F to the RANCE

I travel to Paris with my one kidney to meet Brie tomorrow, Christine and Rachel on Friday, then Justin on Saturday.

If you need to find the cool kids, we'll be in Paris.

Dropped Like a Bad Habit

Over these past three months I have met so many different people, from so many different places, doing so many different things with their lives. A lot of them took breaks from their lives to come over to Europe and just explore and see what life has to offer. I've had a lot of time to think while I've been over here I've been inspired by some of these people and their ability to do what makes them happy instead of what is viewed as a safe life plan. I've decided that I am not going to keep going down the safe path in terms of a career and that is why I have decided to drop my education major.

After 15 years of school, I've almost started to hate learning. It's not the actual material that I hate, but rather the system of teaching and learning the new material. I've thought about it all semester and I've realized that I don't want to spend my life working in a system that I hate... Who wants their kid to be taught by a teacher that can't stand the school system anyways?

Yes, this is a big change and somewhat of a risky decision, but I've never felt so free. I can do whatever I want with my life - there isn't a set plan. It's scary and liberating at the same time. I'm going to complete a couple of business minors before graduation in May of 2010 and then just see where life takes me.

Plus this means I can work in another study abroad trip. Yessss.

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
--E.M. Forster

My Trip to The Sun and Back

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to spend a weekend on the sun, simply travel to Sevilla and Cordoba. How glad and I that I decided to study in a mountain town?? SO GLAD.

Sevilla was beautiful and would be a great place to spend a few days in (during the winter months). My first mistake was buying a ticket for the tour bus that drives you around the city. While I was seeing everything Sevilla had to offer, I was simultaneously baking myself. I left the bus at 3pm with a nice red tint and zero energy to do anything else. I forced myself to visit the Cathredral, the third largest in the world, and then I walked around for a few hours. I met some people at the hostel and spent the evening with them.

I left for Cordoba at noon the next day and met Christa there. The entire purpose of going to Cordoba was to see the Mezquita, a super famous mosque that is well-known throughout Spain, and we wound up seeing the whole thing within 20 minutes. We had no idea what to do with the remaining 6 hours of our time there and sat at various cafes trying to avoid the sun's death rays until it was time for us to head back to Granada.

Moral of the story: Cordoba sucks. Don't go there, ever.

Now I'm back in Granada with my sweet sunburn and waiting for the next trip. Just four days until Paris... should be enough time to pack and then immediatly re-pack again. Almost done....

I have no words

Can we please take a moment to talk about how Spain only recognizes 5 continents and according to my professor claiming that there are 7 continents "is just like you greedy Americans, always wanting more of evertyhing."

....WHAT?!?!

It's not like we are talking about a plate of french fries! We are talking about the actual world!
I am speechless.

Spaniards: 2
Gringos: 0

Also in recent news, I walked into a small store this weekend and was greeted by one of the workers. After asking me if I spoke English, he asked me if I could write down the correct spelling of "Kentucky Fried Chicken" so they could google it.
Seriously.

San Sebastian Success Story

The weekend was great, the weather was great (for the most part), and I finally saw the city I have been wanting to visit since I found out about Spain. The 12 hours of traveling to get home yesterday was almost worth it too :)

The best part is that it was just cold enough for us to avoid the water all together. I win.

I wasn't in Bilbao long enough to do much other than visit the Guggenheim Museum. This museum was so cool it almost made me apprecieate museums in general. Almost.

Really?!

Not only have the construction workers torn up the entire entryway floor, they have now started working on pipes and we have ZERO WATER. That means no sinks, no showers and no toilets. That also means that I had to walk through the rain to the residencia to shower this morning and that our toilets have become like porto-potties.

Thank God I leave in 10 minutes. Get me to San Sebastian before this apartment complex collapses.

A Nice Dose of Culture

This past weekend was one of three remaining weekends I have left in Granada. We went to La Alhambra, a Flamenco show, and a bullfight. I could live here forever, don't tempt me.

This weekend I am heading to Bilboa and San Sebastian in the north of Spain to meet up with Brie and a few of her frenchy friends. I'm gonna see what the Basque Country is all about and what northern Spain has to offer. Brie is trying to get me to go into the ocean, a.k.a blue liquid death, but I plan on standing strong and avoiding the water like the plague. I will watch from a safe distance while Shark Bate and her friends attempt to surf in the jelly fish infested waters.

I leave tomorrow and come back to G town on Sunday night. Let's do this thing.

Organs for sale

The good news:
I just got done booking my flight to and from Paris for the first weekend in May. Brie, Rachel, Christine and Justin will all be there together at the same time. Party in the hostel.

The bad news:
I had to sell my left kidney to afford the airfare alone.
(Maybe we won't party too hard.)

Je déteste déjà la France.

I thought I knew Spanish and then I came to Spain

Don't worry, everything I spent the last eight years of my life memorizing was just shattered in a swift 20 minutes of class today.

Spaniards: 1
Gringos : 0

Just Kidding

Instead of my planned trip to Sevilla and Cordoba, I'll be in my tiny bed in Granada dying slowly.
I guess going non-stop for two and a half months has finally caught up with me.

Boooooo.

Just an Update

• Life in Granada is going great.


• I'm headed to Sevilla, Cordoba and Las Alpujarras this weekend
  
• Next weekend I'm visiting La Alhambra, going to a Flamenco show and hitting up a Bullfight with my study abroad program.
  
• Our history professor called out the entire class today for sucking at translating numbers. I don't know what the deal is, but it is literally one of the hardest conepts for me in Spanish... and apparently I am not alone. She told us she is going to review numbers with us on Thursday, even though at our level we should have them down. Don't hate on the Gringos, we're doing the best we can.


• Only 50 days left of The Best Semester Ever.