Video re-cap

So i finally figured out how to work imovie on my mac..man this thing is cool! But I made a video re-cap of my last four months. I'm pretty proud of myself and can't wait to show everyone! Enjoy :)

click here to view!!

There's just some things I won't miss

I loved studying in Spain. It has been the scariest, mind opening, surprising, best experience of my entire life. If I could come home every once and a while, I could live here forever. But I do miss home so so sooo much. Europe is great but there are some things I won't miss too much when I come home...

I won’t miss:

1. Public transportation

2. Pablo de Olavide University

3. Getting hit on by men in the streets

5. The Euro-dollar exchange rate

6. 9 hour time distance to home

7. My home stay, it just wasn’t home!

8. Ryanair & overnight buses

9. Sundays, nothing is open!

10. Realcom phone company

11. Taxis

12. Watching my bank account dwindle

13. Siestas…well except for when I really want a nap

14. Having to light the pilot light on to shower in our very tiny shower

15. Always having to go out and not having people come in instead

16. Being in almost 90 degrees with no A/C

17. Carrying around my own toilet paper since that’s always a mystery

But I will definitely miss:

1. Spontaneous traveling

2. Walking almost everywhere

3. Waking up to discover more history every day

4. ISA friends & directors

5. Going to bars because I’m old enough

6. Katie aka “my other half”

7. 7-9 pm when the buildings are lit and people are out taking a stroll (my fav J )

8. My conversation class

9. My awesome intercambio, Auxi!

10. The river & botelloning

11. Tinto de Verano & Tortilla de Pata (both I will make at home!)

12. Discotecas

13. Getting lost & discovering something amazing

14, Cute Cafes

15. Having my brain think is Spanish, my biggest achievement

16. Cultural debates and discoveries 

17. Meeting great people in Hostals

18. Making memories that will become great stories when I'm older
19. Cien Montaditos restaurant on a Wednesday 

Europe, you have been too good to me, never have I felt alone, unsafe, scared. I never got mugged or pick pocketed, everything has always worked out for the best. I did new things that I would have never done if I was not here. I took advantage of every opportunity that was given to me, something that I take for granted at home, but no more. And now I come back a better person, one that is ready to fully live her life and enjoy every minute of it. 

Madrid to kill some time

Hey everyone I just wanted to give a quick update. I officially moved out of Sevilla, it was surprisingly easier than I thought. Packing wasn´t of course, I had to buy another suitcase but that was expected ;)

Not once did I not cry, when I had to say goodbye to my "other half" Katie or anyone else. I think it is because I wasn´t actually leaving, so my brain knows its not time for goodbyes yet.

I am spending the week alone in Madrid. My hostel is really awesome, the owners are really nice and helpful and all the guests are really nice. Currently staying in a room with two German men, one of whom snore extremly loud. So I´ll be happy to send them off. Had to put my headphones in to help buffer the noise ha

I ´m glad I´m going alone, it gives me time to relax and take my time to see things, as well as do a lot of relection..not that the last 4 months haven´t been. I´ve just recently really loved being in solidarity. I´m learning a lot about myself and getting to be a stronger me. A me that has changed a lot. My views on the world and my surroundings are so different and I can´t wait to show people how far I have come and grown. Hopefully everyone still likes that me. I don´t know how to describe it, but I´m hoping to keep this self reflection, solidarity, growing place in my life going for at least the rest of summer so that I can really dig deep into myself and then move on.

I wish my mom could have come last friday so that I can come home a week early, because I´m just too excited but its okay, I like it here, living off peanut butter and jelly sandwichs for the week, but hey i love them just as much as i love my mac n cheese.

I´m just counting down the days until my mom gets here on friday!

the finals days of my love affair...with Sevilla!

The final days living in Sevilla....I can't imagine! Four months have come and gone just like a dream. It's weird the things I have noticed that time has really gone by, for example when I ran out of toothpaste and deodorant I was like "awee really it's been that long?!". 

I have learned so much being, I don't want to leave! I am very excited to go home but I also feel like I could just stay here, well I'm here for another 2 weeks but not living in Sevilla and my home stay.  

Our school has been pretty awesome, here we are on a tour boat in the Sevilla river for a farewell reception, it was really cool to do. Even our professors went, all of my professors have been some of the funnest and most passionate professors I've ever had, I feel like I have a real connection with them and they care about our schooling but they care most about our well being even more.

On Friday there is a free chance to go to Isla Magica which is a theme park in Sevilla, I can't go now because my host mom is taking us out for a tapas lunch being she takes us to our bus to leave.

This is one of the guys that I have been volunteering with along with Katie. He was the most friendly and welcoming of the entire bunch, maybe because he was the closest to our age. It has really been a wonderful experience to volunteer here, I have learned so much about other people and in a way about myself too. It makes me so happy to hear their stories and to know they really appreciate our work too.

 I couldn't help myself with buying this apron, I also bought a spanish cookbook so i can cook spanish foods in this! It's just too cute right.

 The next few pictures are of Parque Maria Luisa, just the biggest park in the city, its full of suprises and beautiful things!

Because I had particpated in so many activies within our program, they offered to pay for giving some Spaniards from all over Spain who had come to Sevilla for just one week, a tour around the city in english. It was one of my FAVORITE experiences yet in Sevilla. All of them were so nice and fun and we all exchanged info to keep in touch. It was really awesome!

This is my intercambio Auxi, full name Auxilidora but I can't say it haha. Our relationship started out as just meeting up once a week where she would speak and practice her English while I responded and practiced in Spanish. We were each others first intercambio and we got along so well. We have had so many talks that were more than just friendly talks, like cultural differences anything. We got really close so saying goodbye was pretty hard. She cried when she gave me this t-shirt, it hasn't quite hit me that I'm leaving but she was so sweet. We are hoping to keep in contact and be life long amigas. 

This is my roommate and our Señora Maribel and her boyfriend Diego who comes over every now and then. I didn't really like my home stay that much, but I do appreciate being in one and it was definitely an experience to remember that's for sure!

; oh the places I've been, the things I've seen

I've been busy lately planning all this exciting things I'm going to do when I get home. I'm so excited to go back to CWU and visit my friends, make a spanish dinner for my friends and family at home. I'm so ready to go back to work, but not excited for my dentist appt and to start summer school again.

 OH and I've been working on this awesome video to sum up of my adventures, I'm so impressed by myself, I can't wait to show it off next week.

But I need to remember I still have another WEEK in Sevilla to live. It's finals week, so as I will be busy studying away, I am also going to try to soak up every second of the Sevillian Sunshine while I can. Then I'm off to Madrid for a week by myself, should be interesting and fun, while I wait for my mom to get here!!! Our trip is going to be SO fun! We're both pretty excited about it.

I wanted to just do a recap of all the places I have been so lucky to have seen and experienced during my four months aboard:

Spain:

Madrid

Toledo

Sevilla

Carmona

Malaga

Ronda

Córdoba

Granada

Benidorm

Valencia

Punta umbría

Mantalascañas

Tarifa

Palma de Mallorca

Barcelona

Portugal:

Lisbon

Sintra

Morocco:

Tetuan

M’diq

Italy:

Rome

Venice

Florence

Germany:

Frankfurt

France:

Paris

To name a few right, man this has been such a blessed experience for me. There has been ups and down, scary and happy, mind opening and shocking parts but all very amazing as a whole here. I have learned so much about different cultures, languages, people, and of course a ton about myself. 

I am so glad that I get to travel after my program ends because I'm just not ready to leave yet! Most people are counting the days down until they can be home but for me, it hasn't hit me quite yet because I'm staying for a while. I am very excited to be back in Washington, and I am bound to not take anything for granted when I get back!! 

One more week in Sevilla, wow. 3 more finals to go wish me luck! 

La Feria de Abril

The April Fair, two weeks earlier we had Semana Santa, Holy week. Apparently, in retaliation of holy week, a fair afterwards has been born. It was AMAZING! Lights, casetas, rebujitos, carnival, horses, dresses, waffles, fireworks, everything was just awesome. It reminded me a lot of our old fashion fourth of july at home, but only better ;) I just felt really comfortable there and I spent everyday for a week there I loved it so much. 

So it starts at midnight on Monday/Tuesday while the Mayor officially starting it with the lighting of the arch for feria. Oh by the way, Seville is most famous for this fair, it was born here, so therefore the biggest one in Spain. 

Left: Kelsey, Me, Katie, Christina & Ali

All of kind of just lost in what we were suppose to do after it lit up.

Man I loved the rides! The BIGGEST carnival i've seen, it had like two of everything, somethings probably not even legal in the U.S.

First thing we went on the Feris wheel to get a view of the whole place, see all the little houses in the back? Thats a caseta, a little house. Most are private parties but there are some public ones. You just go in there, get out of the sun, drink, eat, and dance. There's something like 1200 here. 

During the Day and during the night are two veyr different vibes in Feria. During the day is obviously more family friendly but the biggest different is the horse parades. It's not like a parade at home though, because we were shown wrong ha, its more of the horses and wagons stroll all day until about 7 and then they have to leave. They are really cool with the outfits and everything but they do smell after a while.

The Dresses: are flamenco for anyone who knows it. Some of my friends got to wear some out of their homestays but i was just not lucky enough. I'm not too jealous because as beautiful as they are, they are tight, hot, heavy and uncomfortable.

The dance: Its called Sevillana, its a branch off of flamenco, it has four parts and I love it because its the traditional dance where you switch partners amongst two people, four, seven whomever. It just looks really fun. I can't do it though, I tried and failed lets just say that. 

The little girls were my favorite!!! Especially when the mom and daughter have matching dresses.

That's also the only time you will see a double dress, they don't make two of the same dress. So they cost on average like 500 euro! It's like prom every year and all the hooplah that we know that includes...

Sara and I

You have to wear the big flower! It's the only thing that made me fit in just a little!

The little kids attempting to dance, precious!

My free Metro fan ;)

This guy cannot be from Spain, he's just too tall but he knew that dance that's for sure!

See what I mean when i said that some rides probably aren't legal in the U.S. I didn't go on this one, I went on a boat one like this where its just a cage, no seatbelts, nothing, it was scary. 

Looking so pretty feeding the pigeons! She was getting so upset they wouldn't get on her arms

One night of Feria, I did go to the Sevilla-Real Madrid game, well the last free 15 minutes of it, they lost bad 2-6

Kristin and I at the game

The typical drink: Rebujito. Its like a tinto de verano (which is better than sangria) but its just white wine and 7up. It was yummy.

Watching my friends on the crazy bumper cars

This is funny candid moment picture: We asked this couple to take picture but the woman said she couldn't because of her glasses and so the man said okay. But he tried to look through the finder, well its all digital there wasn't one and he's like "I can't see anything, nothing!" and so we should him but then he didn't understand I guess and just put it straight up to his eye again and starts clicking away, but I do like this picture, it was just funny.  Maggie's on the left and Rachel the right.

For all my friends and family who know just how much i LOVE waffles, i found one! mmm YUM

Sara, Callum and I on the "Inverter". It was wild! It went all the way upside down and then it started to let our seats go so we were going upside down double! I didn't like the whipping but it was fun.

Katie, me and Ali hanging out in a Caseta.

Katie and I on the Ferris Wheel

 And to end Feria, they do a firework show at midnight of the last night. Just about the best firework show I've ever seen, man i love my Fireworks! I found a firework setting on my camera so I got some awesome shots!!

 --> Do you see the lips and heart in this one?

And now I have just two weeks left of school :( man time has just FLOWN! But I still have 4 weeks left :)