Tis the Season

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted on here. After studying abroad blogging just didn't seem to cross my mind. Now that I'm on winter break I figured I should get back into it. I read multiple style blogs on the daily and figured I would try to emulate some of their blogging styles into my own blog in the hopes of getting into a rhythm. Now that I'm taking more classes relevant to my major I figured I should work on building my online presence. Last night I applied for the Retail Management internship with Nordstrom for the summer and it inspired me to work hard at this Public Relations thing. These day it's hard to break into the job market and I want to make that transition a little easier. I've been working on my twitter image as well, and my goal is to tweet articles, facts, and other things besides my own thoughts at that moment. I also would love to take a class on blogging so that I could spruce up this space of mine. If you have any tips I would love to hear them! Have a wonderful weekend!

Back in the US of A

On Friday I made the long trek back home to Oregon, and boy is it good to be home. I apologize for my lack of posts, without a laptop abroad it got hard to post regularly. Once my parents made it to Europe we were busy for 80% of the day and blogging seemed to slip my mind. I plan to go through my photos and post about each city once I have time to sort through it all. Thanks to everyone who viewed my blog while I was abroad, last month my views increased by more than I could have imagined and I'm very happy to know people find my life interesting :)

Last Day

I'm writing this post from my bed as I look at my empty closet, and I couldn't be more sad. I was in Sevilla for three and a half weeks which was the perfect amount of time for me to fall in love with the city and the people I met. It's also the perfect amount of time for me to wish I had a week or two longer. These past three weeks flew by just like I knew they would, but that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier ((sorry this is so sappy)). Sevilla is the first city I've been to outside of the US and I've learned so much while I've been here. My Spanish has improved tremendously, I grew close with my host mom and sister, and I became friends with local Sevillanos. I tried snails (thanks Rafa), I stayed out until 4:30 in the morning, and I walked at least 3 miles every day. I swam in the Mediterranean, I met people from all over the world, and I found my way in a foreign city .I had the time of my life.

I know tomorrow will be hard saying goodbye to the family that so generously took me in, taught me about the culture of Sevilla and Spain, and helped me improve my Spanish speaking skills. Tonight will be the last hurrah as we revisit our favorite places and where some of my favorite memories are. I can't wait to see my parents tomorrow (fingers crossed as their first flight is delayed), but no guarantees I won't tear up as I say goodbye to Sevilla. I can promise you though that I will be back to visit this beautiful city and the people that helped make this experience great.

It's not goodbye, it's see you later. No es un adiós, es un hasta luego. 

Vamos a la Playa

So far in Spain I've gone to two different beaches, and different they were! The first Saturday I was here we went to a beach with a lot of wind and fine sand that wound up everywhere. The water was way too cold for my liking and my expectations for European beaches went down, as did my excitement since I have forever been a water baby. Luckily for me though this past weekend we took an overnight trip to Malaga and Nerja, two picturesque beach towns that I fell in love with, especially Nerja. There was a view point called Balcón de Europa, and it was beautiful. The beach we went down to was just as pretty. As soon as we found enough space for our group, we dove straight into the Mediterranean. At first the cold was a little shock to my system, I expected it to be quite warm and it took a little getting used to. At the same time it was such a surreal experience to literally be swimming in the ocean in Europe. After a few hours of fun in the sun we headed back home to Sevilla, where I think everyone fell asleep before midnight which is super early for Europeans. Unfortunately I forgot to put on my sunscreen (sorry mom) and turned into a lobster, but now it's faded quite nicely. Just in time for me to head to Lagos, Portugal for 4 days. I don't plan on leaving the beach much :) here are my iPhone pictures from Nerja! Just like a postcard :) I leave on Thursday for the long weekend and will return on Sunday, can't wait!

{Lindsay}

Catedral de Sevilla

Yesterday after class we had the opportunity to go on a tour of the Seville Cathedral, and I have to say it was my favorite cultural activity so far. Work began on the cathedral in 1507 and according to our guide will never be 100% finished because they are always working on it. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world. Located next to the Alcazar (royal palace), the two beautiful buildings are a wonderful representation of Sevilla. Attached to the cathedral is La Giralda, the bell tower. After we turned 37 corners of ramps, we reached the top and got to look over all of Sevilla. The view was incredible. My calves are a little sore today but it was well worth it :) also in the cathedral is Christopher Columbus' tomb, a surreal monument to see.

Yesterday also happened to be the 4th of July! I'm bummed that I missed one of my favorite holidays but it was fun celebrating here as well. Our large group of students from the program donned our best red white and blue and hung out by the river. Someone was nice enough to bring sparklers to share so we lit those and acted obnoxiously American. Some of our intercambios (Spanish friends learning English) had a good time celebrating with us and pretending to be American as well :)

Tomorrow we head to the beach town of Malaga for more sight seeing as well as some beach time! Here are my latest iPhone pictures

Culture Shock

Coming into this trip I knew that the Sevillian lifestyle would be very different than the American lifestyle. However, no matter how much you think you know about a town, you're still shocked at what is going on around you. Hence the term "culture shock." Being a fairly good Spanish speaker I thought I would have no trouble with the language difference. Apparently I was wrong, because in southern Spain they talk a lot faster, drop some important letters (gracias is just gracia, and d's sometimes disappear too), and expect you to follow along because hardly anyone speaks English as well. My host family only talks in Spanish and that's okay with me because they try to help me out, and I can already understand most of what is said to me. Forming my own sentences is a little intimidating no matter where I go because as soon as I open my mouth the word American is stamped on my forehead.

There are so many things that are extremely different than the United States, but at the same time a lot of things are similar. People stay out until 1 AM during the week and then 5 or 6 AM on the weekends. You'll get turned away at a discoteca if you're not dressed up enough. Kids are out playing in the streets past midnight. Naps are socially acceptable if not encouraged. IDs are not checked at bars. The list goes on! I'm not sure if I'll ever be 100% used to it all but it's definitely an experience to remember.

Here are some more iPhone pics! The first is the beautiful cathedral in Sevilla at night, then there's what we did in class yesterday (basically took shots of oil. Ick), my walk home every day (Calle Betis), and my homestay!

Jeréz y la Playa

Can't believe it's already my fifth day here in Spain! My study abroad program, CIEE, has had a lot of orientations and activities planned so my days have been busy. Yesterday we went to the town of Jerez, a beautiful southern city full of vineyards. There we got a tour of a bodega (winery), and it was one of the most beautiful/interesting places I've seen. Interestingly enough, the winery is owned by Jim Beam but still uses its own labels. We got to try their infamous fino, sherry, and brandy. While I'm sure they're delicious my palette wasn't too fond of the taste :)

After the bodega we went just a little further south to the beach. We laid out in the sun there for a few hours and took a dip in the semi-warm Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding area was picturesque and had resorts and plenty of restaurants and bars. My favorite drink here is tinto - a mix of red wine and either fanta or sparkling lemonade. It's very refreshing and was nice to have on the beach.

I don't have many pictures because they're all on my nice camera and I'm unable to put those on my iPad, but here are three from yesterday's excursion!

Sevilla Day One

After close to 24 hours of traveling yesterday, I made it to Sevilla! I tried to keep a good outlook on my hellacious day of traveling and multiple airports, but it was hard. My layover in Madrid was definitely a shock to my system. I tried to talk to at least four people at the airport but they hardly knew any English like I thought they would. I had to find my way to my second airline (an unfortunate 10 minute shuttle ride), find the self check in (which only had Spanish options), wait in line to check my bag (which cost $40 when I thought it was included), wait in line again for my boarding pass because the machine was faulty, and proceed to race through security. It was an experience for sure, just not one I'd like to relive.

My homestay family is great, there's a daughter my age who spends a lot of time studying engineering and then the mother. Both are very nice and patient with my slow, broken Spanish. They say I speak well though, much to my delight and surprise. I can already tell I'm becoming more comfortable speaking and my thoughts are now 100% Spanglish which is an interesting development to say the least.

Today I walked around the "downtown" part of Sevilla with my orientation group for about 3 hours. Sevilla is much bigger and spread out than I thought. Hopefully my familiarity with the city will improve and I'll be able to find my way around by the end.

Right now I'm avoiding taking a siesta like everyone else because I'm forcing my sleep schedule to be normal. After being awake from 3:30 to 6:30 last night I really want to have a solid nights sleep. I calculated that I've gotten around 9 hours of sleep in the last 50 hours, a strange concept for me! Tonight I will sleep like a baby.

Besos,
Lindsay

Halfway Through May

Happy May 15th! Every month I say "I can't believe it's (fill in month here) already!!" and now I'm saying "I can't believe we're halfway through May!" Time really does fly by. Right now I'm counting down the days until Sasquatch Music Festival, and once that is over I will be counting down until I leave for Spain. Both are so close and I don't know how that happened! I have been preparing for my travels to Spain for a while now so I think I'm almost ready. Any travel tips would be greatly appreciated.

Springtime in Oregon

Being a native Oregonian, I'm used to the seemingly constant rain we have. It usually doesn't get me too down, but come April I'm ready for some sunshine. This year had not disappointed either. The last two weeks have been absolutely gorgeous, and in my opinion nothing beats springtime in Oregon. 70 degrees with a light breeze is my cup of tea. And all of the flowers are so so pretty! Everyone is in a better mood and it is just perfection. I'm so excited for this beautiful month of May, and I hope you all are too! I'm off to enjoy the sunshine and Starbucks' "Frappy Hour" :)

Absent Without Leave

Yikes, it's been a month since I made a blog post! I honestly don't know how that happened. Actually I kind of do. I don't want this to be a "dear diary" kind of thing. I want it to measure important events and thoughts in my life. I want each post to have some sort of meaning to me.

Earlier today I read an article on traveling (http://convergemagazine.com/travel-young-5278/), and that's what I'm thinking about now. In that article was a quote that I'm sure will stick with me for a while, "Traveling will change you like little else can." Besides being beautiful, it's true. I haven't traveled further east than Texas, I've been to 11 different states, and all of those being in the West. Even though my list of "Places I've Been" isn't lengthy, I want it to be. I've recently decided I have wanderlust. Going to Europe for 6 weeks this summer will certainly help feed my need to travel, but from there I'm going to want to go every where. My boyfriend and I keep talking about places we want to go together, but school and money seem to squash those ideas. The article emphasizes travelling while young, but sometimes that's easier said than done.

So here's to all those that feel that same desire to see the beauty around the world and to expand their horizons, I'm with you 100%. May all your travel dreams come true.

Spring Break

After an 11 week long winter term, it is finally spring break! I somehow managed to survive Econ as well, and for my creative brain that is quite a feat. I am home with my family now and so so happy. I don't have much planned for the next week other than shopping in Portland (yay!), applying for study abroad scholarships, and applying for internships. One that I recently stumbled across was for Rent the Runway. They're a really cool brand that allows you to rent a designer dress for a special occasion. I love the idea of having an internship with a fashion company and really hope it works out! I hope everyone has a great spring break if this is your week off as well! Happy Spring :)

OCD Tendencies

One of my best (worst?) qualities is my love for all things organizing and scheduling. I'll say to my boyfriend how I'm OCD but he corrects me and tells me that I simply have "OCD tendencies." I love colored pens, lists, and my Lilly Pulitzer planner. Thank goodness for those things as I finish up dead week and march straight into finals week. To my right is a detailed calendar of what I will be doing the next five days until I am free from winter term. It gives me so much satisfaction to cross something off that list. It also helps me relax knowing I have it planned into my day to finish up a project. All that stands between me and home sweet home is a autobiographical video (stay tuned for that one), a final paper, and an Econ final. Best of luck to me on that last one.

España

Yesterday I FINALLY heard back from CIEE and I got accepted into the summer Language and Culture program in Sevilla, Spain! So I will be leaving for Spain the end of June! I cannot contain my excitement and sometimes I just find myself randomly smiling. That's a good thing though, right? After my study abroad program is over my wonderful mom and dad will be flying over to Europe to meet me and we're going to spend two weeks in Italy and France. I still can't believe it. This will be my first time ever leaving the country. Now all I want to do is look up travel websites and plan and shop for my trip. Let the countdown begin!

Le veo en Junio, Sevilla

Hello, March

This whole blogging thing is kind of new to me, so bear with me if my posts tend to be sporadic. It is currently Week 9 of winter term so my life seems to be going full speed ahead. Between working, school, sorority life, my boyfriend, and my family, I feel like my down time is pretty limited. Today was nice and relaxing but the next few weeks won't be.

I am currently waiting to hear back from CIEE about my acceptance into their study abroad program in Sevilla, Spain this summer and cannot contain my excitement! I've heard that there isn't any reason why I wouldn't get in, but me being the worrier I am, am worrying. Hopefully the wait isn't too long, I don't know how much more suspense I can handle!

Two Months In

I decided to start this blog once I turned twenty. I figured that was a good point in my life to move on from tumblr and all the random people I follow. There is so much going on in my life and a lot of it is me growing up and I feel like a real-life, big-girl blog is a great outlet for me. So now that I'm two months into being twenty, here goes nothing.