Winding Down

Hola, ¿cómo estás? I'm sitting in my warm room, escaping the cold, drinking hot chocolate, and listening to Michael Bublé's Christmas album. I'm a pretty happy camper.

Over the past month I've traveled to London, Paris, and Rome. I had a wonderful time in all 3 cities- they are amazing. With a new hat, new gloves, new boots, and new fuzzy socks, I was prepared to face the cold winds and rainy weather of the North. I traveled to London with 4 other girls. We stayed in a nice hostel called Safestay. We decided that it really earned it's title, because we felt 100% completely safe. It was so safe that you needed your key to start the elevator and get through the doors to different hallways. It rained a little, but we had some clear days as well. In London, we saw all the "must-sees" such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, etc. The real reason we traveled to London, however, was because we all received our acceptance letters to Hogwarts. Well, not exactly, but we did buy tickets to tour the real studios where they filmed the movies. Which, not surprisingly, was one of my favorite parts of my trip so far. If you know me, you know that I spent a good portion of my life hoping there was some way I could go to Hogwarts. This was pretty much the closest I could get, and I couldn't stop smiling the entire time. We saw all the major set pieces, rooms, costumes, special effects, etc that they used in the movie. I would recommend this tour to any Harry Potter fan, it was magical :)



















We traveled to Paris with API, our program here in Granada. I was so excited for this trip, because I could finally use my 6 years of French again. When I first arrived in Spain in August, I would speak French by accident whenever I tried to speak Spanish. I found that the reverse happened a lot in France; I couldn't get Spanish out of my mind! It was fun to speak some French again, and I loved being back in Paris. The Eiffel Tower took my breath away, the Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées was so cute. I froze a little, drank the most delicious apple cider ever, got lost in the Louvre, ate A LOT of crêpes, appreciated the charm of the city... all the things one should do in Paris!

 

















We just got back from Rome last night, and I am still reeling with excitement from the trip. I could have stayed for months in this city. It was difficult to fit everything into a few days, but we covered all the big places. Since it's winter and the sun is setting early, we did a lot of our exploring in the dark, which was really neat. We saw the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Colosseum at night, which all took my breath away. The Vatican was awe-inspiring and beautiful, and the Forum/Colosseum was unreal. We had an amazing tour guide from Boston who was one of the most intelligent (and hysterical) people I've ever encountered. She shared so many interesting stories with us about Ancient Rome and the ruins. I could not get over the fact that I was standing in the history we've learned about since elementary school. Truly fascinating. We also ate food for which there are no words. We walked along the river, Christmas shopped in Piazza Navona, got lost, stumbled upon ancient ruins, ate some more incredible food, walked, walked, and walked. I also was so excited to get to visit Christina in Florence for a day! We hadn't seen each other in 7 months, so we had a lot of fun re-connecting, walking around, laughing, sharing stories about our trips, and getting soaked in the rain. In Rome, we stayed in a cute Bed and Breakfast called Bavarian B&B. I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling in Rome, because it was fairly close to everything, clean, home-y, and run by the most adorable Italian woman ever. From the moment we got there, she was sharing stories and helpful hints with us, answering any question we had and taking good care of us. In the end, none of us wanted to leave Rome. And I cannot wait to get back someday.

 

I can't completely describe the way I felt in these big European cities. The amount of history there is crazy, and it's always bubbling up around every corner. Seeing the huge monuments and places we've read about for years in school was exciting and breath-taking. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience these cities. The good/bad thing about going to some of the biggest cities in Europe is just that: they are massive. You can never run-out of things to do, but you can never do everything you want to do there. Every city we left, we all said the same thing: I can't wait to come back! There also is so much of Europe that I wasn't able to travel to, which only makes me want to come back more. And of course, I'll want to return to Granada the minute I leave. 


So what else has been happening in Granada over the past month? On Thanksgiving, everyone was feeling a little homesick for their families and huge turkey dinners. To cure our tryptophan craving, our program gave us a Thanksgiving dinner. It was American style food, served in a Mexican Restaurant, in Spain. Thanks-ception! (Term coined by Erin O'Brien). It was so great to be able to experience a Thanksgiving away from home, and give thanks for all of the amazing things we have experience in the past 4 months. 

Another thing I want to take note of is how much I've grown to love Flamenco. Coming to Spain, I knew Flamenco was popular here, but I didn't know much about the dance or the music. I've been to 2 Flamenco shows, both of which were amazing, and learned about Flamenco in class. I didn't realize how much footwork and hand movements are important to the dance style. The way the guitar, dancers, and singers work together is amazingly seamless. They seem to be totally connected to each other the entire time. Apparently Flamenco dancers in Spain believe that are born with something that allows to perform Flamenco with a certain passion. If you're not born with it, you can try to do Flamenco, but it won't be the same. I really appreciate the complexity, beauty, and passion of this style of dance and music. 

I remember sitting in my house back home, thinking about what this trip was going to be like. I wanted to know the details: what would the people be like, how would I navigate places on my own, where would I travel, what would my house be like, would I learn a lot of Spanish, what are classes like, would I get lost, would I miss home? And I had to tell myself to wait, take a deep breath, and just take the trip day-by-day. Figure things out as I go. This is one thing I've really learned along the way: it's ok to not know things. It's ok to get lost. It's ok to not know a city, people, the language, the culture. Everything can be figured out and mastered. Or not. I've gone from being scared to navigate the Philadelphia airport on my own, to figuring out my way around Rome without the fear of being lost. I've learned how to be lost and then be found again. And not panic. I've learned how to communicate with people with out using the same language. I've learned that everything is a learning experience and an adventure, and we need to enjoy the ride and not just look forward to the destination.

Now I look forward at 11 days. Eleven? That's it? I honestly can't believe it. There has been so much action and traveling over the past month, and now it is time to wind down. Study, enjoy Granada, hang out with my great friends I've made here, eat a lot of Paqui's delicious food, walk around under the Christmas lights, and speak a lot of Spanish! 
 I'll leave you with a fairly famous quote that sums up my traveling experiences:

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

Thanks for reading! Good luck with finals to all my friends back home, I can't wait to see you all soon.
Much love,
Eleanor

Dos Meses! Barcelona and more.

Ahhh Noviembre! How is it here already? Like everyone who studied abroad before warned me, time is flying by. Last week, we celebrated spending exactly 2 months in Spain. Now that I have less than 2 months left, it's hitting me how short this trip really is. But regardless of the length, I've been having some really exciting adventures, which will continue til the end.

2 weeks ago, I traveled with some friends to Barcelona. This was our first trip where we planned everything on our own- pretty exciting! We took a bus to Malaga, then flew with RyanAir to Barcelona. RyanAir has ridiculously low prices, so naturally we were a little nervous about the sketchiness of the flight. But it was such a success! After being delayed an hour due to an oncoming storm, we boarded the plane and picked our seats. I noticed the plane was Boeing-made, which made me smile and feel like my Dad was with me on my flight. Our hostel was close to a main street- Las Ramblas- and had everything we needed. We saw a lot of the "must-sees" in Barcelona which included a lot of Antoni Gaudi's architecture. Gaudi created masterpieces all throughout Barcelona, which stand out due to his eccentric style. I loved it! One of my favorite things we did was walk around Park Guell. This park had beautiful architecture, amazing views of the city, AND the caves where Top Model cycle 7 runway was held... qué guay! 

 

My other favorite Gaudi moment was our tour of Sagrada Familia, his famous unfinished Cathedral. Gaudi died before the Cathedral was finished, and many of his plans were destroyed in a fire. The architects who are continuing Gaudi's work on the Cathedral are sticking to his plans as much as possible, but you can see a definite contrast between the old and new parts of the building. The inside was simply breathtaking. I could have stayed in the Cathedral all day- watching the light come in through the stained glass windows, listening to the choir sing, and admiring the amazing design. Also on our trip, we went to a Fun. concert! Which was pretty fun... :) We rode the metro, went to the beach, went to the IceBar, made some friends, took some tours. Overall, it was a success.

 










One big difference between Barcelona and Granada is the language. In Barcelona (the capital of Catalonia), they speak Catalán, which is very different than Castilian (Spanish). We were actually surprised by how little we understood Catalán. To us, it sounded like a mix of French, Spanish, and German. Catalonia is a very proud and strong community in Spain. Their language, culture, and economy are are distinctly different. While Spain is going through a tough economic time, Catalonia wants it's independence from the Spanish nation. We saw this pride and feeling of independence while we were in Barcelona. It was a really interesting and exciting city to visit, but I was very happy to return home to Granada. I found that I had missed the Andalucían way of life while I was away in Barcelona. It was really interesting to see how two cities can be so completely different, and only be an hour plane ride away.

Last weekend, we traveled with our program to Sevilla. The forecast called for rain all weekend, so we were all a little nervous. Mother Nature was kind to us, however, and we had beautiful sunny days. My favorite part of the trip was the last day when we had free time. We walked around, explored Sevilla, and decided to rent a paddle-boat down the river. It was a really fun day, and we definitely lucked out with perfect weather. If I hadn't picked Granada to study abroad in, I could definitely see myself in Sevilla. Everything was pretty similar to Granada, because it is still in Andalucía, but the city is a lot bigger.

Now I want to tap into my "future-teacher" self and talk about one of my favorite experiences so far in Spain. Through my roommate Emily, who has a teacher, who has a friend, who has 3 kids.. I got a job teaching English to Spanish children! After emailing the mom a few times, we decided to meet up in Plaza Nueva and walk to their house together. They have a 6 year old boy, 4 year old girl, and 1 year old girl (precious). They don't speak much English, so my Spanish was put to the test. Although they had to repeat some things (very slowly) we communicated pretty well. She requested that I play with the 2 oldest kids and speak as much English as possible for 1 hour each week. It was really tough to speak English and not have the kids understand, and it was a little frustrating at first. I spoke a lot of basic Spanish to them and threw in as much English as possible. The next week, I was a bit more prepared. I drew a colorful "game board" and explained to them that every time they said a word in English, they get a point on the board. They both got really excited and were anxious to speak as much English as possible. We named animals, colors, numbers, body parts, etc. I'm sure a lot of the words I teach them will go in one ear and out the other, but they are already getting some basics down. I taught the older boy, Alvaro, "please, thank you, and you're welcome." They laugh a lot, like I'm speaking some silly made-up language, but I'm hoping the more they hear me talk, the easier it will be to learn. It's also a good way for me to learn basic Spanish vocabulary! I am really looking forward to continuing with these kids, it has been wonderful so far.

I'll leave this 6 year old's artwork up for your own interpretation. 

I feel very adjusted to my life in Granada. I truly feel like I have 3 homes- my home home, school home, and abroad home. I am excited that I've been able to adapt to a completely new lifestyle, house, people, schedule, food, and so on. Sometimes it is a little sad thinking about everything going on at home and school without me. I know, however, that I will have a great time reconnecting with friends and family when I get home, so I just tell myself that everything happens in it's time. Right now it's my time to be abroad and experience life here. Where ever you find yourself in life, it's your job to make it good and make it yours.  Here is a quote from one of my favorite books, The Art of Racing in the Rain.

"That which we manifest is before us; we are creators of our own destiny."

And with that, it's time to study for midterms!
All my love,
Eleanor

Aventuras en Andalucía

Hi everyone! Keeping a consistent blog is more difficult than I thought. The longer I wait to write it, the more things I have to write about, and the more difficult it is to put everything into words! But I will do my best.

Many things have been happening since my last post. The rest of the students in our program arrived a while ago, which means our Early Start session ended and real classes started. Granada is growing on me like a weed. The weather is great (before it drops 30 degrees at night), the city has so many hidden surprises, and there is natural beauty to be found everywhere. I like that the streets and people here are familiar to me, and that there is a comfort in coming home to Granada after a weekend trip.

I never imagined I would learn a language this quickly. Granted, my grammar is not the best, and I use infinitive verb forms far more than necessary, but I am definitely improving. Our program director, Curra, told me today that she was impressed with how much I've learned so far, and that she wants to make sure I keep improving. "I've got my eye on you, keep going!" she said. That made me smile :)

If there was ever a doubt that Granada was a good place for me, it has most certainly been erased. I definitely felt normal abroad nerves and anxieties, and still feel them from time to time. But so many people, places, and events have confirmed my belief that this is a special and unrepeatable experience. Since there is so much to write about, I will choose those events that have really stuck out to me as milestones.


Our residencia. There are so many things I appreciate about where I'm living. The first being Paqui, who I've written about before. She's our "host mom" who we all love so much. The first few weeks here, I could not communicate with Paqui at all on my own. She told Erin and Emily that I needed to talk more because I was so silent. But once classes started and I began learning Spanish, I started talking. And talking. And talking. Now Paqui must be biting her tongue. She hits my arm and says I am the one who knows the least and talks the most. (a compliment... maybe?). Some of my favorite moments here are daily conversations with Paqui. Although there is still sometimes a communication barrier, we've had some really great talks. She really is the best "mom" away from home I could ask for. The girls in the residencia are also wonderful. I live with 4 other American girls and 2 Spanish girls, and we all get along really well. We've had some great roomie bonding nights, and I'm sure they will keep coming.

Gibraltar. This was our first trip off of Spanish territory and on to British territory, even though it is only 3 hours away by bus. We took a day trip to Gibraltar, went all the way to the top of the famous rock (so we could see Africa!) and then hiked down and hung out with monkeys all day. Everywhere you look on the rock of Gibraltar, there are monkeys roaming around, jumping on people, posing for pictures (or so it seemed). My 4th grade monkey obsession was revisited in full force. It was a great day. Long, tiring, but very exciting and a lot of fun.

Grease. Walking home from school one day, Emily Erin and I saw I sign for "Grease, El Musical," and were intrigued. After seeing a promotional video with our favorite Grease songs sung in Spanish, we immediately bought our tickets. Right from the start of the show, we were singing along in our heads to "Noches de Amor," y "Soy Así, Soy Sandra Dee." The show was very professional, high-energy, and so much fun! It was such a special occasion to see and hear one of our favorite musicals in Spain. Emily bought the soundtrack (in Español, of course) and we've been listening to it on repeat.

Hiking in Granada.On one of my favorite evenings here, some of us took a hike up to a high point in Granada. From there, we sat overlooking the city and watched the sun slowly set. Someone brought their guitar and let me play some songs. Singing and playing guitar, overlooking my beautiful home here, feeling the still warm October air, and watching the sunset. It was a moment I wanted to seal up in a box and take with me so that I can have it forever.

Spanish Movie Nights. Sometimes we'll decide to stay in, with some tinto, and watch one of our favorite movies in Spanish. Titanic and Mean Girls have so far been the most successful. I have also recently discovered Spanish Disney songs on youtube, definitely a highlight of my trip.

These are some of the days and moments here that have stuck out to me as something special. Some days are very simple, but I still enjoy walking around and exploring the city. Even still, there are parts I have not seen and things I have not done. Although the time is flying by quickly (and I am about half-way through.. ah!) I am still looking forward to many things coming up. I have a lot of trips planned over the next many weeks, so I will do my best to write about them.

A word of insight before I go: People often say that every day abroad is amazing, and that you must make the most of every minute that you are abroad. I think, however, that one of the most helpful pieces of advice I received before I left for Spain was this: that it's amazing, but that you'll have good days and bad days while studying abroad. This may be something people forget to think about, because being abroad is such an adventure. But it is unrealistic to think that every minute you are abroad, you will be having the greatest time of your life. You will, however be learning all the time. Even (and especially) on the days that are hard. I've already learned a lot in so many ways. I've learned about Spain, about pushing my limits and trying new things, but also how to get through hard days in a foreign country. Away from the comfort of my family and friends. Although not every single day will be filled with adventures and excitement, every day will teach some kind of a lesson, which is the lesson I recently learned myself. I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite books, The Secret Life of Bees.

"There is nothing perfect, only life."

Simple, but meaningful and true. I am truly appreciating my life here; it's not perfect, but it is a wonderful one. I hope you are appreciating yours too, wherever you are!

With love,
Eleanor

Life in "Grana"

¡Hola! 

 It is day number 19 in Spain, so I figured it's time for an update on my life here. Let me start off by saying Granada has been everything and nothing like I expected, all together. Unfortunately, I was pretty sick when we traveled from Madrid to Granada, so my initial reaction when we arrived was: "I can't wait until I get to my residencia so that I can pass out." And I did, in fact, fall right asleep when I got to my residencia. A nap to start my life in Granada, pretty true to form. My residencia could be compared to an American dorm, but it looks much more like an apartment. We have a "house mom" who is here during the weekdays; she cooks us meals, cleans and runs the residencia. Right now, it's just Emily (my roommate), Erin, and I living here, but this week there are 2 more American girls and a Spanish girl moving in.

We all feel that we are extremely fortunate with our housing assignment. First of all, Paqui (our house mom) is the best. She cooks delicious meals, has hilarious lunch conversations with us, and is so nice and helpful. Emily and Erin both speak Spanish very well, so a lot of our lunches consist of them translating between me and Paqui. Sometimes Paqui will say something and I'll be nodding along, thinking I understand it. Then she'll ask me, "entiendes?" "do you understand?" and I will just stare at her and start laughing. Because I have no idea what she is trying to say. Every single lunch ends with all of us cracking up about something: either my lack of understanding, Erin's attempts at hand gesturing, or Paqui telling Emily "I hate you" (out of love, of course). One of our first meals, Paqui made a delicious stew for us. We ate it, felt full and content, and were somewhat surprised that we all finished a whole meal. Then she came out with the second course of chicken and veggies, and we all said in unison, "MAS!?" We have now come to accept that we will be over-fed, but with her cooking, I'm not complaining.

 View of the Alhambra at night

So... Granada, or "Grana" as locals say. If Madrid Spanish was hard to follow, Granadian Spanish is nearly impossible at times. They randomly drop syllables and whole parts of their words off and talk veeeery fast. I am, however, pleasantly surprised at how fast my language skills have been growing. I've been taking 4 hours of Spanish a day with beginners like me. Having taken 6 years of French both helps and hurts me at times. It helps me retain certain words, phrases, and grammar rules, but I also slip into French a lot without realizing. After only 2 weeks of classes, I am already much better at communicating and can relate basic thoughts and ideas. I still can't understand locals on the street, but I understand my teachers, program directors, and Paqui pretty well. Of course I've used the phrase, "puedes repetir?" more times than I can count. I really love learning a new language. It's exciting to be able to talk to people and express myself in Spanish after only a few weeks. I have a feelings it's going to be hard to transition back into English when I get home.

The city of Granada is beautiful. I live off of a main road that stays well lit and busy until very late at night. Off of the main, more modern roads are the cobblestone streets, old bars, antique churches, and parks. We have done a lot of exploring, but there is still so much of the city to see. The days go much later here than they do at home, which is definitely an adjustment. Lunch is eaten around 2-3pm, dinner around 9-10pm, and nightlife begins around 11. People stay out socializing at bars, in the streets, or in plazas for hours. People don't go to discotecas to dance until 1, or later. Do they ever sleep? No wonder they hold tight to the tradition of siesta!

Yesterday, an important and exciting festival began here: the Festividad de Nuestra Señora la Virgen de las Angustias (Feast of Our Lady the Virgin of Sorrows). We didn't know exactly what would occur in the city, but we walked around the city center in the afternoon to explore. We were greeted by dancers in traditional Spanish clothes, several bands playing music, flower vendors, and tons and tons of people. As we walked closer to the Virgen de las Angustias Church, we saw a long line of people waiting to give flowers to the church. We watched the flowers go up on huge grates in front of the church, a long and fascinating process. All the while, there was music playing, choirs singing, dancing, clapping, and helicopters dropping flowers on us (SO cool). Later, we walked to a plaza where there was Spnaish music playing and dancing that went on until all hours of the night. This was my favorite part of the day, and I even danced through the plaza with Erin at the end of the day. Everyone was having so much fun, appreciating the beautiful day, and sharing the joy of the festividad. 

One thing that I've talked about with other people on this trip about is the mental struggle with expectations vs. reality. It can be easy to sometimes get caught up in thinking about your expectations for the trip and other peoples expectations for you. It is easy to worry, "Am I living up to expectations?" "Am I doing this right?" By doing this, however, we miss out on what is right in front of us: our own life and our own experiences. So in letting go of those worries, we allow ourselves to take in every new sight, sound, and smell, and make the most of each day here. My quote today is somewhat related to this thought: 

"Sometimes God doesn't give you what you think you want. Not because you don't deserve it, but because you deserve more."

Thanks for reading amigos, I hope all is well with you :)

Eleanor

Welcome to Spain!

Hola Amigos,

Welcome to my blog, coming to you live from Spain, written by yours truly.

There's a silver lining to everything, right? So being sick on my 3rd day in Spain isn't totally a bad thing; it gives me this down time to write my blog entry. Now before you panic, I'm not very sick. I think I'm just worn down from all the excitement and need some rest. I will be back on my feet in no time!

So where do I begin? I guess I'll start when my parents and Julia left me at the airport. They watched me go all the way through security, and then I was alone. I was nervous, excited, and very very American. I realized all of this while sitting at my gate. I was surrounded by Spanish speakers headed to Spain with me, and I had absolutely NO idea what they were saying. If any of you don't know this already, I have never taken a Spanish class in my life. Hola, adios, me llamo Eleanor, uno dos tres... you get the picture. My Spanish is compiled of basic vocabulary I've picked up over the years and some grammar I taught myself this summer. Why did I choose to study abroad in Spain, you may ask? I've been wanting to learn Spanish for years, so I thought this would be a great way to get started. Overwhelming? Yes. But will it be worth it in the end, after 3 Spanish classes and 4 months in Spain? Absolutely.

I will be studying in Granada for the semester,  but we have orientation in Madrid, which is a lot of fun. Our hotel is right by the Puerta del Sol, the central plaza area in Madrid. It's very busy and tourist-y; it reminds me of Times Square (without the skyscrapers and blinding lights). So far, we've been on a few tours, had some meetings about Madrid and Granada, and had a lot of free time. The food is great here- so far it has been pretty similar to food at home. I've had some sandwiches, chicken, fish, salads, and TAPAS. As you can see, I am pretty excited about the tapas. They are delicious.

My roommate, Emily, and I went on a walk around Madrid on our first day and explored the city. We came upon a bookstore and were both intrigued, so we looked around. In the back we found the children's section (which, surprise surprise, I loved). I found the book "Guess How Much I Love You" in Spanish: "Adivina cuánto te quiero." It reminded me so much of home and my family, as this was one of my favorite books as a child. And here it was, in front of me on my first day of Spain. I was feeling both nostalgic and inspired. Kids all of the world, of every nationality, can relate to this book. Love is love, not matter what language speak.

Today I went to another restaurant with some friends. We ordered tapas, had a good time, and talked to several street vendors (who knew we spoke English by just looking at us). I've accepted that I'm a tourist and a foreigner here. It can be overwhelming at times, but I am here to learn and to experience a new culture. I actually like feeling a little out of place, but I know I will start to feel more and more comfortable as the semester progresses. 

Tomorrow we travel to Toledo and then to Granada. I simply cannot wait. I hope that you've enjoyed reading, and I will be sure to post more about Granada once I am settled. If you know me well, you know that I love quotes. So I will leave you with one of my favorites.

"Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good in everything."

Yours truly, 

Elle