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.