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In the US, I love to keep up with the news especially politics.  I am studying politics at GW but it also has been a passion of mine for a long time. But the United States has this little problem with being selfish and thinking it’s the center of the universe. Our news is just a product of that. The local news is mostly stories of robbery, fires and rapes; in short, straight up depressing. The “world news” is sound bites of the biggest international stories, and updates about what is happening in Washington.  And let’s not forget the nation’s obsession and personally, my biggest guilty pleasure; celebrity news. I cannot lie to you, if I don’t check Perez Hilton or People.com at least 3 times a day, I get a little restless.

Here are 5 things I have learned though the news here.

1.    US pop culture has taken over

For example, this weekend is the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination and the Spanish news is having a special all afternoon. When is the last time, the United State did a full length special celebrating a famous figure from other country? Here, I get US celebrity and political news and it’s surprisingly un-bias. Sure, at times, the US has had a less than stellar reputation abroad, but through my own experience, people here generally love Americans and are super interested in learning more about our culture. 

2.    Spain’s political problems

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, meaning that there is a monarchy but also a prime minister, who is the head of government. Since the 1990s, there have been two major political parties. There is the Spanish Social Worker’s Party, which is more to the left of the spectrum (liberal for those who “don’t do politics”) and the People’s party, which is more conservative, and who are currently the heads of state. Just like in the US, there is corruption and those are just trying to do what’s right. Spain also has problems with autonomy, with the region of Catalonia (where Barcelona is) and Basque Country wanting to separate themselves. These problems are so interesting but yet something I have never discussed in any world history or international politics course. Spain’s history is very interesting and I’m so happy I’ve had the opportunity to learn about here.

3.    Does local news always have to sad?

Here’s a similarity between the US and España.  Since I’ve been here, the major story has been about these parents who are being accused of murdering their little girl who was adopted from China. Such a depressing story and we hear about every little development everyday. Then there are the fires, robberies, murders; the list goes on and on. Not that these stories aren’t important but why do people want to hear these things every single day? Communication/ Psych majors, where you at?

4.    The newscasters are beautiful.

This is just proving my “Spanish women are perfectly beautiful” theory even more. Like perfect, youthful, never a hair out of place, the cutest clothes, not to mention their bodies, despite eating bread and drinking at every meal. Sure, the US newscasters are generally good-looking, but this is just a whole other level. It just straight up aggravating.

5.    They know the meaning of international news

They talk about the news in the UK, France, Italy, Russia, the Middle East, China…I could go on and on. Sure the US and Spain get the most attention, but it’s a nice smorgasbord of news.

I’ve decided to do my final Spanish project on the role of American pop culture in Spain using some actual sources and not just the strong opinions and observations of Sahara Lake. Such a huge part of going abroad is learning about another culture and I’m so #blessed to have had the opportunity to do.

As for the following weeks, I have a plethora of papers, presentations and tests, Thanksgiving dinner (If there is not Mac&Cheese or stuffing, I might have spend another night crying with Tay-Tay Swift) and my much-anticipated trip to Morocco.

Until next time loyal followers. Paz, Amor and Beyoncé.

 

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By stlake

Yesterday morning, I walked into the kitchen and Mama Dominga was standing over the fruit bowl, just shaking her head. She was upset because I didn’t eat any apples this week and now they were going “bad”. I put air quotes around that because in Spain, leftover culture really is frowned upon. Mama Dominga goes to the market and gets fresh bread almost every other day and fresh fruit about 3 days. But instead of getting defensive, I quickly thought of another creative idea; apple pie. So, I spent my Sunday afternoon, watching El Voz, the Spanish version of The Voice, and making pie. Mama Dominga, while I do get frustrated with her sometimes, is one of the most special people I have ever had the privilege of meeting, and we are actually quite similar. The similarity I realized yesterday was that we both cry when we hear good singers, especially if they can belt out a Motown classic. Then last night, the crew had dinner with Benjie’s parents, who are incredibly sweet. And per usual, the dinner was filled of stories and laughs and I left Sal y Pepe (home of homemade pizza and sangria) feeling a lot better than I’ve felt in a while.

Obviously, my Alicante adventure has been the absolute best and I'm having the time of my life. But I want to take the time to discuss the darker side of study abroad, homesickness. Besides this week, I really only had one other week of homesickness. It came around my 5th/6th week here, when the honeymoon stage faded away. I realized this wasn’t just a beach vacation, but I had schoolwork and other responsibilities. I felt sad and at times, slightly hopeless. Surprisingly, talking to friends and family at home only made things worse.  I couldn’t believe I had to go another 3 months without seeing them. So you may ask, how did I got over it? I realized that all my friends here were in the same boat and all of us, sticking it out together and creating amazingly funny memories was the only way to make my experience.

This time it’s been a little different because I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m almost finished here and I know there isn’t much left. I have Thanksgiving weekend, one more trip to Morocco, exams and presentation and then I’m off for the Lake Family European Holiday to Barcelona and Paris. So now it’s more of a bittersweet feeling; I am close to all my friends here and don’t want to leave them but I’m still so excited to go home. I’m going be honest with you guys right now. I can’t believe I am admitting this to the entire internet but I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift because I just feel like she’s the only who gets my over-dramatic attitude right now. For those who know me, you must see the severity of this situation.

After my amazing Sunday, I woke up this Monday morning, with a new attitude. Taylor Swift has been set aside (I wish I could say thrown out but she has a time and place-god I can’t believe I’m having this epiphany right now and owning up to it). I’m back listening to my abroad anthem Roar by Katy Perry (try not to feel empowered when you listen to it, I dare you.) and eating the last piece of Madre’s and my apple pie. I’m feeling much better. For those students who are reading this post and thinking about going abroad, know this. There will be some days where you just want to be eating cheeseburgers with your best friends, and watching the Kardashians. But then you’ll book a weekend trip to Morocco and you’ll realize you need to get a grip.

One Month More, Another Day, Another Destiny.

(yes Les Miserable is pretty over-dramatic, but better than Tay-Tay Swift. It’s a classic.)

 

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parablogSo I’ve been majorly slacking on the blog posts as of late, so I’m going try to catch everyone up in a organized fashion. For those of you who know me well, you know I am the queen of post-it notes and to-do lists. Now I know laundry lists aren't the most interesting things to read but I promise to try to keep some humor. The extreme wit will return this week, I promise. So List #1: Things I’ve neglected to write about/probably should have gotten their own post but didn’t.

  1. My trip  eg of my fall break. I got to see one of my high school best friends KC and we spent plenty of time catching up, eating AMAZING food and sight-seeing. I would define our tourism however as lazy, which can be defined as people watching and going to more local spots than museums. But it was still a beautiful city nonetheless.
  2. My 21st Birthday- It was really cool that I got to spend my 21st abroad. So, while I might not have had the typical “American” experience, I was on the beach on October 14th, hanging out with some the coolest people I have ever met.
  3. The Education Strike here in Spain- About two weeks ago now, the Spanish government made huge budget and scholarship cuts to the education system, which caused the students and families at the University to go on strike and protest in the streets. The entire thing fascinated me, and being the political nerd I am, I looked more into the political systems here. I’m feeling quite inspired about this topic, so stay tuned for a individual post!
  4. Halloween Spanish style- While a few years ago, Halloween might have not been popular, with the growing number of abroad students here in Alicante as well as the increasing popularity of American pop culture, Halloween has definitely found it’s niche. I pulled a typical American girl move and dressed up as a black cat, while the Spanish people went for more a scary, scratch that, TERRIFYING approach to Halloween. I had an absolute blast with the all my friends. I'm definitely starting to think about how fast time is going by and cherishing every moment with my new friends.parablog2

This weekend, the entire CIEE crew went to Sevilla, Spain for a weekend trip. I had such a great time, which leads me to List #2: The best things about Sevilla

1.    It’s the perfect place for artsy photos. Here are a few examples, kudos of Chloe-the candid photo master. Everything was just so beautiful, I just had to show you guys.

2.    The architecture was just perfect. It is extremely influenced by the Muslims, who ruled the city for a very long time. The Cathedral, which is the largest Gothic cathedral and 3rd largest church in the world was beautiful. But my favorite building by far was the Plaza de España. Fun fact, Star Wars Attack of Clones was filmed there!

3.    Flamenco Dance- I have seen Flamenco Dance before, about 5 years ago but it definitely stuck with me more this time around. I am extremely fascinated by this dance. The guitar is extremely complex and beautiful. The dancers are so strong and powerful, yet it is extremely beautiful and tells such a sweet love story. The guttural singing kind of caught me by surprise but it adds to the passion of the whole art form.

I promise to continue to write weekly (maybe even bi-weekly if I get inspired) for my last 5 weeks here in Alicante. Thank you for all the continued support and love you all have given me throughout my Alicante Adventure. I hope to finish strong!

Paz, Amor y Beyoncé.

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Bad News: My trip to Rome was nothing like the Lizzie McGuire Movie. I did not impersonate an Italian superstar, ride a Vespa nor did my best guy friend FINALLY confess his love to me. And at 5, I was not served the cookies (If you don’t know that reference, you need to watch the movie again ASAP).

Good News: My trip to Rome was just like Eat, Pray, Love…minus the praying, loving and Julia Roberts whining that her privileged white-American life is just so awful (don’t get me started with that book/movie). So right now, I’m gonna take the time to brag about everything I ate and you all are going to hate me for it, but I don’t care #sorrynotsorry

Day 1:

Well technically I was only there Monday night thanks to a delayed flight, lost and found luggage and getting lost walking from the Trastevere train station to my wonderful friend Carolyn’s apartment. But let’s get back to the meal. We went to Il Spaghetti, and I had pasta Carbonara, which is a tomato-based cream sauce with bacon. I also tried these fried balls of risotto with cheese and tomato sauce, which were so good. Then we went to a local homemade gelato place where I had the Madagascar chocolate and blackberry flavors. By far the best gelato I’ve had in my life.

Day 2:

-A salad at Nero Café, which is right by Carolyn’s school. Not that exciting, but they have balsamic vinegar in Rome, which they don’t have in Spain, and I definitely was missing that.

-Frigidarium gelato where I had the house flavor, which was a combination of cookie, chocolate and caramel. Divine recommendation by other Greenwich Academy friend, Christine.

-Went to Tony’s, Carolyn’s favorite restaurant. Just a fun, classic Italian restaurant, where the owner Tony kisses every girl on the cheek as they walk in the door. I had penne a la vodka-the sauce was perfect and I soaked up every last drop of it up with their bomb.com bread.

Day 3:

-Another salad at Nero Café.

-Gelato #3-by the pantheon, not really note-worthy

-My second romantic dinner date with Carolyn. Took a break from pasta and had a veal burger with eggplant, tomato and cheese. As far as burgers go, nothing beats my burger in Barcelona (reference post #3) but it was really good. And of course, had to have hot flatbread covered in oil, vinegar, rosemary and thyme. And for dessert, this homemade Nutella flavored mousse/ice cream. What this desert actually was is kind of unclear, but my obsession with it definitely is not.

Day 4:

-Grilled Turkey Salad and pizza bread. Definitely the best salad of my trip

-Gelato #4-chocolate and pomegranate flavor. The chocolate was alright but the pomegranate was absolutely delicious. And yes, you read right-I had gelato everyday of my trip. Zero regrets.

- DAR POETA. This was the second recommendation from Christine. Carolyn, her friend Eliza and I were definitely are the verge of starvation and our waitresses definitely hated us and, I’m just gonna be blunt-she sucked (sorry Mom, I know you hate that word but it’s the god’s honest truth.). But this meal did not. We started out with tomato bruschetta and then I got the best pizza of my life. It was pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and wait for it…potatoes. Sounds kind of strange, but I definitely was having a relationship with this pizza (The only line from Eat, Pray, Love I like. God Julia really let me down with that one, but I digress.) And then for the grand finale, we shared a Nutella calzone. No words can describe it.

So when I wasn’t stuffing my face with pizza, pasta and things, I walk all around rainy Roma. I saw all the classic touristy things except the Sistine Chapel, and I didn’t get the typical throwing the coin into the Trevi Fountain pic. Ugh, guess I’ll just have to come back to Rome sometime in my life 😉 My favorite sight was St. Peter’s Basilica. Just the details in the walls, the color, the smell-I’m not a religious person by any means, but the churches in Rome, especially this one, definitely bring you to a different place. And waiting in line to get into the Vatican City, it poured so as I entered the church, I was cold and wet with curly hair. But no bad moods even though I looked like a damp poodle; the church was just everything and more. The #YOLO moment was definitely karaoke at Scholar’s. My other high school friend Desiree brought me with her friends from her program. At first, I wasn’t going to do it but then her friends asked me if I knew all the words to Gold digger by Kanye West. Obviously I can’t turn down a moment to sing a classic Yeezus jam, so I decided to help them out. But when we got up there, Ignition Remix came on.  Luckily, I know all the words to that one too. According to Des, I killed it. It was just so much fun!

I’m writing this from the Italian high-speed train to Florence to visit my best friend, princess KC. The countryside is absolutely beautiful. OMG, I just saw a sheep. We ain’t in Kansas anymore.  Until next time GW students, family, lovers and friends (Yes dad, I said “lovers” again).

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I know this isn’t an original title. I’m sure all of you, even those of you who didn’t know I went to Nice, France this past weekend, figured it out. Hopefully I get more creative as I write. The Nice Airport isn’t exactly a place of inspiration, especially if your flight is delayed two hours…

I can honestly say Nice is the most beautiful place I have been in my life. The Old Town had buildings of every color, little winding streets, cobblestone roads and a fresh farmers market everyday. It’s right on the water with a port with yachts you dream of owning someday. One of my best friends, Madeline met me there from the GW Paris program. We were moved from our original hostel days before travel, but the one we ultimately stayed in was actually better. Except for our toilet paper dispenser…let me explain. It was the normal metal dispenser, just like you see in your basic public restroom. But, the front of it wasn’t locked. So as I was sitting there, it flung open and hit me in the face. I now have a nice little cut and bruise on the bridge of my nose. Between the piece of urchin in my foot (yup, it’s still there-reference the last post) and this bruise, you guys must be concerned about me. I’ve never been one for normal injuries but even these are surprising me. I promise to be more careful.

But besides the violent toilet paper dispenser, the Villa Saint Expuery was clean, had Wi-Fi and a shower with good water pressure. These amenities are all you can ask for in hostel as a young student studying abroad and traveling on a budget. What is more important is the location; and it was a quick walk from the Old Town, the port and the beach. I would definitely recommend it.

My favorite site in Nice was the Parc de Chateau. It was a breathtaking, woodsy walk up a mountain. There were gorgeous views of all of Nice and all the way at the top, there was a man-made waterfall.  I'm thinking of making a Tumblr of pictures soon, so stay tuned!

The #YOLO moment of the trip was when I tried mussels and clams for the first time. For those of you who don’t know, I have a phobia of eating anything from the ocean. I don’t know if it’s the smell, the saltiness or just the fact that one time when I was 7, I threw up after eating salmon. Who knows, but it’s been about 15 years since I had anything fishy. And, I’m pretty sure that was a fish stick, so it doesn’t really count. But Madeline was craving them all day and ordered an overwhelming amount for dinner. I hesitantly tried them and I have to admit, they were not bad at all. They tasted like extra salty meat. So far abroad, I have tried and liked calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams. I still can’t stand tuna but hey, baby steps.

The only downside to Nice is that everything is extremely expensive. Alicante definitely has me spoiled; I don’t pay for any meals and Mama Dominga’s cooking is great and I never go hungry (literally, she makes me eat every 2 hours. She is definitely close to her ultimate goal to make me a gordita [see post #1 for explanation]). Also in terms of going out, the normal drink in Alicante is 3 euro. In Nice, 7 euro was the average price which led me to spend 15-20 euro on dinner each night. Luckily, Madeline and I discovered the McDonalds to have the chicest breakfasts of bacon and egg McMuffins and coffee.

We also traveled in Monaco for a day trip a la Selena Gomez in Monte Carlo. Most of you might be more familiar with Monaco in terms of James Bond, but I’ve always wanted to be a Disney Channel Star pre young adult breakdown (#prayforMiley) so, I’m gonna go with this analogy. It was just as beautiful as people say and the wealth was out of control; the nicest cars on the roads and the most beautiful gems in the store windows. Madeline and I even brought some jewelry; wrap bracelets made by this local woman who was extremely sweet. I even got her business card and she said I can order them for friends in the states! So now I can say I own jewelry from Monaco. No it’s not a diamond or any other stone, but let me live the dream for a little ok?

Next stop on my Fall Break Extravaganza; Rome, Italy to channel the sanest of Disney Channel child stars, Hilary Duff in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Until next time loyal readers xo

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This weekend was pretty quiet here in Alicante. The frat boys of Denison were off dominating Oktoberfest and Chloe, Al and Audrey took the opportunity to travel as well. So I used the weekend to mostly run errands and write postcards. Family, you’ll be getting them soon. Lovers and friends, you guys will be the next batch, not to worry. But, the weekend wasn’t really spent in solitude. By now, y’all know I love a good cultural reference/play on words. I really just wanted to give my boy Gabriel Garcia Marquez a shout-out because I brought the book “100 Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad)” today and I’m going try reading it in Spanish, wish me luck! So here are the two highlights of the weekend aka the hours not spent in solitude:

  1. Saturday night, the remainder of the crew, Kelly, Evan, Becky and I went to get some tapas. While the food wasn’t great and me and Kelly’s mojitos tasted like soap, there was live music! They played some good ol’ Spanish guitar and salsa, which was very cool. But the cherry on top was when the band started to play “Play that Funky Music”. Just hearing the man sing, “Play that funky music white boyyy” in a Spanish accent and watching all the Spaniards bust a move like it was 1985 was amazing. That song is definitely a staple for a Lake Family dance party and always reminds me of my dad and brother. #itsthelittlethings
  2. Sunday, Kelly, Evan and I headed to Tabarca, an island about an hour off the coast of Alicante.  We were excited for a day of relaxation and snorkeling. The ferry seemed to be crawling rather than cruising across the Mediterranean but we got there as the clouds began to cover the bright sun. But the lack of sun did not take away from the beauty of the island at all. The coast was rocky, with underwater caves and the buildings were small, and quaint. As soon as we got there, we walked all the way down into the pueblo (town), in search of snorkel gear. We found the mask and the snorkel,  but could not find the flippers. But, not to fear because we found water shoes…or so I thought. About 1 minute into my first venture snorkeling, I stepped on a sea urchin. The needles went through the water shoe and into my heel. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to pull the needles out of my foot. I don’t have a very high pain tolerance but I tried to be a big girl; I got most of the needles out except for one. And in a fit of rage, I threw the water shoes into the ocean…6 euros down the drain. I apologize to the environment for polluting the beautiful ocean blue, but I was bleeding and angry. While at home, I would have let an injury like this stop me, I decided to go back out into the water. And, I was so happy I did because it was like Finding Nemo down there; fish of every color, swimming past rock and coral. The goggles were pretty much junk too, seeing as they filled with salt water that burnt my eyes every 5 minutes, but don’t worry, I didn’t through those into the ocean. We ended the day with a very fishy paella and watching the sunset. It was great day and Tabarca is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life!

I’m sure you are all waiting with bated breath to hear what happened to the last sea urchin needle. Well, after we finished snorkeling, we met up with other CIEE Alicante students who tried to help my bloody foot. First, they burned my skin in order to sanitize it and then tried to scrape out the needle with a credit card. It sounds a lot worse than it was, as many of you know, I can be a bit dramatic. Thanks for the help Ryan and Ali!

But, later than night, after a failed attempt to pull it out with tweezers, the battle of the sea urchin needle continued.  And while I was trying to be a big girl, I caved back into my old ways and whined to my mom on the phone that night. She suggested I tape a potato to my foot and leave it overnight because the enzymes in the potato can break down whatever is still in my skin. But, I didn’t want to have to tell Mama Dominga because she can be a bit over dramatic when it comes to my health. I probably would have ended up in the emergency room with her by my side in tears. So late that night, I crept into the kitchen on the hunt for a potato but to no avail. So the little needle is still stuck in my heel-I’ve decided to keep it there as a memory of the good times in Tabarca.

Also, apologies Ev for not using the genius title “A Taste of Tabarca”. I just needed a more encompassing title for the weekend, ja feel? Hopefully no hard feelings, it was still a stroke of genius.

Up next: My fall break extravaganza! Going to the South of France with my friend Madeline from GW and then off to Rome and Florence to visit my friends Carolyn and KC from high school! I will try to make a few posts that week about my travels so stay tuned!

Peace, love and Beyoncé. (I know this week’s post wasn’t about Queen B, but let’s face it, everyday is about Queen B.)

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Before I get into this post, I want to apologize for the amount of typos in last week’s post. I was so excited to tell y’all about my Barcelona adventures, I did not proofread as much as I normally do. I also want to correct one of my extremely witty pop culture references; the quote “the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain” is from My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn not Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand. Got two of my favorite divas mixed up, my sincerest apologized. Now onto this week’s post involving another one of celeb idols.

As many of you reading my blog know, I have been dancing my whole life. I did not think I would continue through college, but I have now started to study it through an academic and performance lens, and I couldn’t be happier. However, when looking for study abroad programs, I did not look for a program with dance. I thought I could use a semester off and did not think I would miss it as much as I do.  But, I do feel like a part of my day is missing because I’m so used to rushing from class, work and rehearsal. Yes, I know jam packing my schedule is not sticking with my new “go with the flow” mindset, but something’s got to give. So when my friend Audrey found a dance class at a local gym, I jumped at the opportunity to join her. But hey, that was a YOLO moment right? So I am kind of sticking to my new mindset-cut me some slack ok?

Back to my story. Running late, I rush into the studio and see Audrey surrounded by a group of teenage girls wearing regular street clothes. I was wearing sneakers, leggings and my trusty Beyoncé concert t-shirt; ready to bust a move. They looked me up and down (something I have gotten so used to here in Spain, but that’s another blog post.) and the teacher laughs and asks me if I was ready for another class. At this point, Audrey and I are nervously laughing, wondering what to expect. The teacher then says he normally teaches “Dancehall hip hop”. The combination we learned was to “Shell it down” by T.O.K; I definitely recommend it for a prime dance party. So needless to say, there was a lot of poppin, lockin and twerkin. The girls in the class were so nice and we had a great time. Then at the end of class, after admiring my t-shirt, one of the girls ask me if I wanted to see a dance they learned a few weeks ago to a Beyoncé song. Of course, I was thrilled to see their combination to “Upgrade You” and wished that was the class I went to.  Our mutual love for Queen B led us to having a conversation about what to do around Alicante and more information about their dance company.

The class wasn’t particularly challenging or unique. So at first, I couldn’t quite understand why it made me so happy. And then it dawned on me; during a week where I was feeling a little bit of homesickness and FOMO (fear of missing out), it was extremely comforting to realize that many things are universal. Dance is a language in and of itself. I could understand exactly what the teacher meant even though I did not understand all the Spanish vocabulary.  Although I don’t think I will attend the class again, it did get me back in a dance state of mind.  Now I am on the hunt for a challenging modern dance class either at the university or at another studio in Alicante.

Until next time, peace, love and Beyoncé.

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This past weekend, me and 8 other friends traveled to Barcelona. It was an amazing trip, with some sightseeing, nightlife and seeing my bestie Kat! Everyone loves a list so here are the 11 things I learned about the Barca culture and myself. I would do 10, but I couldn’t possibly be that predictable.

1.    Don’t be so quick to judge something as “sketchy”

So as many of you would assume, organizing a hostel for 8 people is not an easy task. I ended up booking a hostel, pretty last minute. I received an email saying that this man, Enrique, would meet us on a street corner to bring us to our flat. The line in the email that struck us all the most was “This is not like a normal hostel”. We were all extremely anxious and made many jokes referencing the movie “Taken”. But the hostel ended up totally fine. We had two rooms where we had to share beds but I think the cuddling only made us closer. It was a great location, clean, with 4 bathrooms and the other travelers were extremely nice. I’ve come realize that cheap travelling is so popular in Europe that a group of people renting out rooms is completely normal.

2.    You can take the girl out the city but you can’t take the city out of the girl

In my last blog post, I talked about how I am learning to be more “go with flow”, and enjoy the slower pace of Alicante. But, Barca brought back all my old habitats. I’m a walking fast, j walking all over the place, staying observant for pickpockets and yes, I was definitely more anxious

3.    The DC metro has taught me well

While the taxis in Barcelona were reasonably priced, it was much more economically to take the metro. I showed everyone how to buy 10 passes and navigated us from line to line. I know you guys were impressed; my sense of direction is pretty awesome. Yes, I am giving myself a pat on the back right now.

4.    I need to learn how to read a map

So yes, I did just say I led the group through the metro and have a good sense of direction. But I am quite dependent on my iPhone and my GPS speaking to me and giving me step by step directions, so navigating the tiny, winding calles (streets) of Barcelona with solely a paper map, especially while STARVING, proved to be a big challenge for me and led to me being pretty grumpy. So, shout out to Max for saving me and leading us to Milk Bar, one of the yummiest brunches I’ve ever had (totally recommend it! I got the breakfast burger; beef burger with bacon and a fried egg)

5.    Catalan isn’t Spanish

I mean duh. But I was still surprised to see how prominent it was. Most street signs and menus were in Catalan. I noticed it when people said certain words and it was funny to me how much the accent was different just 5 hours north. The people of Barcelona take so much pride in their Catalina culture and it was very cool to experience the differences for 3 days.

6.    Young Spaniards’ English speaking skills kick young Americans’ Spanish speaking skills in the cuello (butt)

My friend Zach’s friend from summer camp has lived in Barcelona his entire life. He invited us over to his family’s beautiful apartment and we met a few of his friends. Both groups, us Americans and the Spaniards had been learning the respective other language for about the same length of time but their skills were far better. I think it has to with how we teach foreign language in the United States; there is a greater emphasis on grammar and writing, rather than speaking. But more so, I think it has to with attitude; they all take great pride in the fact they know English and it’s the cool thing to know. Americans known this fact and selfishly find less of a need to perfect their foreign language skills.

7.    Techno music is the beat of the city

Lord, if I have to hear one more techno remix! Nothing I can really do about this one. I guess I’ll just have to wait another 3 months to do the Cupid Shuffle.

8.    Roman ruins exist in Spain

We went to the Museu d’História de Barcelona and one of the exhibits sends you back in time to see the Roman Ruins that were found underneath an old cathedral in Barcelona. It was incredible to learn about how the ancient Romans had a presence in Barcelona and see these artifacts still in great shape!

9.    The rain in Spain doesn’t mainly stay on the plains

The first surprising rainy day was in Villena, about an hour from Alicante, at the Desfile de los Moros y los Cristianos (Parade of the Christians and the Moors) and now the second day, was this Sunday in Barcelona. Audrey Hepburn in Funny Girl was clearly misled. Check the weather before you go out and invest in a mini umbrella.

10. Gaudi runs Barcelona

My favorite place in Barcelona is the Parc Guell, which displays Gaudi’s mosaics and architecture in a beautiful garden. It also happens to be one of the places Cheetah Girls 2 was filmed (yes, I spent the day humming “Strut” a la Raven Symone). He also built the Sagrada Familia and many other buildings around the city. His style, to me is what makes Barcelona less of a city and more a work of art.

11. “I just want a Picasso, in my casa”  

Jay-z speaks the truth per usual. My favorite part of the Picasso museum was his interpretation of the “Las Meninas”, a famous painting by Diego Velázquez, which is in the Prado Museum in Madrid. But Picasso’s versions are so unique and colorful-my favorites were his interpretations of Princess Margarita.

Next up: My first full week of classes followed by a CIEE led trip to the city of Valencia!

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By stlake

I go to the beach every day and will continue to do so until it is less than 60 degrees (or 15 degrees Celsius #soeuropean). The Mediterranean is extremely warm and relaxing. The waves come and you ride them in and out. You may get knocked down sometimes but hey, it happens. La playa is always a place where I don’t have a care in the world. ...continue reading "La Playa (The Beach)"

Published on

By stlake

I cried in the airport; full on tears in the line to go through security.  As the image of the parents, got farther away, I finally fully realized why I wanted to come abroad and more importantly, why I wanted this particular experience in Alicante, Spain. GW is a fast-pace, competitive environment, where by the time you finish your first semester freshman year, you feel as though you need to have your 12-step plan on how you are going to become the next president of the United States. I always wanted to go to Spain to practice my Spanish but I knew that if I spent 4 months in a major city, I would not get the traditional Spanish feeling I’d been longing before. But leaving behind the wonderful friendships and experiences I had this summer, proved to be more difficult than I imagined. ...continue reading "My new familia"

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