Winding down

It’s been a crazy past few days here in Spain. Homework, studying for finals, getting all packed up (well at least starting to plan to pack) and preparing myself for good-bye. It’s been, without a doubt, the best four months of my life and saying good-bye too all of the people that I’ve met here will be one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my host family lately. Yesterday I went over to Rocio’s aunt’s house and we had lunch and visited for a while. It was great to be surrounded by family. I definitely feel like I’m a part of theirs. Then, later that night, Rocio and I went over to her Venezuelan friend’s house and had dinner. Let me just say that Venezuelan food is AMAZING. After dinner we danced. Latinos sure do know how to move!

Today, I said good-bye to Marlo, who is Rocio’s friend’s cousin (confusing I know.) She’s from Texas and studied this semester in Valencia. Her studies got over last week so she visited with her cousin, who lives in Alicante, this past week and left for Texas today. It’s weird to think that I may never see her again.

I also said good-bye to Rocio’s friend Liuva who I’ve spent a lot of time with here. She’s from Cuba and is going back on Wednesday for Christmas. It was sadder than I thought it was going to be. I hate saying good-bye.

It’s weird to think that a week from today I’ll be all packed up and leaving the following day for home. I’m definitely not looking forward to packing, getting on a plane and having to have long layovers (12 hours in Barcelona)/ being awake for two days straight. On top of that, saying good-bye to my amazing host family and friends will be… ugh, I can’t even begin to think of how big of a wreck I’ll be.

But, today’s especially hard because it’s been a year since a good friend passed away. Missing you every day Patrick.

Well, I think that’s about it. Here’s to the most amazing, eye-opening, learning experience of my life. Words will never begin to describe how truly wonderful this time in Spain has been for me. The only thing keeping me from completely breaking down is the fact that I KNOW I will come back. So it’s not really adios, it’s hasta luego

Mis planes han caido, otra vez.

Originally, I had planned on going to Madrid this weekend, since we have Monday and Tuesday off, but sadly those plans fell through. And since it is such a long weekend, most of my friends (let’s be honest, all of my friends) are traveling. Needless to say, I’m here in Alicante this weekend…and I’m not complaining.

Unlike most of my friends, I absolutely adore Alicante. There’s something special about this beach town that will always have a place in my heart. For example, this morning I woke up and went to an open market with Rocio, Dante and Rocio’s friend from Cuba, Luva. We spent hours roaming around the little booths, bargaining and chatting with fellow Spaniards. It was so great seeing the culture that much more. Another reason why I am so happy I chose to live with a family. I even bought a cute beanie and scarf for only two euro!

After we shopped for hours, (Dante was exhausted at the end…in Spanish we say “Esta muerte,” which literally means “He’s dead… and throwing a MAJOR fit) Rocio, Carlos, Dante and I drove to San Juan and ate at this amazing paella restaurant called “Vale.” Vale in Castellano is the same as “OK” in English. I can’t describe how unbelievably good it was. I’ve had my fair share of paella and this by far was the best. Rocio said it was cooked on wood, instead of a regular stove, so that’s why it was so good.

Speaking of delicious food, last night we ordered in Thai and it was my first time ever having it. It was delicious and I will most definitely be eating it back at home more often, if I can even find a Thai restaurant in Redding…haha.

As for my plans for a trip to Madrid, hopefully, I’ll get to go when my classes are done on the 18th. I really want to go to Toledo too, which is a holy city 30 minutes outside of Madrid. I think it will be especially pretty since it’s the Christmas season.

I’ll let all of you know as soon as I know if I’ll make it there or not. Until then, mi amor siempre.

21 days left.

I knew the time would come, but I never thought it would come THIS fast. I can’t believe I only have 21 days left here. It’s so crazy! A lot’s happened in the last couple weeks. First off, we had our very own traditional Thanksgiving (a week early) complete with a turkey, pumpkin pie and everything else related to this great American holiday. Altogether we had about 30 or so of us crammed into Neil’s apartment. Everyone dressed up and it was so much fun to have my family away from home celebrate Thanksgiving with me.

I made Mom’s famous home-made macaroni and cheese, which I’m not gonna lie, was the star of the dinner. I ate so much by the end of the night I couldn’t even move. All in all, it was amazing. Last weekend we were supposed to go to Portugal, but unfortunately plans fell through and I won’t be making it there this time. Next time for sure

These past few weeks I have a couple things planned. This weekend I’m going to Madrid and next weekend my host family is throwing a good-bye party for me and then it’s my last weekend here. Frankly, I don’t really want to think about it. Although I am sad to be leaving this amazing life, I am also super excited to see all of my friends and family back home. I’ve missed you all so much, you have no idea. As soon as I get home, it’s sleeping for a few days and then off to a cabin in Mt. Shasta to spend Christmas with the whole family. So happy to finally get to meet my niece!

We’re supposed to spend all of Christmas day snowboarding…but we’ll see if that happens. Haha, being as the fact that last time I went I cried/slid on my belly the whole way down the hill…and this was only a couple of years ago. Needless to say, it will be a fun, much needed family vacation (even though I feel like I’ve been on vacation for almost four months now.)

As far as school goes, I only have 10 days left!!!!! And then, I’m done forever. Never thought this day would come! Pretty much these next few weeks are going to be jammed packed with tests/projects/papers…ugh!

Anyway, I’m really excited to go to Madrid this weekend. One of my friends went this past weekend and she said that the whole downtown is lit up with Christmas lights and trees. I love this time of year more than anything! Until then, I’m just studying for one of my tests I have tomorrow and finishing a project that’s due next week.

Until next time, which will most likely be the last time, un beso grande!

La Alhambra

Last weekend, Nelia and I had this crazy idea to rent a car and go to Granada. Originally we had planned to go to Portugal but that ended up getting pushed back to the last weekend of November, so we decided to get out of Alicante and check out Granada. I had heard so many good things about it and I thought it would be nice to see it before I left.

On Friday afternoon we went to the airport to rent the car. After filling out all the paper work (super easy and cheap!) and packing it full of our suticases and bags, Nelia decides to tell me that she hasn’t driven a stick in four years! Automatics in Spain are hard to come by so our car was obviously manual. I was a little nervous but I thought, “Hey, once you know how you can’t really forget, right?”

So Nelia and I decided it best to drive around the airport parking lot a little bit, just to get the feel for the car. Well, to put a long story short, we ended up taking a wrong turn and merging right onto the freeway haha! Thankfully she was great and everything ended up smoothly, but it was a little scary at first . Anyway, the best part about this trip was how spontaneous it was. We had no map, no hostel reservations and really no idea of where to go once we actually got to Granada.

The car ride only took about three hours and before we knew it we were right smack dab in the middle of Granada, a pretty big city. I don’t know how much you all know about the roads in Spain, but there’s roundabouts EVERYWHERE! So there’s yeilding, cutting people off and  speeding up just to break all the time! It was scary at first because we were in a different town but we made it to downtown Granada and even found a cheap place to stay.

That night we got all dressed up for a classy dinner. We found the perfect little restaurant and ordered some wine. In Granada tapas are free with every alcoholic drink you purchase. That’s probably the best part about it! So we drank wine and had delicious tapas. After our dinner, we went back to the hotel and fell asleep. We were both so exhausted from the drive.

The next morning we got up, went to a cafe for some coffee then got back in the car and drove up toward the Sierra Nevadas to see La Alhambra, which is this gorgeous palace that the Muslim king built before he and the rest of the Muslims were run out of Spain. We got to it around 2:30 p.m. but had to wait a couple hours because they only have groups going in at certain times of the day.

The palace was one of the prettiest things I’ve ever seen. It was so Muslim influenced and I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautiful, but it was! I was in awe at everything about it. The best part was the view. Because it’s set up on a mountain, every window has a spectacular view of the city below it. It was amazing, to say the least.

As soon as we got done touring the palace we decided to not stay another night and to just get home a day early. So we got back in the car and drove home. It went by quickly and before we knew it, we were back in Ali in one piece.

It was a great trip and I really, really, really liked Granada. I hope to go back there very soon! Everything else in my Spanish life is going wonderfully. I have a final on Thursday (my third one!) and then we start our last section on Friday. I can’t believe I only have a month left. It seems unreal. But I can’t wait to get home and see all of my friends and family. I’ve missed you all terribly!

As far as Thanksgiving goes, Neil and I will be making a feast for ourselves, including a turkey! So as your all sitting down with your families in the states on Thanksgiving, know that I’m keeping the tradition over here and missing you all back home!

Siempre un beso,

Kate

la vida bella

Just got back from a short day of school. I love Tuesdays and Thursdays because I’m done at 11:30. That means I have the whole afternoon to do whatever I want The weather is so perfect right now. It’s about 80 degrees with a slight little breeze. Perfect beach weather, however today I think I’m going to pass.

Two weekends ago USAC organized a group overnight trip to Valencia. I love, love, love that city! Definitely want to go back. I had no idea that the designer of the Sundial Bridge (Redding’s biggest tourest attraction) is from Valencia and he’s very famous in Spain and throughout the world. Everything that I saw of his reminded me of home. It was great to read his biography and read about the bridge he designed in Redding, CA.

Valencia is absolutely gorgeous. Tons of old buildings, cathedrals and parks. On Friday we went the the Museum of Sciences and the biggest aquarium in all of Europe. The aquarium was my favorite (never have been a sciences type of girl) and I got to see baluga whales, an assortment of fish, sharks, dolphins, seals and pretty much any other sea creature you can think of.

After we toured both the museum and aquarium we went to our hotel and slept. That night, the girls and I went to a great Chinese/Sushi restaurante. After walking around the town for a little bit we decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel. The next morning we took a walking tour of the city and saw a great cathedral and the port of Valencia. We got back to Alicante around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Since then, I’ve just been doing the regular. Hanging out with friends, learning a ton of Spanish, going to the beach and trying not to think about my limited amount of time I have left here

Next weekend I’ve planned a trip to Portugal and I’m sooooo excited for that! My friend Nelia and I are going to rent a car and road trip it to Lisboa. My host mom said it takes about 10 hours by car because you have to go up to Madrid and then over to Portugal. It will be nice to get out of Alicante, if only for a weekend. We hope to make it to Madrid too at the end of this month. I haven’t been yet and I want to go so badly.

Last weekend was Halloween and it was fun to see the Spanish kids and adults alike dress up. My host parents were saying that up until about 10 years ago, no one dressed up, but since Americans have started to study here they’re starting too. Nelia and I dressed up as Euro-trash study abroad students. Haha. It was original and fun to dress up. It was nothing like Chico with three or four days of costumes, but I guess it sufficed.

Other than that, I’m just hanging out, enjoying my last month and a half here. I can’t believe how fast time has gone by. I hope I can get on the plane….
Love and miss you all <3

A new Auntie again :)

Woke up this morning to the best news, my sister had her baby! A beautiful baby girl, Amirah Cadence Johnson. She had her at 10:48 p.m. on October 13, which is too funny because that’s my sister’s birthday too. I bet it’s the best birthday present she’s ever gotten.

What’s weird is when I woke up yesterday morning and thought about it being my sister’s birthday I thought, “What if she had the baby today?” Haha. So cool. I’m so excited to meet this little one. My parents sent me pictures first thing in the morning and she’s adorable. Lots of hair! Hopefully my sister will be up to Skyping me soon so I can meet her

Grandma left last Saturday. It was really nice having her here. I’m so happy she got to see Alicante and Barcelona with me. She really is the best Grandma ever and I’m blessed to have her. While she was here we got to eat at a bunch of good restaurants that I wouldn’t have normally gone to and we got to visit La Isla de Taberca, which is an hour boat ride from here.

It’s a small island but extremely beautiful. Grams was a little bummed we couldn’t snorkle (no stores on the island let you just rent the gear, you had to buy it) but it’s OK.  The boat ride was one of the best parts. Grams and I sat on the very front and hung our legs over the bow. It felt like we were flying.I was sad when she left, it was nice to have family in town.

On Monday I had my first tutoring lesson with the two boys I’m teaching English to. It went really well. They are both pretty good at English to begin with so I just talk to them in English for an hour each and get paid 18 euros. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

Last week I started my dances of Spain class. It’s SO much fun. We’re learning how to salsa right now. It’s completely in Spanish and full of attitude and flavor. Plus, it’s a good work out to boot!

Tomorrow I’m going to a workshop so I can teach English part time and get paid for it. Hopefully I can set up some lessons and earn some extra cash while I’m here. And this weekend I’m going on a hike organized by the university. I don’t know exactly where it goes, but I do know it’s about 5 miles and it has some pretty amazing views. I’m excited for that!

Next weekend, USAC is organizing and overnight trip to Valencia. I’m stoked to see a new town and see all of the attractions.

School is still going well. I just finished with the first quarter of my Spanish class and got an A in it . It’s been a nice week because we had a four day weekend, which means a short week too! Tonight all of us USACers are going to a flamenco show at one of the local theaters. So excited, I love flamenco!

Other than that, everything is still as perfect as ever. Like I told my Grandma, the only time I’ve cried while being here is when I’m thinking about when I have to leave

Besos y amor

Barca, Barca, Barca!

So much has happened in the past week, I don’t know where to start! Last week was absolutely dreary and it rained almost every day. It was ridiculous! My host parents keep telling me I brought the rainy weather and that it’s a good thing haha but I have to disagree. I met with my intercambio on Monday and it went really well! We got along so well and had plenty to talk about. He’s very easy to talk to and helps me mucho with my Espanol.

It rained so much last Monday that San Vicente (where the university is located) was flooded and all classes got canceled on Tuesday! It was the second time in the university’s history that classes have ever been canceled because of rain. Basically, it never rains here. They don’t even have a drainage system, hence the city getting flooded!

I ended up going to some of my girlfriends’ house and we went to El Barrio. It was a ton of fun and it was even nicer to not have school On Tuesday, some of the girls and I went to the Marq Museum. We got to see a display of Greek dipictions on the human body. It was really cool and it was only 1.50 euro! So cheap! Muy borato!!! In a couple weeks the museum is getting a new exhibit and we have already decided that we have to go. It’s so affordable and it gives us something to do, so why not?

On Thursday, I picked up Grandma and Donna from the Alicante airport. They had some trouble with their flight and almost missed their connection in Madrid but they made it here safely and soundly. It was nice to see family. I took them to a really good paella restuarant and showed them the beach. We also got to see the famous Explanada and a little bit of El Barrio. However, they were very jet lagged so they went back to their hotel (only a block up from me) to go to bed.

The next morning we caught our plane to the beautiful Barcelona. I love, love, love that city! It was so amazing and had so much to offer. Although it was a little on the expensive side, it was well worth it. Plus, Grams paid for pretty much everything…thanks Grams!!! We got to see the Olympic Stadium, La Sagrada Familia, countless beautiful cathedrals, Gaudi Park, museums and other cool places. We even went to see a Flamenco perfermance. That, for me, was the best part of the trip. I loved the culture and passion that went into it. After two days of sight-seeing and navigating around the city, it was time to come home.

I do have to say that it was very tiring to do all of the navigating (Grandma and Donna do NOT know how to use maps or ANY Spanish) and translating, but it was well worth it and I’m so glad they came with me!

As soon as we got home they caught a bus to Benidorm, a city about an hour away, to go to a spa. We’re gonna meet back up tomorrow and they are staying in a hotel near the beach. I’ve planned to take them to la Playa de San Juan, hopefully Taberca Island and show them around the town. I definitely want to show them the wonderful town of Alicante and hopefully they love it as much as I do.

Today, I met with a lady who wants me to tutor her two teenage sons in English. The meeting went very well and she was so sweet. Basically, she’s going to pay me 10 euro an hour to talk to her boys in English. She was also very willing to help me with anything and offered to take me to their weekend home in San Juan to relax if I ever want to. I’m so excited to tutor for these boys. I start this weekend and will meet probably once a week.

Today I also signed up to take a workshop so I can teach English part time to earn extra money. Once I finish the workshop I can be a private tutor . Super excited for that! And, after this workshop I also have the opportunity to take the class so I can be a full-time English teacher over here. I just might be coming back to Spain to teach English ……

This weekend is a four-day weekend because of the Bank Holiday, however I don’t have any plans as of yet because Grandma leaves Saturday. Who knows! All I know is that Spain just keeps getting better and better! Me encanta mucho!!!

Fabulosity

A lot’s happened in the past week. On Thursday I got to do an “audition” for a Spanish film that requires around 50 “American looking” extras. And by audition I mean they took a picture of my face haha. The cool thing about this little acting career is that it’s paid. I also overheard the director saying that they won’t be turning anyone away. So not only do I get to be an extra in a movie, but I get paid too!

I also met my intercambio (language partner) on Thursday. His name is Alejandro and we’re meeting up for coffee tomorrow at 4 to chat. I’m so excited to start speaking with someone completely in Spanish. He seems really nice and patient so I think it’s a good fit.

Originally I had planned on going to Granada this weekend with a couple of my girl friends but things fell through so it was another weekend spent in Alicante (not that I’m complaing!) Friday was a beautiful day for the beach, however, yesterday was overcast and today it has been consistently raining. Apparently I bring the rain with me because the same thing happened when I went to Germany.

Although the rain isn’t the funnest I’ve still been trying to do things. It’s hard though when you don’t really know what’s going on around town and things that you have heard of cost money that’s just a reach out of your budget. However, on October 14 we (USAC students) are all going to the local theater to watch a flamenco performance. I couldn’t be more excited for that!

I’ve also decided that I’m going to make a weekend trip to Toledo. It’s such a historic and beautiful town and I would be crazy not to go. I’m still looking to go to Portugal as well. My friends that I wanted to go to Granada with are going next weekend (I’ll be in Barcelona with Grandma) so I might be making that trip by myself, which is totally fine. There’s something about traveling by myself that is intriguing to me.

Yesterday I got to Skype with Ash O., Ash R. and Jenn. It was so great seeing those girls’ faces and hearing their voices. I miss all my friends from home so much! I also got to Skype with Sare and that was a treat as always She always puts a smile on my face and laughter in my heart. Technology is so great!

On Friday night the girls and I went to this cute little suishi place they found and it was amazing! I mean I guess it has to be since the fish is so fresh. I’m thinking that we’ll definitely be going back there.

I also ate at this pinxtchos (like an appetizer diner) place that’s on the Rambla (the main street in downtown Alicante) this week and it was sooo good! I’m finding all these cute little places to eat or drink some coffee and it’s amazing. Exploring around Alicante and stumbling upon random shops/restaurantes is one of my favorite things to do.

Last week we had our first test and I got an A . As well I should have since I ALREADY have my minor in Spanish haha. So that was good news. School is still going really well and I’m still loving and learning so much in my Spanish class. I haven’t been so excited to go to school in a reallllly long time. Speaking of which I have a lot of homework to get done before tomorrow so I better wrap this up.

Grandma gets here on Thursday!!! YAY!

I hope all of my wonderful ADPi sisters had a fabulous time at alumnae weekend. Miss all of you so much and I hope it was an unforgettable weekend!

XOXO

Guadalest.

Just got back from an awesome day in Guadalest, which is a small town on the outskirts of Alicante that has a castle, waterfalls and a beautiful beach just minutes away. USAC planned the trip so it was completely free and included a full course lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking waterfalls. The day started by all of us meeting at the Plaza and taking a bus to the small city. It took about an hour or so to get there but it was well worth it. We got off the bus and immediately hiked up to the castle. It wasn’t like any other castle I’ve seen before. It was totally Mediterranean styled and had lots of palm trees and other greenery surrounding it.

After we took a MILLION pictures and saw the whole castle (it was small, so there wasn’t that much to see), we loaded back on the bus and drove to the waterfalls. They were absolutely beautiful. Some of the people on the tour got in the water but it was way too cold for me. We stayed at the waterfalls for about an hour and a half and then had lunch in a cute little restaurant overlooking the spectacular view. The meal was delicious! We had salad, tapas, paella and ended with taron, a dessert made especially in Alicante. It was divine!

After we ate we got back on the bus and headed to the beautiful beach. The water was so clear and warm. Unfortunately, we only got to spend a little bit on the beach and then it was back on the bus to go home, but we’ve already made plans to go back to that beach soon since the tram can get us there. It was a busy, eventful day and I’m really glad I went.

Last week, Rocio took me to the movies with her, her cousin and her friend from Cuba. We saw Gordos and it was completely in Spanish, no subtitles or anything. I understood it for the most part, and the movie was OK, but I liked just being in the moment with the Spanish culture better. It was a fun experience to share with Rocio and her friends.

School’s still going well and I have my first test on Tuesday. It should go over pretty well, I understand everything! Tonight I’m going out to El Barrio with some of the girls, should be a good time.

Grandma visits in two weeks and then it’s off to Barcelona, so excited for that! Oh, and some of the girls and I were talking about heading to Granada next weekend for a short overnight trip. Gosh, I love Spain!!! Other than that I’m just living and loving.

More updates to come. Love you all!

La fiesta de Dante.

First off let me start by saying that Spain is still as amazing as ever. I’m so in love with everything about it, it’s unreal. I can’t imagine leaving this place. Life is still very good. On Saturday I went to my host brother’s second birthday party at Rocio’s parents’ house. They live at the very top of an apartment building in Plaza de Los Luceros, which is one of the most busiest parts of downtown Alicante. It was a very nice location and her family was very welcoming.

When I first arrived to her parents’ house I was a little overwhelmed. She has four sisters who all have husbands and kids so it was a lot to deal with at first. Everyone wanted to meet me and ask me questions and NO ONE spoke English. It was a great learning experience and I got more of a feel for a traditional Spanish family life. It was great to watch everyone interact with each other. They are so loving toward each other, it’s great.

The food at the party was to-die-for. First we started off with salads. There were three types. A tuna salad that reminded me of what we eat at home but it had cheese, hard-boiled eggs, onions and raisins in it. A fish salad that I can’t even describe and a regular green salad but they put corn, avocados, garbanzo beans and other stuff I wouldn’t normally have on a green salad. Then, for the second course, we had this rice dish with fluffly eggs and sausage on top of it. It was something I’ve never had and absolutely divine. It kind of looked like homemade macaroni and cheese with dumplings on top of it. To finish it off we had cake, of course. Some sort of chocolate mousse cake, but better!

The past couple of days it’s been crazy thunder and lightning storms, which is weird because Rocio was telling me that it only rains about 10-20 days a year in Alicante. Needless to say, no beach time for me this weekend. I’ve also made some really great friends here already, it’s great to meet such down-to-earth, nice people that I can share this experience with. I’ve been hanging out with a couple of the same girls a lot lately and it’s been so much fun.

The night life here in Spain is completely different than it is in the States, and even in other parts of Europe I feel like. Bars and clubs close around 3:30 a.m. but then there’s discotecas that stay open til’ 8 a.m.! It’s nuts. I definitely can’t keep up. It’s been awesome though to hang around Spanish people my age and to try to talk and interact with them. I’ve even been mistaken as a Spaniard, so cool!

School again tomorrow, I liked only having three days of it last week. Now it’s time for real life, with five full days of classes. I’ve already had a lot of homework too because of the extensive language class that moves VERY quickly. I like it though. Plus, the rest of the Spanish students start their first day of classes tomorrow, so it will be much busier on campus. I’m excited to see more new faces.

I better wrap this up. I’ve got homework and dinner to attend to. Until next time…