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!