Adios Sevilla

Its official, that was the fastest 3.5 weeks of my life. I'm honestly in shock with how quickly my time here passed. I couldn't even begin to pick my favorite part of this adventure. The places I've seen have been breathtaking. Nerja, Morocco, Jerez, and of course Sevilla. The people I have met have honestly made this trip what it is. The ciee staff is one of the kindest, funniest and most helpful people I've ever met. Its been amazing meeting everyone from the program and hanging out for this whole time. I'm going to them a lot, I wish we could always go to buddah together every thursday :p And of course, my host parents. Eduardo and Socorro have been some of the kindest and most welcoming people I could have asked for! They told me I should stay with them here instead of leaving, I wish I could take them up on that offer :)

So, now I'm packing up my room and I feel like I'm going to cry. Everyone who said 3.5 weeks wasn't long enough, you were right and I was wrong. I'll always cherish this experience, I honestly don't think it could have gone any better.

We have our going away dinner tonight and I'm going to try very hard to keep it together so I can enjoy my last few hours in this beautiful city. I'll post about my last week here asap, Morocco included. How awkward do you think it is to cry the whole way from Sevilla to Madrid....

Málaga & Nerja!

Its been a while since I wrote on here, but things have been so busy and I've been using all my free time to sleep!

Last weekend we traveled to Málaga and Nerja and it was so much fun! Málaga was a lot like Seville but it felt a bit more city-like. On Saturday we visited La Catedral de Málaga and another building which I can't remember the name of. They were both absolutely beautiful and I took lots and lots of pictures :)

After that we had free time for lunch, so a group of us went and got tapas! I had fried crab thighs and they were delicious! When we were finished with lunch we all headed over to see the home where Picasso was born and then visit the Picasso Museum. I'm not a huge Picasso fan in general, but I loved the museum! Structurally, it was one of the prettiest art museums I've ever seen.

After walking around for hours though we were all tuckered out so most of us headed back to the hotel to Siesta! Later that night we all ate dinner in the hotel and then headed out for the night! We went to a funny little bar and then to a club which was really fun! The next morning though, we had to wake up bright and early to head to Nerja! But it was all worth it because Nerja was BEAUTIFUL! The beach and the whole town were absolutely perfect. We spent some time eating lunch and on the beach swimming in the Mediterranean Sea for a few hours. It was perfect :)

View above the beach in Nerja!

The girls at the beach
Leaving the beach was difficult but I was happy to be back at my host-parent's house and I got to skype my family :)) This we all have midterms so things have been kind of tame. Tonight I'm heading to a cooking class and I couldn't be more excited!! After that we're going to check out an outdoor concert and then probably go out.

Caitlin & me in Málaga and Brent & me with our finished fish bowl

Morocco is this weekend and I'm very excited/intrigued. I'm sure it will be the most 'different' place I've ever had the opportunity to visit. I'm sure we'll have a blast :) I have a little more than a week left here in Seville and all I can think is how am I going to make it last as long as possible? I never want to leave this dream world and go back to real life..

La Giralda y el Cine de Verano!

Time is flying by here in Spain and it makes me want to cry :( This past week was pretty relaxed but still totally fun. On Wednesday, we headed to La Giralda! La Giralda was originally a minaret and has since been converted into a bell tower for The Cathedral of Seville. We toured around the cathedral for a while and it was crazy. We went mid-day so it was soo hot and there were tour groups everywhere!

In the midst of our tour we realized we were basically the only people left in the Cathedral! Come to find out it closed and we didn't even get to go to the top of Giralda. So I'll have to go back and check that out because that was the reason I was there!! The Cathedral itself is beautiful though. Simply put, it was like being inside the pages of my art history book! I loved it. While on the tour, I learned that The Cathedral of Seville is actually the burial site of Christopher Columbus!! I had no idea so that was really interesting to hear :) Later that night a few people from my program met up for montaditos, which was pretty fun!

On Thursday, I went to class and we tasted sweets! Sounds fun right? Well it kind of was, but each sweet contained anís, which is licorice and I do notttt like the taste of that :( It was still interesting though! After that, I went home and siesta'd like nobody's business :p Then, after eating pizza with my host padre, I headed out to watch "The Social Network" at an outside theater with CIEE. Although no one understood a word of the movie (the talking was so fast!) the outdoor theater was so perfect! I loved it :) Then we headed to Buddah for the rest of the night!

I made my way home pretty late, once again, but I felt surprisingly great today! Maybe I'm getting used to the Spanish lifestyle ... I wish :p I'll update more after Malaga and Nerha this weekend!! Vamos a la playa!!!

One Week in Spain

I've officially been in Spain for one whole week. Its been the shortest and longest week ever. Despite how extremely tired I am, its been the most amazing week ever! Today was the second day of class and we talked about Olive Oil for 3 hours, who knew that was possible :p The class is interesting though, and tomorrow we are doing a tasting!

Last night we went out to celebrate the 4th of July! It was a blast and I had a great time with everyone! I brought my camera to take pictures but failed miserably in that department :( But I won't give up! Not much to report today, but I'm going to La Giralda tomorrow and I'm very excited! Adios

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to Everyone

I'll be celebrating from all the way over here in España! Apparently there is a white trash party tonight with hot dogs, go figure haha. But sounds like a fun way to celebrate to me and I'm sure all the americans will be out :p I hope everyone has a fabulous fourth in the States and takes the time to remember that this day means a lot more than bbq, fireworks, and wearing red, white and blue :)

Me duelen los pies!

I've been in Seville for almost a week now! Time is flying by and I wish I could stay here wayyy longer! This weekend we traveled to Jerez de la frontera! We went on a bus tour and a walking tour and it was a beautiful little town!

After the tours we went to the Tio Pepe bodega. It was a very long tour but very interesting as well. We learned lots about the history of the bodega and the wine they produce there. After that we got to taste some tio, but sadly, I can't say I liked it all that much :/ The bodega was absolutely beautiful though, I loved every minute of the tour, minus the 30 min historical video haha

After Jerez, we spent the rest of the day at the beach! The beach was a blast and the water felt amazing. Simply being by the water makes the heat so much easier to bear!

Last night we went to a discoteca and I tried churros and chocolate, finally! It was pretty delicious. Pretty much beats memo's in every way I can think of :p It was another late night though, I don't know if I can keep up with these spaniards! My feet are literally useless to me right now, I don't know if I can walk..

España: first 3 days

Today is my third day in Spain, but I feel like its already been forever! I just arrived at my host family's home. My Señora is cooking lunch right now and it smells amazing!! After some detective work I figured out what the internet password was, she didn't know :p

Last night we saw a Flamenco show and it was amazing. I had no idea Flamenco involved so much tap. They were very talented and the guitar was beautiful. But it was also about 100 degrees in the room and despite the fact that we were sitting directly in front of the fan, the heat and the guitar was putting me to sleep :p

Today we woke up and checked out of the hotel, then went on a walking tour with Dani. We saw lots of beautiful places. Everything in Seville is simply 10 times more beautiful than in Seattle :p These were some of my favorites.

Plaza De España
Dani told us that a scene of Star Wars was filmed here lol

El Catedral - This felt like being inside of my Art History book

All the streets in Seville look like this. Can you imagine waking up every day and calling this home?

I can't remember the name of this building, but it was very beautiful. I wish we could have gone inside
Everything is going well so far, the only thing I'm struggling with is the lack of snacks. In spain, its typical to eat a small breakfast, lunch around 3 and dinner around 10. This is very strange for me, but I'm getting used to it. Tapas last night were so delicious. I had a Spanish potato omelette and then bread with some kind of sauce and ham. Then we ordered cake slices for dessert, of course.

Tonight we meet the other kids from session 2, I'm very excited. I love my small group of 7, but it well be fun to meet some new people.

Spain is everything I dreamed of, but I do miss everyone from home. There were a few rain drops today which reminded me to soak up all this amazing culture and warm weather as much as I can :) Jerez this weekend!!

Estoy en Seville!

Finally made it to Seville! After my flight from Madrid to Seville was rescheduled and then delayed by an hour and a half, I made it (with my luggage, thank god :p ) Today was pretty relaxed, we napped and then went out for tapas and tinto con limón, which is very delicious.

After that, the CIEE guy, Dani, took us to ice cream and then walked us to the river. It was beautiful down by the river because it was a little cooler and people were everywhere!
After all the flying though, I mostly just want sleep. Hopefully I'll have some pics up later!

p.s. the architecture in Seville is adorable :)

Food For Thought

"Nietzsche’s dictum might be useful for you to keep in mind right now, Leo: “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” Since I’m very sure that the turbulent waters through which you’re navigating will not kill you, I’m looking forward to all the ways this journey will upgrade your confidence and enhance your power. But there’s more to be gained, beyond what Nietzsche formulated. It’s also true that if it doesn’t kill you (which it won’t), it will make you wilder and kinder and smarter and more beautiful. (Stranger Horoscopes)

San Francisco Trip

San Francisco was so fun! It was actually pretty warm and I kept my shopping to a minimum, go me! I forgot how cute the homes are in the city and how scary the hills are!

Friday: I arrived while Taylor was at work, so I wandered over to Starbucks and read my book outside while I waited. It was lovely except I forgot how much I love smoking laws in Washington :p After that I walked over to Haight Ashbury and shopped for a bit before meeting Taylor and her roommate for lunch. That night we went to a Mexican Restaurant, got Froyo, drank some wine and watched Dear John (which was not as sad as I thought it'd be, considering how much I cry during the notebook lol)

View on the way downtown
Saturday: We all went down to the North Beach Festival and ate some free yogurt! Then we walked downtown and shopped for a while. After, Taylor and I went to the Cheesecake Factory and ate a realyyyy healthy meal. Later that night we went out in North Beach, it was lots of fun!
Sunday: We woke up and walked around Filmore and then to the Marina for Lunch! Then we headed over to Berkely where it was actually warm! We walked around and ate dinner at this little pub place with an adorable waiter :p
Of course the trip had to come to an end at some point, but I'm definitely planning on heading back sometime after August 6th ;)

You can't really see this, but I saw some Banksy (or a look alike) in North Beach! You can't really read it, but it says "If at first you don't succeed, call an airstrike"
8 Days until Spain! :)

San Francisco for the Weekend!

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” (Jack Kerouac)
While traveling is not always the most stress-free experience, its one of my favorite things to do. I've been very lucky to visit some amazing places in my life. And whether it was my perfect, 18h-birthday trip to New York City with my mom, or the catastrophe filled family vacation to Cancun/Playa Del Carmen Mexico, I've loved every minute of it.

via flickrOne of my favorite places to visit on the west coast is San Francisco. Even though its pretty similar to seattle (big cities, lots of rain, etc), there's something about a new city thats so exciting. One of my best friends Taylor goes to school there and I absolutely can't wait to see her! And go shopping at all those stores we don't have in Seattle!

But until then, so much laundry and packing to do! My room is a mess since I moved home for summer :/ oh and 14 DAYS TILL SPAIN!

Thoughts for the Day

Not exactly my most joyous Memorial Day Weekend ever. I spent most of it at work and the rest of it feeling all together sub-par. But its over and with each new day, things will get better. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and did something to thank our troops :)

Weekend!

What an exhausting weekend! Rose formal, work, Relay for Life, lotsss of homework and other happenings :/ I need some sleep, asap. This is kind of how I'm feeling after this weekend:

"Never regret something that once made you smile" - Amber Deckers

Lucky girl :)

Happy Month-versary flowers from my boyfriend. Made my day, gotta love him! :)
Long distance isn't easy, but we've made it a lot longer than I ever hoped ♥

46 Days Until Spain!

T-Minus 46 days until I'll be flying off to Spain. I'm so excited, but it hasn't really sunk in yet I think. Plus, I have so much to do before then, like finishing junior year, heading to San Francisco, packing everything I want to bring into ONE bag :/ My boyfriend always makes fun of my inability to pack efficiently or bring anything less than half my closet :) Fingers crossed no more earthquakes hit southern spain!! I need: sundresses, new sandals, more tanks, and lots of sunscreen! 90+ degree weather, here I come!

So beautiful! I can't wait for streets like this

Summer Lust

Its that time of the year again when all my 'semester school' friends start posting statuses about summer and all of us on the quarter system cry over our text books and the FOUR weeks of school we still have left. But, I know that summer will be here soon enough. And in the good ol northwest, the sun doesn't really arrive until mid-july anyways :(
In the meantime though, I'm getting very antsy for summer!! I can't wait to start wearing shorts, sandals, bathing suits and my j.crew straw hat I haven't been able to wear yet!

I would love to own that bathing suit!
A few more papers, and tests and I'll be free. Off to spain, and hopefully seeing my boyfriend. His plans of coming home in less than two weeks are no longer possible, long story.
Its been a rough day, but I've kept this in mind: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end"

Osama Bin Laden is dead!

What a historical day, Osama Bin Laden was killed by American forces. Obama's speech was amazing.

"Justice has been done" -Obama
I know we shouldn't celebrate the death of any human being, I totally understand that. My heart goes out to anyone that lost anyone in the 9/11 attacks or in the Middle East. Biggest thanks to all of our troops.

What a Fairy Tale..

Well, I can't lie, I didn't stay up to watch the Royal Wedding when it aired at 3 am, but the pictures have been magnificent! Kate looks absolutely stunning!

via prepfection
Kate's dress, designed by Alexander Mcqueen's successor, Sarah Burton, is simple but stunning. Its not quite the train worn by Princess Diana, but its beautiful. Also, quite the tribute to Grace Kelly, who was also a commoner who married royalty in 1956.

via dialymail.co.uk
After looking at countless pictures like this on tumblr & The British Monarchy's Flickr (lol) I just can't fathom how amazing it would be to be part of something that spectacular and beautiful! I a girl can only dream ..
I suppose my only hope to become a princess now is to fly to England and try to win Harry's heart! (I always thought he was cuter anyways :p)

ps. How cute are these two?! What a dream..

"Catherine Middleton and Prince William on their graduation day, St. Andrews University" via flickr. I do not own these photos. June 2005. © The Middleton Family, 2011. All rights reserved.