The end to an incredible semester

Alright, I have been home for a week now, so it's time to finally write about my final adventures in Europe. On the 17th I woke up fairly early to say goodbye to my host mom and head to Dublin to meet up with Karen and Anna! It was so surreal. So sad to be saying goodbye to an incredible woman who made my time in Spain fabulous, and yet bubbling with excitement to finally be traveling with Karen and Anna! I couldn't believe the time had come to meet up with them at last!

So I get to Dublin on Thursday around 2, and after it taking forever to find the buses to get us to Karen's, Anna and I finally arrived there around 5:00. It was so bizarre. everything felt so normal and like we were back in Champaign, but we were in Dublin! We ordered in Chinese food and got ready and finished packing. It was Anna and Karen's last night in Dublin, so we decided to do a little pub crawl. Go big or go home, right? First stop was Dandelion, a classier bar but still lots of fun. Then the Bleeding Horse where I had my first Guinness - actually pretty good! And then we headed to Flannery's where we danced and sang the night away. We had a super early flight the next morning to Rome, and by the time we finally got back to Karen's at about 3:10 in the morning our alarm was going off in 20 minutes so we didn't even bother sleeping.

Now -- Italy!!!

Friday - Arrived in Rome and finally made it to our hostel around 2. We couldn't check in until 3, so we grabbed lunch at a cute little Italian place around the corner - absolutely delicious! Then we got settled and hit the streets. First stop was the Trevi fountain. Very impressive! I had no idea it was as big as it is, so that was cool. Then we walked over to the Pantheon, some plazas and other buildings and then got tired so headed home. An early night was definitely necessary after the festivities that happened the night before.

Saturday - woke up early to avoid lines at the Vatican. Started off with the museum and the Sistine Chapel. Then headed over to the big basilica thats there (sorry, i don't remember names...) Honestly not as impressed as I thought. Probably because I don't understand religion in the slightest so it had no significance to me. After the Vatican we went to see some catacombs. This was what I was looking forward to the most, and probably was the biggest disappointment. I was hoping to see some bones! but they had all been removed. After that, we headed over to the Spanish Steps and then back to the Trevi to see it at night. Oh and we got some delicious gelato and crepes as well! And when we were near the Trevi we bumped into a guy names Tak who was promoting the Colosseum pub crawl. This was exactly what we were looking for, so we were so excited! We then headed back to the hostel, got ready, and then headed to the crawl. 3 bars, and hour of free drinks and 3 welcome shots later, we were dying of laughter at what happened throughout the evening and decided to head home. I wont get into details, but definitely a highlight of the trip.

Sunday - Woke up pretty early, discussed the previous night's antics, and headed to see the Colosseum during the day. So cool! Then we went into the Roman forum and got extremely lost. But we bumped into Anna's friend Chuck, who is studying in Versailles for the year, so that was sooooo crazy! After that, we went to grab our last lunch in Rome before heading to Florence. The train was easy to find and was 4 hours long, so we settled into a little area and tried to sleep. But toward the end of the trip, 4 Italians came and sat with us and were extremely entertaining. One was in love with Anna and wanted to go to Vegas to marry her. haha! When we got to Florence we just grabbed dinner and went to bed. We were exhausted from the night before and had to cram lots in the next day.

Monday - Woke up and the first thing we did was head to the Duomo but got sidetracked by the incredible markets! 3 hours and lots poorer, we finally went to the Duomo. Had to climb about a million stairs to get to the top, but the view was breathtaking so definitely worth it. Then we grabbed lunch in a plaza and walked over to their famous bridge. We pretty much just explored the whole day, and it was nice and relaxing. At night we went to a bar that claimed it had beer pong starting at 10, but come 11 we will still the only people in the bar, so we decided to leave.

Tuesday - woke up early to go to the Academia to see the David. Honestly, I thought it was a waste. We saw the replica the day earlier, and I couldn't see a difference and so I basically paid 10 euros to see nothing. Plus the art in the museum was NOT my style, so I didn't love it. Then we headed back to the train station to head back to Rome. Again no problems with the train. When we got back to Rome we decided to get to the airport early, which definitely wasn't necessary. We ended up having a 3 hour delay, and our flight was almost cancelled because we literally took off with 2 minutes before the airport closed. Needless to say it was a little stressful.

Then we got back to our hotel to pack. Anna was leaving at about 5 in the morning so we said bye to her, and then I headed to the airport with Karen when she left. I wasn't leaving til the next day, so I took the bus into the city to explore a bit. It couldn't have been a better ending to my incredible semester. I walked down O'Connell and Grafton, and saw St. Stevens park (probably spelled that all wrong...) I was almost brought to tears as I reached the park. The sun was shining, a band was playing Christmas music, families were out shopping for presents. It was seriously so beautiful. Then I grabbed lunch at Anna's favorite place, Porterhouse, and headed back. I needed to repack everything and then headed to bed early since i had to wake up at 4 for my flight.

Overall, absolutely the most incredible semester of my life. The places I went, the people I met and the memories I made will forever stay with me. I can't believe how fast it all went by!

Mi último día en España

Well guys, this is it. The most incredible semester comes to a close today. I can't believe I am leaving already. I remember the first day - all the excitement I felt when I landed for my first time in Europe. I still have to pinch myself to make sure this is all really happening. I will absolutely never forget my time here. My friends, my host mom, the nights out and the travels were so much more than I could have ever imagined.

Been packing all day today and its incredibly sad. My closet is empty, the pictures are down and the bookshelf is empty. Getting ready for my last lunch with my mom, I'm going to miss her to pieces. I have to write her a thank you note still - how on earth can I put into words what she meant to me on this experience? I'm pretty sure it's impossible.

We have our graduation ceremony tonight with the school and then I'll probably just relax for a while with friends. But the metro stops running at 11 and everyone has early flights, so shouldn't be too late of a night.

I also can't believe that my adventures with Karen and Anna begin tomorrow! I'll never forget at Karen's house when we toasted to studying abroad, and then when we figured out all our post semester travel plans. Dublin, Rome, Florence, and back to Dublin. Can't wait!!!!

See you all back in the States!

a great final weekend!

So my last weekend in Bilbao is about over, only 3 hours left. and it was f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s. mainly because last night was a blast. A bunch of the girls went out to celebrate Kimberly's 21st birthday and we all pretty much went out big! Even the ones who usually don't party quite as hard as some of the rest of us. Today I laid around for a while and then went to this cafe called Coffee Break to study with some friends. Practically our whole program was there, ha. so naturally, we didn't get much done. I'm not too stressed for finals, only a little bit for my Basque Culture one. I pretty much have to get an A, so I have to study fairly hard.

oh and i also did some last minute touristy things. Took the funicular to the top of the mountain where you get great views of the city, and headed back to Plentzia, a really beautiful town, since i hadnt been there since the first day here.

Tomorrow is Leah's 21st birthday. She has become one of my closer friends here, so I'm excited to celebrate it! Unfortunately because of finals we can't party too hard, but a bunch of us are going to go to dinner at Crazy Horse, which I know will be the perfect study break.

Only 3 full days left. It's beginning to get pretty depressing.

That's all for now, I will leave you will some of my favorite pics from last night!

Emily & Molly Take on Europe - Part 2

And now onto Munich! We got in around 9 or so in the morning maybe. Headed to our hostel to drop off our bags and then wanted to head to Dachau Concentration camp first thing. Getting there was a bit of an adventure. We missed the stop but there was a super nice lady who helped us figure out how on earth to get there. Very glad I went. It was a very interesting and chilling experience. Unlike the sadness I felt at the Anne Frank house, here I felt a feeling of complete disgust. Hearing about everything they did. Granted I knew a lot already, but the audio tour was very explicit. And walking into the crematorium... i seriously thought I could puke right then and there. Seeing the ovens. Seeing the gas chamber. Absolutely repulsive, but extremely interesting all the same. Definitely glad I went and it was an experience I think that everyone should have at some point in their life.

Memorial

After Dachau we relaxed in our hostel for a bit because we were exhausted, and then decided to wander. We headed to the area where all the Christmas markets were, in Marienplatz, the major town square area. It was absolutely beautiful! All the lights, you could feel christmas spirit in the air. haha

We walked through the main plaza and then wanted to head to the Hofbrauhaus, Munich's most famous Beer hall. Quite an experience! You walk in and it is absolutely packed. You sit wherever you can find a spot and Molly and I found a table with some funny Italians. Then we ordered. Of course we had to get the liter size, and we chose a beer recommended by Molly's boyfriend, Radler. We HATED it! Haha. couldn't even finish the glass, but we had a good time there. Oh and they have this awesome band there that plays german music, it was great

The next day we just wanted to relax and go shopping at the famous Christmas markets. Munich and all of Germany really is famous for them, and I understand why! When you get to where they are, it is just hut after hut of candles, ornaments, food, drinks. The plaza was packed with people. Molly and I had some sort of wurst and these potato things for lunch. I don't even want to think about how bad all of it is for you, but it was all absolutely delicious! We shopped and wandered for pretty much the majority of the day, but headed back to the hostel at a reasonable our because we wanted to go on a beer tour around 6.

The way the tours work are if there aren't enough people, it doesn't happen. So the first one we tried failed, but the second one had a big enough group, so off we went! It was a group of about 15 of us maybe? Molly and I, 3 canadians, and the rest were aussies. It was absolutely a blast! Everyone was so nice and we just went from one beer hall to the next drinking beers and socializing. Molly and I started off strong with a liter beer to start, but then we had to switch to the half liter because we knew if we wanted to survive we had to slow down. haha and that was definitely a good decision! we had a great time on the tour and it was definitely the perfect way to end a fabulous weekend

Tuesday morning we had a fairly early flight, so we just woke up and headed to the airport. Had a beautiful flight home and then we arrived for our last week. We had our last classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Last night was the last Erasmus party, so of course we made an appearance. Spent a lazy day today, but tomorrow I plan on waking up early because Alyssa and I need to get done all the touristy things in Bilbao we haven't done yet! We are going to take the Funicular up to the top of the mountain/hill to get a view of the city. And then we plan on headed back to Plentzia. We went there the first day, but it is a beautiful coastal town and we want to return. I can't believe how close I am to the end. I even started packing today! It is so unbelievably bittersweet, agridulce. As much as I am so excited to travel with Anna and Karen for a bit and then head home to see all my family and friends again, I know I am going to miss Bilbao, my friends here, and my host mom tons. It will definitely be an adjustment going back home. I always hated when my friends would come home and their time abroad was all they could talk about, but now I completely understand why.

but anywhooooo. time to eat dinner soon, so I will write again soon!

Emily & Molly Take on Europe - Part 1

Alright so -- gotta do this past weekend in 2 parts, because otherwise I will be sitting at the computer for hours. We had a holiday in Spain, so Molly and I hit up 2 cities, Amsterdam and Munich! First stop was Amsterdam.

We left Thursday afternoon, but had an overnight layover in London since that was the cheapest option, and that was quite the adventure. We didn't want to pay for another night in a hostel and so our only option was the airport floor. Let me tell you, it was absolutely freezing, we were surrounded by obnoxious drunk people, and we maybe got 1 hour of sleep. not very pleasant. but then we caught our early morning flight and arrived in Amsterdam!

First stop was the Anne Frank house where we wanted to grab lunch and then tour the house. We found this cute little cafe right next door that had bagels and cream cheese!!! ahhh it was sooooo delicious! haha. Then we took the tour of the house, and I had no idea I would be affected the way I was. It was extremely interesting with so much information about the family and their time hiding there, and at one point I actually got emotional about it. It was when I had to walk through the bookcase to get to the annex. After reading the book, studying it in school, it was such a strange sensation to be walking into the place where they hid in such fear for so many years. In the annex they had lots more information and some videos from people she knew and even her father, Otto Frank, who was the only member of the family to make it out alive. It was an extremely touch and heart wrenching story to experience first hand, and I am very glad I experienced it.

After the house, we decided to head to the Red light district to wander around. We were there right when the sun was setting, so all the creeps were coming out. Haha I guess I didn't really know what to expect, but needless to say I was very surprised when all of a sudden the streets were lined with prostitutes standing in their underwear in these little doors. Also funny story - don't take a picture of them.... Haha. I was taking pics of the canals with the lights all lit up and such, and decided to try to get a picture of all the windows. I was across the canal, and so I tried to sneak a pic without the flash on. Somehow one of the prostitutes saw me, yelled at me, got a cop who then rode his motorcycle over the bridge to talk to me, and then i was lectured for a little about the prostitutes and he made sure I didn't have the pic on my camera. It was actually quite funny. So you can stand in red tinted windows in front of thousands of locals and tourists every day but you can't have a picture taken of you? oh well... makes for a good story!

After wandering around the red light district we were pretty hungry and exhausted, so headed back towards our hotel, grabbed a yummy dinner at this irish pub, and headed to bed pretty early.

The next morning we made sure to get up at a decent hour since we had to leave for Munich later that afternoon. First stop was the Van Gogh museum. It was pretty cool, but I'm not gonna lie, Molly and I don't do too well in museums. We probably spent only 45 minutes there and then decided to move on.

We went to the Heineken Brewery next, which was probably my favorite stop on the trip. They did an excellent job with the set up. You walk in and the first stuff you see is some history about the beer. Then you get to do a little tasting. Then they take you on a 'ride' of how the beer is made (definitely the funniest part). Then there is a room where you can video yourself singing traditional dutch songs and have a background of a canal or something -- absolutely hilarious. And then finally is the bar, where you get 2 free beers at the end of the tour. It was a lot of fun so I would definitely recommend it!

After the Brewery we walked around Vondelpark for a while. It's a beautiful big park right next to where our hostel was. We probably spent about an hour or so in there but then the sun started to set and we were worried about getting lost so we decided to head back to the hostel, grab our stuff, and head to the train.

We booked an overnight train from Amsterdam to Munich and it was so sweet! It seriously looked exactly like the Hogwarts Express. ha. Long skinny hallways with rooms on the side that had 2 benches and shelves above them. If only I would have known, I would have brought my wand and invisibility cloak!! We didn't sleep great on the train, but it was enough. Around 9am we arrived in Munich and began the second half of our adventure! Overall had a blast in Amsterdam, but it wasn't one of my favorite cities I have been to.

I will probably post again tomorrow about Munich! Hasta Luego :-)

hell week coming up - yikes!

well, another week has absolutely flown by here. This weekend was fun! Didn't do anything really on Friday since I was recovering from Thanksgiving. Saturday morning I woke up fairly early to head to the Algorta market with Alyssa. I was super excited to finally get myself some genie pants, but to my dismay they didn't have a great selection so I didn't get any. Then we grabbed a coffee and I spent the afternoon relaxing. Then at night Alyssa, Molly, Rachel and I headed to Casco Viejo for some drinks and a chill evening. I had a lot of fun with them! And the best part was - that when I went to go to the bathroom at one of the bars we were at, I noticed a little cupboard underneath the stairwell. It was like I found Harry Potter! hahaha

Hell week is coming up. I have a presentation to give on Tuesday and then another presentation and a paper due on Wednesday. I don't even care though, because this weekend I am headed to Amsterdam and then Munich with Molly!!! Soooooo excited!

It's starting to get extremely bittersweet though. I only have 2.5 weeks left here in Bilbao. It's incredible how before this opportunity I didn't know anything about this area of Spain minus ETA, the terrorist group that was formed here. Now though, I will forever call this place my home. I have fallen in love with absolutely everything about it (minus the mullets... still haven't accepted those) and to think that I have no idea when I might return is so sad. As excited as I am to finish my finals and head to Rome and Florence with Anna and Karen, I know that when I leave Bilbao I will be leaving a piece of my heart here.

Probably won't post again til after the weekend travels unless something worthy happens, so hasta luego!

Acción de Gracias

Hey peeps!

So yesterday was Thanksgiving, and the first time I have been homesick since I have been here. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I look forward every year to (normally) heading down to St. Louis to reunite with my mom's side of the family. On a small year, there are close to 15-20 of us there. It is absolutely my favorite day of the year, and I knew that it just wasn't going to be the same in Spain. But, after celebrating it here, I honestly can't complain!

The day itself wasn't fabulous. Spent it in 4 hours of classes, one of which consisted of a grammar test. Clearly the spanish teachers don't understand the value this day has to us... But, they were nice enough to host a dinner for us, which was much better than what I expected! first course was a pumkin soup that was delicious. Then we had some turkey and mashed potatoes (but the saddest helping of potatoes i have ever seen...) . and then pumpkin bread for dessert. It wasn't the same, but it was very nice of them to make an effort!

The turkey and potatoes

After the dinner we headed over to the Erasmus party at Sala V.I.P. It started out fabulous! They were playing all american music and we were absolutely loving it! After a few hours though, our feet were getting exhausted and techno was playing so we headed back to the dorms. And at around 6:30, Alyssa and I left to head back home. Most awkward metro ride ever since we were clearly coming home from a night out and the metro was packed with business people. haha

Overall though, a great thanksgiving! I missed singing "Sweet Caroline" and catching up with the family, but my new friends and family made the day a great one.

Our table and the teachers!

crazy

you know what i just realized? this time in my life, my time abroad, these stories, are stories i will tell for a lifetime. I will tell all my friends, my future husband, my kids. my mom tells me her stories, and it just hit me that i am creating mine.

CRAZYYYYY

Barça!

Hey everyone! Just got back from probably my favorite weekend so far, spent in the fabulous city of Barcelona! I absolutely fell in love with it, and I sooooo wish that I had more time to spend there.

The weekend started early friday morning with a 7am flight. It stunk, but at least we got to Barcelona by 8 and our hostel a little later. We stayed at Centric Point and it had a perfect location. I was super excited when I got there because I knew that Anna and Karen were already there, and sure enough when I walked into the breakfast room there they were!!! It was sooooo great to see them! So Alyssa, Molly and I grabbed a quick breakfast and then we had to wander the streets for an hour before we could check in. First stop was the Nike store where I bought myself a sweet FCBarcelona backpack that I love. Then we went back and got checked in, and around noon we hit the streets!

Our first spot was the Picasso Museum. Molly and I both really wanted to go, so we were pretty excited. It took us a while to find it because it is just in this little part of the city, fairly hidden and not right near a metro stop. But the walk there was pretty fun! at one point we could go 1 of 2 ways, and so we chose the road less traveled. And on that route we found a cute jewelry store where I got some gaudi inspired earrings that I love. And then after a little bit of walking we found the museum! It was really interesting. They had so much stuff from when he was young there. Things like doodles in textbooks and there was even one page where it looked like he was practicing his signature. We really enjoyed it, although I have to say that definitely the most memorable part was the temporary exhibit, the erotic section. Wowwww. Most was done by someone else, and we tried to be mature about it, but some of the drawings were so explicit or even repulsive (i'm talking erotic pictures with squids and fish and octupus and such) we couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After the museum, we headed over to Montjuic. This is where all the olympic stadium and such is. After getting off the metro, we knew we needed to get to the ski lift type thing to get up. So I see the mountain and we decide to walk to it. After walking about 30 minutes up hill we didn't know where to go so we asked for directions. turns out to get up there is a thing in the metro, so back down we went. it was a fun walk though! it took us the entire time to try to figure out Molly's middle name. Our only clue was that it started with a P, so some of my brighter guesses were Molly Piggy or Molly Polly. haha. When we got back down to the metro we found the tram thing we were supposed to take up and so hopped on. When we got off we started wandering and found a lookout of the entire city. It was very pretty! Then we made our way to the olympic stadium. And we wanted to wander into the big park that was there but the sun was starting to set and we were worried about getting lost so we just headed back.

Molly, Alyssa, and I went to the supermarket to make ourselves some din and of course to buy some supplies for the evening. Then after showering and getting ready Anna, Karen, Amy and Katherine (Anna's friends from her program) came up and we started pregaming. It was great to catch up with them and we shared some good stories. Then after we finished pregaming we headed to the bar Dow Jones. It's where depending on the stock market, the prices of drinks will change throughout the night. But, it appeared we all pregamed wayyyyyyy too hard so we didn't last there too long. hahha oh dear. we probably didn't make the smartest choices that night, but definitely made for some hilarious stories the next morning.

Saturday morning we woke up and were all super hungover, but we dragged ourselves to breakfast in an attempt to make us feel better. It helped a little, but we were definitely dragging. First stop was Casa Mila, a house done by Gaudi. There was a long line and we didn't feel like waiting in it, so we decided to just go into the store. All of us bought lots of Gaudi stuff for ourselves and others and then we headed to our next destination. We went to Park Guell, which was absolutely my favorite place of the weekend. Gaudi is a genius and his work there is absolutely incredible. I think all of us were just awed by his incredible architecture and tile work. We hung out at the park for a while, shopped a little bit with all the vendors that are parked there and then moved on yet again. We knew we had to get to Las Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter on saturday since stores are closed on sundays, so we made our way over there.

Las Ramblas was very interesting. I wasn't expecting that there would be SO many little stands for birds, rabbits or other small animals around. But the best part of the street was definitely the market to the right of it, La Boqueria. Most incredible market I have ever seen! Just rows and rows of fresh fruits, veggies, meats, candies, etc... And I got some pineapple gelato there that was delicious. Then we went and wandered in the Gothic Quarter for a bit. Didn't buy anything, but it's always fun seeing the oldest parts of towns.

Then we headed back to the hostel, napped, and then I went with Anna, Karen, Amy and Katherine to eat some paella! We had a delicious meal with typical spanish food and sangria and then went back to get ready to go out! At our hostel, there was a bar so we headed up there first, and thus the night began. We found Alyssa and Molly sitting with a table of drunk soccer players and they were absolutely hilarious. sometimes a little too much (like spraying champagne everywhere....) but definitely entertaining. And a group from our Hostel was going to the Club Razzmatazz, so we decided to join (after much persuasion by Rory, the ring leader of the soccer team). As we are walking we stop at one club first. Turns our Razzmatazz didn't open til 2, so we had to hang out here for a while. It was an awesome club! right on the beach with great music and atmosphere. And around 2:00 we left for Razzmatazz. The person that was showing us around claimed it was only a 6 block walk, but after about 30-40 minutes of walking and complaining we finally arrived. I wish we had stayed at the other club, because this one was a lot dirtier and full of crazies, but always good to experience some loco barcelona night life! After we finished our free drink that came with admission, we decided to head back since it was about 3 in the morning.

Alyssa and Molly with the soccer team

Sunday we woke up incredibly exhausted, but had to get moving since checkout was at 10 and we had a few more sites to see before heading back to Bilbao. our first stop was Casa Batllo. After taking pics of the outside I said bye to Karen and Anna and we headed in to get a tour while their group moved on. The inside of the house was amazing! not a single straight line in the architecture and the colors and formations were beautiful. Then we went to McDonalds to get some hangover food, and of course we happen to run into the soccer team from the night before there! they looked like hell. haha

after some much needed greasy food we went to the Sagrada Familia. Pretty incredible, and you totally understand why it is taking so long to build after seeing it up close. And there was a pretty pond right next to it, so we sat and relaxed there for a while. Then we decided to just head to the airport early since we didn't have anything else to do and were feeling lazy...

Overall it was probably my favorite weekend so far. Between it being a beautiful and fun city and meeting up with Anna and Karen, it was a blast. I know that I need to return there sometime and spend more time there!

Hasta Luego!

The clock is ticking...

So. Exactly 1 month from today I will have left Bilbao for good and be in Rome with Anna and Karen. It's absolutely nuts to think that I have less than a month left in my city. I feel like I am finally fitting in here! Last night I went to 1 euro canas (beers) with Alyssa. It has become a ritual. Every Tuesday head to West Side bar just down the street from my place. The bartenders know us and we recognize the regulars. We were talking about how fast the time has flown, and how it is getting to be so bittersweet. While I am getting excited to go home and see everyone and have all the comforts of home, I absolutely love being abroad and wish I would have studied here for a year rather than a semester. I'm definitely going to miss Bilbao LOADS! so I have to do everything in my power to make the most out of these last few weeks!!

Culture, Camels and Couscous!

Alright! Here is how my weekend in Morocco went! Get ready for kinda a long post. Because it was nothing like Europe where I can briefly describe what I saw and you get the point...

We left Friday morning. Me, Molly and Ron were on a flight that left at 7 in the morning, and then Alyssa and Paige left about an hour later. It was a quick flight to Madrid, then we had a long layover, and finally got on our plane to AFRICA! The flight was beautiful. So many different terrains and then it was really cool once we got to the end of Spain and you could see both Spain and Africa at the same time. Right when we got of the plane though, i got an awful text message. Something was messed up with Alyssa and Paige's flight, so they never made it to Morocco. I felt sooooo bad for them! But we headed outside and went to catch a cab. We weren't sure when we were talking to the cab driver if we were getting ripped off, so we went up and started talking to some other Americans we saw. Two of them, Alicia and Coleman, were staying at the same hotel as us. So we all grabbed a cab together and went to our Hotel.

At the hotel we got settled in and then headed outside to catch a cab to head to the Kasbah (main market area) We finally grabbed one, and got dropped off somewhere but had no idea where we were. We saw 2 other americans though, so we went to talk to them. Turned out they were with someone who was about to give them a tour, so we joined in. Just as we were about to get started, Alicia and Coleman get dropped off at the same spot, so they joined us as well. The guide took us around the Medina (old city) and showed us all the important spots. Then we

had 2 destinations -

first place a rug/pottery/leather store. We went up to the top level where we were talked to about all the different kinds of rugs and how they are made. Each one is hand woven and you can tell take so much work. Then they brought us some typical mint tea - delicious! - and we had time to walk around. The rugs were too expensive, so I went down by the pottery and ended up buying a bowl. I realized later that I could have gotten it for much cheaper, but that was my first time bargaining, so oh well. Plus, the people working were breathing down our necks, so i just bargained a little and then bought it to get them off my back. ha

Then we headed to the next stop which was an herb store. The walls were lined with all these different spices and the man there explanined to us the typical spices in Morocco and then he showed us all these natural things that they made (soaps, lip stick, etc.) Then it was getting late, so we wanted to get some food. He brought us to a typical Moroccan restaurant where we had some typical dishes. Started with a soup, then we had a chicken that seemed like it should be a dessert because it was topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar, but was very good. and for the main meal was couscous with chicken and veggies. After dinner it was completely dark out, and we didn't feel comfortable walking around anymore so we headed back to the hotel. Oh and before dinner, we arranged with our guide for him to have his friend pick the 5 of us up (me, molly, ron, alicia, coleman) and give us a tour of some sites that are outside of the city.

Things I learned from the first day: no matter what you do, americans stick out like a sore thumb. I am not good at bargaining. Moroccan men can have up to 4 wives. They use communal ovens. Some of the windows on apartments you can barely see through, and this is so the women can look out without being seen. being called at to come into stores and being hassled is completely normal and you just have to ignore it.

So after a good night sleep, we went down to get the complimentary breakfast and then met our guide at 10. A nice man named Abdul, who spoke a little bit of English. As we were leaving the city, he showed us the biggest mosque in Tangier and then took us to a place where we could get a view of the whole city. Then we headed to our first stop - Cap Spartel. This is where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ocean meet. It was cool! The pictures didn't show it, but there was kind of a line in the water and so you could see where the 2 bodies of water met. There were also people selling stuff there, and so I bought myself a bracelet (nothing fancy...)

Then we made our way to the Cave of Hercules, but not before stopping to get a quick ride on some camels! Ron, Molly and I each got our own and then Alicia and Coleman shared one. It was a quick ride, but still soooooo cool to be riding a camel in Africa! Haha total tourist moment, but I loved it.

Then we got to the cave of Hercules. You walked into the cave from land and then there was a beautiful opening into the ocean. Definitely very cool. It's called the Cave of Hercules because Hercules is rumored to have slept there i believe.

After that we headed to a smaller town near Tangier named Aslilah. It's a much quainter town and you definitely felt safer there. We had a casual lunch and then walked around in the Medina for a while. I really liked this wooden bowl I found, but the guy was not willing to lower his price much, so I didn't end up buying it. Then around 4 or so we headed back to the hotel where we sat by the pool, enjoyed a beer, and watched a beautiful sunset. The perfect way to end a cool weekend.

While the weekend wasn't action packed or super crazy, it was experiencing the completely different culture that was the most intriguing. You could clearly tell that it was 3rd world and seeing the dress and lifestyle of everyone there is something I will never forget. Plus - I am now able to say I have been to Africa! although of course I would like to explore it a lot more.

Now I am getting ready for Barcelona this weekend and could not be more excited! I'm going with Alyssa and Molly, but will be meeting up with Karen and Anna there! ahhhhhh sooooo excited!!

Burnin' Up!

Hello all! So another update on my life:

Last night was the Jonas Brothers Concert. Yes, I went. And honestly, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! I went with Kimberly and Leah and we were surrounded by pre-teen girls with their moms. Haha. But they were really entertaining! And I now have a major crush on Nick Jonas. He sings, plays the guitar, piano, and drums! Dayummm! Here are a couple pics from the concert

Today was very relaxing. Classes in the morning which were the same old, same old. But then today I decided to stay at school and eat lunch there and then I headed to Casco Viejo to do some boot shopping! But now I am in a bit of a dilemma. People here wear these cute scrunchy type boots, and that is what I thought I wanted. But after about 1.5 hours and trying on 5 or 6 different pairs, I have determined I don't like that style on me. Ha so now I am back to ground zero and am looking for more of a classic-style boot. The day wasn't a total waste though -- I did come out of it with a cute scarf!

Tomorrow I'll probably go get 1 euro cañas with Alyssa per usual. But it will be a very early night because I leave for Tangier, Morocco at 6:45 in the morning on Friday. Ahhhh I can't believe I will be in AFRICA in less than 48 hours!!! sooooo exciting!

I'll write again after the weekend. See ya!

a fun filled weekend

hello all! alright. a breif update on my weekend.

thursday night went out to la tortuga with alyssa. i love that i'm becoming a regular there :-) But Paige ( a girl on our program) got a job there and it was her first night working so we went to support her. But unfortunately, I drank a tad too much and didn't have enough din so I was home by like 1. haha

Friday I just lounged around all day, and then went to Algorta to meet up with Brittany and Danyel for some botellon (drinking in the streets). So we just hung out there for a while. Then we went to one of their local bars and Unai, Brittany's friend/thing met us there. It was my first time meeting him and he was super nice!! it's kinda depressing though because we talked in english the whole time because his english is soooo much better than our spanish.

then saturday we had our last excursion with the school. We didn't get to do everything we planned because of crazy rain/wind/hail storms, and i didn't really love the trip. We went to places that I already went to with my parents so I was kinda bored. But saturday night - totally different story! I met up with Alyssa and Brittany in my town and then we headed to Bilbao to hang out with some spanish kids brittany knew. but it turned out they were going to an apartment party of all americans! they were all super nice and were here teaching english. And i have decided that I really want to do that when I graduate. Then after an hour or so we left the apartment party and headed to Casco Viejo to meet up with the kids from the dorm. So we hung out at a bar there for a bit and then me, Brittany, Alejandro, and the spanish kids went to go find a free club to dance in. The first couple we went to were packed, but then we found this awesome place that was playing spanish music. We were dancing our hearts out until about 4:30 in the morning! it was a blast.

today I am exhausted. haha. been looking up stuff for italy with karen. getting ready to go get some coffee with Alyssa and Brittany, and then it will be homework for the rest of the night...

also, in EXTREMELY exciting news, I will be in AFRICA on FRIDAY!!!!!!! words cannot explain my excitement. Tangier, Morocco here I come!!!

Agur!

la dee da

Hola peeps!

Just a random post this time. Bored and waiting for dinner, and definitely do not want to pass the time with my gramatica homework due tomorrow...

normal week so far here in bilbao. we have this huge group essay due tomorrow in basque culture class, but we finished it just a bit ago, so i am glad to have that done. and i got my gramatica test from last week back, another 92! (although really 94 since he gave everyone an extra 2%!) very pleased with that seeing as i will for sure have a B in basque culture...

random news - leah, kimberly and I bought jonas brothers tickets for the concert here next tuesday!!! haha sooooo excited

this weekend not too much planned. we have a day trip on saturday, but one of the places we are going to I have already been too, so i am not overly excited for it. tomorrow night though i plan on going out hard core! haha. there is 1 euro beers at the place by my house, and plus i bought a super cute new dress at H&M this week that I want to rock out before it gets too cold!

I am getting super excited for my next big trip though -- Tangier, Morocco!!!! I can't believe that in just over a week I will be in AFRICA!!! ahhh. but at the same time, it makes me a little bummed. because after this weekend I am traveling almost every weekend, and i know the time is just going to fly by me and soon enough I will be back in the states. I love it more and more here every day, so it is sooooo sad to realize that I only have a little over a month left!

anywhoooo. I will post again later! hopefully with something of a little bit more interest.

what a lovely weekend!

this weekend was just fabulous! did lots of fun things and had great weather, so it was great!

On friday I went to La Rioja to meet up with my parents. It's the wine region in spain and produces lots of great wines. It was incredible going there. Since it's fall, all the leaves on the vineyards were orange/red and so the landscape was absolutely incredible. On friday we at lunch at the winery designed by Frank Gary, the same architect as the Guggenheim. It was absolutely beautiful and the food was delicious! Then we went to this winery called Bodega Fabulista. It's a traditional winery and was very beautiful, but the guide and wine wasn't all that great. Saturday we slept in, then went to a modern winery called Bodega Baigorri (bodega means winery...). This winery had the most incredible views of the vineyards and all the wine was delicious, so a better experience than the day before.

Then we headed back to Bilbao and our next mission was getting futbol tickets for Saturday night's game, and it was a success! My dad and I figured out where to get them and so my parents, my friend alyssa and I all went to the game. It was SOOOOO much fun! The chants, the pride, the flags, the excitement - everything I expected. Plus, #24, Javi Martinez, is incredibly beautiful. haha. Athletic de Bilbao beat Athletic de Madrid 1-0 (and Javi scored our goal!).

Then my parents headed home and Alyssa and I went to Casco Viejo to meet up with some friends for Halloween. We ended up getting separated from them though, and so just headed back to Areeta to go to our favorite bar, La Tortuga. We were there til about 4 and then wandered home.

Oh and! Since being here, we have heard people talk about this door in my town. All the food places normally close around midnight, so drunk food is hard to come by... haha. and alyssa and I have looked for it, and last night we finally found it! It's this little blue door with no sign or anything. And you knock on it, and there is a guy there who has all this food he makes for all the drunkies! Let me tell you, those ham and cheese sandwiches were amazing at 4:15 in the morning!!

Today I showed my parents around my town and then had a nice long lunch with Carmen and her sister. They head home tomorrow, and this week probably won't be too enjoyable... I have a group paper due in this one class on Thursday and we aren't even close to finishing it, so most of the week will be spent doing that.

I'll write again soon!

Julie and Bob take on Bilbao!

Hey everyone! so this weekend my parents were here, and it was a good time! They got in around 2:30 on Friday. I went to pick them up at the airport and then we headed back to the hotel and got settled in. Then I just showed them around my school and the area we were staying. They were exhausted, so they called it quits pretty early and I just headed back home.

Saturday we went to the Guggenheim in the morning. It was my first time going, and to my surprise I really enjoyed it! It's a modern art museum, and while lots of the things were way over my head, I really enjoyed some of the exhibits. After the Gugg, we met my host mom in Casco Viejo (old town) and had a nice lunch. The food was delicious and even though I had to translate everything, i think the lunch went pretty well! Then Carmen left and we wandered around Casco Viejo for a bit. Then I headed back home because I was going out for Stephanie's 21st. So I went home, showered, ate, and then headed over to Steph's place to pregame. It was a a blast! Then I went with them over to Fever, a club, but didn't go in because it got late and I knew I had to wake up in the morning...

Sunday I met up with them and we went to get our rental car, and then we hit the road! First stop - Bermeo. This is the most famous port town in Pais Vasco (basque country) and was really neat. We just walked along the ocean and a bit into the town, grabbed some pintxos, and then moved on. Our next stop was Bakio. Another probably cool town, but unfortunately it was SOOO foggy we couldn't see anything! The road we were driving along seemed gorgeous too, but we didn't get to enjoy any of it :-( Below is a pic of what we saw out the window. haha

Final stop for the day was Gernika, probably one of the most important places in Pais Vasco. in like... the 1300's! they would hold their governmental meetings there underneath an oak tree. They have not the original, but the succesor petrified and displayed nicely. They say that the oak tree is probably the most known symbol of Pais Vasco.

We ended up getting back to the hotel around 6:30. My mom and I were starving, so we grabbed drinks and dinner while my pops rested. He wasn't feeling great... Now they are off in San Sebastian and going to head into France on Wednesday. Looks like it is supposed to be beautiful all week so that is good! And I am planning on taking a nice long walk today, and tomorrow it's supposed to be like 77! so if I can I will def be hitting up the beach.

that's all for now, hasta luego!!

hell week finally almost over!

weekend - FINALLY!

this week has been awful. My computer is still failing big time, and my sunglasses broke on me yesterday. haha shit.

but it's the weekend now, and so i am going to look ahead and hope that things start turning around! parents get here tomorrow, looking forward to it!

would write more, but about to chat with Dell support. hopefully they will be helpful today unlike yesterday!

strugglin

gahhh. this week is soo shitty and it's only tuesday.

tomorrow is Miriam's funeral back home. so wish i could be there so say a last goodbye and to support my friends who are hurting wayyyyy more than me. i'm surprised to see how much this has affected me, seeing as how we havent been as close the past few years. I think it's because I have known her for forever. it's just weird knowing I won't ever see her again. and also the fact that i am sooo far away from home. the only way i am getting updates is by googling her name, which is so sad.

on top of that, my computer is failing big time. i can't open anything and I am seriously concerned it's going to crash on me soon. ughh

just looking forward to my parents coming on friday! it will be nice to have a piece of home here with me

sorry for the past 2 posts, ps. i know whoever reads this does so to hear about my adventures, not my emo-ness. but i needed to write this down somewhere... hopefully the next few days will fly by and then i can start looking forward to some more things coming up

only the good die young <3

The New Trier class of 2007 is falling apart. We have lost our third member, and this time it was completely unexpected and unfair. Miriam Frankl was crossing the street at her university when she was struck by a hit and run driver. She died on Saturday.

I haven't been that close with her in recent years, but I have known her for forever. She was one of my closest friends at Hebrew school and I will forever treasure all the times we shared there (mainly when her me and annie would skip out on high holiday services and hang out in the bathroom for as long as possible haha). Then throughout high school, we shared a mutual good friend, Tess, who kept us in touch. We would hang out periodically at parties during the school year and over the summer. I by no means can claim her as a close friend, but she was definitely someone who lit up the room and who I always enjoyed hanging out with. My thoughts go out to her family and friends.

what a lovely afternoon!

So yes, another post from today. This afternoon was absolutely GORGEOUS! Around 4 I left my apt to take a stroll along the beach. I walked for about an hour by myself, then met up with Brittany. We took some awesome pics on the rocks along the water, and then did some rock climbing. haha. Then we walked some more, picked up an ice cream cone, and enjoyed watching the sun begin to set.

Then we headed over to a bar around 7 to watch the beginning of the soccer game. the people get instense watching it! it was fun, but for some reason we were both pooped and decided to just head home.

But it was honestly such an amazing afternoon. I still can't believe where I am living, and how unbelievably beautiful it is. The idea that I can walk for 5 minutes and be at the ocean is incredible. And I just love Bilbao soooo much! It isn't touristy so when you come here, you get straight up Spain. People expect you to speak spanish, not half ass it. Every day I am just sooo glad I chose Bilbao over other cities because of the incredible culture it has and how beautiful the city is. haha i could go on for days about it, but I will spare you. Here are a few pics from my afternoon though!

see what i mean by beautiful?