Home Sweet Home--Here I Come!

Well, in 45 minutes I will be leaving my piso and setting off for the Madrid Barajas Airport. My flight leaves at 12:45, with layovers in Frankfurt, Germany and Chicago. I'm bound to arrive in Minneapolis at 11:12pm tonight! A long day of traveling-and I can't believe this time has actually arrived. And although this morning has been filled with tears, I know I'll have tears of happiness once I'm home and back in the embrace of my family.

This semester abroad has been a learning experience. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I never felt lost or afraid of being

in Madrid, and for this I am proud of myself. I guess I am an independent person after all! Choosing to be abroad in Madrid was the best decision. I loved being in Europe and having the opportunity to explore all of Spain. I don't even have words to describe the happiness and satisfaction I have felt while studying and traveling abroad. It has opened my eyes to new worlds, and made me more accepting of cultures across the nations. I hope to return to Europe to study/work sometime in the near future!

Things I will miss: Juan Ramón, my portero (doorman); public transportation; walking for hours in a beautiful city; the Spanish language; traveling throughout Spain/Europe; cheap wine; the Rastro; Coca Cola Light Tomate Frito; being constantly surprised...and much more.

Things I will not miss: the smell of Spain (quite awful); people without manners; the sound of the Spanish ambulances; dirty kitchen in our piso; having the entire city shut down on Sundays; Spanish food (and its lack of flavor/appeal).

Things I look forward to: FAMILY; my bed; strawberry waffles; Diet Coke; good food; working out/running/any form of exercise; good service; nice people; driving; volunteering; beautifying my Grandma's garden; going on the lake (there's no water in Madrid!). Summer 2010 should be pretty wonderful!

Now that this experience is winding down (literally, by the minute!) I am reflecting on what I would like to get out of this upcoming summer in Minnesota. I will not be working, and after a semester of doing things entirely for myself, I am ready to give back. I look forward to volunteering

with the developmentally disabled at Hammer, I am excited to spend lots of time with my Grandpa, and I am planning to give as much of my time to others as I can. I also just want to enjoy being back with my family--I've missed 5 months of my two nieces growing up, and I know they have changed so much~I can't wait to hold them in my arms!! And although I have so much more I'd like to say, I'm getting ready to hop on the Metro of Madrid one last time...hasta luego España! Here I come Minnesota!

Last European Travels

Although I can say I am ecstatic about not stepping foot on an airplane until June 23rd (heading back home), I must admit I am sad that my travels through Europe are coming to an end. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see several other countries and even other cities in Spain, but I still feel jealous of the other students who have seen way more of Europe than I have. There are so many different countries, cities, landscapes and cultures to see in Europe, so I have decided I must return as soon as I can to continue exploring. I feel quite at ease here in Europe and I surprisingly enjoy the sense of independence that being here brings me. Don't misread this: I am incredibly excited to get HOME! And there will always be only one place to call home...and boy, do I miss it!

Having traveled to Amsterdam this past weekend, I have never looked forward to

a good night's sleep in my own bed so much. Not my Spanish bed, but my real bed. Amsterdam caught me by surprise. It was quite different from what I have always imagined. The streets are lined with the most adorable buildings ever. I guess it looked so...Dutch. It was amazing to be outside of Spain again, seeing the way in which other countries have constructed unique cultures and cities. As Madrid focuses on traditional Spanish food, family and resting at home, Amsterdam did not appear to have any sort of traditional food, nor many families, and absolutely no rest at home. But this is only through the eyes of an absolute tourist--only my initial impression from what I saw!

Sonya and I spent two full days exploring the city. We had no particular plan nor method to where we went, but we saw what we saw, and it was great fun. Our trip revolved around having very little sleep (early flight to Amsterdam on Friday, no

hostel on Saturday night--stayed up until our early flight Sunday). We found a nice park to nap in between excursions. We lived out of our purses for the weekend, wearing the same outfit our entire trip, and getting by with as little as possible. Overall it was a fun, crazy experience...which led to spending all day Sunday catching up on sleep.

After catching up on sleep, I started gathering my things to head to Seville, Spain on the midnight bus on Monday. Alex and I decided we wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if we left Spain after an entire semester without seeing the all-too-traditional city of Seville! We had hoped to get some sleep on our six-hour bus ride, but we were mistaken. We arrived at 6 a.m. and tried to sleep while sitting up in the chairs in the bus station--since nothing was open yet in the city. By 8 a.m. we wandered out to find a bite to eat, and navigated our way to our hostel. It was a great hostel with the most friendly staff!! And luckily we both slept like rocks for a couple hours to gain enough energy to go out sightseeing!

We visited the cathedral, which was very impressive, as are most cathedrals...but the outside is what caught my attention the most. It was very beautiful, and we were able to climb up the Giralda Tower (bell tower) as well. There were great views of Seville from the top--well worth the climb. We also ventured off to the Alcázares, which reminded me very much of the Alhambra of Granada. Magnificent gardens, beautiful architecture, and lots of different things to see. Afterwards we

ventured a little ways from the center of the city to Plaza de España, where several scenes of Star Wars were filmed (or so I heard). It was very big and marvelous, although under construction. We spent a good part of our afternoon exploring these main sites, and we were thrilled to be in Seville at last! We spent the rest of our time in the city exploring the small streets of Barrio Santa Cruz, eating tapas, drinking sangria, and reveling in good company. Alex and I enjoyed the warm, sunny weather--but were thankful for a breeze. It was about 90 degrees on our first day there! We both loved Seville and all that it had to offer. It was a no-stress trip and proved to be well worth the miserable bus rides.

After returning to Madrid, I am in much need of rest. I am done traveling Europe (for now) and plan on spending my last two weeks taking in all that I can from Madrid. It is bittersweet to think of my return to the States. I love being in Europe, but more than anything, I look forward to seeing my family.

A Taste of Africa

After spending several weeks in Spain without traveling, I ventured off to another continent to get a taste of something entirely original and new--Africa. On Friday afternoon I left with my friend Alistair and headed to Tangier, Morocco, a port city right near the Strait of Gibraltar. We arrived in Africa to an entirely new scene and new culture: clothing, religion, food, architecture. A magnificent way to explore a new world and see something outside of Europe. We arrived to our hotel, Dar Jameel Guesthouse, and took in the absolute beauty that we found there. Everything was incredibly breathtaking. The inside looked like the Alhambra in Granada--patterned ceilings painted with pastel colors. It was the most impressive hotel I have ever seen during my time abroad--and our room was equally beautiful and spacious.

We spent plenty of time exploring the medina or old city. Lots of new things to see in the shops--slippers and sandals, tea kettles, leather bags, and a lot of other items that you don't find in Spain. We also went down to the beach--a surprisingly large, nice beach.

The sand was the finest and softest sand I have ever seen, another reason to love this city! The beach scene in Morocco was quite distinct--nobody in bathing suits, and not a single woman showing

any skin. There were some boys in the water, with regular bathing suits--but women do not wear bathing suits or bikinis or anything of the sort. There were many large groups of boys playing soccer in the sand, which looked like lots of fun. We ended up having dinner with an abundance of food. Salad, fish (entire body fried, including eyes), red spice sauce, bread, fries, kebabs. We enjoyed the new taste of food in Africa, and cleaned our plates. Later in the evening we ventured out for the traditional mint tea. I have never had something so delicious and refreshing. I look forward to trying it out once I arrive home--hopefully the mint in our garden will make just as great of tea!

On Saturday, Alistair and I headed to the airport to pick Sonya up. Straight away we went to the caves of Hercules, where legend says Hercules rested and punched the rock, forming the Strait of Gibraltar.

We had a tour guide and he told us stories about how men made the rocks to resemble Africa (seen backwards from inside cave, correct shape of Africa from the sea). It was interesting to say the least, with a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. After the caves, we headed towards Cap Spartel--a point with an excellent view. On our way there we stopped alongside the road and Sonya and I rode camels! It was quite funny and entertaining, and I think we are both glad that we gave it a shot, although we got ripped off a bit. That happened in most situations because they knew we were tourists so they charged us more...

I was thankful to have

the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean Sea--considering that I love to swim, especially in new places! Even though I wore shorts and a t-shirt over my bathing suit, I still had groups of people staring, because it isn't often that they see girls on the beach going for a swim. I, however, was covering up and not going to let the opportunity to swim slip by! It was lovely and I hope I have the chance to do it again. For dinner Saturday night we ended up eating at a random hotel. Delicious food. Bean soup, a sweet pastry filled with chicken (sweet & savory combo, surprisingly wonderful), and couscous with chicken and vegetables. It was all quite fabulous. We never had a single bad experience with food in Tangier. It was a refreshing change from Spain--I actually preferred the African cuisine over the Spanish one. More mint tea, then off to get some rest after a long day in the sun!

Sunday morning we feasted on our great breakfast at the hotel again, served in generous portions. We had freshly squeezed orange juice, mint tea, chewy crepes, warm bread with cheese and jam, and melon. We ate like kings while in Morocco--and it was the most marvelous and relaxing weekend ever!

I could go on and on about it, as I enjoyed it that much! I had been

worried initially about visiting just Tangier, as it is a small port city, with little tourist attraction. Other cities such as Casablanca or Marrakech are supposed to be more extravagant, but Tangier was incredible. And now I can say that I have been on three of the seven continents. Hopefully I'll have a chance to return to Morocco, as it was an impressive culture and beautiful country.

Now I have just over 3 weeks to spend in Madrid. I go to Amsterdam this weekend, and am planning to make it to Seville at some point before leaving for the States. I am now finished with classes and Reunidas exams, so I have time to explore and enjoy my hometown here in Spain. One trabajo final and exam left, but not until the 17th of June--so it's time to relax and enjoy the end of my abroad experience!! Bittersweet. I am excited to get home, and will be thrilled to see family! But I also know it'll be hard leaving Europe...it has been quite the journey!

Time Warp...

It's been a while since my last post, but I have to admit that after Mom left Madrid I've been occupied with many things, both good and bad. One weekend this month I went on an excursion with students from the WIP program to Extremadura, the western region of Spain bordering Portugal. We stopped in 3 different cities (Mérida, Cáceres, Trujillo) and spent the night in Cáceres. The architecture and vibe of this region was totally different than that in any other part of Spain that I have visited thus far. All brick buildings, scattered across green, rolling countryside. It was a breathtaking side of Spain I had not yet seen, but I wish we would've had more free time to roam the cities & discover things on our own--we were stuck with our tour guide Pablo the entire weekend. Bummer!! But overall I am satisfied that I took part in the excursion--I never would've known what I was missing out on!

Upon returning to Madrid I was lucky enough to be in the pleasant company of Mom's long-time friend Laurel and her husband Frank. They came over to see my piso, and then we ventured off for some drinks and tapas, a typical Madrileño tradition.

I ended up having a lovely time visiting with Laurel & Frank, who shared stories of their many great adventures. I also tried raw oysters for my first (perhaps last) time. Never hurts to try something new! We also enjoyed the sweet, sweet chocolate con churros at Chocolatería San Gines~if it sounds familiar, it's because I have mentioned it before...it's that good!

Last weekend Sonya and I traveled to Mallorca, a Balearic Island off of the southeastern coast of Spain. We had

the most incredible

weather, sunny sunny sunny and warm!! It was a fabulous way to wind down and relax. We decided to do next to nothing--just laid on the sandy beach and feasted. I even took a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, which was a dream come true. The water was so blue and clear! It was a fabulous weekend away with my best friend!!

My agenda for the next month is looking pretty hectic. I have final exams coming up in a couple weeks, along with "trabajos finales"...10 page papers that I must write for each class in addition to our final exam. I'm going to miss my Literatura Española class the most--my professor Sonia has the most energy I've ever seen in a professor. She has a passion for literature and loves her job--plus, she had been a student herself at the Universidad de Complutense, so she relates to us students very well! The books we have read have been great and I can actually comprehend what I've been reading...and my professor does a great job at helping us to really think about the book and how we interpret it. After all, literature can be interpreted in different ways by all readers.

I'm not planning to travel around the country or continent for the month of May since my school work is keeping

me so busy, but I'm thinking about what kind of traveling I'd like to do in June once I only have to focus on work for 2 class--Amsterdam? Canary Islands? I'm ready to get out on the beach again, instead of doing the days packed with sight-seeing. But first things first, I must get through the month of May. My two favorite boys from home, Turkbas and Andrew, are coming to stay with Sonya and me from May 17-June 4--so we'll also be busy having a blast with them!! It will be the best way to end a fantastic semester abroad!! And I am officially booked to head home on June 23rd...51 days away--how time flies!! See ya'll soon!

MOM IN MADRID ♥

As soon as I hopped off the Metro from the Barajas Airport in Madrid, I headed over to the precious Conde Duque Hotel, where my mother was patiently waiting for my return to Spain! It was a fantastic feeling to be in the comfort of my mom's arms again! And I knew we were about to start out on a great adventure...

On Mom's first night in Madrid she treated Sonya and me

to an authentic Flamenco show. I had not been to one yet, and we definitely picked the right venue: the Cardamomo. The dancers were magnificent, and their talent was unbelievable! It

was a fun night and a great way to say "Bienvenidos a Madrid"...(WELCOME TO MADRID). The dancing was intense and really displayed the passion of the Spanish people.

The next morning Mom and I took the teleférico, or cable car, to Casa del Campo, where we went to see the Parque Zoológico (ZOO). It started as a beautiful, warm day. We enjoyed all of the fun animals and the atmosphere at the Madrid Zoo. We concluded that we liked it much more than any zoo we had been to before! It was very awesome. And luckily, there were baby

animals scattered all over the zoo-from a tiny baboon, to a rhino, to a little mountain goat, which was very enjoyable. By the end of our time at the park, we were thoroughly fascinated. As it started to rain we thought it would be the ideal time to head back home. What started as rain turned into a downpour. If only you could see the unmarked, gravel paths we had to climb uphill in order to find the teleférico station...and if only you could have seen us by the end of that journey ;-)

On Easter Sunday, Mom and I went to the Rastro--the famous flea market in Madrid. Streets are lined with booths selling anything you could imagine--and we both found some things to take home! We also toured the La Latina neighborhood and stopped at the incredible Basilica San Francisco to witness part of a Spanish church service. Very fascinating and such a beautiful and intricate basilica! The next few days consisted of lots of shopping around (Mom

loved all the shoe stores, as you'll see by her purchases)...and enjoying the perfect sunny weather. Monday night Mom and I went on a tapas tour. Our tour guide James made the night very fun and interesting-as did our companions Stewart, Herbert, Alex, and Lauren. We tried everything from great red wine, to octopus with potatoes, to blood sausage (black pudding), tripe, and many other adventurous food choices. It was a fun night of trying things that I would never dare trying on my own!!

While I was in class, Mom was feeling adventurous and conquered many missions all by herself. She was so good at navigating and finding cool new places! She introduced me to a coffee shop, some clothing stores, and a bread shop, none of which I had previous knowledge of-but all of which are right in my neighborhood. (Thanks Mom!) One morning we took the Madrid Vision bus around the city and saw sites from the top of the big red bus. We also went to the convent where nuns sell sweets.

It was not easy to find, but when we did finally figure it out it was very rewarding! We got a generous bag of lemon cookies from the monjas--who are not allowed to see you. The cookies came on a turn table in the wall, which was pretty sweet.

Other highlights of the week with my Mom included bringing her to Chocolatería San Gines--the renowned locale for churros con chocolate, which we both enjoyed. We also soaked up the sun and rented a row-boat at El Parque de Buen Retiro (a huge, fabulous park). We were also able to spend time at the famous Prado Museum, in which we were able to find several pieces of

art that interested us. I also had the privilege of showing my Mom how my friends and I like to spend our Wednesday afternoons-cheap drinks and sandwiches at Cien Montaditos! EuroMania! We hit all of the biggest sites in Madrid and just enjoyed spending time with each other.

I feel so fortunate that Mom was able to visit--all of my friends were jealous and I feel pretty lucky to have had time to spend with her. It had been a long time since I had patted her face...and it was great to see her. Now I am anxiously waiting to return home to see the rest of the family! I can't believe I'll be back in Minnesota in just 75 days...time sure has flown!

Venice and Paris, Oh My!!

I have recently returned from my first European adventure outside of Spain. A taste of something new...which started in Venice, Italy. So far I would say that Venice is my second favorite city in Europe after Madrid. We got lucky to have sunshine all day, every day. It was the perfect opportunity to indulge in wine and Italian food alongside the canals. Venice was a very, very lovely city, with plenty of beautiful stuff to see, but peaceful and relaxing at the same time. There were touristy things, but nothing as big and well-known as in other places. Sonya, Alex and I planned to just see where the day led us--our hopes were to avoid stress and hard core planning while in Venice, as we had just finished mid-term exams in Madrid.

Everything in Venice is picturesque. The buildings are all precious, with window boxes and flowers, and beautiful colors everywhere. I can't forget to mention the glistening blue water that surrounds the city. We were even lucky enough to enjoy the perfect gondola ride! An experience that everyone must have at least once! It was peaceful and beautiful and it took us through back canals that you can't see from any other place in Venice other than a boat. It was the best way to start off a European spring break!

After 4 days, we headed to Paris, France. Unfortunately, we had 3 very cold, very rainy days, which kind of put a damper on the whole walking-in-strange-territory-without understanding the-language thing. We got lost...frequently. We got directions...that usually led us to a place other than where we intended to go...but we tried to find things we liked every time we ended up somewhere unfamiliar. We did get to see all of the biggest sites: Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombes. It was all very grand, and I would love to return to Paris some day to have more time to explore and I'd hope for better weather for getting lost too!

While we were in Paris, we stayed with one of Alex's friends from Wisconsin, to avoid the troublesome hostel experience. Maddy and her roommates were all so nice and generous & made our stay very pleasant. They took us out to a fun fondue restaurant, where we were able to indulge in wine from baby bottles...very strange, but lots of fun! They also showed us the best places to get both savory & sweet crepes--a heaven-sent gift! We went nuts on crepes while in Paris. Well...pretty much anywhere we can get our hands on them. The 4 days in Paris were filled with ups and downs, as we were absolutely worn out by the end of the week. We were all looking forward to reminiscing about our Semana Santa from the comfort of our home in Madrid!

And as soon as I returned to Madrid, I had something to look forward to--my Mom!! In Madrid! I feel incredibly lucky to have my mom visit me in Spain, and I'll include a separate entry about all of our adventures together...

In the Land of Gaudi...

Well....where to begin. I spent last weekend in Barcelona, and it didn't exactly live up to its reputation. It was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the culture was entirely different from that of the rest of Spain. It was very touristy--nobody spoke Spanish. The official language in Barcelona is Catalán, which has a French influence and is not recognizable by Spanish-speakers. And they are not willing to go out of their way to speak to you in Spanish even if you speak to them in Spanish--they are far too proud of their own little culture-bubble. So even though we wanted to practice our Spanish skills, we were better off speaking in English everywhere we went.

It just wasn't the same compared to my hometown, Madrid.

However, there were several fabulous things to see in Barcelona. First of all, it is the home of the famous modernist Gaudi. Many very interesting, awesome buildings, parks, and monuments designed by Gaudi captured our interest. Curvy, colorful structures and lots of intricate details. Very interesting to say the least. We went inside the Casa Mila (Pedrera), visited Park Güell, and saw Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló from the outside. We also spent a while at the beach, although very chilly once the sun hid behind the clouds! But I still loved being there to see it. If only it had been warm enough to swim!

The best part of Barcelona was the Mercat Boquería--a market that sells flowers,

animals (ducks, gerbils, birds, turtles, bunnies...the works), and lots of fresh fish, fruit, pastries, and smoothies! Basically a dream come true. It was the most colorful and beautiful market ever!! We bought these yummy smoothies for only 1 Euro! We also visited the Picasso Museum which was pretty neat...although I'm not an art fanatic I can still appreciate the variety of work that Picasso did. I never knew that he dabbled in so many areas-painting, drawing, ceramics and more. Very strange...

Overall, we walked around a lot, until my feet were sore and blistered (yum?) and ate. A lot. Especially gelatto. I would be lying if I said I ate gelatto less than 3 times that weekend. And now I only look forward to more real Italian gelatto starting tomorrow in Venice, Italy!! My companions (Sonya and Alex) and I are sleeping at the airport tonight-to catch our early flight-so that we can save more euros for food while in Italy and France. Typical us.

Oh, one more thing! I failed to mention the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Unlimited sushi, fried foods, and desserts came around past our table on a conveyer belt. It was lots of fun and I've never done anything like it before! But I also felt ill every time I thought about it afterwards...

And as you can see, no matter how chubby I feel I still try to fit into small spaces and act silly! Just livin' it up in Spain! Now off to Venice and Paris for a week...and my MOM will be waiting for me in Madrid upon my return!