are going to the Albaycin. It is so nice that we have some excursions and trips included in out tuition for the program. We are seeing the Alhambra this weekend and next weekend we are going to Madrid. After orientation is over we have about 8 days free before our classes for the semester start. I am trying to figure out where I want to travel to maybe Barcelona and one other place...It is going to be so exciting to travel all over Europe!
Tammy and I are staring to explore Granada more and more as we get to know our way around. It is the simplest things that amaze me and I am blown away by the absolute amazing ones!

January 18th

Wow! is all I can say. Today was my first full day in Spain. I had many complications on my flights over here. I have never been that stressed, worried, scarred, tired, and helpless in my life. First of all my first flight from PDX to Denver was 2 hours behind so they changed it from PDX to DEN to PDX to Chicago in order for me to even have a chance at making my flight from London to Malaga. Well of course I missed it because London Heathrow airport is so big and confusing and you have to take a bus from terminal to terminal. So because I missed the flight from Heathrow I had to convert some money to pounds which was sooooo expensive, go through customs, take a 45 min. bus ride to London´s other airport. Then wait for 5 hours or more for my flight. As I was waiting I realized that my flight into Malaga comes in too late to catch the bus to Granada. I had to call my parents multiple times to figure out where to send my lost luggage and where I was going to stay in Malaga. It was a nightmare!!! Thank goodness I had contact with my parents (even though most of it was filled with tears and sobs!) because if I didnt I seriously would have died. Then in the morning I woke up to take the 2 hour bus to Granada. I didnt sleep very well because I was worried that they guy at the front desk (who didnt speak any english AT ALL!) wasnt going to call at the right time so I kept on waking up. But I made it to the bus station and to Hotel Melia in Granada okay!
I have never been so relieved to see American people in my life. It was nice to meet people and get some kind of idea of what to expect and how things were going to be. After the meeting we saw who we were living with and met our host family. My senora is Julia, she is pretty trendy, older i think around 60, very bubbly, and talks really REALLY fast! I like her a lot, I just need to get used to speaking because at this point it is really hard to communicate. The girl that is living in Julia´s house with me is really nice. I am so glad I got paired with her. Her name is Tammy she´s from Iowa, a junior at central college, spanish major (so she´s really good at spanish!) It´s a big relief to have a good host family and roomate. Once everything settles down and I get everything in order and in a routine, it will be perfect!

Getting Ready!!!

It is so crazy that I will be in Spain in less than 10 days!!! It has come up so quick. I am just now staring to get some items together and planning what I need to bring. I think packing is going to be a lot harder than I thought. They tell you to only to pack for one week! ONE WEEK FOR SIX MONTHS?! That seems crazy to me but I'll try...

I fly out on the 16th and arrive in Malaga, Spain on the 17th in the afternoon. Then I will take a bus ride about 1 hour and 30 minutes into Granada. That will be interesting because I have heard a couple of stories of people getting on the wrong bus and ending up in a different town! Cross your fingers that doesn't happen to me! haha. The night of the 17th I will be staying with another girl in the same program in Hotel Melia. We start orientation the next day at the hotel. Orientation lasts for 2 weeks which will help us get acquainted with the city and get into the swing of speaking spanish. Then after the orientation we will take a placement test to decide what level of classes we will be taking. Just thought I would give you a little overview of what the plan is for the few weeks. Next you'll probably be reading about how I am freaking out in Spain!!!

Hasta Luego!