2.5 Months Later: Reflections on Spain

Despite my best intentions of blogging weekly, three sad entry-free weeks have passed without sharing any updates on my life here with ya'll (#southerncharm). Last weekend was my first FULL weekend in Sevilla since the beginning of March and, as fate would have it, I caught the stomach flu. It was very short-lived, but needless to say I spent the majority of the weekend resting in bed. As annoying/uncomfortable as it was, in retrospect it was a blessing-in-disguise because it forced me to stay home and fully recover from what had been a month of nonstop action as well as reflect a little more on my experience here. 


Wow, what a special and unique time the study abroad experience is! As any student studying in a foreign country will tell you, the experience is characterized by one giant messy clusterfuck (sorry for the language) of infatuation, exhaustion, amusement, nostalgia, fiesta, self-doubt, self-assurance, and, to sum it all up: LIFE! Life... but a very specific chunk of it that is quite removed from reality. Honestly, when am I going to encounter another opportunity quite like this one where I can get away with traveling to hidden gems every other weekend, meeting new people everywhere I turn, practicing a language I love daily, and living in the heart of southern Spain without having to worry about work, school (only a little), and the general responsibilities of day to day life?? Probably NEVER! This time in my life is so special that I truly need to squeeze as much juice out of those naranjos (orange trees) as I possibly can. That being said, it is important to reflect as well upon the times that have not been so fun here in Spain. I have felt lonely, struggled with relinquishing the control that I'm used to having over my life at home, experienced fatigue more times than I can count, and genuinely missed the familiar.


The thing is, though, discomfort is necessary to get the most out of this experience. If we never learn to test new waters and try on Spanish Ray Berries (ok, terrible metaphor) then what are we truly here for? I did not move to Spain to come back the same person. Life is a game of perspective; a beautiful game in which we hold the cards and can win every hand if we learn to play them right. In this light, loneliness is an opportunity to make new friends, relinquishing control is setting ourselves free from habit, fatigue is an opportunity to reflect rather than act, and nostalgia pushes us to fall in love again with the things in life we take for granted.


So when bad days look like that, how can you not be thankful for them??


Here are some quick snippets of what I've been up to lately:

I stayed in a hotel on a beach in Morocco

I walked on the coast of northern Africa

I went to a spice shop in Tetuan

I kissed a two-week old camel in Tangiers

I took a picture with our amazingly kind guide in Chefchaouen 

I had rooftop drinks overlooking the cathedral in Sevilla

I made new friends :)

After a very tranquil two weeks, I leave again tomorrow to explore the northern coast of Spain in Cantabria! I am taking a 7 hour train ride from Sevilla to Santander (stopping in Madrid) and am so excited I can barely handle it (it's Semana Santa next week so we don't have school, I will be traveling from Saturday to Wednesday). In planning this trip, I literally google imaged "northern coast of spain", "cliffs northern spain", and "scenic northern spain" then clicked on the prettiest pictures to decide where I wanted to visit (...before doing a little more extensive research). I originally planned to travel solo but my friend Russell has decided to tag along as well, so it'll be great to have some company as I frolick around the beaches, cliffs, and mountains of this gorgeous region. I can't wait to write about my adventure when I get back!! Hasta luego, xo.

TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL.

Woah baby, where to begin. The last 2-3 weeks have been a whirlwind of ups and downs, liberation and discomfort... growth, in so many words. Within the past WEEK, I have been to:
1. Ronda
2. Grazalema
3. Paterna
4. Bollulos Par del Condado
5. Cadiz

All 5 cities are located in Andalucia (within 1-2 hours of Sevilla) yet, topographically, differ vastly from one another. From the mountains to the beach, rolling countryside to steep cliffs, I have seen it all within the past 6 days. This week has been so packed with adventure, excitement, and exhaustion that, as amazing as it's all been, I am completely overwhelmed and genuinely struggling to find a healthy balance between sleep, schoolwork, travel, and a social life. For the second time since being here, my body has rebelled against me and I have completely lost my voice. It's shot. Kaput. Maybe I could squeal a teeny tiny bit if I really exerted myself... but aside from broken, raspy, guttural attempts I can't communicate verbally. In retrospect it makes complete sense why I'm kinda sick again, but it's so easy to get caught up in the moment here that I don't really realize how much I've over-extended myself until it's too late. With that said, I just woke up from 15 hours of sleep and finally have 2 full days where I can rest and recover without obligations, something that is so necessary for me right now!

SO, let me tell you about my trips!!!

By a huge stroke of luck, I found myself with 6 consecutive days without school this week thanks to Dia de Andalucia, a workers' holiday where classes and many businesses close for the day. Since all of my classes fall on Tuesday/Thursday and this holiday happened to fall on a Tuesday, I didn't have class for a full week from Thursday to Thursday. I decided to take advantage of this unexpected free week by planning a 3 day trip by myself to Ronda and Grazalema, two beautiful cities situated in the mountains and foothills of Andalucia. This trip was fairly impromptu, aka I bought 4 bus tickets and booked 2 nights in a hotel the day before I left, and turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made for myself since being in Spain. The 3 day adventure was unbelievably refreshing in that it enabled me to foster a whole new sense of confidence and self-reliance (because we all know I can be a little spacey from time to time). Done safely and consciously, I would recommend a long weekend of solo travel to anyone. Here are some pictures from Ronda and Grazalema:

Ronda: Day 1

Ronda: Day 1

Ronda: Day 1

Grazalema: Day 2

Grazalema: Day 2

Grazalema: Day 2

Ronda: Day 3

Ronda: Day 3

As you can see, both cities are absolutely breathtaking. I arrived back in Sevilla Tusday night (I left Sunday morning) and on Friday morning left again to visit a factory where olive oil is produced (un molino en espanol) in a small city called Paterna and, right after, a vineyard in Bollusos Par del Condado with my gastronomy interest group. We had a PERFECT day visiting these two pueblos, I am so glad I got the opportunity to go. 

When we arrived in Paterna, we were greeted with a breakfast of bread, olive oil, cheese, honey, and juice. YUM.

Me leaning against a giant cylinder of olive oil

The manager of the molino

Our lovely gastronomy group

Extra virgin olive oil in the making

At the winery in Bollulos with it's crazy owner!

Wine aging in its barrel. The layer of residue on top is to prevent the wine from oxidizing.

Comparing wines

Our feast at the end of the tour. Complete with FIVE separate wines to accompany the various courses. Needless to say we all got a tad bit tipsy.

This post is getting so long and I haven't even talked about Cadiz yet! So in an effort to wrap it up, Cadiz is a city on the coast of southern Spain and is one of the "must-see" sites in Andalucia. The seafood there is to die for. To give you an idea of how the trip went... let's just say my iphone is now buried somewhere in a bag of rice, my leggings, skirt, shirt, bra, socks, shoes, and sweater are all still DRENCHED from yesterday, I may have a new scar to brag about on my right hand, and 2 hours after returning to Sevilla I slept for a solid 15 hours. Here are some pictures of the beautiful city:

 A foggy morning on the beach

From the top of the Cathedral, overlooking the coast

At the enormous seafood market

Am I in Ireland or southern Spain? This is my favorite place in Cadiz.

Serenity.

Well, that's about all I have for now! I feel like I could go on writing for hours because there is such an abundance of information, stories, and experiences to share, but I think I'll leave it at that. Next weekend I'm off to Barcelona with Lauren to visit our friend Chris from high-school. Hopefully this week will be much more restful than the last one. Hasta luego! xo

Spaniards Don't Sleep

As my life continues to unfold and progress here in Spain, I am finding it harder and harder to find time to blog! Pero no te preocupes (don't worry), I will continue to find time to write as it's very important to me to chronicle my experiences in a concrete way that I, as well as others, can follow and reflect upon.

Classes officially began a week ago and for any of you that thought study abroad students spend the majority of their time partying and very little time studying, I am here to dispel that rumor. Well, I suppose I can't speak for everyone but believe me, my classes are no joke! I have a course load that is comparable to that of my University except I'm only taking 4 classes right now instead of 5 (I knocked the first one out in the first 2 weeks). I mentioned my classes before but to reiterate, I am taking Cervantes' El Quijote, a course exclusively dedicated to reading and analyzing the 1332 page beast; Contemporaty Spanish Literature, the class that has surprisingly become my favorite due to an excellent teacher, interactive classroom environment, and material I am thoroughly enjoying; Flamenco in Andalucia, a class I was expecting to enjoy alot but am currently pretty bored with (too much history); and The Gastronomy of Spain (which means study of food for anyone who doesn't know... because I definitely didn't) which is very interesting but hard to wake up for because it's at 9:00am. Right now we're learning about the importance of olive oil in Spain, how it's made, and on Thursday are going to have a tasting in class!

Last weekend I visited Granada, a 3 hour bus ride away from Sevilla, and had one of the most amazing weekends I've had since being here. I swear they just keep getting better and better! We visited the Alhambra, a palace/fortress with both Moslem and Catholic influence situated in one of the most beautiful and picturesque settings imaginable. The Alhambra was recently named the 8th greatest wonder of the world (although our guides Alejandro and Fran kept insisting that it should be higher up on the list). Our walking tour covered 2.5 miles of historical ground and the intricacies of the palace architecture combined with the fountains, gardens, and backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas made for one of the most humbling and awe-inspiring experiences I've ever had. As a side note, I thought it would be hilarious to walk behind Alejandro humming the Lady Gaga song every time there was a moment of silence, he didn't think it was as funny as I did.

Alejandro jaja

I can't get over how lucky I am to have the opportunity to be here in Spain and have experiences such as these. Furthermore, I have been so blessed by the ease with which friendships here have come! Perhaps my favorite thing about studying in Spain is that simply socializing with Spaniards truly is an extension of the classroom.... and oh how Spaniards love to socialize! Partying is built into program sponsored activities and even expected. For example, last weekend in Granada CIEE gave all of us 10 euros (like 13 bucks) to go out to get drinks and tapas Saturday night. It doesn't get much better than that! My week is also just peppered with Spanish-related activities outside the classroom, some fun, some work, but nonetheless all dedicated to achieving the same goal. The next few days look something like this:

Wednesday: 12-1, I requested a private tutor so I can get some extra practice in and refresh my memory on some basics

          2-3, One of the guides at CIEE named lucia told me she loved my hair and subsequently asked if I wanted to get lunch with her so we can get to know each other. The more Spanish conversation the better!

          5-7, Meeting with my intercambio, a really sweet girl named Sofia, to practice my Spanish and her  English

          9-10, My gastronomy interest group meeting where we're learning about something food related

Thursday: Class all day then meeting with Roman for tapas (he's my pseudo-intercambio/good friend) and later going out with one of our guides Fran (my absolute favorite) and some friends. 

Friday: My Senora Inma heard I was going to see a tutor for extra practice and volunteered to teach me some herself (she used to be a teacher), so I'm bonding with her over Spanish grammar friday afternoon. So much learning!!

Alright, well I'm off to get a quickie run in before my next class tonight. Hasta luego! xo

Honeymoon Phase

Life continues to be wonderful here in Sevilla, I am currently completely consumed by the honeymoon phase of my stay now and all I can think about is extending my time here for as long as I can! I really feel like I could see myself living here someday, at least for a small portion of my life before settling down. My Spanish has finally begun to really take off!!! Last time I wrote it was on the upslide but now I can feel my progress rapidly accelerating and I believe Friday night was the catalyst.

Friday night embodied just about every aspect of the type of experience I’ve been longing to have since coming to Spain. My new friend Roman (whom I was so lucky to find and befriend) invited to me to experience a “real” Sevilliano tapas dinner far off the tourist or extranjero radar. I invited my friend Katie and her intercambio Pablo to join us, and Roman came and picked us up Friday night accompanied by one of his friends (also named Pablo). The five of us drove to a completely different side of Sevilla and navigated though a labyrinth of narrow side streets until finally arriving at a tiny, hidden little hole-in-the-wall gem of a tapas bar. As I slowly become more and more immersed in the culture here, it’s fascinating to note the subtle (and not so subtle) differences between life here and life back in the US. For example, the smaller a bar or restaurant in Spain is, the more popular it will be. Furthermore, the more crowded a bar is, the more people will continue to pile in because it’s a sign that the bar is “the place to be” for the night. When we arrived, the place was so packed that, even if there had been chairs (which there were not), there was no way we ever would have found a place to sit and eat (finding a place to stand was challenging enough). I was sure that Roman was going to suggest we try somewhere else, but instead we stayed right where we were until we were able to secure a small two-foot space on the bar that was big enough to fit a few plates. The boys then proceeded to order a series of tapas for us consisting of salmorejo (a thicker version of gazpacho), calamari, red meat, a stuffed mushroom, and house prepared olives. I learned that every bar in Sevilla has it’s own signature style of olives and no two places serve the same kind! Each bar soaks its olives in a specific blend of spices, herbs, and juices for a few days until they take on their own unique flavor… and the olives at this tapas bar were phenomenal. After dinner we went to a chic bar in the city and continued chatting and hanging out together until Roman took Katie and I home around 2 because we had to wake up early to go to Cordoba the next day.

Salmorejo

Something with ham, and calamari

Roman, Me, Katie, Pablo (Roman's friend)

Me, Pablo (Katie's intercambio), Katie, Pablo

Roman y yo

Pablo y Pablo

Roman, Me, Katie

Roman, Pablo, y Pablo range from 24-27 years old and, although they can each speak some English, we spoke in Spanish for the entire night. I remember telling them that I felt like I spoke more Spanish with them in one night than I had in the past 4 days combined. After Friday, I definitely sensed a drastic improvement in my Spanish, which has been THE most liberating sensation!!! Everything is finally beginning to click and the challenging, Andalucian style of Espanol is beginning to sound much more normal. I absolutely love Spanish and this entire learning process has been unbelievably rewarding. Roman, Pablo, Pablo, Katie, and I are planning on going out at least once a week together since we had such an amazing time that night!

In other news, I just finished my first class! The last two weeks of my language/grammar immersion have been INTENSE and consisted of 3 papers, 1 oral presentation (which I did on Dali), 4 interviews I conducted with native speakers and a subsequent paper summarizing my results, 3 museums I visited outside of the classroom, 1 midterm, and 1 final. WHEW! I begin my regular semester classes this week, which will be the following:

-Contemporary Spanish Literature

-Flamenco in Andalucia

-Cervantes and el Quijote

-Spanish Culture and Cuisine

I can’t wait to get settled into a rhythm! Also, I had my first meeting for my interest group, the gastronomy of Spain, and am SO EXCITED about it!!! The leaders made it sound like our group will feel much more like a family than a club and have been amazingly warm and welcoming. I feel like there are at least 10 different people I could talk to if I was ever having a hard time here and every one of them would genuinely care and do everything they could to help me. Throughout the semester we’ll have 5 cooking classes where we’ll learn to make traditional Andalucian food, visit the little pueblo of our leader Fran (whom I LOVE), visit a local brewery, and finally take a 3 day trip to Valencia with all expenses covered by the program. Valencia is the birthplace of the traditional Spanish plate paella and we’ll learn to make that as well as visit a vineyard! However the weekend turns out, I could not be more excited for it J.

I just got back from a day trip to Cordoba, the capital of Andalucia, and am currently planning trips to Morocco, Portugal, and Italy over the course of the semester. This semester abroad arrived at an absolutely ideal time in my life and has been more than I could have dreamed of. I can’t wait to update you all once I start my real classes!  I'll leave you with some pictures from my trip to Cordoba:

Hasta luego! xo