Storks and the Moon

It is another gorgeous day in Salamanca...still very chilly but sunny with blue skies.  I went on a walk for about an hour today.  In Spain when we go for walk simply to spend time, with no particular destination in mind, we say "un paseo."  Well on my paseo today, I was treated to a couple of things you can only see in Salamanca.  The first was a stork spotting.  These magnificent birds visit Salamanca only a few times a year, most frequently during January.  They have several nests throughout the city.  The storks in the picture above have built their nest on top of the bell tower of the church in the Plaza Mayor.  That is some pretty expensive real estate.  My second treat of the day was actually no treat whatsoever.  As I walked through the Plaza Mayor, I noticed that a group of people was gathered along one of the facades.  This isn't anything out of the ordinary...tour groups visit the Plaza nearly every day.  However everyone in the group was staring at a specific balcony where, if you looked up, you would see a young man in a bright blue speedo mooning the crowd below.  It was quite the Sunday morning in Salamanca.         

Bar(th)elona

I have only been back in Spain for a week and I've already visited Barcelona, enjoyed some ice cream, and sipped cafe con leche.  Barcelona was absolutely breathtaking.  But before I even arrived on the eastern coast of Spain, I was on an adventure.  I took a bus to Spain's capital, Madrid, where I caught the AVE train to Barcelona.  For some context, Madrid is about 210 kilometers from Salamanca and Barcelona is on the opposite side of the country.  Riding a bus to Madrid takes about two and a half hours.  But I was able to get from Madrid to Barcelona in the high speed AVE train in under three hours.  The AVE travels at a velocity of 300 kilometers per hour.  It was incredible and so much fun.  I met up with one of my good friends Julia in Barcelona.  She had been traveling during our entire break and Barcelona was her last stop.  We had three whole days in the city and I think we took advantage of every minute.  We stayed in a local hostel that was right in the center of the city.  I am usually a pretty timid person but I met so many people from all over the world:  Brazil, Austria, Australia, England, Korea, Argentina, and Canada.  It was very interesting to just sit and talk to them during dinner.  Everyone has a story to tell.  During our first full day in Barcelona, Julia and I wandered down La Rambla, the city's main thoroughfare.  All along the street there are vendors selling flowers, ice cream, pastries, turtles, rabbits, and anything else you can think of.  It is a beautiful and colorful part of the city.  At the end of La Rambla is the port.  We had wonderful weather while in Barcelona so we walked along the coast for a long time that day.  We also visited La Boqueria which is one of the largest fresh food markets in Europe.  

Julia and I, being art buffs, visited the Picasso Museum and La Pedrera in the afternoon.  If there is one word to define Barcelona, I think it would be "quirky."  That is exactly the word to describe our second day in the city.  In the morning we took a tour of La Sagrada Familia which is an iconic cathedral in the center of Barcelona now entering is 125th year of construction.  

In the evening, we walked back to the Costa Brava and witnessed a Cirque du Soleil performance.  It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  There are no words to describe it.  It is simply one of those experiences you need to have for yourself.  Julia and I left the big top flabbergasted by what we had just seen. 

On our last full day in Barcelona, we visited the beautiful Gran Teatre del Liceu, went back to La Boqueria, and met up with a friend from high school for a typical Catalan lunch.  Marie and I played softball together for three years in high school and now she studies Spanish and teaches English in Barcelona.  She took us to one of the most tranquil parts of the city, Park Guell.  I felt like we were on top of the world.  We could see everywhere we had been during those three days.  Park Guell is full of mosaic benches, palm trees, and open spaces.  It was the perfect place to end our trip.  I loved Barcelona because it was so unique.  But it felt wonderful to return to Salamanca, as it always does.  Salamanca has a charm that attracts people from all over the world.  You can't help but feel at home when you see the Old and New Cathedrals on the horizon.  It's just like seeing the Chicago skyline from an airplane or Northern's campus from Highway 88.  I feel home.  Today, Salamanca is resplendent.  I went for a long walk this morning and then met up with Julia and one of her roommates for coffee.  On Monday, I will be taking yet another placement exam before classes begin that afternoon.  And then we have a meet-and-greet dinner so that all of us full-year students can meet the new people.  Although, I guess we're the new ones to them since they have already been here for three weeks.  My pictures from Barcelona are posted on Facebook now.  I'm happy to be back in Spain but still missing you all.  Besos y abrazos.       

Back in the Golden City

It feels so wonderful to be back in Salamanca.  I already miss home but I've been missing this place for the last few weeks.  It feels just the same.  This afternoon after unpacking my bags and organizing my new room, I couldn't help but go for a walk.  Clear blue skies, the sun shining, and a crisp breeze in the air...it's perfect.  It's also a far cry from the snowy mess I left in Chicago yesterday.  On Monday I will be on my way to Barcelona to meet up with a couple of friends for a week of sightseeing.  And then we start classes.  I have said it so many times...but time flies by so quickly.  I was home with my folks and friends for five weeks and it feels like it passed by in the blink of an eye.  It is surreal to be back here again and I'm going to take advantage of every second.  Look for a blog post about Barcelona next weekend!  Un fuerte abrazo.    

Last Post of the Semester...

I have five days left in Salamanca.  My first semester here is coming to an end.  The time has gone by faster than I ever could have imagined.  I haven't been counting down the days until I have to pack up my things, say good-bye to some of my friends, and get on a plane to London and then Chicago.  But now counting down the days is hard to resist.  I love everything about this place...the people, the beauty, the food.  It has already been the experience of a lifetime.  In the AIFS office, Gaye has a list of twenty-five things to do in Salamanca.  I am proud to say that I have done about twenty-two of them.   I know that my time abroad will be a continuous influence on my life.  I am elated to have more time here next semester.

Plaza Mayor, Thursday, December 8th, 6:30 in the afternoon. 

After being in Prague for so many days, I have enjoyed just being home.  This weekend has been pretty uneventful, with the exception of the Real Madrid-FC Barcelona soccer game last night.  Our family had a pool for the game.  The winner would have received a grand total of eight euros but none of us guessed the correct result of the game.  I love the little things that I have done here.  Betting on a soccer game, discovering a hidden spot, watching the lights turn on in the Plaza Mayor...that is why I love this place so much.  Salamanca will always feel like a second home.  That being said, my eyes tear up every time I think about seeing my folks in the airport this coming Friday.  I love being home.  I am so excited to see our house decorated for Christmas.  When I arrived in Madrid after my trip this past weekend, I saw families greeting their loved ones at the airport.  I couldn't help but think of home and how it will feel walking through the international arrivals gate at O'Hare.  It will be hard to focus, but today I have a lot of studying to do.  Our final exams are this week.  I have already started packing up my things to come home.  AIFS is hosting a farewell dinner for all of us on Wednesday.  Thursday evening, Salamanca celebrates Nochevieja Universitaria.  Students from all over Spain come to the Plaza Mayor to have a premature New Year's Eve party before everyone leaves for vacation.  This year, it just so happens to be the night before I come home.  In Spain, as a New Year's Eve tradition, you are supposed to eat twelve grapes, one with each strike of the clock.  For the students' New Year's Eve, we eat twelve gummy bears.  Honestly, it is the perfect way to end the semester.  And that just leaves Friday.  I have had that date stuck in my head for the past three and a half months:  Friday, December 16th.  It is finally here.  I cannot wait to see my family and friends.  Until then, besos y abrazos.     

Prague

I am finally settled back into my life in Salamanca after six days in the City of Spires.  Prague was absolutely breathtaking.  I traveled there with three other girls from AIFS and we met up with a tour company called Weekend Student Adventures.  I met students from all over the United States who were studying in London, Ireland, and Spain.  For the first four days of the trip, the length of the WSA tour, we had a local Czech tour guide who showed us around the city.  On Friday, we woke up bright and early for a walking tour of Prague, Praga, Praha, or however you want to call it.  It is pronounced several ways throughout Europe.  Before arriving there, I did not know what to expect of the city.  I had heard that Prague was a beautiful city and was especially popular around the holidays.  It surpassed my expectations.  Throughout the tour on Friday and Saturday, our group visited the Museum of Communism, Old Town Square, the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, the John Lennon Wall, Saint Vitus Cathedral, and the Lobkowicz Palace.  You may not believe me, but we actually met Prince William...of the Czech Republic, not the United Kingdom.  He is seventeen years old, very polite, and completely ordinary.  He took us on a tour of his family's palace as if we were his friends.  Of course, all of us girls were giddy when we found out that we were going to meet a prince.  But it was refreshing to realize that he is a normal kid and is so comfortable with people from all different backgrounds.  For dinner one night, our entire group attended a Medieval feast and show.  I have not laughed so hard since I've been in Europe.  We were entertained by fire breathers, belly dancers, jugglers, and knights, all while enjoying an authentic Czech meal.  I had roasted duck, cabbage, and dumplings.  It was delicious.  But, as it was a Medieval show, we had to eat with our hands.  The performers took special pride in making the guests feel right at home, whether that meant climbing over the table and sitting right next to us, holding our hands and bestowing kisses on the girls, or taking a turn on the dance floor.  Somehow, by the end of the meal, I ended up with a Czech boyfriend named Stefan.  It was difficult to leave him behind.  I'm just kidding, obviously.  It was an interesting experience to say the least and it was a meal I will never forget.  Our tour guide also took us to see the famous John Lennon Wall.  It is the only place in Prague where you can legally graffiti.  It has become a memorial to the artist but also a place to write things you can't say out loud.  It was extremely moving to read some of the inscriptions.  We all got to spray paint something on the wall.  It was a powerful feeling, taking part in something that so many people have done over the past few decades.  As amazing as all of those places were and as helpful as it was to have a local guide, my fondest memories of this trip are of the days we didn't plan.  My friends and I stayed two extra days in Prague and I'm so happy that we did.  It was so relaxing to wander through the Christmas markets, sipping hot wine, and take in the beautiful scenery.  I felt no need to have an agenda for each day.  I feel like Prague was a special place.  If you wanted to, you could do all of the typical tourist things...see all of the landmarks, visit every museum, stop to take a picture every three minutes.  But I think a city is more interesting when you partake in every moment as it happens.  Prague left a lasting impression and I only wish that everyone had the chance to visit it.          

 

It's ch-ch-chilly!

It is cold.  Very cold.  Winter in Salamanca is a little gloomy.  The fog hasn't lifted for a week or more.  But la gente still go out for a walk almost every day here...all bundled up, even the little kids.  The Christmas season is starting to come to life in the city.  All of the store windows are decorated for the holidays and the Christmas lights are hung across the streets.  There are people roasting chestnuts over an open fire on the corner of Gran Via and San Justo...just like in the song.  I love Salamanca.  But I am so excited to be home for Christmas.  It makes me smile just thinking of being home.  I cannot believe how few days I have until then!  It's incredible.  On Thursday, I'll be on my way to Prague with a few girl friends.  I've heard that the city is beautiful at this time of year.  We're staying there until Tuesday so we will have four full days in Prague.  But it is going to be even colder there!  That's okay.  It reminds me of home...winter in Illinois or Iowa means cold, really cold.  And snow.  Salamanca doesn't get very much snow and I have yet to see one white flake here.  I will write a blog post when I get home from the Czech Republic...and, as crazy as it sounds, I will be home about a week from then.  December 16th.  Can't wait to see all of you!  Espero que vosotros disfrutéis en el espíritu de Navidad.  Un beso.             

Día de Acción de Gracias

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home in the States!

I'm thankful for...

• my folks.  I love them more than I will ever be able to describe.  They have given me all of the opportunities in the world and have supported me through all of the good times and the bad times.  I have been blessed with parents that love and respect eachother and I hope I am lucky enough to have a relationship like their's some day.  I love you both so much, Mom and Dad.  Happy Anniversary.   
• the opportunity to study abroad in Salamanca...This has been a life-changing experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  As hard or frustrating as it gets at times, it's worth it. 
• my best friend, Demi.  I met her on my first day at Northern and we've been friends since.  I don't know what I'd do without her. 
• all of my family in Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Texas.  I miss you all and I'll be seeing you soon.
• having time to figure out what I really want in my life.  Sometimes I just go through the motions day to day.  But here, I've had time to myself to realize what is most important for me.  I've never felt more sure of myself.  And I know that I needed a change of pace and a change of scenery to come to those conclusions.  
• making mistakes.  The bad decisions, the failed attempts, and the relationships that don't last...those make you appreciate the good decisions, the achievements, and the relationships you have.   
• my Spanish family.  I'm so happy that I was placed with them and even happier that I am living with them next semester too. 
• my roomie, Meredith!  "...Cuz wur frum Amurica..."
• the days that pass by slowly...the days that are so sweet and full of life that you want to savor them forever. 
• tortilla española.  Enough said. 
• modern technology.  Without Facebook, Skype, and email, I would feel a lot farther a way from all of you back home.
• days without modern technology.  Sometimes, it feels so good to completely disconnect.  No cell phone.  No computer.  No television.
• ketchup.  Seriously.  I really miss it. 
• so many things...Happy Thanksgiving.

Un fuerte abrazo.