Worth Every Mile

     I wasn't sure, at first, how I wanted to tackle writing about something that I have felt every single day since I have been here. But, I decided I would try to be as positive as possible because that is how we have been for the past 77 days and will continue to be for the next 39.

     Long-distance relationships suck, no two ways about it. 3,933 miles: the distance between our physical entities. 0 miles: the distance between our hearts. As we have been experiencing this distance, we have found the positives, have given each other a reason to smile and enjoy our days where we are located, but to also look forward to that day we are reunited.

I am writing about this to hopefully inspire others. I remember having too many conversations with girls that were amazed that I would leave my boyfriend behind to study abroad. Too many people are afraid to leave their significant others, too afraid that things might not work out, too afraid that something might go wrong. Those are legitimate fears and I will not deny having them, but that is also where the beauty lies. If your relationship can survive physical distance without losing that spark, you know you’ve found a keeper.

There are so many reasons I could list to show the benefits of an experience like this, but I will limit myself to 10. They are not listed in any particular order, simply empirical examples of why it’s really not as bad as we once imagined:

·         It is important that you have a significant other that supports you no matter how difficult the decision you are facing. When you are worrying months before you leave saying, “I don’t want to go!” with tears streaming down your face, and all he does is calmly wipe your tears away and say, “Baby, it’s for the best.”: Ding! Ding! Ding! You have found a winner.

·         Long-distance relationships require trust. If you weren’t so sure before you leave, you have to be sure once you’re apart. Doubts and questions will torture your mind and your relationship. Embrace the opportunity to really build trust and confidence in your significant other.

·         Endless selfies and photos sent of your daily life really allow you to feel like you are almost there, as if you are experiencing time together. Never stop taking photos. Those photos are a gateway to closing the distance.

Endlessly wishing your significant other was by your side during the adventure...

·         As you can no longer rely on physical communication of love, such as hugs and kisses, you will be forced to develop verbal communication. Words are now the most powerful weapon in your arsenal of love. Use them wisely, but don’t hesitate to speak your mind.

·         Arguments are fun while separated by physical distance. SIKE. Arguments are never fun, but the distance adds a new perspective on disagreements. You will no longer leave a conversation without a clear conclusion, you will never leave an argument with bad feelings inside yourself, your verbal communication abilities will be heightened because you can no longer rely on body language to convey your attitude, and every argument will (hopefully) end with a discussion of the reasons you love each other so gosh darn much.

·         As you are no longer able to rely on the days that you see each other every so often to really catch up on how life has been treating you, phone calls and texts become far more frequent. Times of silence during the day when you did not usually speak transform into times of wonderful, short little pick-me-up phone calls. You will start to realize just how much they think about you constantly during their day.

·         Spending time together will always be fun, no matter what you find yourselves doing. We have found that watching TV shows together is one of our favorites: The Walking Dead, The Middle, Suits, Modern Family, and How to Get Away with Murder. The lengthy discussions after the show is over about funny moments, who we believe will be the next one to pass away, and our predictions for the next episode bring us closer together. I promise that despite our long list of shows we watch together, there is also plenty of time to get homework done! Of course, that is typically done together on the weekends as well.

·         This point may not always work out in everyone’s case, but I have a personal Spanish tutor (for FREE). I came to Barcelona knowing a few words, just phrases that I picked up from hearing him speaking Spanish for the year prior to my arrival in Barcelona. When I began my first Spanish class, so ensued the endless questions about the Spanish language. The translating, editing compositions, and study sessions I will be eternally grateful for. I owe part of my grade to the advantage I clearly have with a bilingual boyfriend. P.S. - He is not afraid to remind me about how proud he is of my progress. The hour and a half conversations we have entirely in Spanish are definitely proof of that progress!

·         Your calendar will be booked for the year from the day you are reunited. We have so many plans already made once we are back together. Take the time apart to really think about what you would like to do with your significant other. Give yourself something to look forward to together: exciting travel adventures, movie & pizza days, mini vacations, volunteer activities, and date nights. Make plans and keep them!

·         Take the time to reflect on how good you really have it. Being apart from each other is not as bad as it seems. There will be tough days, but your significant other will always find a way to put a smile on your beautiful face. Distance makes the heart grow fonder (and really impatient).

It is still unbelievable, even to myself, to think that 8 days after I return home from Barcelona, Spain, I will be off to Guanajuato, Mexico! I sit here with my mind wandering to the future, to the 11 best days of my entire life coming up, days that I will be alive and truly living, that are approaching quicker than I imagined they would. Madre, please don’t worry too much, at least I can speak a little Spanish and I have learned all of the essentials as far as locating the bathroom and the nearest hospital!

Go! Travel! See the world! Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams, but don’t forget about your rock that is going to be supporting you through the entire experience.

     To my rock,
Distance means so little when someone means so much.
     Siempre, Megan

Trick or Sweet Potato..?

     So, it’s been a little while, and in that time I have: greatly increased my Spanish language abilities, survived midterms, met with the Associate Director of Penn State Education Abroad Dr. Kristi Wormhoudt, bothered my brother with editing my papers before turning them in, attended a debate concerning the independence movement in Cataluña (and wrote a paper about it, too), bought many Christmas gifts for those that I get to see in December (only 47 days left), celebrated my 21^st birthday in Barcelona, discovered the best place for smoothies and crêpes, and counted down the days until I am in Mexico (55 days, just in case you were wondering).

     Classes are keeping me busy, 19 credits will do that to you! I had an A on my Spanish midterm, so I am very happy to be succeeding in my main goal of studying abroad here in Barcelona. I try to converse in Spanish as much as possible, with my homestay parents, shop owners, servers at cafés, and with my Spanish teacher. Being immersed in the language is definitely speeding along the process of learning. I am excited to take SPAN 003 at Penn State University next semester and to be that girl in the class that has been to both Spain and Mexico. I swear this is all just a dream sometimes, I never thought that my life would bring me to these places, but I am very grateful for all of these opportunities that I have worked so hard for!

     Last weekend, many directors of education abroad programs for various universities in the United States ventured to Europe, southern France and Barcelona, for meetings and conferences. I was invited to attend a reception, free tapas and drinks, to meet the representative from Penn State. It was a lot of fun to sit down, eat tapas, and converse with the directors. My roommate attended with me and we found that many of the directors were very animated and have had their own fair share of adventures around the world. They even asked for our advice on what to see in the city during their one free day before they had to leave. The Penn State Associate Director of Education Abroad, Dr. Wormhoudt, was very nice and I am so glad that I went and got to meet her! She really listened to me speak about my own experiences here in Barcelona and wanted my recommendations on what Penn State could do to help during my time abroad. I told her how rough it was in the beginning, but that I stuck it out and have been doing much better since. She was highly impressed with my initiative, coming from one of Penn State’s satellite campuses where studying abroad is not very popular, never having lived in a big city, and knowing no Spanish at all, to study abroad and live with a Spanish family. The event reminded me of back home because all that I heard was a lot of English and it sounded so sweet to my ears for just one evening!

     The debate was between two professors in political science from a local university here in Barcelona. The desire for independence from the rest of Spain for the area of Cataluña has been around ever since the fall of Dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. On the map below, Cataluña is located in the upper right of Spain where Barcelona serves as the capital. Cataluña feels that it is a separate nation because they speak a different language: Catalan, hold different beliefs than the rest of Spain in regards to their ban on bullfighting, and have a supposedly different culture than the rest of the country. They also feel they are being overtaxed because they are one of the richest areas of the country. But, not everyone that lives in Cataluña feels that it should be separated from Spain. People here are very open about their political views and opinions. My RA (Resident Assistant) was telling me about her opinion, revealing the strong involvement of the younger generations in politics very much unlike the United States. She said that the people of Cataluña just want the opportunity to express their voice and for the Spanish government to listen to the people and the Catalan government. There will be a vote held on November 9, 2014 here in Barcelona to gather the public’s opinion. While it will not count for anything, it will dictate the actions of the Catalan government based on the results. I have witnessed countless political demonstrations during my time here in Barcelona, and while they have been peaceful, I just hope that a decision will be made that takes the best interests for all involved into account.

Location of Catalunya on a map of Spain. Madrid (center) is the capital.

     I should really stop wandering around Barcelona when I know that I have euros in my purse, for I have this unfortunate tendency to stop at stores and just browse. I promise that my initial intentions are always to just browse, but that browsing does not always conclude with me leaving the store without anything in my hands. I think I better justify my purchases because the large majority of them are for others, not myself. It feels better buying gifts for others, but I’m sure my parents would not appreciate that feeling: Lo siento mis padres! I am beginning to forget the cost of items back in the United States. It’s an eerie feeling, forgetting about elements of home, and the worst part is I have adjusted to the food here and I forget what a real Kit-Kat (made by Nestle and not Hershey’s in Europe) and other foods taste like back home! My favorite part of the food they sell here in the super markets is that the labels list calories as energia! Energy, they call it energy, how brilliant! I need a lot of energy for my busy days, complete justification for the large amounts of chocolate I eat.

     Halloween in Barcelona, and probably the rest of Europe, is nothing like it is in the United States. While I did see a few people walking around in costumes, there is no trick-or-treating here. A few cafés, restaurants, and clubs were decorated with spider webs, skeletons, witches, and vampires, Halloween is a way of marketing for their venue for this weekend. At dinner last night (my roommate is currently exploring Rome, Italy), I sat down to find an odd looking fruit on my dessert plate. I looked at it and asked "Qué es esto?" [What is this?] and I had no idea what my host parents told me in Spanish except for the word patata [potato], but she did explain that, to my lack of knowledge, sweet potatoes are common to be eaten in the United States for Halloween... This was news to me! First, sweet potatoes would never qualify as a dessert to me, no matter what you do with them! Second, I don't know where the previous girls that studied abroad here were from in the United States, but in Pennsylvania we do not eat sweet potatoes to celebrate Halloween (occasionally for Thanksgiving, though). Third, she ended up giving me a manzana [apple] after I tried the sweet potato and did not like it (She said she was expecting me to not like it. I'm really glad she understands me!). The holidays that are acknowledged here in Spain and other Spanish countries are All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and the Day of the Dead. There is a fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in purgatory, in heaven, and the living.

     I was wandering around tonight and took the metro to a random stop that I knew was beside the beach. I am still in awe of my ability to go from city streets, to unique alleys, to the boardwalk, to the sand on the beach all in the same day. The sun was setting and the sky was darkening, but soon strands of lights began to light up at the marina, in the cafés and restaurant, and along walkways. I’m beginning to feel like I might miss this place, a little bit. I am never going to fully understand the rollercoaster of emotions that I have felt in the two months that I have spent in Barcelona, but I know that I will be a stronger, more understanding and open-minded person because of it.

     "Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled."

-The Prophet Mohammed

FC Barcelona, Flamenco, Parc Güell & It's The Little Things That Matter Most

       I was talking to a girl from my program this morning on the bus on our way to Parc Güell. We had only just met, and were discussing our hometowns, colleges, trips we were planning on taking, and how much Spanish we knew before arriving in Barcelona. She seemed shocked at the idea that I came here to Barcelona with no prior knowledge of the Spanish language, chose to live in a homestay, and selected a big city as the location of my study abroad semester. She noted how it must be not only culture shock, but the shock of going from a small town to a city in itself that has affected me. Yeah, I guess you could probably come to that conclusion! I’ve been handling it much better, and even my roommate has commented that I have adjusted to the city well and it seems like I have been here for a long time. I appreciated her compliment that night!

       On Tuesday, I had a field trip for my Sports and Society in Spain class to the FC Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou. Coolest field trip ever. We went on the Camp Nou Experience Tour and Museo: access to the pressroom, the visiting team’s locker room, the press box, the stadium seating, and the edge of the field in front of the players’ benches. I can hardly call them benches as they were far more similar to airplane seats, courtesy of their largest sponsor Qatar Airways, with cup-holders on the armrests! We toured the stadium from bottom to top, then to the museum (so many trophies in there!!), and finally ended in their three-story team store. Messi plays at that stadium! I could have been standing in the exact same spot as him and all of the rest of his teammates. How awesome is that?

Wednesday evening, our education abroad program offered a free flamenco show and dinner at Palacio del Flamenco. Dinner was a roll, paella (Spanish rice mixed with vegetables and sometimes including meat or seafood), and ice cream for dessert. The flamenco show was very neat to watch! Flamenco is not as popular of a tradition here in Barcelona as it is in the rest of Spain, like the traditional city of Madrid. I really enjoyed watching the power of the women as they danced to the music from the live band. The one man dancing was extra serious the entire time to the point it was a little scary and it felt like he was staring straight into our souls, but it was very intriguing nonetheless! I would love to learn how to dance, but knowing my abilities on the dance floor, I could not imagine that going well at all.

Parc Güell is an area of land laid out and designed by Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí is a famous architect of the modernisme period of architecture here in Barcelona. He was not very well known until after his death: he was hit by a car and left on the streets for two days as people walked by him mistaking him for a homeless man. Now his work is legendary. Oh, the cruel jokes of life. Parc Güell is free to the public, except for the cool parts: the famous mosaic bench, mosaic lizard, garden, Casa del Guarda (small museum), gift shop, and spiral columns. It offers beautiful views of the city as well. There is a public school located right in the center of the park where kids were enjoying recess, this public school was built prior to Gaudí designing the area. There were also many elementary students on field trips to the park holding hands in their matching uniforms.

Part of Gaudí's mosaic bench in Parc Güell.

I like to walk places. The metro is fun, but there’s something about just walking through the streets trying to find your way. There is so much to see if you take the time to look. Countless people like to fall asleep on the benches in the green zones. The same homeless man sits at the corner two blocks away from my apartment building blasting 80s music on his stereo with his beanie babies drinking from a dog dish with a few euros inside. I’ve been witness to a poor child roller-skating who fell and bruised his tailbone (that hurts!!). I’ve been the target of a child’s super friendly “Hola!” while he was bored playing near his mother and her friend at a café, which led to a mini conversation before I continued on my walk. I have been stopped for directions, which I usually have no means of helping the poor people that ask me in Spanish! I’ve witnessed the very awkward PDA (Public Displays of Affection) of various couples, lots of butt-grabbing and making-out with no shame at all here in Barcelona! I have been stopped by a group of older couples that asked me to take a picture of them by the Arc de Triompf, which led to another mini conversation in my bad Spanish. Sometimes you can hear the birds chirping in the trees, not the pigeons (they’re annoying and don’t fly away when you walk near them) but the small green parakeets. I get to see parents walking their children to school every morning, usually carrying the child’s backpack and holding their hand the entire way to the school building. If I had not walked by myself to the Tibidabo mountain, I would have never met that man that helped me with directions to reach the top. The metro hides all of these little moments underground in the pitch black tunnels below the city. I don’t typically walk much back home, never really have a reason to as everything is much less accessible than in a city, but it has been an enjoyable experience walking everywhere and getting to appreciate the environment I am in. This attitude is one that I hope will transition with me back to life in the United States: appreciating the little moments a little more.

Oh, Español!

     I don’t know the right words to describe how I feel anymore. I am content, but left with this eerie feeling in my stomach like I am being haunted by the desire to just hop on a plane and come home. I mean, I do like it here: there’s lots of things to see and do, much to be explored, a new life here. But I want my old one back. My high school friends, my family, my boyfriend, my dogs, American food and eating a lot more than I do here, the fall weather, and the opportunity to celebrate my birthday as it quickly approaches. It’s a good thing this isn’t permanent, because I don’t understand how people can just up and relocate to a new city or foreign country. Props to you adventurous souls that can grab that bull by the horns! (I had to, I am in Spain…)

     On a different note, I had an interesting and busy week! Tuesday I had a field trip to the Olympic stadium. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics. The Olympics really changed the dynamics of the entire city. The beach never existed, it was just factories all the way up to the shoreline until they decided to renovate and add a few kilometers of sand for tourists. After the ’92 Olympics, tourists flocked to the city and have not gone back home since. Many locals get frustrated with this part of Barcelona, especially the ones that have been living here for a very long time. It doesn’t help that tourists are always up to some crazy antics (Like a group of Italian guys that decided it would be fun to run around the city in the nude for a few hours). I have seen banners hanging from balconies stating they don’t like tourists being here, but I don’t believe the tourists will be leaving anytime soon.

     The Olympic stadium was impressive, but unfortunately is not used for anything anymore. There is also a museum located a block away about the history of sports. There was more to see than there was to read, so it was a quick walk through, but the exhibit with all of the old soccer cleats was one of my favorites! By the end of the field trip as we were standing outside the Olympic stadium, the drizzle started to turn into a heavier rain and our professor encouraged us to find our way home as quickly as possible. But, he was far too late in his encouragement! I was heading to a wine tasting about a 30 minute walk from the Olympic stadium with a friend of mine. As we were walking, it started to pour! EVERYTHING was soaked by the time we walked into the building for the wine tasting… clothes, purses, hair, shoes had that squishy feeling every time you took a step. So, I got to attend a wine tasting absolutely drenched, I guess I can’t complain too much because it was wine. I just wish I liked wine!

     We got to try five different types: Cava (a sparkling champagne), two red wines, a white wine, and a moscato. The only type that I actually somewhat liked was called Albet i Noya petit albet 2013 Penedés. But it is probably a fair conclusion that I am not a wine type of girl. What I did find very amusing though was the beginning of the evening started out very quietly, nobody said a word. By the time it got to the 4^th and 5^th wine that we were tasting, the girls would not stop talking and it got very loud in the room. I found it very humorous how the atmosphere had changed and ended with a bunch of very tipsy ladies trying to find their way back to the metro. Judging from my dislike of wine, you can definitely conclude that I was not one of those ladies!!

     On Friday, I was supposed to meet up with a group of students for a guided hike up Mount Tibidabo, but as you can tell from the word “supposed”, that plan did not go well. Google maps did not cooperate and by the time that I arrived at the meeting place, the group had left. So, instead of just heading back to the apartment, I decided to just hike up the mountain myself! Wonderful idea, I know… First, I had to figure out where I was going because I had no idea which trail to take. So, after awkwardly standing in the same spot and watching people walk by me, an older gentleman kindly said, “Buen dia. [Good morning.]” to me which unfortunately opened up the opportunity for me to make him my victim of bad Spanish. Luckily, I still had service on my phone, so with a mix of my bad Spanish and google translator, he was able to show me which direction to go. The last thing he translated on my phone was “do not be ashamed of asking a question”. I guess it was obvious that I did not feel comfortable approaching someone, but he was very nice about it and I got to practice a little of my Spanish in the real world.

     I don’t know how long the trail is, but it was all uphill. There were many runners and bikers passing me as I made my way up the dirt/rock road to the top of the mountain. There are some spectacular views of the city as you make your way up and I stopped to take plenty of pictures! I saw a lot of those little brown lizards (the ones you can buy at the beach that are sometimes green but change colors) running across my path into the wooded areas for safety. At the top of Mount Tibidabo is an old amusement park and a huge cathedral. There was also a restaurant, café, 5-star hotel, and lots of stray cats that a homeless man was feeding. I took my time wandering through the souvenir shops, stopping to eat my packed lunch, and took even more pictures. The way back down was a lot nicer than the way up, at least it was all downhill! I didn’t realize there was a metro and bus that reach the top of the hill, but I was happier to get some exercise and to enjoy the peacefulness and serenity of being in nature. It was my first chance to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

     I guess I am starting to appear more Spanish, or at least look like I belong in Barcelona, because I am getting stopped by people that ask for directions in Spanish. Of course, my first instinct is to say “Ingles? (English?)”, but they usually don’t speak English so we must carry on in elementary-level Spanish. It’s really fun to speak Spanish for a purpose, not just in the classroom. The best part is that I will be continuing my Spanish education beyond just my time here in Barcelona, so I am dedicating a lot of my time and energy into absorbing as much of the language as possible.

     I have a field trip to the FC Barcelona stadium and museum on Tuesday (I am so excited to be able to stand on the field/pitch!) and a free dinner and Flamenco show on Wednesday evening, so expect more on those later! Thank you for reading and please feel free to ask any questions! J

The Adventures Continue!

     It’s a rainy day here in Barcelona. I’ve noticed that the city is quieter when it rains, seems more at peace.

     I attended a cooking class hosted by Yves Nicolier. There were four other girls from my study abroad program that also attended that day when there were supposed to be twelve in total. We had a lovely evening learning about Catalan dishes, especially with a smaller group. I was in charge of making the tostada con tomate, just a toasted bread with a tomato rub, oil, and a little salt. With a little bit of Fuet, a Spanish pork sausage, it is a very simple appetizer that we snacked on while we cooked the rest of the meal. The salad was made of garbanzo beans, spring onions, tomatoes, and a red sauce that goes on the top (I forget the name of this one, but it was delicious!). The main course was pork chops and boiled vegetables with oil. The meat was cooked in a mountain of salt wrapped in orange peels, essentially an oven inside an oven as Yves explained it. I have noticed that Catalan people put oil on everything they eat, and it has become a sort of bragging right for them with their healthy Mediterranean diet that keeps cholesterol low. Dessert was Mato, a type of Spanish cheese, covered in honey with walnuts.

     Yves Nicolier's was the first house that I have been able to see in Barcelona. We ate our dessert on the rooftop while we watched the fireworks in celebration of the end of La Mercé. It was a beautiful view of the lights of the entire city of Barcelona. His house was located on the outskirts of the city, a little ways up a hill. Oh, and if you enjoy driving manual cars, Europe is the continent for you! All of the vehicles here are manual, and make for a somewhat scary experience when stopped on a steep hill.

Fireworks from the rooftop.

     One cultural aspect of Spain that I am having a really difficult time adjusting to is their way of greeting people. In the United States, we either stand back and just acknowledge the new person or shake their hand. If it is someone that is a good friend or family member, we may even hug them. But in Spain, even if you have never met someone before, they will go ahead and introduce themselves and proceed to touch their right cheek and then left cheek to yours while kissing. Yves Nicolier, the chef from the cooking class, greeted each of us in this manner as we arrived even though none of us had met him previously. This gets me every single time. I am not big on touching other people, sometimes even hugs are too much for me, and Spain is definitely pushing my limits! But, I do not want to be seen as rude by not customarily doing so or reacting negatively. Please don’t expect me to bring this part of Spanish culture back with me to the United States though!

     One last announcement: My adventures do not end upon my return home in December. Just eight short days after I arrive home from the big city of Barcelona, Spain, I will be flying to a little town in Mexico. From one extreme to the other, it will definitely be a fun adjustment to make. I am excited to have this opportunity, and I am so excited for the day that I get to be reunited with the one that I love! It still does not feel like real life that I am in a foreign city or that I will be traveling out of the country once again. Prior to leaving for Spain in August, I had never been out of the United States before. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Ramble On

     Have you ever traveled somewhere alone? I’m not talking a foreign country, just somewhere that you typically go everyday with other people. A restaurant, movie theater, for a walk, to a café, out shopping (but not the grocery store), or any other place that we typically go with company. If you haven’t, you should try it. It’s a freeing experience. Gives you a chance to prove to yourself that you can do it on your own and strengthen your self-confidence. It gives you lots of time with your own thoughts, and it might be fun to observe the people around you and analyze their behavior, but that may just be the psychology major in me. Try it and enjoy it!

     I have this tendency to wander around the city, locating interesting buildings from afar and finding my way towards them. I stumbled upon a wonderful three-story flea market because I like to walk everywhere I go. Encants Barcelona was very cool to stroll through. There are so many different vendors offering their unique products, from undergarments with crazy designs to wooden walking canes. Especially with the high costs of everything in Barcelona, Encants offers very good prices for the non-tourist. The bottom floor of the flea market is filled with vendors that have laid out their ‘junk’ to be searched through. While most of it is not something most people would purchase, there are some very interesting finds if you get lucky! I found out in my Spanish class that one of our field trips will be to Encants this upcoming Wednesday, and I am pretty excited about it.

     La Mercé is a five-day festival here in Barcelona. There is a complete program list for each day of the festival. Today, September 24, is the main day of the festivities, and is the reason that classes were cancelled. Concerts, parades, fireworks, a carnival, castells, and performances occur nearly every day until the wee hours of the morning (Spanish people stay up very late here in Barcelona). Castells are human towers. They are a long-standing tradition in Spain and usually incorporate generations of families. At the top of these castells, sometimes three-story-in-building-height towers, are the children, and these towers can be built up to 10 levels of people. It takes about 600 or more individuals to create some of the tallest towers!

A Castell.

     The crowds are huge at all of these events as they are located in the central parts of the city. I was able to watch fireworks on the beach over the Mediterranean Sea one night with a few friends in celebration of the beginning of the festivities. I also got a very yummy churro stuffed with Nutella. It was delicious and I will be eating all of my future churros with Nutella!

     Classes are in full swing. With a 19 credit course load, the homework keeps me busy. In countries outside of the United States, classes are less lecture and more so guided class discussions. We are expected to read lots of pages of selections by the professor and to come to class prepared to discuss what we have read. This is definitely a change from what I am used to. Especially as I am on the shyer side of life, it has been kicking my butt and forcing me to voice my own opinion, but that’s good for me.

     Tonight, I will be attending a cooking class to learn how to make a few Mediterranean/Catalan inspired dishes and postres (desserts). Hopefully I don’t burn the building down and can come back with a few tricks in the kitchen up my sleeve! I have a new page dedicated to pictures: it is located at the top of the page on the black bar next to the "home" button.

     Until next time, hasta luego!

Adapting to the Barca way of Life

     While I am beginning to feel more content living in this foreign city, the heartache and yearning for home remains. I believe that feeling will more than likely stay with me for the remainder of my time here, but I can manage. It is just a not-so-subtle reminder of the loving relationships that I have back in the Estados Unidos.

     But, I must always remember why I decided to come to Barcelona and study abroad. Apparently law schools love applicants that have studied abroad, so I want to increase my own assets for my resume. I would love to be bilingual, and while I may be beyond the ideal age for learning a second language, there is no shame in trying! I want to grow as an individual, and I have been told that this experience will definitely change me, more than likely in a positive light. I want to strengthen my relationship because “distance makes the heart grow fonder”… distance sucks, actually, but if this will be the most difficult time we go through in our entire lives together, I would say that we have it pretty good! I also want to learn how to cook various Catalon dishes, but I need to learn more Spanish before I can ask my host mother to teach me how she makes our dinners every night, so this will be completed at a later date!

     Classes start tomorrow, finally! Make fun of me all you would like, but I adore learning and completing homework assignments. I am definitely excited for my 9am classes Monday through Thursday. Both of my psychology classes are on Monday, so it’s kind of a treat just for me! I have had a total of five Spanish classes so far, and my homestay parents have already noticed an improvement. They are surprised by my ability to comprehend what they are saying, but my speaking abilities are still in need of a lot of work. I have plenty of time over the next 95 days to sharpen all of my Spanish skills.

     Barcelona is an expensive city. It doesn’t help that it takes about $1.30 to equal €1. But, many museums are free Sundays after 3pm, so I will be taking full advantage of this offer! Barcelona has much to offer: cafes, restaurants, museums, beaches, parks, beautiful architecture, shopping, mountains, and much I have yet to discover.

     Since my last post, I have been able to spend a relaxing day at the beach, explore Parc de la Ciutadella, experience my first holiday here, and take lots of pictures. It’s definitely a new experience living the city life. I grew up in an area surrounded by Amish farms and the constant sounds of the city and amount of people are something to get used to. The holiday was on September 11, a day of celebration for the people of Catalonia (a ‘state’ comprised of four provinces in Spain where Barcelona is the capital).  Catalonia wants to be separate from Spain, essentially its own functioning country. There will be a vote by the people held soon to determine public opinion. September 11 was a day of demonstrations where 1.8 million people lined the many kilometers of the streets of Barcelona in the shape of a ‘V’ for ‘voten’. The Catalon flags still hang from balconies all across the city in remembrance of this holiday.

     I have discovered more peculiar things about this city over the past few days as well. The ground level floor is labeled as ‘0’, and depending on if you go above or below the ground level, subsequent floors are labeled 1, 2, 3 or -1, -2, -3. They sell ice cream at movie theaters. You have to press a button or turn a handle for the doors of the metro to open. Nestle makes all of the American chocolate products that are sold here, and Nestle does not make Kit-Kat the way Hershey does. Portions at cafes are very small no matter what you order. Barcelona’s largest crime rate is that of pickpockets stealing so you must ALWAYS be conscious of where your belongings are and who is trying to distract you. Dumpsters are labeled for various waste products such as glass bottles, cardboard, food waste, metal cans, and general garbage. Street cleaners and people cleaning the sidewalks work every day to keep the city clean and they do a splendid job of it. You won’t find anybody eating on-the-go, it is strange to eat and walk at the same time because food is meant to be enjoyed and enjoyed slowly. Shops close for a few hours during the middle of the day and schools allow children to return home for lunch.

     I feel like that was a rather long list… but, there will be more to come later! Thank you to all of those who are reading my blog, I appreciate it. I’m glad that I have the opportunity to share with you all. :) Also, to those that have or have created a google+ account, feel free to "follow" me (I am not quite sure what it is called on google...). At the bottom of my blog, I have added the opportunity to do so and it should show you all of my new posts as I add to the blog.

Mi novio.