Hands Down, Best Birthday Yet!!

Every Sunday I go to my friend's apartment to make dinner and call my parents (she has perfect internet so the call from my computer is crystal clear, unlike the patchy connection I get at my place) and this passed Sunday was no different, so I thought. At 9pm I set off on the trek back as I do each week but when I came home all my roommates were mysteriously sitting in the kitchen as if they were anxiously waiting for me to arrive. I figured they were just being strange (I've got some odd roommates, they're great, but crazy) so I said a quick hello then went to put my things down in my room. Much to my surprise there was a banner above my bed saying "Feliz Cumpleaños" and a note on one wall saying "Yayyyy you're 21" and a note on the opposite wall with a big smiley face signed from 3 of my friends, and balloons scattered everywhere!! I was so taken off guard, and ecstatic at the same time - what a great way to end a weekend! Monday morning, my actual birthday, my alarm went off at 6:30am as usual and I stumbled into the bathroom to wash my face only to find a note on the wall saying "happy 21st beautiful, how does it feel to FINALLY be 21??" (I'm the last of my friends here too to turn 21) and the day only got better from there. At the bus stop before school I got a birthday button that had lights on it (sort of obnoxious, but I can't complain), my teacher sang/danced to me, when I got home 2 of my roommates had bought me a delicious cake and wrote me a sweet note, then at 6 I headed to Bilbao to go out to dinner/to a fútbol game. I went with my friends Lauren, Lyndsay, and Angela (the 3 who schemed up the room decorations on Sunday) and we ate at a Kebab place - everyone has raved about them but I had never had it so they convinced me to try it. It's sort of like a thick pita with either Chicken or Gyro inside and vegetables and 2 types of sauce. After dinner they surprised me with a cake and musical candles and a really cute picture of the 4 of us. We got to the fútbol stadium right on time but couldn't find our seats because the tickets weren't very specific. After we finally found someone to ask we got yet another surprise - they were FRONT ROW!!!!! I legitimately could not have been more in heaven. We were sitting on the side of the stadium basically on the field - when they would go to do a throw in or corner kick if I had reached out I could have touched the players! And the entire first half (when Bilbao scored their 3 goals) was played on our side of the field...holy cow...I think it's safe to say this was my best/favorite/most amazing birthday so far!!!! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have people from home here to celebrate as well, but now I get a belated celebration next semester :) Here's some pics of the day!! I think my friends got some good ones with me actually in them so I might be adding/swapping a few in the next day or so. Off to do a bunch of homework in preparation for my mom to get here THURSDAY and go to PARIS Friday - Tuesday :)

Just Another Week In Spain...

Wow, time really does fly here. No matter how many times I say it, I always seem surprised by the appearance of another weekend! This past week wasn't anything special, just a lot of homework and some homesickness thrown in due to lack of things to keep me busy. I met with my intercambio on Thursday which helped snap me out of my funk, she took me all around Bilbao on a 3 hour personal tour! I saw things I never would have found on my own which was great! I was under the impression she spoke a decent amount of English, like the amount of Spanish I do, but her English ability makes my Spanish seem fluent! It was an intense 3 hours trying to figure out how to communicate, but I think it will turn out to be very helpful because it forces me to work on my speaking ability (unlike my friend's intercambio who is fluent in English).

Friday night we went kayaking on the Bilbao river - SO cool! It was an event set up by the city so we got to meet people from locally, Southern Spain, Germany, Canada, Finland, and France. It turned out to be my favorite night here, hands down! We arrived in workout clothes and sweatshirts, assuming we'd get a little wet but wanted to stay warm, and they made us change into these funky wetsuits/jackets (I'll post a picture below) and by the time we got there they only had larges left so it was like we were swimming in them! They were 2 person kayaks though and 4 of us went so that was perfect and the view of the city was gorgeous! Obviously I have no pictures from this event, wasn't going to risk taking my dad's camera out there.

Saturday a group of 6 of us went wine tasting in Haro, a very small town in the Basque country about an hour south of here. The guy who reserved the tour for us told us there were 2 guides, 1 speaking English and 1 speaking Spanish but it turns out it was completely in Spanish! Which was totally understandable/kind of cool, except we only understood about half the information - so don't ask what I learned about the history of the winery or process of making wine! The overall tour was really fascinating to see and at the end we got to do a tasting of 3 of their wines. I liked 2 of them but one was a bit strong so I just put my glass down and ate a bunch of corn nuts haha After that we got lunch in town and hung out for the day, so nice to get away sometimes!

Today is homework/laundry day in preparation for another week of school. However, tomorrow night we are going to a soccer game which I am RIDICULOUSLY excited for :) And, probably even more exciting, my mom gets here THURSDAY!!!!!!! I have a feeling it's going to be a good few weeks :)

It's October!

Hey everyone,

I can't believe it's already a week into October, how crazy! But, it's my favorite month so I have no complaints :) My first Spanish class is over and I did much better than I expected so that's a relief, on to the next level! I was finally assigned an intercambio (a native student who knows a little English but wants to learn more in exchange for helping me with my Spanish speaking skills) so I'm very excited to get that going! I think we'll be meeting once or twice a week for an hour or so. I'm starting to catch myself thinking completely in Spanish (so cool!) so hopefully with her help I can start translating thoughts into actual words so I can carry out full conversations without over-thinking how to reply.

Yesterday my culture class took a field trip to the Biscay Executive Council Building (or Disputación Foral de Bizkaia as we were told) in Bilbao and got a tour of the palace. It was the meeting place of major political Basque figures and used for many years. It's main importance came when they were banned from meeting under the Oak Tree in Gernika, until Franco banned the fueros (laws created by and for the Basque that were viewed as "unfair to the rest of Spain" by the Spanish government) and any meetings had to be in basements or in France. The architecture plans were too large for the original location of Bilbao at the end of the 19th century so they had to jump across the river, thus beginning the creation of the existing city. We learned a lot more, but I can't recall it all at the moment; overall it was a great excursion!

Last night my friends and I decided we were really craving something "American" so we decided to have a simple, quiet pizza and movie night. While we ended up with the pizza it was far from "simple". We got there at 6:30pm assuming we'd order, wait no more than 30 minutes since everyone eats around 9 here, and walk back to my apartment. To our surprise, there was an 11 year old's birthday party going on and unlike in America where parties usually order a few large pizzas and the kids eat whatever is ordered, these people decided to get each kid their own individual sized pizza and there was only one person working. So, after waiting almost 2 1/2 hours we finally had the food. Then on the walk home it started pouring and we didn't have umbrellas so the pizzas got drenched. Oops. Always an adventure in Spain!

My roommates are gone for the weekend so I thought I'd do a little tidying up around the apartment this morning and ended up cleaning for 2 1/2 hours, this place was gross! Let's see if they notice a difference. The weather has been really abnormal, we've only had 3 days of rain/cold weather since I got here! All the locals are very confused, and I'm a little upset that I only packed 4 short sleeve v-necks and 3 pairs of shorts for hot weather. On the plus side, I've had lots of time to wander around and explore before my schedule gets very busy (but ridiculously exciting) soon!! I was telling a friend from home last night that while I am so happy to be in Spain, I feel like I don't have any super exciting stories to share right now because things people at home may find exciting, I now view as every day life. Maybe I need to start reality slapping myself to make sure I take it all in!

San Sebastián and Southern France

This weekend I went on my first trip since moving to Bilbao and if I hadn’t already, I have officially caught the “travel bug” and fallen even more in love with Europe. We left early Friday morning and headed to a small fisherman's town in Southern France – it’s debatable whether it’s truly France or Spain because the Basque country is still feuding over political boundaries – but in a geological sense it was France. The first thing we did when we arrived was visit the outdoor market. They pretty much had every food imaginable, from bread to cheese to fish to fruits and vegetables and nuts. After that we had some free time so we did a little wandering through shops (I bought a Basque flag, and plan on buying a Spain one when I go to Sevilla – they aren’t sold up here) then went to see the beach. To put it simply it was as if they were on a green screen – so pristine, almost tropical. We only spent 2 hours here, which was the perfect amount of time in my opinion, then took off for San Sebastián. 

I assumed we’d drive straight to town, but instead we got to take a boat across the Spain/France border! Friday night I took it easy (finally getting over a week long sickness), hung out at the beach for a few hours then walked to Casco Viejo (old town) for pintxos. I got 3: 1 was raisins rolled in lamb rolled in bacon placed on bread, 1 was a Spanish tortilla, and 1 was smoked salmon with an anchovy and some sort of sauce all on top of bread. All of them were amazing – I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor, and my adventurous order. Dad, be proud I tried the anchovy. On Saturday we got a walking tour of the city and then went on a “stroll” up to “Jesus”. Let me explain two things. First, a “stroll” to Spaniards turns out to be code for “intense hike that will make you want to pass out” and “Jesus” is really a statue of some random Saint but everyone forgets who he is so they call him Jesus since he overlooks the city. The view from the top was gorgeous though, I could see the entire city and harbor, so I don’t regret participating! 

I will post a few pictures below to give you an idea of what I experienced during these 36 hours, but most of them will be on facebook within the week because it is easier to upload on there and I don’t want to swamp the blog. I have a final on Wednesday for my first Spanish class which means 1/3 of the semester is over – time flies! I am absolutely loving Spain, if you couldn’t tell. I feel like I could write for days about every moment/feeling I have, but I’ll save that for stories when I get home since these posts are lengthy enough as is. A part of me wishes I had done this a year ago so I could stay for both semesters, but that’s hindsight so I plan on making every split second of the next 2 ½ months count! In addition to the trips I mentioned in a previous post, I also have one to Barcelona in the works, not booked yet, for a weekend in November but I’m trying to convince someone to go out of the country with me instead (preferably Switzerland, Germany, or Italy). Wish me luck on fulfilling my travel bug! Love and miss you all!

Life As A Spaniard

Well, I succeeded in having a night out like a true Spaniard. Left my friend's apartment at 11pm, got back at 4:30am. Definitely one of the most fun nights of my life, but also not something I could make a routine of. "Art After Dark" at the Guggenheim was absolutely amazing!!! The main lobby area had a live dj playing every kind of music imaginable and all the floors/exhibits were open for us to see! There were people from all over the world so it was really cool to interact with them and at one point we were getting some fresh air outside on the balcony that overlooks the river and a group of French burst out their national anthem. We had no clue what was going on until someone informed us, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Since I knew we were going out after I didn't bring my camera because it's my dad's and I don't want to risk anything happening to it, but I plan on going back during the day so I'll be sure to get pictures because it's quite the magnificent building. After the museum we headed to a club called Fever in Bilbao. I was skeptical because the whole "loud music, crowds, touchy-feely creepers" scene isn't my thing but this was nothing like in America. There were two rooms each playing different music (I've noticed a lot of American music everywhere I go which I find odd since it's a Spanish speaking country) and everyone was just having a really fun, goofy time. I think I'm going to take my second official "siesta" (yesterday was my first after that intense test) and sleep my day away before we venture out in search of a cool new place to have dinner tonight. Adios!

I'm back, thought I'd upload a few pictures from the suspension bridge last week -

Never A Dull Moment In España

"Finalmente, el fin de semana!!!!!!" Aka, "finally, the weekend" and exactly what I chanted as I walked out of the Bilbao campus two hours ago. What a week it has been!! I remember being told by my friends who have studied abroad that time goes by in the blink of an eye, so appreciate every second of it. Not that I doubted them, but it's all making sense now. So what happened this week? Mucho. Here we go....

First, last weekend I convinced my friends to go see the suspension bridge in Las Arenas that connects Getxo to Bilbao. We were told by our program directors that it's a must-see attraction so I bugged people endlessly until they agreed to go (I knew they wanted to, we just had to find a day with nice weather). I'm not usually one for heights, but I figured while in Spain I had to bite the bullet....totally worth it!! The view was amazing!! We could see all of Getxo and the industrial zone of Bilbao (and of course the mouth of the river where it connects to the Atlantic Ocean). While I was on a roll, I figured I'd put in place some weekend traditions too, to keep us busy and give us incentives to get through the chaos of weekdays. Friday's have been designated homework days followed by exploring the nightlife. Saturday's are sleep/finish homework days followed by wandering town to find a new restaurant for dinner then searching for a cool spot to hang out and talk to locals. Sunday's are "lazy days" mainly because everything (literally) in town is closed so you have no other option. We'll see how it goes :)

On Tuesday I went on a hike with two of my friends. Well, we attempted to hike. Although we had a map from our program director, we're pretty sure it was printed in the 1990's because it no longer exists. We had a blast (and good workout) regardless, especially when we got chased by a goat!! Yes, I said "goat". People in rural Spain have the strangest lifestyles (but I love it!).

I've come to the conclusion that although this entire experience is going to be a life changing one for me, the most important lesson I will learn is patience. Something that if you know me at all, you know I lack. The busses here technically have schedules, but they basically do their own thing. For example, after class on Tuesday my 11:05am bus didn't show up until 11:40, on Wednesday morning the bus started to pull up to our stop then decided it didn't want to (even though there was plenty of room) and left without letting anyone on so we were almost late to class, and yesterday my 12:05 bus just never came so we had to wait over an hour for the next one. I found it funny that all the Americans were worried/annoyed and all the Spaniards had absolutely no issue.

After the past 5 days my brain = mush. The amount of Spanish I learn in 1 - 2 weeks at home we learn in 1 - 2 days here and I had a 7 page midterm this morning that was so intense I honestly couldn't even tell you what it was about. However, I was doing really well in grammar yesterday and my teacher said "muy bien, A+ para tú" so that's exciting! Except I still have a long way to go in the speaking realm.

I think I'm finally done booking trips!! By the time I come home in December I will have been to roughly 11 cities in 4 different countries!! Spain: Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, San Sebastian, Sevilla, Barcelona. Ireland: Dublin and Cork. England: London (maybe Bath or Brighton too). France: Paris and wherever my mom and I go the second weekend she's here. I REALLY want to go to Geneva or Rome but ticket prices and class schedules don't seem to be meshing so if they happen it will be on a whim.

My roommate blew a fuse in our apartment yesterday so we haven't had internet (or lights) in almost 24 hours. So annoying! Especially since it's dark when we wake up - try doing a morning routine in the dark...difficult. I'm going to "Art After Dark" tonight at the Guggenheim so I'll have another update later, just thought I'd get the chunk of info out today. Phew, yet another novel for the blog. Hope everyone has had a great week!!

Lessons I've Learned Thus Far...

Hey all! 

I can’t believe I’ve only been here 17 days, it seems like I’ve been here much longer for all I’ve experienced! This is going to be a long one, so get ready. Where to begin, the last week has definitely been an interesting one. I’m finally getting the hang of the grocery stores, and can read the food labels! My main complaint is you can only find peanut butter in Bilbao (30 minute metro ride away) and it’s imported from America – go figure – and comes in crazy small containers that cost 5 Euros. Mom and Dad, you can imagine my disappointment. Luckily I have friends at school who are shipping me some (Costco size I hope!). The food in general is really good here though! I only eat out on weekends, but I’ve ordered some pretty interesting things (some on purpose, some due to pronunciation errors). Today we went to a Txoko (pronounced Cho-co) as a group activity after class. It’s basically like a fraternity; only men are allowed to be members, only 60 members at a time, you can’t join until someone leaves (aka dies – my translation) but the one we went to is dedicated to the youth soccer team in Bilbao so it was decked out with soccer pictures and trophies!! The whole point of a txoko is to eat - to put it simply. You eat pinxos (or tapas/appetizers) and at the end of every month you pay for what you ate. I didn’t know we would be allowed to take pictures so I didn’t bring my camera but ohhhhh man was the food good/funky. The first plate we got had a flakey buttery bread stuffed with sea food (I couldn’t get myself to try it, but others enjoyed it) then we got a plate of chorizo (heaven) then a plate of specialty peppers only found in the Basque area, then a plate of Spanish tortillas (“tortillas” here are basically an omelet – eggs and potatoes mixed together), then a plate of blood sausages (I think that’s what it’s called?) I pretty much tried everything that was placed in front of me as soon as I could, before they told me what was in it and I had a chance to get grossed out. What a once in a lifetime opportunity!! I went out to explore the nightlife in Las Arenas last weekend, which was a blast; I love how people of all ages are out wandering the streets until late hours and are so friendly to foreigners. It was my friend’s birthday so we taught a bar tender how to say “happy birthday” in English and then she gave us free drinks to thank us! We headed home around 1:30am (which we assumed was good since we left for dinner at 8pm) and while on the metro were lectured by a 70-year-old couple about how we were going home too early. Looks like I’ve got some adjusting to do! Maybe I’ll do better this weekend. It's supposed to start raining soon so I really want to get out to the suspension bridge to get some cool pictures!! The Guggenheim can wait until a rainy day. Classes are still going well, very intense but I’m really enjoying them and am learning a lot! I tell myself every night “just think about how much you’ll appreciate this hard work once it’s over” – I spend an average of 3 to 4 hours a day on Spanish homework after the 2 hours in class (my culture class is easy). It’s strange to say so soon in the semester, but I can already feel a personal growth in myself and have come to appreciate every aspect of my life back home so much more. That being said, I can't wait to see what the next 3 months bring!! Hope all is well with everyone!!