Fin- Part 1

EAP trip to Córdoba and Granada
What I actually pictured Spain to be like before arriving.  Córdoba for me is the southern version of Toledo (capital of Spain before Madrid).  I love small towns. We got a taste of flamenco and food they are known for like Salmorejo (a creme soup served cold like Gazpacho).  I am not the biggest fan of Gazpacho, but Salmorejo is delicious!  Every area of Spain has their own delicacy they are known for, and I have been lucky enough to taste these fabulous wonders.

Granada

Córdoba

Before leaving to Spain I thought I was going to travel to different countries during my last week, instead I moved some stuff into my new apartment in Madrid!  For the "piso" (shared apartment) I will be living in, I chose to live with my friend Jana, one of my good friends I've made in Spain and a couple of other students.  I can't really describe exactly the emotions I've been feeling these past few days.  It is the bittersweet feeling you get when you graduate from high school/college and not knowing what is there to come.  I ended my first half of study abroad and will come back to the same city, but with a different experience.

My friends are amazing, they were like my family here in Spain.  A couple of them have told me, "don't be sad, you are coming back again!"  It is sad to have said my goodbyes to them, so the term "hasta pronto" comes up, meaning hopefully we see each other soon.  They are amazing individuals and I wish them all the luck in their future endeavors.  We were all new to Madrid...we came, we saw, we conquered, and all great things have to come to an end.  Like my friend Matt says "sadness just mean you lived something worth living."  One of the best quotes I have heard in my life because this can apply to many things, and not just study abroad.  This study abroad experience has been a roller coaster and truly unforgettable with many bonds being made.  My familia- I thank them, because I don't know what my study abroad experience would have been without them.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2010

I am more on my own next semester.  I am living on my own and taking classes with Spanish students.  When I come back I won't be a stranger to the city so it will definitely be easier.  I want to thank my coordinators Rocio and Cristina for helping me in this process.  They've told me I won't regret staying for a year.  I'm excited, I'm doing this, something where last year I didn't think I was going to have the guts to do.  The host family experience, something I was really nervous for, and now that I look back at it I see why it was a good idea.  One really is immersing themselves into the culture.  I thank my host family, I learned so much about Spain and other parts of Europe from living with them.

My family.  I thank them for always supporting me, and are continuing to support me with my decision of staying for a year.  I love them so much and without them I wouldn't be the person I am today.  I will be seeing them on December 12th and I am so grateful to be with them again.  My mom is even going to travel with me next January before the new semester starts.

My friends from back home.  They support me with everything and understand why I want to stay for a year.  It's hard to be away from them, but the relationship I have with them will never go away, even if I'm another continent away.  I can hardly wait to see all of them!

I am grateful to God, for giving me the opportunity to live life to its fullest.

I learned more about myself and felt I grew as a person.  Study abroad really tests your capabilities, it has tested mine.  I'm undergoing times I will never forget. What will part 2 be like?  We'll see, but for now, California here I come.  Keep on livin'

Lisboa, Portugal

Time to breathe amongst traveling and school

I haven´t been blogging lately for a number of reasons.  For one, I have been traveling practically every weekend since I don´t have class on fridays.  Second, been having lots of homework and projects lately, and lastly I´ve been catching up on sleep when I don´t have anything else to do.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to travel.  So far in Spain I have been to Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and Barcelona.  In Italy I´ve been to Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Siena.  I just returned from Paris, and it is one trip I will always remember, we also made a trip to Versailles to see the famous palace.  I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, got in free to Notre Dame, Louvre museum, and the Palace of Versailles.  this is the most traveling I have ever done, so a need of sleep is always necessary.  I´ve also learned that before traveling one needs a good nights rest and a proper breakfast or else it will bite you back during your travels with being physically exhausted and having a massive headache.

In Spain, Toledo has got to be my favorite city so far.  I have a love for small cities with a lot of charm.  Toledo actually used to be the capital of Spain!  Italy is beautiful, my favorite cities have been Florence and Siena, small cities in comparison to Rome with a lot of charm.  Rome is great to visit, but I couldn't imagine myself living there.  For Paris I wanted to visit and check it out, but did not think I was going to enjoy it that much because it's a big city with lots of tourists.  Lo and behold, I received what I did not expect.  I am so happy I got to go, because it is truly a magnificent city.  I know why they call it "the most beautiful city in the world."  While I went to all these places I also noticed culture changes for each country, the people, how they dress, eat, and talk.  The beauties of traveling!  Paris reminded me a lot of the states.  My friend Andrew also mentioned the same thing because of the large ethnic diversity and the fact that Paris is a big city, like NY or LA.  I felt right at home in which I did not expect. I hope to go back one day, but in the meantime, I look forward to my next destination!

SPAIN

Toledo:

Segovia:

Salamanca:

Barcelona:

ITALY

Rome:

Florence:

Pisa:

Siena:

FRANCE

Paris:

Versailles:

Hence the title of the blog, I finally have enough time to blog other than doing school work.  It´s a different lifestyle definitely because I´ve been going up and down everywhere, taking buses, trains, and planes.  Something that would never happen being at UCR.  Balancing school work amongst these travels has been something I needed to master.  

Something I have done on my one free weekend in Madrid has been hitting up museums like the Prado and Reina Sofia, two amazing museums which we also got in free because of time slots where they let the public enter for free.  These are both some of the most famous museums in Europe, especially the Prado.

Time really does go by fast when you are having fun.  For the past weeks, my sleep schedule has been a little off.  I'm used to the time here, but I think when one is studying abroad they find themselves staying up late talking to family and friends since it is still early in the states and everyone is on skype.  I have to take the time to thank skype though, I get to see all my loved ones from back home and I am so thankful for that.  Shout out to everyone, miss you guys!

The time in Spain is truly irreplaceable though, because 9 months ago I had no idea what to encounter.  Finally living here for a while has gotten me used to how things work and know where everything is for the most part.  There have even been times when people visiting Madrid see me as a local and have asked me where things are.  It feels great knowing where you´re going and confident in it, without having to feel much like tourist.  Whereas, on August 30th I had no idea where anything was.

My most recent experiences have been visiting Telemadrid where my host mom works, and getting a tour of the studio.  In my study abroad application I mentioned I am interested in Journalism, so when my host mom picked me up from the hotel the second day being in Madrid, it was such a great surprise to find out she is the Art and Entertainment Director of Telemadrid.  I got a taste of what I want to do as a career and it was truly unforgettable!  My friend Alex and I saw the 2:00 p.m. news live in action, met the anchor of the evening news, and having lunch with the employees was a great way to end the tour.  This past friday was also my last excursion for my class, Medioambiente y sociedad en España.  The professors surprised us with having a once in a lifetime view of the city from the top of the Torre Europa, which is not open to the public.  They had connections and we went all the way up to an area where only helicopters land in case of emergencies.  When you get a view of the whole city, it is definitely one of the things you will remember most from a trip.  That moment was a surprise to all of us because we had no idea!  It was also bittersweet because we realized this was our last excursion and someone mentioned as we were on our way to have lunch "this is probably the last time we will all be in the metro together."  It's sad when you know things have to come to an end, but the memories will always remain....let's make the best of the month we have left!

Just recently my host mom asked me to help her translate interview questions. She went to London to interview the guys from "The Hangover."  Growing up, my parents always stressed the fact that it is important to be bilingual.  They always encouraged me to speak Spanish and I am thankful growing up in a household with two languages.  They would usually talk to me in Spanish, and when I was little I would respond with both languages.  When you're little you don't really see the big importance, but it's interesting how when you grow up you see why it is so important.  Spanish plays such a big part in our society, and I know that if I ever have kids I will encourage them to speak Spanish as well.  Without knowing both languages, I wouldn't have been able to help translate for my host mom, help interpret for people when the cashier only knows English and the customer only knows Spanish, and be able to help someone practice English with intercambio (I help someone with their English and they help me with my Spanish) sessions.  I have come a long way, with many conversations and decisions being made along the road, where it has only made me grow.  Taking interesting classes, learning to balance fun and school, seeing different lifestyles and experiencing cultures, meeting new people, and making close frienships are things that will always occur not just in study abroad, but for the rest of your life journey.  Keep on livin´

The world is my music

Finished my first class at 11, I had to do a couple of errands to do after and my friend Amanda came with me.  We went to Sol and Gran Vía, the two downtown areas of Madrid.  Taking the metro is probably my new favorite way of transportation, I don't even need to have my i-pod with me, there are usually people playing music at the stations.  Sometimes you even get a treat and get to hear someone play music inside the metro.  For a music lover, I find this to be one of the best things of a normal day in Madrid.  When my friend Amanda and I left the metro we saw some guys go in with a cello, I was really close to going back in the metro just to hear them play.  It's funny how a normal day of doing errands you really do not want to do can turn into a day of fun and having that feeling of relief once all the errands are done.  As we were walking we decided to stop for some gelato.  The flavor was toffee and I think it was my first gelato I have ever had, it was delicious!  It was actually the same place my friends and I went to for an early breakfast after "salir de marcha."  A phrase used here referring to going on at night with friends.  After errands we chilled for a little bit, I am starting to like having big gaps in between classes to get things done. Amanda and I parted ways, and as I was standing in the metro, lo and behold a guy with his saxaphone comes in!  Usually when a seat gets available people rush for the seat.  Today I felt like standing right where I was, listening to the saxophone player play right in front of me!  Music is everywhere and life is beautiful.  Keep on livin'


"I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity.  It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music." ~Billy Joel

Rome, Italy:

Barcelona, Spain:

Paris, France:

Vale!

Each of the classes I am taking at Carlos III are amazing.  Every class is taught in Spanish and I am getting credit to transfer back to UCR.  I am taking classes related to what I am interested in doing for my career.  For my "Periodismo y medios de comunicación en español" class for instance, one of our assignments is to create a blog about a topic and continue writing about it with a classmate. It's not the blog you are currently reading, but another blog that will make it's feature opening soon.  My friend Matt and I are writing about food.  It will include food from different places we visit, what we expected, and what we experienced during our food excursion.  We decided on food because it is a common interest we both share about Spain and traveling in general.

Spanish language class- We are learning phrases and words from Spanish used here.  Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico for instance are not that big of a difference, just short phrases, how some words are used, and a slightly different accent.  One of the assignments for homework was to ask our host parents what certain phrases mean.  For example, a phrase that is used here is "que te sea leve," meaning "I'm sorry you have a lot of things to do."  Also, a very common word used here that I noticed right when I got off the plane is "vale," meaning "okay."  Short, simple, gets the message across, and a word I found to be my favorite.  Vale!

Medioambiente y sociedad en España- A geography class, may not be my favorite subject, but this class has to be the most interesting geography class ever.  We are learning about the environment and society in Spain.  I'm not a science major, but the way this class combined science and society is pretty amazing.  My teacher told us the first day he likes teaching American students because we have a lot of things to say and are a fun group to teach.

Historia del Presente: España hoy-  How Spain is at this moment is the subject of what we are learning.  We are studying current issues that Spain is dealing with. We are learning the root of where things came from as well, tying it to history from a while ago around the 1900's. "Zapatillas esparto" for instance are shoes used in the 1930's in Spain, and they have come back in style with newer looks. The shoes look somewhat like the famous "TOMS" shoes, which also happens to be one of my favorite pairs of shoes.  The quote "things come back in style" definitely applies here. Recent issues is a subject I am very interested in and I always try to be updated with what is going on in our world. In this class I am learning about a specific country, issues for the country, and having my mind be open to new ways of thinking.  In the United States, I've gained a brief knowledge of different countries by history classes I have taken.  This history class I am taking is unlike any other.  I am learning the most recent history of how a society in this country came to be and how it may be different from how the United States is right now.

Cine español- The number one class I was planning on taking!  I am learning about different types of movies and Spanish directors that have put the movies on the screen.  My major at UCR is taught all over the world, and I am learning every great thing about the topic in Spain.  Having my friends in that class makes it even more fun.  We end the school week 7 p.m. on Thursdays! :)  

Spanish director: Pedro Almodóvar

I can't believe I am already going to start my fourth week in Madrid!  Cheers to the current and future, experiences and memories! Keep on livin'

Mi vida en España

España!  The friends I made, the family, the food, my school, being able to take the metro/bus/train to school...everything...AMAZING!  If anyone is considering studying abroad, DO IT!  It has been more than a week and I will not give it away for anything.  I can't say that everyones study abroad experience will be the same, but the rewards one will acquire and experience in another country goes beyond what is expected. Whether you experience the luckiest or the unluckiest of things, it's how you deal with it.  Studying abroad really tests your capabilities and sometimes you have to keep reminding yourself
"I'm actually here and it's my turn to be on my own."  It may not always be perfect, but you have to keep on going.  I'm learning more about myself and opening my eyes to what more another part of the world has to offer.  Everywhere I turn is a new adventure!  Something new to be seen, even as simple as a sunset.  The laughs and adventures, and the memories to take with me are irreplaceable. The things I've seen in Madrid, are things I can only imagine.  The Palacio Real for instance, breathtaking and lucky to be standing right there, watching it with my own eyes.  Things I've only seen on TV or in magazines, are things that have become a reality for me now.  I am truly marveled by everything here.  The nerves I felt before this trip are gone.  I am comfortable in this new city, which I am proud to say is my home for the next couple of months.

The food:  One of my favorite topics to talk about.  The salad comes with vinegar, oil, and salt.  A lot of meat products and potatoes.  I had paella the other day (a popular seafood dish in Spain), something I wanted to try since I got here and love it.  Just recently I went to Lavapiés with some friends and had the best Indian food I've ever had, that town is so diverse.  Churros con chocolate:  a Spain tradition and I will not forget the first bite, officially my favorite dessert.  Going to another country is where you really taste the wonders of the world.  The culture it comes with is something that really enriches one's life, like mine.

A different lifestyle definitely, and took sometime to adapt too...I knew I was not in California anymore.  Whether it be walking around downtown, attending classes, eating with the family, knowing the ropes to public transportation, finding that thing you go "WOW" over because you haven't seen anything like it, or going out with friends, dancing and singing to every song we love for La Noche en Blanco (a tradition in Spain where the streets are covered with people, a lot of music, and basically every place is open all night), one is immersing themselves to the new culture & I am loving every minute of it!

Thankful for the every laugh and smile the city, and people have put on my face.

September 8th:  My 20th birthday, one I will never forget.  Had dinner at Casa Mingo, not expecting to see everyone that was there.  A birthday for the books <3

Each moment one is living is something to take in and experience, and when one can look back at it and smile one knows it was a moment to remember forever.  If you have the chance to do something incredible, do it.  Keep on livin'

Los sentimientos hacia esta maravillosa experiencia, España!

So, the constant e-mails, phone calls, and trips to my school's International Education Center and it has finally come down to this! This is it, so surreal.  The night before my plane takes off, and feeling mixed emotions of nerves, excitement, and the willingness to be open to new ideas.  The bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to loved ones has also been occurring.  Why study abroad? Well, many reasons, mine for instance is because I want to be able to further my education in another country, speak the other language I grew up with, and live my life to the fullest.  My older sister Alexandra Landeros once told me, "What you learn in the classroom is only a small part of education - what you do with your knowledge in the real world is true education."  I am about to visit another part of the world and I will apply what I have learned to help me with this journey, and continue keeping my open mind to the wonders that follow.  I love traveling and being able to study in a beautiful country is something I am truly thankful for.  I am ready to live it!  To my family and friends, this is my diary, my diary of the experiences in Spain! "Vamos Al Grano," means "Let's get to the point."  The true experience of my adventures.  Keep on livin'