Fresh air, snow-capped peaks & Swiss chocolate

Colorado has spoiled me. Growing up with mountain peaks in my backyard (kinda), was something I always took for granted. I never truly appreciated all the beauty that Colorado has to offer, until I left. All my adventures to big cities throughout Europe and living in Sevilla, has been wonderful, but I have missed fresh air and snow covered mountain tops.

I needed a taste of home, I needed to breath fresh mountain air, and Interlaken, Switzerland was the place to go. My travel plans were a little more complicated than I was use to, but I knew this was a place I had always wanted to go, so I was willing to travel on planes and trains to get there. On Thursday I took a flight from Sevilla to Milan, Italy. I arrived late that night and wandered through the streets to find my hostel hidden in a quiet, dark alley. As I navigated to my hostel, I found Milena’s Boutique, which I found funny since I rarely see my name spelled correctly anywhere.

I slept for a couple hours and then had to wake up early to catch my 7:25 train to Spiez. Half asleep, I stared out my train window as the train wound through small villages and alongside beautiful landscapes. Crossing the border into Switzerland, the train arrived in a little Swiss town and everyone on the train was asked to get off, for a reasons I’ll never know. Following suit, I got off the train confused and slightly concerned. A nice gentleman saw the confusion on my face and recommended that I take a different train to Spiez, that would be more scenic. I waited in the cold for an hour then boarded a new train that would take me to my destination. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and even though my original plan fell through, the train ride was stunningly beautiful as the train chugged up the mountainside and stopped in little Swiss villages. By midafternoon, I arrived in Spiez and had to catch one final train to Interlaken. Before even getting off the train, I already felt at home in the mountains.

  

Later that day, I met up with two friends who happen to be in Interlaken that weekend, as well. Before the sun set, we went for a leisurely stroll to get acquainted with the town then met up later to indulge in Swiss fondue.

     

Saturday, the three of us met up early and headed for the hills. We were told by locals to take the train up into the mountains to truly experience the Swiss Alps. It was opening day for the local ski area, so the train was packed, but we arrived in the small city of Lauterbrunnen. After we took a bus to the base of the cable car that took us up a steep cliff to the town of Grimmelwald. We arrived before the sun had peaked up over the mountains, and the day was already gorgeous.

Every direction I looked, the views were incredible. The peaks that surrounded us soared higher than any mountain I had seen. It is fair to say that pictures did not do justice of this place. Everything was impeccably beautiful. The entire day we walked from one mountain village to the next and took in all the views. We watched as paragliders started sprinting and were suddenly airborne and flying through the alps. We drank the freshest, cleanest and coldest water I’d ever tasted. By the end of the day, I had taken over a hundred photos and my feet were tired so we headed down the mountain back to our warm hostels. Hands down, it was one of my favorite days abroad.

  

  

  

  

    

    

By Sunday I never wanted to leave. I never wanted to stop exploring this beautiful place. Sadly, it was my last day so I planned one final adventure. My friends had left, so the day was all mine. I headed for the mountains, again, and found a trail head for a hike called Harder Kulm. The hike was steep and my calves could feel it by the time I started the descent, but after a two hour climb to the top, the views were magnificent. I stayed there for awhile, gazing over the town of Interlaken and reflecting about how fortunate I was. I reflected on how lucky I was to be there, how lucky I was to be able to climb mountains, and reflecting on all the places I’d seen in the past three months.

Best. Hot. Chocolate. Ever.

      

After being abroad, I’ve gain greater perspective on the world and become a better thinker. I’ve had so much more time to think as I travel alone and sit on trains and planes for hours or go on solo hikes; my mind is constantly racing. I’ve had time to think about where I want my life to take me, time to think about how much I love seeing the world and time to think about how lucky I am. I know that I will greatly miss this time for thought and reflection, but it is the reason I have grown so much through this experience.

“We must take adventures to know where we truly belong.”

The San Francisco of Europe

Lisbon, Portugal, known as the San Francisco of Europe, because of its similar atmosphere and golden gate bridge replica, was the next stop on my European adventures. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, was about a 5 hour bus ride from Sevilla. My study abroad program planned this trip for all the students during the third weekend in November. Here is a quick preview (with lots of pictures) of the places and things I did during my weekend trip.

Night one in Lisbon: spent walking around the city center and then watching the sunset from the Castelo, a famous castle.

   

    

First morning in Lisbon: went on a bus/walking tour to visit Jerónimos Monastery, ate the best pastry: pastel de nata, and saw the Belém Tower.

  

     

Afternoon trip to Sintra: Three friends and I decided to take advantage of the rest of our Saturday and took an hour train ride to a little city, Sintra, on the outskirts of Lisbon. Through the rain, we trekked to visit the Peña National Palace, a top of a hill overlooking the city of Sintra. Afterwards, we dinned in a cute café, then took the train back home to Lisbon.

    

Sunday Trip Home (Pit stop in Evora): We loaded onto the buses and traveled an hour to the small city of Evora, where we spent the day touring the Temple of Diana, Church of São Francisco and Capela dos Ossos (Bones of Chapel).

Bones Chapel Quote: “We bones that here are, for yours await”

The weekend was short & sweet and was the perfect way to spend time getting to know new people within my program as we shared new adventures together.

Solo Travels: Eastern Europe

Before I left for abroad, I wrote a list of all the places I dreamt of going to while I was in Europe. I listed places I knew little about, places that I heard were incredible and places that were a little off my radar but looked amazing. My list consisted of: Rome, Cinque Terre, Prague, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Interlaken, Budapest, Florence, Vienna, Tarifa, and a couple others.

Since I started traveling aborad, I’ve learned that it is impossible to use Google to decide if a place is worthy of visiting. The only way to truly know is to talk with people and then book your tickets. So that’s exactly what I did, I talked to friends and family members that had visited parts of eastern Europe, and made the decision to take a week off of school to go.

I planned an eleven day trip, by myself, starting in Vienna, moving to Budapest and ending in Prague. I left for Vienna on October 31^st and planned to meet and stay with my friend, Katharina, who was a foreign exchange student during my junior year of high school. She is from Vienna and when I learned I would be studying abroad in Europe, I knew that I had to see her during my time here.

After four years of being apart, we found each other at the train station and  and embraced in loving “hello” hug then headed into the city. The afternoon was spent exploring the streets of Vienna, and then for dinner she taught me how to  make dumplings, a traditional Viennese meal.

      

Vienna dumplings.

That night, since it was Halloween, she took me out on the town and introduced me to all of her friends who spoke little English, but a lot of German. I thought I was confused in Spain, but it turns out when you have no background or knowledge about a language you feel completely lost and confused.

The following days in Vienna were spent catching up over decadent lattes and pastries and exploring the famous landmarks of Vienna.

  

Authentic Vienna Meal with Kate’s family.

On my final night, Katharina had 4 free tickets to see Lady Gaga, so we (plus two friends) went to the biggest concert spot in Vienna and watched as Lady Gaga performed with the most bizarre costumes, but surprisingly a very talented voice. The weekend in Vienna was absolutely lovely. It felt like a piece of home, catching up with an old friend and staying in a warm cozy home.

    

Tuesday, November 4th, was the day I started my real solo travels. I boarded my train early that morning and was on my way to Budapest. I planned to be in Budapest for three nights. My parents didn’t seem to have a problem with their 20 year old daughter touring around the streets of Eastern Europe, so I stayed in the middle of the city in a cool, modern hostel.

On my first night, I had no agenda, but after sitting on a train all morning I was ready to start walking. I walked until the sun set over the Danube River and my feet were tired. I’d only been in Budapest for a couple hours but I was already obsessed with it’s charm and relaxed vibes.

     

For dinner, I cooked and enjoyed an American-like tasting meal for the first time in awhile.

The following day, I went running. I ran to their central park, past the Budapest bathes and along busy pedestrian streets passing Hero’s Square and Saint Stephen’s Basilica.

       

The rest of the day, I had no agenda so I used my feet and a crinkled up map to guide me to the different sites of Budapest. I walked to the Hungarian Parliament Building, across the Chain Bridge that connects Buda to Pest, then climbed up Gellért Hill. During that night, I met up with a girl from DU, studying abroad in Budapest, and grabbed dinner with her and all her friends.

       

Thursday was my last day to explore, so I went on another run, this time along the river. Afterwards, I went to Budapest’s famous market where I tried some different cheesy pastries and bought Hungarian paprika.

I knew I couldn’t visit Budapest without going to the bathes, so the rest of the day I joined the locals and several other tourists at one of the most famous baths in Budapest. I stayed for an hour or so, enjoying the beautiful, unique setting and watching as some local men challenged each other in a game of chess on a table in the pool.

I left relaxed and content as I headed back to my hostel and prepared for my solo date night. I wanted to experience true Hungarian cuisine, so I decided to treat myself to a solo dinner date. I found an authentic Hungarian restaurant and walked in and was welcomed by an enormous man, who had to have been 6’10, and gave me questioning looks as I asked for a table for one. Continuing with my date night plans, I bought a ticket to ride the ferris wheel, and gazed over the sparkling city of Budapest. To add to my perfect day, I found a cute gelato shop and enjoyed some of the best gelato I’d ever tasted.

Solo travels= a couple too many selfies

  

Prague: the next stop on my eleven day journey. I left Budapest midmorning and found my train. It was an eight hour train ride through the countryside of Hungary, through Slovenia and ending in the Czech Republic. That night, I met up with a good friend of mine, Kaylee who was studying abroad in the UK.

One of the many train stations.

Along with the hundreds of other tourists that were visiting Prague that weekend, we made our way to the famous Praha Castle. The day was beautiful and the city was glowing under the radiant sun.

 

Without a real plan, we wandered through the streets and found a cute Shakespeare book store then stumbled upon the John Lennon wall. We indulged ourselves in the holiday dessert, a trdelnik, as we walked through the old Jewish quarters.

       

To end the day, we met up with a good friend of mine from DU, Andrew, who was studying abroad in Prague, who took us to a rooftop bar for sunset.

     

On my last day of exploring on my great adventure, we took a long stroll to the Petrin Hill to overlook the city. It was a hazy day, but the city still had it’s cozy, homey feel. We climbed to the top of the tower on top of Petrin Hill and looked over the city. Embracing the cozy, homey feel we spent the day enjoying coffee and eating more trdelnik, to rest up before our long travel days to come.

  

Eleven days flew by, but it was an incredible experience to plan and travel alone. Throughout my adventure, I made every train and every flight, found every hostel and saw all the main sites of these three impeccable cities. I proved to myself that I was independent and could survive on my own. I learned to be patient, to not stress when plans change or your lost. This experience was more than just a trip to see places, it gave me the courage and confidence to be a solo traveler.

Más Lugares de España: Cordoba y Granada

Hola, hola!

I realize I haven’t posted anything in over a month, but I guess that can be attributed to the fact that I have been on the move and living the study abroad dream. As my time draws to end here in Spain, I have decided to turn my blog into primarily photos. It’s easier to reflect on all the places I’ve seen and all my experiences through pictures.

During the last weekend of October, my study abroad program took us on a trip to two culturally rich cities located in the southern part of Spain,  also known as Andalucía. The first day we drove to the small city of Cordoba and spent the afternoon exploring the famous Mosque-Cathedral.

      

             

The rest of the day was spent in transit on our way to Granada. That night we hiked to the popular viewpoint to overlook the city, then went to a flamenco show inside of a cave.

My roomie, Sophia!

Mis amigas.

    

The following day, I woke early to go on a run and see the city.

Sunrise over the Alhambra.

Granada is extremely well-known for the Alhambra, which is a palace and fortress complex located on the outskirts of town. Below are pictures from our guided tour around this beautiful place.

  

                          

That night was the infamous soccer game between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, so my friends and I went to an Irish pub and partook in the festivities, then meet up with some DU friends afterwards.

F.C. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Fútbol Game

The next day, we explored the streets of Granada and watched street performers and enjoyed the aromatic smells from the spice stands.

Street performers.

The streets and creeks of Granada.

Moroccan spices.

By far, Granada is my second favorite city in Spain (after Sevilla, of course). It’s quaint streets and beautiful, picturesque landmarks and landscapes, made me love this city and not want to leave.

It’s Time for Africa

Growing up, I  always pictured Africa as a continent with poverty, starving children and a place with great hardships, but knew very little otherwise. I recall the first time I actually comprehended a part of the hardships people go through in Africa. I was in 7th grade and one morning our teachers invited us to school early for breakfast. We all drew numbers and sat at specific tables. Very few people were directed to sit at the “United States” table and the rest of the class was ushered to the “Africa” table. I remember siting with a small plate of rice and beans in front of me and looking over to the U.S. group eating fruits and pancakes. The message resonated, and that was the age I started to better understand the hardships in our world. Eight years later, I never pictured myself actually having the opportunity to step foot in Africa, but on October 10^th, 2014 I was on a ferry headed to Morocco with my study abroad program.

The trip was scheduled to last 6 days, but I had no idea the majority of that time would be spent in transit. Once we crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, getting through the Moroccan border took over 2 hours and then we spent the rest of the day driving by bus to Fes, one of the major cities in Morocco.

Our hotel lobby

Before leaving for Africa, our program had warned us about the risk of getting sick. We were told to not eat any fresh fruits or drink the water. I had no intentions of ruining my trip so my snack bag was almost as large as my suitcase.

Our first night we stayed in a four star hotel in the city center of Fes. Of course a four star hotel is much different in Africa, but it was nice nonetheless. That night, we attended a folklore show where we were amused as belly dancers and men with drums danced around us for over an hour.

Friends at the Folklore Show

The next morning we headed out to visit one of a Morocco’s largest and oldest medinas. The medina was located in the oldest part of Fes and has thousands of inhabitants living there along with hundreds of street vendors and stores. Within the Medina there are over 6,900 alleyways, many resulting in a dead-end. The only way to make your way through the medina maze was with a tour guide. The alleyways were narrow and the only mode of transportation through them was using mules or motor bikes.

Riding a mule in the Medina.

                                                    

Staying close to our tour guide, we wandered through the streets and made our first stop in an authentic craftsman’s artistry shop. The walls were covered with lanterns and beautiful gold platters.

Artistry shop.

Throughout the day we continued to walk through the narrow alleys and into different stores. After the artistry shop, we migrated to the tannery, a rug store, a Moroccan pharmacy and finally a store for soft goods like scarves and clothing. Each store had a unique personality and feel to it, but the thing that was consist amongst all the places, were the aggressive salesman trying to force you to buy their products. I’d never said “no” so many times in one day.

The Tannery: the place where all the leather products are made.

A moroccan pharmacy.

                              

The following day was fully dedicated to driving to the desert. Late afternoon we arrived in the small town of Erfoud where we got off the bus and jumped into 4×4 vehicles that would take us to our camp. With an Arab man at the wheel, we went off roading through the vast land and raced through the sunset.

Racing through the sunset.

       

We stopped to watch the sunset and then arrived at our camp, located in the Sahara Desert! By this time, night had fallen, so we carried all our belongings into our small tents and then headed to the main tent for dinner. The meal was delicious: couscous with vegetables and chicken.

Our daily breakfast in the desert.

Our camp site.

After dinner, the people who ran the camp played authentic Moroccan drums for us, as we laid under the stars. At this point in the trip, I could not get over how lucky I was to be sitting in the middle of the Sahara listening to bongo drums. It was perfection.

   

       

The next day was Monday, but according to my calendar it was hump day considering our itinerary for the day . We had been told previously to wake early and watch the sunrise, so my tent hopped out of bed at 6:30am and wandered outside of the camp to watch the sunrise. There were several people meandering around the campsite and a guy approached us and asked if we wanted to see the sunrise from a better viewpoint. A group of 10 girls ended up following him for 45 minutes, in the darkness, through the Sahara, climbing sand dunes to finally make it to the top of one of the higher dunes. Quietly, we all sat around and waited as the sun rose up from behind the wall of sand. The day had begun, and the scenery was already more beautiful than I ever imagined.

Sunrise.

Holding the sun.

      

Returning back to camp, we ate breakfast and then glanced out of the tent to see over a hundred camels, strung together, walking towards us. With our turbans wrapped around our heads, we were welcomed by the sea of camels and all the nomads (or camels guides). After properly selecting my camel, we were told to get on and then with a little nudge from the guide the camel moved from a fetal position to its feet and it was go time. Snapping pictures at every moment, I started trotting through the Sahara with the biggest grins on my face. I was the luckiest person alive.

             

   

   

   

   

   

Saying goodbye to Philly, my camel, we were dropped off in the nearby village and taken to a hotel to swim and relax. We returned back to camp and the remainder of the day we had free time. Two girls and I decided to take a walk and ended up finding a sand dune hidden from everything and sat and talked for hours. This time was different than any time I had ever experienced. It was one of the only times in my life where I had nothing to do, no place to be, and felt like I was living in the present. The three of us sat there, completely removed from the world around us and soaked in our surrounding as we talked. There were no phone distractions or knowledge of time. I wish I could have stayed in that moment forever, forgetting about everything going on around me and just being present.

   

Before the sun began to set, some other friends and a couple nomads joined us. Nomads are people that spend their whole lives living and wandering through the desert. After living near the camp for most of their lives, these people can speak around 8 languages fluently. They have never been to school, but they learn through talking with the foreigners that come to the camps. They simply wanted to talk with us and so we spent part of the night asking them questions and learning about the fascinating life of a nomad.

Our nomad friend writing our names in arabic in the sand.

Great friends, making incredible memories.

To end a perfect day, the sunset was easily the most beautiful thing I had ever witnessed. The colors reflecting off the clouds were vibrant and each time you looked in a new direction the glow from the sun would cast even brighter rays. I was surrounded by new and old friends and in the middle of the Sahara Desert and felt more alive than I ever had in my life.

Most stunning sunset.

The following day, I left the camp with an open mind, new thoughts and unforgettable memories. It took us two days to drive back to Sevilla, but during that time I was able to reflect on all I had seen, done and witnessed. I may have only seen a snippet of Africa, but I now view this continent in a whole new light. I don’t want to stereotype the whole continent based on what I saw in Morocco, but I now have a greater respect for this area of the world. Though poverty and hardships are extremely prevalent in Africa, I saw a different side as well. I watched as small children laughed and played soccer in the streets, I admired the nomads who have chosen to learn languages just so they can talk to the foreigners, and I watched as people who had very little smiled more than I did. Morocco left a lasting impression on my heart and opened my mind to things I never knew. I hope to one day return to the continent of Africa and let my heart be changed by this incredible part of our world.

Feeling a little bit like home.

It’s taken a while, but Sevilla is starting to feel like a place I can call home. I’ve slowly accepted the Spanish culture as my new lifestyle. I eat small breakfasts, large lunches and stay out later than I ever imagined (4am is becoming the usual). Almost everyday I peddle my bike into the center of town and pinch myself as I ride pass the towering cathedral or watch as tourist are totted around in horse drawn carriages.

Some days it feels like I live in a fairytale, but the reality is, is that living in Sevilla has had it’s ups and downs for me. I have accepted that everything happens a little more slowly here, people are not as friendly as I thought and the language barrier will continue to be my biggest obstacle. Coming to terms with all these “culture shocks,” has given me a greater perspective about Spain but also made me fall in love with Sevilla a little more each day.

Once my family arrived in Sevilla, I felt at home again. My family had nine days left in their travels and we had plans to travel around the southern tip of Spain. Though I had only spent a little over a month’s time in Sevilla, I was eager to be their tour guide. It was special to show them the place I had been living for the past month and show them everything from the cafés I study in to the gym I go to. I think it gave them better insight into all the things I would tell them over the phone.

Biking selfie!

Boating around Plaza de España

Sharing my family with one of my best friends, Andria

Found the best place to get Pad Thai

We didn’t spend much time in Sevilla though, cause we wanted to explore other regions of Southern Spain. We rented a car, and on Friday morning took off towards the ocean. Our first stop was the small town of Jerez, known for their dancing horses. We stopped and walked through the quarters where all the famous horse are trained and where the shows are performed.

Dancing Horse.

From there, we drove to another small town called Cadiz, located along the coast.

Cathedral in Cadiz

The town had very little going on so we ate a quick lunch, walked around, then pilled into the car again. On this leg of the trip, I fell asleep but was awoken two hours later to a view of kite sailors and windsurfers covering the Strait of Gibraltar. This destination was on my bucket list of places to visit in Spain, because of its reputation for amazing windsurfing. I was on cloud nine when we walked down to the beach and saw all the activity. Sadly, the sun was about to set and the rental shops were closing so we weren’t able to windsurf. Nonetheless, I loved being around that laid-back environment and watching as people zipped back and forth. With my family by my side, it was just another reason I felt at home.

Oh Tarifa, you are beautiful.

The town of Tarifa is hands down my favorite places in Spain. The local vibes attract surfers and tourists looking for adventure. I felt like I fit in here. We spent one night in this cozy town and watched the sunset, ate fresh fish, and then spent part of the next day walking the beach and peering across the waters to Morocco.

It was bizarre to think that in a weeks time, I would be in Morocco with my program.

Looking out to Morocco

Beautiful building in the town of Tarifa

By midday we were on the road headed to Ronda, which is part of “los publeos blancos” meaning the white towns. Arriving at dusk, we were surprised to learn that Ronda was a popular tourist town and all the hotels were booked. Eventually, we found a place on the outskirts of town.

Ronda.

The next day we wandered around Ronda then drove to another one of the white towns, Grazalema. This quaint town was tucked in the foothills of the Sierra del Pinar mountain range.

Grazelama

Hiking in the Sierra del Pinar

We spent the rest of the day hiking and walking around the small town. After venturing through all these Spanish cities, we headed back to Sevilla, but somehow the GPS directed us to a dirt road which led to a 45 minute attempt of trying to climb a dirt hill.

We ended up reversing back to the main road and then were back on track towards Sevilla.

The rest of my family’s time was spent in Sevilla. Before my family arrived, I had made the decision to change host families. My first host family consisted of a single mother with two kids, José Luis and Maria. I lived there for one month and had the hardest time fitting in. My host mom hosts students as a way to make money, so her only interactions with us was to prepare our meals and do our laundry, and she never made an effort to get to know us. When I chose to live with a host family, I wanted to feel like I had a home to come back to every night and felt a part of a traditional Spanish family, which was why I decided to move.

On the Monday my family and I returned back to Sevilla, I had to move to my new home. I had packed my things beforehand so all I had to do was pick them up and then a cab was scheduled to take my roommate and me to our new family. It was one of the hardest, most emotional moments when I had to walk into the apartment, pick up my things and say goodbye to someone who relied on me for her only source of income and now didn’t fully understand why I was leaving. In the end, I knew it was the right choice and looking back I’m so happy that I had the courage to make the switch. Now I live with a 78 year old Grandma who has lots of grand children that visit often. She is very sweet and does her best to make me feel at home.

Even though I had just moved into a new place, I spent the rest of the week sleeping at my family’s apartment. It felt so nice to have a comfortable apartment to lounge around in and the best part was, was that I got to eat home-cooked meals that tasted like home.

First colorful plate in a long time.

My favorite meal!

Took Kelby out on the town for a night!

Goodbyes are always hard, and this time was no exception, but I was so grateful that my family was able to visit. Looking back, I am so thankful that they were with me when I moved, because this was one of my hardest times abroad and it was so comforting to have my family with me. Though I wish they could have stayed longer, I cherished all the quality conversations, the laughs and adventures around Spain and am already looking forward to the next time we are all together again.

Miss these people everyday.

Backtracking to Barcelona

After spending nearly a month in Sevilla, my curiosity about other parts of Spain was growing. I was beginning to realize that Spain is a country with a lot of diversity when it comes to culture. In my class, Spanish Culture Up Close, we’ve been learning that Spain is broken into 17 autonomous communities that each offer a little different view on what it means to be “Spanish.”

During my time here I wanted to see as many parts of Spain, so I booked a trip to Barcelona. My family was scheduled to arrive in Barcelona the last Sunday in September and since Barcelona was on my list of “must-see” places, I booked a ticket for the Thursday night before their arrival. I figured I’d explore around for the weekend alone and then meet up with my family Sunday afternoon and leave Monday night.

A couple weeks before I left, I mentioned to a couple people that I was going and casually asked if they wanted to join me. My biggest bargaining chip was that there was a Barcelona vs. Granada soccer game on Saturday night, which turned out to be enough incentive, because I convinced a girl I met in Portugal (Laura) and my roommate, Sophia, to come.

On Thursday night, Laura and I headed to the Sevilla airport. We were scheduled to take different flights, but arrive in Barcelona around the same time.

I checked into my flight and then hurried over to Laura to figure out that she had accidentally booked a flight that left at 9 in the morning and not 9pm. Laura managed to get a flight to Barcelona that night and we ended up meeting outside the Barcelona airport later that evening. Taking a taxi into the center of town, we arrived at our hostel, Casa Gracia.

So far, my experiences with hostels have been incredible; I’ve eaten some of the best breakfasts and met people from around the world and this hostel definitely measured up to my previous experiences.

Friday morning, Laura and I woke, ate a delicious continental breakfast and went walking around the local neighborhoods.

Breakfast Patio

We had to be back at our hostel at 11 to pick up our bags and move into the apartment we rented for the rest of our stay. The apartment was owned by this intimidating 35 year old Russian woman, who spoke 6 languages and was a lawyer. Despite her daunting resume, she was very friendly and gave us an entire walking itinerary from her place.

Our cute apartment.

The weather was perfect so we put on our walking shoes and literally walked almost the entire city of Barcelona. In total, I think we walked around 12 miles in that one afternoon.

Our lengthy walking journey around Barcelona.

We grabbed lunch, headed to the beach, and ate and watched volleyball players diving in the sand and dipped our toes in the Mediterranean. The beach scene reminded me of the California boardwalk.

One of the things I miss most about home is my daily smoothie, so when I saw a smoothie café, I had to stop. It was a taste of home and helped re-energized me for the rest of the day.

From there, we walked to La Rambla, one of the famous pedestrian streets in Barcelona, filled with street performers and many tourists. Off La Rambla was a huge marketplace called St. Josep-La Boqueria. It was a maze to navigate through, but had so many different types of fruits, meats, and candies.

Next stop was the Cathedral and the Arc de Triomf.

Quality photo-bombing in the background.

At that point in the day, the sun was starting to set and my feet were starting to tire, so we jumped on the metro and went back to our apartment. We lounged around for a while and then headed back into town for dinner at this Italian restaurant, recommended by our hostess. It tasted like Italy. I had a beet ravoli with a pear gorgonzola stuffing in a rona pesto. It was to die for, an under 10 euros.

The next day, my roommate Sophia arrived and we all decided to hit the main attraction in Barcelona, Park Güell. I felt like I was in Candyland with all the unique, mosaic structures. There were tons of tourists, but we took our pictures then headed to Sagrada Família for one last tourist attraction before we headed to the soccer game.

Seeing a soccer game in Spain was something I’d always wanted to experience, so when I learned that FC Barcelona was playing that weekend, I found the cheapest tickets. The game was sold out and the stadium was packed with avid fans. My seat was almost in the highest row but it gave me the best perspective over the entire arena. I cheered as loud as I could as FCB won against Granada (7-0). The game was truly an incredible experience to watch as so many Spaniards and families came together to unite in cheering for their team.

Incredible sunset over the stadium.

Score!

After fleeing the stadium, we walked a couple miles to a popular tourist destination, the Magical Fountain. Reminding me of the Bellagio, every hour the fountain dances to music with beautiful lights electrifying the streams of water. It was the perfect way to end a day of seeing a marvelous city with new friends, but the highlight of my trip was less than 24 hours from arriving, so I went to bed fairly early for Spanish time.

The last thing on my “must do things in Barcelona” list was jumping into the Mediterranean, so Laura and I went for an early morning run and dove straight in.

Collage of all our selfies throughout the weekend.

My family didn’t arrive until later in the afternoon so we planned to walk around the city more but severe rain got in the way. Instead, we drank cafés con leches and ate pasteries in cafes.

Sophia left to meet up with some friends and Laura stayed with me as we trekked through the rain to meet up with my family. It was a torrential downpour so my family ended up walking with umbrellas to meet us. When I finally saw them, I ran across the crosswalk completely drenched and smuggled them with hugs. I was so excited that my family had finally made it to my “home” country.

Waiting in the rain.

Reunited as a family, we met up with our foreign exchange student from the previous year, Clara. Clara is from a town 4 hours away from Barcelona, so her family traveled to Barcelona to meet us. That night, they took us out to dinner, the Spanish way. My family was jet-lagged, but we enjoyed the evening moving from one restaurant to another to get our appetizers, our samples of the best jamon, an entrée, and gelato. Over the course of the night, we went to 3 restaurants and ate for 3 hours, a normal dinner for Spaniards.

Monday was my last day in Barcelona, so my family and Clara’s family went to Casa Milá, a famous building designed by Gaudí. Continuing Spanish tradition, we ate a hearty, leisurely lunch, grabbed coffee and then Clara’s family drove me to the airport. I had to say goodbye to my family, but it was one of my easiest goodbyes, because they would be arriving in Sevilla in two days.

Mi Hermanas

 

Barcelona was an incredible city, filled with culture, history, but also a laid-back alternative beach scene. I fell in love with another part of Spain and am now beginning to see why Spain attracts so many visitors from around the world.

Meeting the Neighbors (aka~Portugal)

Neighboring Spain, Portugal was definitely one of my “must-see” spots during my time abroad. After spending the last two weeks in busy cities (Copenhagen, Madrid & Sevilla) I was ready to find a place with a little more serenity. Like any normal student studying abroad in Europe, I spend most of my free time googling places, flights and hostels. By the end of my time abroad, I might just go into the travel agency business. Anyways, after a variety of Google searches, I came across a company that takes study abroad students to Sagres, Portugal, called Outdoor Sevilla. The organization’s mission is to bring students together to experience adventure in places less traveled. In my case, the southern tip of Portugal. The trip was leaving the next day so I texted 2 friends from DU, and we all spontaneously booked our trip and packed our bags.

Bus to Portugal

The bus ride wasn’t too long and was the perfect place to meet new people. Sitting in front of us, were three girls from another program, who we later decided to room with. The drive from Spain to Portugal was nothing spectacular, but once we hit the Portuguese coast, the word beautiful became an understatement. As stated in the itinerary, our first adventure was a hike. The hike took around 2 hours, but not because of length, but because of the copious amounts of pictures taken.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I don’t think any picture could ever capture how magical and majestic Sagres truly is. I still attempted to do so, though:

New friends.

The rest of the night was spent dinning at one of the few restaurants in the small village of less than 2,000 inhabitants and then checking out the local bar. It was the perfect setting to start meeting new people and socializing with other travelers seeking adventure in this outdoorsy town.

Saturday was nothing short of perfect. We woke early to eat our free continental breakfast and then 1/3 of the group headed to the bus to go rock climbing and cliff jumping. Due to the 10-15 foot swell, cliff jumping was canceled, but we still got to hike around and rock climb. It was my first time climbing outside and I ended up getting the second highest out of all the groups. I guess when I get back to Colorado, I might have to try to venture to the mountains to try climbing some more.

Selfies with Javi (Our tour guide)

The second half of Saturday was spent enjoying one of the most magnificent beaches I’ve ever visited. It was truly picturesque; the cliffs that surrounded the beach beckoned up to the sky, the sand was golden, like a perfectly roasted marshmallow, and the color of the sea and sky were vibrantly dazzling. I could have stayed there all day, watching the surfers, taking dips in the refreshing water and playing beach volleyball with other beach go-ers.

Chasing the last rays of sunlight from the perfect day, we all drove to the southern-most point of Portugal to watch the sunset. At one point in history, this point was thought to be the “end of the world” because the Americas had yet to be discovered.

Surfing was on the agenda for Sunday, even though the weather was calling for rain. As soon as we arrived at Praia de Marinha, another local beach, the rain started to pour down. We were told to strip down to our swimsuits and head for a tiny shack to get our wetsuits. At that moment, I knew I picked the perfect program as I saw all my new friends sprinting to the shack, not intimidated by the weather. These were my kind of people, fearless and adventure-seekers. With wetsuits on, we headed down the beach with our foam boards and met our Portuguese surfing instructors. There were around 35 students eager to learn and after some onshore instruction we were all unleashed to race to the water. Quickly, I learned that the surfing part was fairly easy, it was dodging the bobbing heads that created the challenge.

Well, that about wraps up my first weekend abroad in paradise. I’m happy I got my fix of fresh air, adrenaline rush and am coming “home” with some new friends that appreciate the outdoors as much as I do.

{Nueva} Sevillano

Disclaimer: I apologize for the lack of posts in the past weeks, I’ve been busy adjusting to the Spanish lifestyle, which includes treating myself to a daily siesta which has been great for my sleep cycle but bad news for my blog. Nonetheless, here is a recap of the highlights and humorous parts from my time here so far.

It has all happened so fast, from the time I stepped out of the bus in Sevilla to meet my host mom to starting classes at UPO (University of Pablo de Olavide). I’ve survived my first week as a ”resident”  in Sevilla or Sevillano. To say the least, it has been anything but easy, but so far it has been worth every awkward encounter and frustrating moment.

Upon my arrival in this beautiful, culturally rich city, I have been living with a single mother, Tony, and her two 19-year-old kids, José Luis and Maria. The few encounters I’ve had with the kids have included accidentally walking in on José in the bathroom and a trip to Burger King with Maria. Apparently the kids speak English, but I have yet to hear any. However, I am lucky enough to have a roommate who I can speak English with and confide in every time our host mom says something that I don’t understand (which happens a lot). I think I’d be completely lost if I didn’t have my roommate, Sophia, who is an adorably short, Korean girl from San Francisco. For each meal (lunch & dinner, because breakfast is sadly not a thing here), Sophia and I sit at this small table in the center of the kitchen and spend most of the dinner trying to converse in Spanglish or laughing about how everything we attempt to do in this country is a constant struggle. We are continuously joking about how we are on the “Struggle Bus” stuck on cruise control.

Sophia, my super cute roommate!

Living with a host family has exposed me to the culture in more ways than I expected. I’m living with a single mother who only makes money from study abroad students living in her house. This reality is unfamiliar to me, but with Spain’s current economy it is a suitable job for many families. Each day Tony cleans our room, does our laundry and cooks us lunch and dinner. So far, this experience has felt so unnatural and has been very difficult to adjust to, but Tony has been a host mom for 5 years so this is normal for her.

My extremely pink room for the semester.

Before arriving in Spain, I knew that the language barrier would be my biggest struggle, and so far this assumption has been correct. Everything I attempt to do (that would have been easy in the US) has taken twice the amount of time and has usually left me stumped and confused.

I decided to rent a bike from my school and after a week of consulting different offices around campus, I learned that a prezia is a down payment, which finally explained why people kept telling me that I had to pay an additional 90 euros. To my relief, I finally have my bike and a feeling of freedom.

Adjusting to the food here has been a bit challenging and after eating my host mom’s food for the past week, I’ve decided that a gym membership is very necessary for my sanity and physical health. Every meal feels like I am carbo-loading for some major bike ride or triathlon. There is always a half a loaf of bread and some sort of rice or pasta. Even after I managed to purchase my gym membership, I struggled with trying to ask someone to share a lane in the pool and then couldn’t even start the treadmill. I’m beginning to realize that I will always be faced with challenges while I’m here, but that’s part of the adventure.

Welcome home meal!

I’ve spent 17 days in Spain thus far, and I can already say that my Spanish is slowly getting better, but simple interactions still seem extremely difficult. I’ve learned that the most important word in the Spanish language is “vale.” I say it at least 100 times a day, even when I don’t understand what is going on.

To my surprise, school has been the easiest part of all this adjusting. I managed to stack my classes so I only have class on Tuesdays and Thursday, which is ideal for traveling and exploring Friday through Monday. I’m taking two business classes, Español Elemental and a class on Spanish Culture.

First day of school picture.

My time here has been nothing short of amazing. I am so beyond excited for what adventures are soon to come and will continue to share. Below are some pictures taken throughout the week of me falling more in love with this city.

Nights in Sevilla.

Plaza de España

Mi cabello

New & Friendly Faces

The final challenge of my independent travels required that I get myself and all my belongings from Copenhagen to Madrid, to meet my program . I started my morning at 3:30am, as I snuck out of my hostel room as quietly as possible. I lugged my massive bag through the empty streets of Copenhagen, headed to the train station. The train was scheduled to leave at 4:12, so I ended up sprinting to the station to make sure I made it. I arrived at the station incredibly sweaty, to discover that the station didn’t open until 4:30. I started to panic, but found a couple that was taking the same flight and we both learned that there was another train that left at 4:40.

Madrid, Spain

I made it to my flight on time and slept the entire way to Madrid. As soon as I retrieved my luggage, I had to sprint to another terminal to find my group and make sure I made it to the bus on time. I was the last student to arrive and I was greeted by several DU faces that I knew, but also many new faces. The group boarded the bus and headed into the heart of Madrid. After they gave us our room keys, the day was ours, so I went for a run through the largest park in Madrid, Parque del Retiro.

Around three, I returned back to the hotel to enjoy the Spaniard’s most important part of the day, siesta. I was just about to fall asleep when I heard the key card machine activate and my best friend from DU, Andria, walked through the door. All the neighbors must have heard our hooting and hollering as we greeted one another. It was completely random that we would be placed in the same room, but it was the best surprise to finally see her after a summer apart.

During my run, I found this lake called El Estanque Grande that was filled with a bunch of small boats. Acting like my dad, I checked it out and convinced Andria and our new friend, Sarah, to go. We managed to speak enough Spanish to rent el barco and paddled around enjoying the sunshine while occasionally bumping into other boats.

Trying to acclimate to the Spaniard’s lifestyle, a group of 9 people from our program went to eat tapa’s at 9 o’clock in the evening. It was great to branch out of my DU bubble and get to know some of the people from all over the U.S.

The following day we had a guided tour around the city and went to the Museo del Prado, a famous art museum. Madrid was absolutely gorgeous and everywhere you turned there was something new and fascinating to learn about.

The center of Spain.

Toledo, was the next stop on our tour of Spain, so we spent the morning driving and then met our extremely good looking spanish tour guide named Lucas, who walked us around the entire city. It was an absolutely gorgeous city and was filled with many beautiful medieval buildings.

Panoramic view of Toledo.

 We wandered through ancient cathedrals and ended our tour at the Grand Palace, that had incredible architecture from the outside and amazing artwork covering every corner on the inside.

The Grand Palace in the background.

Beautiful artwork within the palace.

It was our last day to rest before heading to Sevilla, so our program brought us back to the hotel to relax before leaving early the next day to drive to Sevilla. 

I can finally say that I have adjusted to the time zone and feel like I am slowly beginning to fit in here. My español is terrible, but I keep trying to speak and listen carefully when others talk. I’m learning, slowly. I’ve loved exploring all of the Spanish culture and getting to know people in my program, but I’m ready to get settled in. I meet my family tonight and am eager but also terribly nervous. School starts Wednesday and we have orientation on Monday and Tuesday. I still can’t believe this is all happening, but once I arrive I’m sure the reality will sink in that I’m actually going to be living in Spain for 4 months!

 More updates to come about the “study” part of my study abroad along with other tidbits.