My Top Ten

As much as it breaks my heart to write this, because doing so means my semester abroad has come to an end, it has to be done. I thought I would sit down and write my top ten favorite things about study abroad and Spain in general which is going to be difficult because I have LOVED EVERYTHING!

1)  I love the shopping. Besides the obvious favorites like H&M and Zara (which I have grown to greatly appreciate!), I love the open markets and all the little tiendas around town. There is so much to see and so much to BUY-I think my parent will be glad to have me back home and NOT spending money.

2) The food here is deliciosa! This of course is due to our host mom, Mariola, and her excellent cooking but the added pounds can verify that I have been eating GrEaT. Not only do I need to mention the food but I could go on and on about the chocolate. It is only the best thing I have tasted. Everything with chocolate is sooo good. I’m trying to fit as much candy in my suitcase as possible because I can’t go back to American chocolate now.

3) Learning about the history and all the sites we get to visit has been incredible. There is so much to see in every town that we go too, 3 months here was not enough. Even walking around Madrid you encounter old palaces, historical cathedrals right near modern hotels and metro stations. Plus in Alcala de Henares we have been studying at one of the oldest universities in Spain- how cool is that?

4) I love being able to travel. This has always been one of my favorite things in life. There is no greater feeling than going through customs and receiving that stamp in your passport- that’s when it hits- you are in another country! We have spent time traveling around Spain during these three months but I was also able to visit Portugal, Paris, and soon ITALY!

5) I love the people I have met in my group. As cheesy and corny as it sounds I know that study abroad is where I was supposed to be. These girls (and David) have helped me so much. I’ve overcome fears, laughed a LOT, and gotten so close with all of them. We have all endured 3 months together and these guys have become my family abroad. We have survived day trips to Madrid, overnight low two sesh’s, and long bus rides together; yes there was some fighting and some tears (occasionally) but that is just what you can expect from a family. So here is a little shout out to all of them. Felicia, Michael Ann, Luisa, Laura, and David- you guys are the best!!

the besties and our bracelets :)

temple time!!

6) We learned in religion class that you need to love what you learn. I had a bitter outlook on my minor in Spanish while up at school. Mainly because the language didn’t interest me and also because language class are not the most fun thing to sit through, but I have really grown to love Spanish. I love the way it sounds and the accent, and I love learning a new language. Ever y day is a learning opportunity and every day my Spanish is improving.

7) I never liked single’s ward very much, and in fact I was not very active in participating in my wards up at school or when I’m home. Since coming to Spain I have met some of the most awesome single adults ever. These guys are great. They taught us how to yell chants during soccer games, cool phrases like “tu eres la leche”, and invite us to all their fiestas. I am going to miss them mucho!

I love Fabiola! She was the nicest, sweetest, and just the best!!

the group

8) I love the members in our ward. They are such an example to me and to all of us. The church has only been in Spain since 1970 so everyone is pretty new to the gospel, but they are all so strong. Their testimonies and lifestyles are witnesses to that every day. While they face many of the same challenges that we do, they face others that are very different. Many of them have been disowned by their families for joining the church and some have never talked to their families to this day. They are great people and they make church such a learning experience for me.

9) I love Boni and Mariola. They have been great to Felicia and I. As much of a pain as it was I’m so glad we moved three times and found them. They are the best! They are so sweet about talking to us, and so patient with our Spanish. They have lived amazing lives as converts to the church and their testimony of the gospel is so strong and inspiring. I am really going to miss them!

I'm going to miss my second family. They made Spain UH-mazing!

10) I just LOVE EVERYTHING. Every morning I wake up and it feels like a dream being over here. It has been a surreal experience and I’m so sad to see it ending. I am going to miss everything about this place. My semester abroad was everything I hoped for and more! Now all that’s left to do is say goodbye.

GOODBYE SPAIN-YOU WILL BE MISSED!!

FeStIvAl

Time is flying by and these past few weeks have been packed full of sightseeing in Spain. We just finished traveling throughout Spain by going to Barcelona. Barcelona was one of my favorite cities in Spain. We only had 4 days there but we were able to visit La Sagrada Familia, Parque Guell, Museo del Picasso, la playa, and Las Ramblas. My favorite sight was definitely La Sagrada Familia. This is a cathedral that they have been building since the late 1800’s. It is huge! The pope came to dedicate it as a minor basilica a little while ago but the whole church is not expected to be finished until around 2026. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen!

Salamander/Dragon/ who knows what it is!

Barcelona!!

Me and Peanut in Parque Guell

La Sagrada Familia

Carvings of Christ's Life

Column inside La Sagrada Familia

This past week we finally had the weekend to spend in Madrid. The whole time we have been in Spain all of our weekends have been consumed with traveling so it was nice to take some time and be able to explore our home for the past 3 months. We ate lunch in Plaza Mayor, celebrated Felicia’s birthday, walked Retiro, and rented boats in Retiro also. The weather was beautiful and we can’t wait to head back this weekend.

These are the reason behind the weight gain of everyone. Napolitanas are the best!!

The result of David's splash

Temple trip with Olivia! Thanks for visiting girl!!

Retiro Park in the Spring

Plaza del Torros

This past Saturday was spent at Las Fallas in Valencia. Our itinerary went a little something like this:

6:15 am: Leave for the Bus

7:00 am: Leave for Valencia

12:00 pm: Arrive in Valencia

2:00 pm: Firework’s Show

7:00 pm: Fire Precession

10:00 pm: Children’s Burning

1:00 am: Final Burning Ceremony

2:00 am: Leave for Alcala

6:30 am: Arrive in Alcala

7:00 am: SLEEP!!

We were all exhausted after such a long day and 24 hours of non-stop action! It was all worth it in the end. During this festival in Valencia the people decorate huge floats and then burn them. It attracts about 3 million people each year and it is InSaNe. The fireworks show was incredible. They lit thousands of fireworks at the same time and we all could feel the ground shake, and our bodies tremble. There was so much smoke in the air that it blocked the sun and the views of the entire city. One thing is for sure 4^th of July will never be the same for me after this!

Before the fire....

And after!

Gangsta Headbands



delicioso

I thought you didn't like orxata Michael-ann??

Awesome street drummers

Waiting for the fireworks!

The crowd of people in the square.

Largest float



more floats

fire parade...these guys were kinda freaky (they dressed up as devils!)

 

Au revoir

So I realized that I have been procrastinating on updating my blog hardcore since my last post. So much has happened since my trip to Portugal it will be difficult to cover it all in one post but I will do my best.  The weekend after our amazing trip to Portugal we traveled to southern Spain and visited Cordoba, Sevilla, and Granada. The whole trip was great and the weather was nice and warm so what more do you need? We were able to visit La Alhambra, Christopher Columbus’ tomb, and the largest Gothic Cathedral among other things. Plus my dad was able to stop in Spain for a few days after his business trip so it was fun getting to see him and being able to show him around!

View of Granada from La Alhambra

Windmills from Don Quixote

Pizzeria in Sevilla

Enjoying our free time



Outside the Madrid Temple



The next weekend was spent in Toledo, El Escorial, and Valley of the Fallen. Here are some of the sights we saw there:

Valley of the Fallen

I would like to dedicate the majority of this post to…France! We had a free weekend and decided we would spend it in Paris. I’m not quite sure what to say about Paris because it was an interesting weekend. We thought we would be fine booking 2 rooms in our hotel for the 6 of us but when we arrived they would not let 2 of us go up. Poor Luisa and I had to wander around Paris at night in search of a place to stay. Fortunately for us we found a place nice and close to everyone but it turned out to be a HOSTAL. This was literally my biggest fear. I hate germs, and strangers, and public bathrooms. I had successfully avoided my hostal experience all together and I thought for sure I would not have to experience one at all during my stay in Europe. Of course as luck would have it the only space available was a dormitory room so Luisa and I put on our brave faces and stuck it out for the night. For those of you who don’t know the dormitory room is the worst. You share one shower and a room with 12 other people-complete strangers! I was terrified the whole night and paranoid beyond belief, for all I knew I was sleeping with a bunch of criminals!!

Our stay improved as the days went on and we were able to see some of the major sites in Paris. We visited the Louvre, Versailles Palace, Arc du Triumfe, Musee du Orsay, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame. Plus we managed to enjoy some yummy crepes which is practically what we lived off of while there. All in all it was a successful trip and we made it out alive…without getting TAKEN.

Outside the Louvre

Palace of Versailles

Hall of mirrors in Versailles

My future palace

The Gardens

The hunchbacks of Notre Dame

Most recently we traveled up north to Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Biarritz (in France). In Bilbao we got to visit the Guggenheim Museum which is the craziest museum I have been to yet. The building is amazing! They had to create a computer program just to build the museum (plus it required a lot of math which may be why I loved it so much!). San Sebastian and Biarritz are major resort towns in Spain and France so we enjoyed being by the beach the whole weekend.

I HATE spiders

The city of Bilbao

just poopin in front of the Poopy

the beach in San Sebastian

Our family tree minus David!

Eating in Biarritz France

Our Dream Come True

This is just skimming the surface on the things we have seen but I hope the pictures do these places justice. I am so blessed to be out here and I am loving every minute of it. All my life it has been my dream to travel and I realized that I am living it right now. I will never forget the places I’ve seen, or the people I’ve met. I am one lucky girl and so happy!!