i have something i need to get off my chest. i'm usually not good with this emotional stuff, but there's something i just have to get in the open. spain, i am falling madly, head over heels, irrevocably in love with you. i know we've only known each other for a little over a month and that i will only be here for a few more months, but let's make this count between us :) you make me so happy spain! i just want to shout it from the rooftops. i feel like i may leave my soul here in the end...life. is. good!
i figured a "love" letter would be a proper opening to this blog post because a) i am having an incredible love affair with spain and b) valentines day is tomorrow. there has been so much going on in the past 10 days- and i actually meant to update on thursday but unfortunately i was a tonta and accidentally deleted it. this is just a forewarning that this is going to be an extremely long blog post- lots to update with.
so last friday a bunch of us went out to tia cebolla (our stomping grounds), and then went to chueca to hit up the gay bars- which were sooooo fun! here are some cute pics:
being adventurous and trying a shrimp head. yum.
some of my favorites
being completely serious with hanna. playing with our tapas = no social cues
on sunday we did a beautiful walking tour of opera which was super interesting and it was so nice we didn’t even need our jackets! It has been in the 60’s all week so I feel very fortunate that it already feels like spring over here. we started out on our walking tour with our lovely professor ricardo in la plaza oriente and in the jardines de los reyes (garden of the kings). basically the royalty used to kick it in this area. flawless gardens and a gorgeous fountain right in front of the nobleza and the cathedral. we also walked through a ton of side streets in the chill part of sol where all the amazing restaraunts with the best tapas in the world are! que ricaaaa
la nobelza
the cathedral
after our walking tour, we were welcomed back to our program directors piso for tapas- which were so satisfying after our trek. i love tapas way too much….after saying goodbye to dra. pasero, some of us made our way over to arguelles and went to parque del oeste because it was so beautiful outside so we lounged around for quite sometime, took some “artsy” pictures, and did a little botellon-ing as the spanish do...(we had a few beers) on the hill. it was the perfect day. the only way it could have been more perfect would be if you were all here to share it with me.
parque oeste
spring has sprung :)
laying around, living slow
however this perfect day did not stop here, in fact it got even better. the superbowl started at 12:30 a.m. our time so even though we were very tired, some of us stayed up at the local bar and watched the packers win it all! it was bittersweet- we all wished we were back home for the big win but were so happy to win it all at the same time. this was also one of the best nights i have had here in spain so far here too. we had a lovely time meeting some new friends- some really funny italians, and I met my new friend nora (from U of I) who is quickly becoming my best friend. some spaniards were even cheering and wearing packer’s jerseys- we stayed out so late and had a blast that i got home around 7 a.m. luckily i don’t have class on mondays until 4 p.m. so there was plenty of time to recover and it was definitely worth it to stay up. go pack goooo wahooooo :)
amigos at the pack game- arielle, nora, laura, mags, and a spanish packers diehard.
on wednesday we had a culture shock workshop (since we don’t have class) and it was actually kind of funny/entertaining. afterwards, we all decided to spontaneously go to the spain soccer game that night- columbia vs. spain which was sooo soo exciting. when i was on my way there i had the biggest adrenaline rush of my life! a few of us girls went into sol and bought jerseys, flags, and face paint to prepare for the game- we definitely looked like proud spaniards at the match. beforehand, we all went to 100 montaditos this tapa and beer joint that is 2 euro for a huge mug of beer every wednesday- so we spent some time here with our friends including a brit and a columbian who accompanied us to the game.
100 montaditos before the game with v- matching j's, flags, and face paint whoop!
bienvenidos
#REDANDYELLOW campeones del mundooooo
just my boyfriends hard at work
i can’t even begin to describe what a “futbol” game is like in europe. the sound, the lights, the fans, it’s all just so overwhelming and exciting and everyone gets WAY into it. also, the stadium looks like a quidditch stadium right out of Harry Potter-it is massive! and, i’ve never seen such intense fans in my entire existence on this earth. it was also really exciting because obviously spain won the world cup this summer, so there were plenty CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO (world champions) signs everywhere (included on my massive flag that I purchased and will be hanging in my room when i get home).
thursday was also super fun because we ended up going out with some friends and we discovered this new disco bar called CATS. yes…..cats. it’s right near one of the universities and therefore it was full of spaniards and we didn’t see any other american’s there besides us and again i had probably one of the best nights ever dancing with all our friends to the american music (that plays on thursdays) that we all miss so much. although it was fun, i was pretty miserable attending my three classes starting at 8 a.m. the following morning. luckily siestas here are well received. we had so much fun that night that some of us even came back to cats on friday night!
saturday afternoon there were about 10 of us that went over to casa del campo basically the biggest park in madrid and just chilled- brought my blanket, a bottle of wine, and a ton of tapas and we just had a giant picnic. i'm telling you, i could really get used to it here! life is so stress and care free- i never really have any place to be, so it's nice planning whatever i want to do and go where ever. it's definitely going to be a culture shock going home.
baguettes, cheese, vino, and lots of tapas on our casa del campo picnic
saturday was our friend julia's 21st birthday so we did a little celebrating and then i indulged myself on a spanish pub crawl in sol with my new british amigo. as sunday's usually go around here- we do basically nothing besides relaxing and getting a little work done here and there. otherwise everything is closed on sundays and the streets are pretty much dead- especially today because it was raining. i'm such a wuss- i'm sad that it's going to be in the 40's this week ha i hope you are all managing to survive those wonderful midwest winters eek!
here are some other random thoughts i wanted to include on this post:
- i love lady gaga's new single, and was very pleased to get it on spanish itunes
- during this weeks episode of angel's and demons, pablo (gloria's grandson) talked to me on the phone! a spanish movie/tv star talked to me! haha needless to say i stumbled over my awful spanish to decipher to him that i was his biggest fan. he is coming over soon to watch the next episode with us wahoooo should i ask this 13 year old for his autograph?
-now i am addicted to coffee on thursday and friday mornings since i have 8:30 a.m. class that means i have to wake up at 6:30 every morning with an hour and a half-ish commute. i love the coffee here because they do it half and half cafe con leche and it's so rico
-gloria made octupus for us this week but i wussied out- maybe next time eeeeek!
-theresa and taylor my friends from marquette are coming to visit this weekend from london and roma- i will be showing them around on thursday and friday and then well be going to segovia this weekend on saturday morning. so much to look forward to!
-my dad and step-mama are coming to visit at the end of february- excited to have my loved ones here!
-i am addicted to postres crossoiants with chocolate in the middle mmmm good thing i'm walking a lot of this extra weight off.
-gloria’s son works for the UN in new york city for spain…que guay!
-i really miss jimmy johns and four loko.
-also i got some skype credit which means that i can call cell phones form my computer which means if you don’t skype me/haven’t skyped me yet i will be calling you.
-i also just finished reading redeeming love last week for the third time. it never ceases to amaze me how that book can affect me every single time. i highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. it is a constant reminder of god’s perfect and unconditional love for us and me – it makes me so so so happy!
-i'm going to ireland for st. patricks day weekend to meet up with all my favorite sorority sistas.
-valentine's day is tomorrow. my plans consist of baking a cake for my mama gloria <3 mom don't worry i'm thinking of you too and i miss you way too much right now :) i'm also giving a shoutout to my other valentines/little ones: raisa and cathryn...i love and miss you both profusely XX mom loves you
i ran into this postcard on a “best of” post secret website. it turns out that i know exactly where this bar is! (check this weeks post secret's for valentines day they are SO good- http://www.postsecret.com) i hope i can send a post secret just like this one before my time is up:
translation: i left my heart here.
and the best tidbit is saved for last: spring break 2011.........drumroll please........... Athens, Santorini, Rome, Florence, Venice, and i'm sure many other spots as well. we have about an 11 day span. i'm a very blessed girl, and have a TON to look forward to during this holy week/sb 2011!
i miss you all and have been thinking of you often. i’ve been busy but you haven’t left my heart! not for one minute! stay beautiful, and don’t forget to slow down and enjoy yourself. live in every moment, love with no regrets and without hesitations. Love to you all!
"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." - Robert Southey
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