PERI: Return to the USA

        This is going to be a long blog kind of wrapping everything up, so I figured it would be a little easier to read if I broke it into sections.

Trip Home:  Well, today is Tuesday and I landed in good ol' Boise, Idaho at about 10:30pm on Saturday night and I could NOT be more thankful!  I was originally supposed to go to Geneva, Switzerland from Friday until Monday and then fly home today, but (thankfully) that is not how things panned out.  Elizabeth, Kelly, and I showed up to the airport Friday morning with our backpacks full and many layers of clothes on, prepared to visit the lovely Geneva.  We stepped off the train and up to the information monitors to find out that our flight had been cancelled.  After MUCH frustration dealing with a number of EasyJet employees, we figured out that all the flights to Geneva that day were cancelled due to snow.  We decided that we would not risk going on Saturday because of the chance that we would not get back to BCN on time and hence, home on time.  We went to our respective airlines for the trip home and tried to schedule something for later that day, but to no avail.  5 hours after this process started, we finally took our defeated behinds home.  We were all really upset that our trip had not worked out and we were not able to get home.  BUT after a quick nap, I learned that my mom had worked a miracle and got me on a flight home the next day!!!  So I said my goodbyes to my host family and Elizabeth and got to the airport at 8 o'clock Saturday morning :).  Just by chance, Mitzi and I were both on Delta getting home and our flights were supposed to leave about 45 min. apart from each other so our gates were right next to each other!  It was great to be able to start this trip with her and end with it too, I was so happy :).  Saturday was a very long day... all flights were very delayed and hectic because of the weather conditions all over Europe.  But like Mitzi said, it was hard to feel anything but nostalgic.  Nevertheless, we both made it home on the same day, and it could not have been better timing because all of my program mates that are still in BCN are stuck there and who knows when they will make it home.

Feelings about being home:    Being home feels fantastic: it looks and smells and feels like Christmas and I appreciate being with family and friends so much.  Mitzi and I had a little bit different experiences with our feelings at the end of our programs.  But before I elaborate, I have to say first and foremost that studying abroad is the best thing that I have ever done for myself.  I learned so much about myself, my Spanish speaking improved exponentially, and the experience of living in a foreign country is something that has changed me for the better and I think everyone should experience at one time or another.  Like Mitzi said, I learned a valuable lesson about the things that are important to me in life.  I learned that traveling the world is something that I love to do and want to continue throughout my lifetime, but also that I don't enjoy it as much without the people that I love: it is something that I want to share with them.  My time abroad has confirmed to me that my life at home is exactly the way that I want it to be. Now that I am home and feeling like myself, I realize how much I did not feel like myself.  I would never say that I was unhappy while in Spain, but the instability of situation and emotion did take its toll on me, and it feels good to feel like myself again :)/

I always heard that the reverse-culture shock was going to be a weird, cross-cultural experience in itself, and let me tell you, it is.  I find myself accidentally saying things like "Perdon"(pardon me), and "gracias" and other everyday phrases on accident.  I notice every little difference between Spain and here and immediately want to talk about it (something that our program reminded us of is that people are going to get very tired of our "Well in Spain..." stories, so that is something that I am trying to work on).  It is strange to hear English 100% of the time.  Comfort foods of home are a very welcome change.  It is strange coming home to driving, big homes and rooms, consistently hot water, American time schedules, and so much more.

Looking back:    My perspective of this experience is much clearer now that I have stepped out of it, and I can honestly say that it is something that I would recommend to ANYONE.  It was the most rewarding thing that I have ever done, but it was also the most difficult.  Contrary to the beliefs of some, it is not a whirlwind of jet-setting, euphoric fun, and financial freedom.  Although yes, the jet=setting and euphoria are the high points that are some of the best times in my life, there are extreme lows as well.  It is difficult to be away from your home, your family, and everything familiar, and at some point in the semester, everyone hits a lull in the excitement of being abroad.  That is enough with the negative though, because I don't regret a moment of the last 4 months and I know how much I have learned and grown from it.

Study abroad tips:   I cannot say enough how valuable this experience was for me and would be for any student.  Studying abroad is one of those things that if you say "I will do it someday", it will forever be pushed back until tomorrow and never happen; it is time to take the plunge!!  With some hard work on scholarships, putting money away, and a little sacrifice, it is something that can be afforded... and the experiences that you will have are INvaluable!  Imagine hopping a plane to Paris or Manchester or Prague for $30.00!  As a study abroad veteran, there are a few things that are must-haves and must-knows.

Must-haves:  
--A good, reliable camera
--A blog :)  or journal.  It is important to record your experiences as you go along, otherwise details become fuzzy
--For Europe, boots and scarves are a must :)
--I hate to sound materialistic, but honestly an iPod touch was one of the best investments that I made before going: you can pick up internet on your weekend trips without taking or needing a computer, access email when you are looking for those directions to your hostel, text your friends and family in the US (for free!), use translating apps for those side trips to other countries, GPS apps to find that hole-in-the-wall restaurant you heard a recommendation for, etc. Long story short, it was a life saver!

Must-knows:
--A little street smarts: you may hear that petty crime is very high in Europe... in some cases, this is completely true, however if you keep vigilant and always are using your street smarts, your odds of being pick pocketed are much lower
--A good idea of why you are going abroad.  Are you going to learn a language? travel? party?  Do you want a tranquil location? metropolitan?  I loved Barcelona, but I wish that I would have done a little more research on how it would meet my objectives.  Barcelona is great for people looking for a bustling city, great nightlife, and tons of Catalan culture.  But with these things that are seemingly great, there are consequences such as being expensive, an overwhelming nightlife, and lots of Catalan pride and close-mindedness to the rest of the Spanish culture.
--Keep an open mind:  more than likely, everything that you are accustomed to is going to be different, which is not necessarily bad, as long as you are open to it.  I know that my tastes in food broadened a lot while abroad just from trying different things.  Also customary traditions, preferences, timelines, etc. may seem strange but just go with the flow!

Well I am all out of advice for now but I would love to hear from anyone who is interested in studying abroad :)  I can be reached at pbolts01@gmail.com, and I will do my best to answer any questions that you may have!  Thanks for reading our blog, I hope that it was informative even though it is a bit cumbersome.  ¡Hasta luego!

MITZI: Nostalgia

Disclaimer.  I am sitting alone in the Barcelona airport with all my luggage at 1 in the morning.  I am tired and I still have 17ish more hours of traveling ahead of me. :)  And there are police riding around the terminal on segways... I feel safe.

I can’t believe it’s over.  I seriously just don’t understand.  Did I really just live in Spain for four months?  I definitely feel like I ran out of time, it just went by so fast!!  I was very sad to leave, I kept thinking ‘I don’t want to go back to reality...’  Which is so true.  This whole experience has felt like a dream.  I think that when I wake up in my own bed on Sunday morning that this whole experience will really become like a dream.

Leaving really was bittersweet.  I hate to leave Sevilla and the lifestyle I have become accustomed to, but I am also super pumped to be home for Christmas and spend time with friends and family. 

Sitting here looking back I see that Sevilla really offered me a lifestyle that the US never could.  One of tranquility and self-realization.  I learned a lot about myself and my own independence.  I feel like I have changed, but I can’t really tell still being here.  That’s another reason why I am excited to go home, to really see how my time here studying abroad has changed me.  I really want to bring back with me a part of the mindset that I have now about priorities, and what causes me stress.  I have been so relaxed and more open to new and different things.  I want to be able to stay openminded and remember the importance of my priorities I have had here.

I still just can’t comprehend the things I have seen and experienced over these last four months.  It’s some people’s life dream to go to Italy and I just nonchalantly decided to take a weekend trip there.  It’s just crazy.  I am so appreciative to everyone and everything that helped get me here, I really have been so blessed.  Not just Italy either, Ireland, France, Africa, lots and lots of Spain...  I am one very lucky girl.

What I would like to leave you with may be a little cheesy to some, but I love it.  So there was a Christian king ruling in Sevilla centuries ago and the city adored him.  During his reign his son decided that he was going to try and take over the throne.  However, the people of the city loved him so much that they stuck by him and fought for him and he remained king.  As a thank you to the people of the city he gave the city a motto: NO8DO.  The 8 is in calligraphy and it means a spool of yarn.  A spool of yarn in Spanish is called a ‘madeja.’  So with a play on words it sounds like ‘no madeja do’, or ‘no me ha dejado’ which means it (the city) has never left me.  I really really like this because I know that my own experience from Sevilla will never leave me, because it has changed me.

I hope that you have enjoyed our posts and that they weren’t too long or boring or random or confusing.  But this was my experience in a nutshell.  And I loved it, absolutely adored it. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

NO8DO <3

Mitzi

MITZI: Arab baths and Italy

So for my last weekend in Sevilla some friends and I decided to go an arabic bath in Sevilla.  I had heard from friends who had gone and said it was something I couldn’t miss.  They were 100% correct.  I am so glad I dished out the money to go. It was located right in the heart of my favorite neighborhood, Santa Cruz, on top of an ancient Arab bathhouse (Hamman) and Roman ruins.  During the 16th century, a Viceroy from the Indies built a palace which today is known as the “Aire of Sevilla.”  I literally felt like royalty.  There were four different pools in the basement of this palace, all lit by candles (would be an amazing thing to do for a honeymoon!!).  One pool was a salt pool, the biggest one was tepid, and there was two smaller ones: one hot and one like ice.  It was a very unique experience.  Ahhhh I simply loved it.  I want to go back so bad!! I am so relaxed and happy.  We only paid for the bath part of it, but there are tons of packages with massages and aromatherapy and more.  Definitely something I can happily check off my “culture list,” so Katie calls it.

A little glimpse of my afternoon full of serenity.

Peri already filled you in on our incredible Italy trip (see her blog below for pictures and details!!).  Gosh it was amazing.  As we were jaunting around different places sometimes I would just stop and think, “I’m in Italy, this is some people’s life dream, and I’m here, right now, experiencing it all.”  It was humbling and satisfying at the same time, if that makes any sense at all.  I simply fell in love.  The food, oí, the food was perfection.  All I wanted to do was eat!! And eat I did!  Pizza, pasta, gelato, wine, mmmmmm my tummy was always happy. 

One main highlight of the trip for me (besides the food) was St. Peter’s basilica in Vatican City.  Walking into a church that is so grandiose and intricate at the same time.  Like Peri said, it was really hard to take it all in.  I just stood in the back for a couple minutes with tears in my eyes trying to comprehend the grandness of the basilica.  I like making the connection with St. Peter’s and when Jesus says in Matthew that Peter was the disciple that Christ would build his church.  And here we have one of the largest churches in the world, and I have been lucky enough to stand in it.

St. Peter's.

Another memory that I have of Rome was when us girls where chillin on the Spanish steps eating some gelato.  We were ‘completely innocently’ trying to get into other tourist’s pictures when we see this guy completely tackle another guy selling scarves (probably an illegal immigrant).  It was pretty intense, the guy to tackled the vender guy escorted him up the stairs and everything.  We were convinced he was an undercover cop.  And after that all the vender guys completely disappeared.  Pretty sketchy.  The funny thing was that when the vender guy got tackled he dropped some of his scarves and the undercover cop guy wouldn’t let him go back and get them.  So there was this pile of scarves chillin on the steps waiting for someone to come pick them up.  I really had to restrain myself because you know my love of scarves!!  A little while later two other vender guys came and picked them up.  But it was definitely an interesting little memory.

The aftermath.  That's a good little pile of scarves!

Ok.  Finals week.  I need to study.  But I only have 6 days left in Sevilla!! So bittersweet.  More on my feelings next blog. :)

PERI: When in Rome :)

    This past weekend was a Spanish holiday known as Puente.  Monday was Constitution day and Wednesday was Immaculate Conception day, so lucky for us, we had a 6 day holiday!!  Mitzi, her friend Kristin, my roommate Elizabeth, and myself ventured to Rome!  It was an incredible trip.  Originally we had thought about going to Rome and various other cities in Italy since we had such a long break, but the trains between towns are either expensive or slow... and I am so glad that we decided to spend all five days of our trip in Rome!  We stayed at a nice little hostel that ended up being in the perfect location for exploring the city.  Rome has a terrible metro system (we were informed that the reason the metro is so outdated and has so few lines is because it is impossible to build an underground metro because they are constantly running into ruins beneath the city), so we ended up walking A LOT.  I would say we walked at least 7-8 miles every day.  The first night we were there we ran into some bad weather and got stuck out in a rain storm, but other than that the weather was pretty good.

View from hostel window.

    There is SOOO much to say about Rome that I do not even know where to begin.  We did a great job waking up early and hitting the touristy sites to avoid lines.  There are so many historical and interesting things to see in Rome-- there are literally picture-worthy sites every place you look!  But I feel like we were very efficient in the sites that we saw :)  I think it will be easier to read and write if I list them by day:


Friday: Trevi fountain by night, Pantheon, and a little of the area around our hostel

Trevi Fountain at night

Saturday: St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican City.  These two sites literally took ALLLL day.  We got to the Basilica about 8:30am and were able to walk right in.  The Basilica was so vast that it was hard to comprehend its beauty, one could spend days soaking it all in.  The Vatican was phenomenal, but a lot like the Louvre in Paris in that there is so much to see, and the exhibits are so big, that they become a bit monotonous after a while.  The Sistine Chapel was absolutely mind boggling and fantastic.

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica

Inside Sistine Chapel

Sunday: Colosseum, Palatino, and Spanish steps.  The Colosseum was absolutely incredible.  The ruins of what is left are so interesting and look different from every angle.  The exhibition they had there about the Colosseum and the events that used to take place there was fascinating.  The Spanish steps are a very large staircase that go up from a main plaza with lots of shops to higher ground in the city.  We sat on the steps eating gelato and people watching.

In front of Colosseum with the rip-off street gladiator...

Inside Colosseum

Spanish Steps

Monday: Took a half hour train ride to Frascati, a small town in a more country area.  The town was so quaint and cute, it was great to get out of the city.

Quaint little Frascati

Along with those main events, we also explored various things, we were always finding something interesting on our walks around the city.

Another very notable thing about Rome is the FOOD!  Honestly, the second we finished one meal we could not wait to feel a little pang of hunger so we could eat again :).  The pizza, gelato, and of course the pasta were to die for!  There are so many other things to mention about beautiful Roma, unfortunately pictures and words just don't do it justice.

Us four ladies at a Romantic Italian dinner :)                          And delicious pasta!!

MITZI: Rain in Spain

The main thing that is on my mind right now is rain, rain, rain, rain, and rain.  I mean, I like the rain and everything, when I am dressed appropriately and am not cold.  I lost my umbrella this last weekend and learned my lesson about not having one in the rain yesterday...

View of a Sevillian rainbow from my window, one plus from the rain.

I was really bummed that it was raining almost the whole time Peri was here this weekend, but we still had a great time, and we even braved the almost monsoon-like rain on Saturday to go tour the cathedral.  I loved having her here and showing her all my favorite eclectic spots.

Peri and I in front of the cathedral.

Peri and I and the girls getting tapas for Pear's 21st birthday!! :)

 Last night on the town.  Two Idaho girls in Sevilla. :) Good times.

Thanksgiving was really good!! ISA put on a really really nice dinner for us.  We had a great time, the food wasn’t the same as home, but the company was great.  And everyone dressed up really nice cocktail style.

Thanksgiving dinner. Yum.

Another thing I would like to comment about Spain in general is their lack of central heating.  I’m an Idaho girl not used to humidity for one, and I just get chilled and can’t get warm again.  And two, our apartment doesn’t have heat, so that’s fun.  It’s a newer complex so it’s insulated better than some of my friend’s apartments, but still when it’s 46 degrees outside, it’s pretty cold.  I’m not really complaining, just commenting.  I actually like being cold more than being hot.  I like to bundle up and cuddle in my bed.  It just  isn’t as much fun when I am battling a cold.  Oh well, it’s all an experience and I am still loving it.

Two weekends ago ISA took us on an excursion to Córdoba and Granada.  I was really looking forward to this excursion because I have learned a lot about the art history in both of these cities, and I had a feeling that I was going to love them.  I was right, I especially loved Granada.  We saw the famous mosque of Córdoba, and had a really funny tour guide who kept calling us his ‘family,’  it was cute.

Mosque of Córdoba

Inside the mosque is incredible, with all the matching arches and history behind the mosque.  I also had the best Spanish tortilla I have had yet.  It’s this like potato cake thing that Spain is known for.

Granada really is my favorite city in Spain now after Sevilla.  It’s farther north so the leaves were changing and it was simply breathtakingly.  We spent a majority of the day at the Alhambra, the palace of Granada.  It was incredible.

Courtesy of Google search again.  The Alhambra.

View from the Alhambra.

It was a Muslim palace on a hill looking over the city.  The views were to die for.  And the intricacy of designs in the walls and decorations of the palace were awesome. 

Katie and I and the Alhambra in the background at night.

It’s hard to really convey what I saw and felt during my excursion.  I simply loved it.  I have been so blessed to have been able to see what I have seen and done what I have done here.  I have learned so much about my self and about our world.  My time here in Sevilla is quickly coming to an end, and reminiscing on my time here is starting to feel just like a dream.  I just want to enjoy every second I have left.

PERI: Girona and one month to go!!

    Well, I can't believe it, as of yesterday I only have one month left in Spain!  It is crazy how fast the time has gone!  I must confess I am very excited to go home, I know there is a lot waiting for me.  Thanksgiving and my birthday without my family will not be the same, but I am thankful that I am going to Sevilla to visit Mitzi for both of these holidays! :)  As for the rest of my time here, I am still trying to improve my language skills every day, finish up my school work, and make the most of the rest of my time.

     This past weekend we had our last ISA excursion to the historical town of Girona and the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres.  Girona is a beautiful city located on a picturesque river just north of Barcelona.  We took a walking tour around the city and visited the ruins of the Roman city walls, the Jewish quarter, and other notable places in the city.  Unfortunately it was a drizzly, cold day so after the tour was over, a group of us decided to warm up indoors with a lovely Menu del Dia.  In Spain, lunch is typically the big meal of the day, so almost every restaurant offers a multi-course meal in the middle of the day at a really reasonable price.  I love sitting down and having a nice long meal with good conversation.  After the bread and olive oil, lasagna, roasted chicken, potatoes, and chocolate cake, needless to say... I was stuffed!!

Classic Girona river scene

We then got on the bus for a short drive to Figueres where the Salvador Dali Theater Museum is.  Don't let the name fool you... it is not a theater museum.  It is an art museum, designed by Salvador Dali himself (in a theater-like setting), that houses most of Dali's greatest works.  Dali is the father of the genre of art called surrealism.  Let me tell you, it does not get much more surreal than this place!! Every inch of the museum was decorated with some strange, off-the-wall piece of art or sculpture or some other installation... it was a sensory overload for sure!! I do really enjoy Dali's art, but it is a lot to take in at once. **One side note... when we got to the museum, there were a lot of people waiting outside, and after a while, one of our directors told us that we were not allowed to go in yet---- because someone had just died inside!!!  We had to wait for the coroners to come and remove the body before we were allowed to enter!  It was sad and very odd.

One of Dali's classics

Hair= big curtain, eyes= large inkblot paintings, nose- fireplace, mouth= couch

MITZI: Fundación Gota de Leche

Starting in late September, every Wednesday morning I have been volunteering with an organization called Fundación Gota de Leche.  They have many different programs that are aimed at helping the needs of women and children.  They have a health focus and run a small clinic near the ISA office.  The program that I have been working with is ‘desayunos’ or breakfast.  What I do is travel to an elementary school in the city and help serve breakfast to kids who need it.  The object is to try to explain to these kids some concept of health, or a healthy breakfast.  I work with a lady, Ana, who works with these kids everyday, and it is awesome to hear stories of how far these kids have from, and to watch the relationship between her and these kids.  The kids all come from pretty rough backgrounds, many are gypsy kids.  They can be intimidated by people who are different from them, such as me, a tall white girl who doesn’t speak perfect Spanish, so I never know how they are going to react to me.  Sometimes they are open to talk, and sometimes they aren’t.  I really do love doing it though.  I feel like it has given me a little more meaning here in Sevilla, and the smile on a kid’s face when I give them a high five is totally worth it.  Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures and put them up in the next couple weeks.  ¡Besitos!