Dad's Visit to Spain!

Hola a todos! I’m back once again after two weeks of midterms (which felt like 5 weeks), which has kept me and my brain extremely busy. On top of that, I came down with a pretty nasty cold three days ago which has certainly taken its toll on me. Thankfully I’m feeling a bit better now. My temperature broke, my stomach has decided to let me keep down toast and apples, and my head no longer feels like I have a screwdriver through it. I’m also quite thankful that I took my last midterm yesterday, so now I can finally have some time to myself to just breathe (and catch up on my Gossip Girl, Glee, Desperate Housewives, and Modern Family of course haha). School has definitely picked up the pace and seems to get more and more challenging as the days go on. But thankfully I still have Fridays off, and the occasional holiday break from time to time. Three weeks ago I had a nice, long six day weekend and was lucky enough to have my Dad fly all the way from California to Spain to spend it with me…and boy was it a crazy/fun/amazing adventure.

Saturday, October 9^th couldn’t come soon enough for me. I had been counting down the days until my dad’s arrival since I had gotten to Spain! Not only was I looking forward to seeing him and getting to travel, but also to sleeping in a quiet, peaceful hotel, and not having to eat one morsel of fried food! That morning I took the shuttle bus to the airport to meet him. As I waited for my dad on the other side of the baggage claim doors, I could barely contain my excitement and anticipation. Finally after what had seemed like 3 hours, my dad walked through the doors! You really don’t realize how great it is to see a familiar face after you’ve been in a foreign country for two months! It’s wonderful!! After several hugs, we made our way over to the rental car station to pick up our car, a trusty little Citroën C4 diesel :)

After getting situated in our car, we were on our way; dad in the driver’s seat, and myself, the copilot, in the passenger seat…embarking on our adventure and doing it old school: no GPS, just a map and a few hand written directions to guide us. :)

Before we got to the hotel in Sevilla, we made a quick stop (or so I thought) at my apartment so my dad could see where I live and meet my host mom and dad. Little did we know that mama was going to prepare a “delicious” lunch filled with french-fries, chicken, ham, cheese, bread, beets, and beer…epitome of health. So dad got to experience first-hand the scrumptiousness of Mama Mary Paz’s cooking…yum. After eating, and playing translator for 3 hours, my dad and I were finally on our way to Hotel Silken Al-Andalus Palace (yeah pretty royal sounding I know…that’s how we role lol)

Our first full day brought about excitement as we decided to take a road trip to Cádiz, a beach town along the southwest coast of Spain, about 2 hours outside of Sevilla. After a quick breakfast of some awesome donuts we were on our way. We made it to Cádiz without any problems, and even found a prime parking spot that my dad so cleverly parallel parked into :) Cádiz was absolutely gorgeous! The old historic town sits on the edge of the ocean and it seriously looks like something out of the movies. We explored the town, the church, ate some pizza, got “lost” down the many tiny side streets, and somehow ended up right where we needed to be…back at our car. 

City of Cádiz

Dad and I exploring Cádiz  

After Cádiz, my dad and I had planned on driving to Ronda (about another 2 hours away), but since we were losing daylight, we sporadically decided to go to Los Arcos de la Frontera…a small rural town which we sort of stumbled upon. Good thing we did because Los Arcos was beautiful!! The little village pueblo balances atop a rocky limestone ridge, and its whitewashed houses and stone castle walls stop abruptly as a vertical cliff face plunges down to a huge valley. We decided we’d be adventurous and drive up to the Church of San Pedro which sits at the top of the cliff. So we began our journey driving down the narrow cobblestone streets…and when I say narrow, I mean narrow!! We couldn’t even open our doors, and at some points had to fold in the mirrors! I of course was a bit nervous and telling my dad “Nooo I don’t think we can drive down here” and he being the more daring/adventurous one just laughed it off and said “Oh sure we can.” The road kept getting progressively narrower, and at one point, a car in front of us turned around, so we decided to make a 17 point turn and do the same thing. Little did we know that the street was only one way! And who do we run into on the opposite way down the one way street?? The police of course! The officer got out of his car and must have known we were tourists because he politely told us this was a one way street, smiled, and then directed traffic so we could navigate back down the road. We decided to park the car, play it safe, and just walk up the steep hill (but not after almost burning out the clutch trying to parallel park down an incredibly steep side street haha). The view from the top of Los Arcos de la Frontera was breathtaking, and although chilly, nothing could ruin the beauty of it. After walking down a couple more cute side streets, my dad and I called it a day and drove back to Sevilla.  

Los Arcos de la Frontera

Dad demonstrating how narrow the street we drove through really was!

The next day my dad and I woke up really early and headed toward Tarifa (the southern most tip of Spain) because we had to catch a ferry to Tangier, Morocco! The drive started out good until I accidentally forgot which exit we were supposed to take, so we were forced to take another route. However, the detour wasn’t all that bad. The drive was actually really beautiful, filled with rolling green mountains and an amazing view of the coastline. Once in Tarifa (which looks quite similar to southern California), we bought our tickets for the ferry and explored the town for a little while. Then at 11:30 we got on the ferry and headed to Africa!! It’s crazy how close Spain and Africa really are. You can see the other country across the Strait of Gibraltar, and the ferry ride only took 45 minutes! Once we stepped off the ferry we were bombarded with local Moroccans trying to offer us tours. At first my dad and I were skeptical, but this one persistent older man, Mohammad insisted that we tour with him and that he would show us the old city, the new city, the Kasbah, and even take us on a camel ride. Turns out going with good old Mohammad was a good idea. His taxi driver Abdul first took us to the camels where we both got to ride camels for the first time :) Then Mohammad took my dad and I through the side streets of Morocco…through the markets, old towns, and definitely off the beaten “touristy” path. We really got to experience the culture on a first hand basis, and even got lured into a Moroccan rug shop were we were showed about 40 different rugs and had to weasel our way out of being forced to buy one. Morocco was by far my favorite destination that my dad and I traveled to, and I’m so glad we got to see it together! After Morocco, we took the ferry back to Spain and drove to Gibraltar which was okay…not took exciting because we arrived late and couldn’t drive to the top of the rock of Gibraltar. 

Riding the camels in Morocco!

Rock of Gibraltar

For my dad’s last day here we decided to stay in Sevilla so he could really see “my town”. We toured the Cathedral and climbed La Giralda, walked through the gardens of El Real Alcázar, and marveled at Plaza España. Although I had done it all before, it was even better the second time around since I had my dad with me! After we explored the city, and hit some of the main shops on Calle Sierpes and Calle Tetuán, we took a nice break and sat on the benches right outside the Cathedral and just soaked it all in. Around 8pm we ventured to this really cool restaurant we had seen a few nights ago called San Marco. The entrance was really unique and the building used to be an old Arab bath house. Let me tell you, our last meal together was definitely the best! I had some amazing gnocchi and my dad had delicious lasagna (yeah I know Italian food in Spain, but it was incredible). We sat there enjoying our meal and reminiscing about the past few days, sharing laughs about our adventures, and both trying to hide our disappointment that our time together was about to come to an end. After our dinner, we ventured to a gelato shop to enjoy one last amazing scoop of gelato before I had to go back to my host family. 

Dad and I at Plaza España

Cute peacock in the gardens at El Real Alcázar

Around 10:30pm dad and I drove back to my apartment, brought my luggage up to my room, talked with my host family and roommate, and tried to delay the goodbyes as long as possible. But as we all know, good things must come to an end, and we both needed to get back to reality...school for me, and work for my dad. I walked my dad out to the parking lot where we shared a tearful goodbye. We both had such an amazing time together and we didn’t want it to end, but we were so grateful that we had the opportunity to travel together and make some unforgettable memories. As my dad drove back to the hotel (a route that we had practiced a few times lol), I couldn’t help but shed one more tear because I knew I was really going to miss my daddy and our times filled with adventure and laughter :(  Although I was upset and reverted back to feeling a bit homesick for a few days, I was very appreciative that my dad took time out to visit me and that we were so blessed to have such a remarkable, unforgettable time. As long as I live I’ll never forget this trip we shared together. 

We love our gelato!

"A father is someone who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take" ~ Anonymous 

                                                         

Mi Familia

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Spain over a month now! Time is just flying by, especially with short, four-day school weeks, and trips planned on the weekends…before I know it I’ll be flying back to Chicago. I’m finally over my initial culture shock, and I have found myself fully adjusted to my new life here in España. The more I’m here, the more I find myself falling in love with the city and culture. Oh and I can’t forget my adorable host family: my mama, Mari-Paz, my papa, Jose Luis, my brothers Diego and Javier, my nephews Diego jr. and Alexis, and my niece Sara. They have truly been my family since I’ve been here in Spain. Mama and Papa are so adorable. They call me mi niña (my girl), mi alma (my soul), and bonita (beautiful). They’re always kind and caring…always making my bed (or should I say remaking it), doing my laundry, cleaning up after I eat…I wouldn’t change host families for the world (although mama could use a few cooking tips from Rachel Ray, and the decibel at which she talked could seriously be toned down) but I still love them! 

Since I don’t have nephews or nieces back home it has been nice to “adopt” some while in Spain. My nephews Diego (8 years old) and Alexis (4 years old) are so sweet…always coming in my room to give me besitos (kisses) to say hello or goodbye, and being kind enough to slowly repeat what they said so my brain can catch up to their level of Spanish. My niece Sara is over almost every day because my host mom watches her while my host brother, Javier, goes to work. Sara just turned one year old and is the cutest thing ever! With her big brown eyes, dark hair, dimples, cute smile, fashionable dresses, and adorable laugh, she melts your heart. But don’t get me wrong, that child has a good pair of lungs on her cuz boy can she scream (any normally when I’m trying to take my siesta or study). Two days ago Sara took her first steps here at the house! After weeks of Sara constantly holding on to your finger as she waddled along, she finally got the courage to let go and walk on her own. My host mom was happy she started to cry. Now Sara, with her new-found freedom, is booking it around the house and becoming more difficult to look after. It’s funny because sometimes she gets ahead of herself. She gets so excited and her little legs start to go but the top half of her body can’t keep up. So, she’s had a few decent spills over the past few days (an epic one at Toys R Us when she was hauling it to the Hello Kitty car, tripped over Buzz Lightyear’s foot and crash landed into life-size Barbie)…good thing those diapers are padded. 

Sara playing with Kingsley

Living with a host family here in Spain has not only allowed me to be submerged into everyday Spanish life and culture, but it has given me the opportunity to learn that someone doesn’t have to be related blood or marriage in order to be family. I, a total stranger to this family just one month ago, have been taken in as part of the family, and have been shown compassion, tenderness, and acceptance all without hesitation. It makes me think; shouldn’t we all live our lives in a similar way? Accepting people for who they are and showing tenderness and compassion to others even though they may be complete strangers. The big man upstairs did, my host family does, and we all should be doing the same thing and following their actions.

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” ~Romans 15:7

"When in Portugal...do as the Mexicans do"

So once again I have regrettably put off writing in my blog, and some how a few days has turned into a little over 2 weeks! The work load at school has started to pick up a little bit and midterms are coming up next week (yes, midterms already...time is flying by). So needless to say I’ve been busy putting in a few hours of studying. However it hasn’t been too bad since I have a study buddy, Brooke, and a lovely study spot, Starbucks :) Now if only Brooke and I could remember which bus stop we get off of to go home we’d be set! Yes, we managed to get off at the wrong bus stop, and yes, we’ve been here over a month. Oh well, nothing like a good laugh and a brisk walk back home.

So, what have I been up to lately…well two weeks ago Callie, Shelly, Brooke, and I ventured over to Spain’s neighbor, Portugal. We took a nice coach bus to Faro, Portugal, and we were there within two and a half hours. After a little bit of confusion, we got to our hotel, Hotel Sol Algarve, a cute, quaint little hotel run by the most adorable, sweet older man I’ve ever seen. Our room was nice. We had four individual beds, a bathroom, television (with channels in English!!), and most importantly air conditioning and silence (sorry Terra…aka pterodactyl, couldn’t bring ya on this trip to constantly disturb me while I attempted to get some quality REM cycle sleep!). 

Flattering picture of Callie and I on the bus to Portugal catching up on some sleep

The first night we all explored the town, had some amazing coffee, and found a restaurant to enjoy a meal that wasn’t deep fried in mama’s deep-fryer (oh btw she got a new one…yep, a shiny, chrome, huge beauty that bubbles grease with the slightest of ease.. yum). To our disappointment, the restaurant was horrible! We ordered pizza, but the sauce must have had rat poison in it cuz I gagged the minute it touched my palate. The next day we dedicated solely to the beach! We got up early, took a cab to Praia de Faro, laid out our towels, and soaked up the sun. Unfortunately Mother Nature decided to send gale-force winds our way which made the beach quite chilly, but we all somehow managed to get sunburned. The waves were massive due to the wind, and Shelly and Callie experienced the wrath of a mama wave. Shelly got completely knocked down just by standing on the shore, and Callie got a rock hurled at her foot (there was a minor bit of blood, good thing there weren’t any sharks). That night we ventured to this tiny hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant Shelly had discovered the night before. Much to our delight the place was packed, the people were friendly, the waiters awesome, and this cute old Mexican was playing the guitar and singing. The food was incredible, probably the best I’ve had my entire stay here, and I was so excited to see they had vegetarian options…something virtually unheard of here in Spain. So, Portugal was awarded the best and worst food award. Towards the end of the meal, our waiter, Ze, decided he’d be generous and bring us three bottles of Tequila on the house! Yes, three! But don’t worry; we’re ladies who drink with the utmost dignity and class. Our theme for the night became, “When in Portugal…do as the Mexicans do!” The food, atmosphere, karaoke, and most importantly, the company of great friends made the night, and pretty much the entire trip incredible! 

Praia de Faro

"When in Portugal...do as the Mexicans do"

Last weekend I stayed here in Sevilla and explored my city a bit more with Brooke. We finally went inside the massive cathedral and climbed to the top of the Giralda to enjoy the views of Sevilla from above. The inside of the cathedral was amazing! The intricate details and elaborate architecture was mind blowing, and the views from the Giralda were breath-taking.

View of the Catedral from the Giralda

Aside from touring the cathedral, I got to go to a cute countryside restaurant with Brooke, her old roommate Patricia (who lives here in Sevilla), her boyfriend Sergio, and a few of their local friends. After an hour drive, and a confusing trip down a “goat road” we arrived at this restaurant tucked away in the countryside. We ate, drank, laughed, and walked around admiring the views and the animals (donkeys, deer, and puppies!). After, we drove to a town called Carmona and had coffee in an old castle that has now been converted into a hotel. The trip was amazing, but the people were better. I’m so grateful for the gift of friendship and good company. Sometimes that’s all you really need in life to make you smile :)

"Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s greatest gifts. It involves many things, but above all the power of going out of one's self and appreciating what is noble and loving in another." ~ Thomas Hughes
                                                                  

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Let me start off by apologizing for taking forever and a half to write another entry in my blog. I’ve been so caught up with my first full week of school, exploring downtown Sevilla, and planning weekend trips, that my blog sometimes gets pushed aside. So let’s see, what have I been up to this past week and a half ?…Well, last week I completed my first full week of school here in Spain and all seems to be going well. I’m taking four classes which include international marketing, international finance, Español de negocios (Spanish for business), and Español Avanzado (advanced Spanish). I was relieved to find that all my teachers are really nice and extremely helpful, and they almost never give homework. So, much unlike American universities where you have about 5-6 hours of homework every night, and then two tests, three quizzes, and one research paper all due on the same day, here in España it’s about one hour of homework then time for a siesta :) Oh and did I mention I have all Fridays off! Yep that’s right, so my weekend begins after school on Thursday (11:50am) and lasts until Sunday night! So that leaves a lot of time for weekend trips!!

Speaking of weekend trips, two weekends ago Callie, Brooke, Joe, Elliott, and I went to Matalascañas to soak up the sun and enjoy the beach. The bus ride only took an hour (in a coach bus may I add…we role in style here..lol..not really) and with Joe and Elliott’s hilarious stories and antics, the ride went by really fast. The beach was incredible (aside from the topless women with bikini bottoms that look like dental floss). My favorite part about Matalascañas was definitely the history behind it. Sitting on the shore of the beach is a massive leftover watchtower that was one of the seven defense towers built by Phillip II in the 16th century in to protect Spain's coast from Turkish and North African invaders…after years of wear and tear it’s nothing too extravagant to look at, but the history makes up for what it lacks in looks. 

Matalascañas

This weekend we decided to stay local, save money, and get to know our hometown of Sevilla a bit better. Callie, Brooke, and I toured El Real Alcázar, which is a royal palace that was built in the 14^th century to house the royals when they came to Sevilla. The palace still hosts the royal family from time to time whenever they venture to southern Spain. El Real Alcázar was absolutely incredible and words cannot describe the detail and skilled craftsmanship that went into building that palace. However, the most beautiful part of the palace had to have been the royal gardens which take up more room than the actual palace. The royal gardens were perfectly manicured and filled with flowers, palm trees, hedges, massive trees, and tranquil fountains tucked away in secret corners. It was amazing walking through the gardens…aside from getting run down by a mama peacock that was getting quite defensive of her baby (uhhh me and birds!).

  

Royal Gardens of El Real Alcázar

Overall, I’ve had two amazing weekends in a row. I’ve started to push through my homesickness and open my eyes to see how blessed I am to have this amazing opportunity to live, study, explore and experience Spain. I think every now and then we get so caught up in our own world and petty little problems that we let slip away some amazing opportunities, sights, experiences, and creations that God has sent our way. Like my roommate Callie quoted to me a few days ago from a Carrie Underwood song (ah love my country roomie!) “While you're sitting around thinking about what you can't change and worrying about all the wrong things, time's flying by- moving so fast, you better make it count ‘cause you can't get it back.” 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain

Mi Cuarto (my room)

Sooo this is a picture of my room that I share with the lovely Callie Self. As you can see, our room is…humble, yet welcoming. My bed is the one on the far right with Kingsley, my koala bear sitting on the bed (he decided to sneak into the photo). I have my pictures taped onto the wall right next to my bed, so I get to see the people (and animals) I love every morning when I wake up, and every evening before I fall asleep.

Mi cuarto and I have a love/hate relationship at the moment. I love it because it’s cozy, tidy, and the view from my window is awesome, but some days (mainly nights actually) the hate side of our relationship rears its head. 

Not having any air conditioning in Sevilla, where the average temperature right now is 100F (37c), does present its challenges to say the least. Waking up in a puddle of sweat with your pajamas sticking to you isn’t exactly ideal. How bout a fan? How bout not. Believe me that was the first thing Callie and I thought of after waking up glistening with a layer of sweat stuck to us. The thing is, here in Spain, electricity is ridiculously expensive so our host mom doesn’t want us to leave anything plugged in. She’s also a bit paranoid about sparking a fire (I think that’s what she was trying to tell us…still working on this Spanish to English translation). So, we are only allowed to use the fan during our siesta (nap from 2-5) and trust me, Callie and I crank that baby!

We have to leave the windows open for some air circulation...especially at night, but since we live in the city, its sirens, horns, cars/bikes revving their engines (cuz apparently the street outside our building is the NASCAR speedway), music, and loud voices 24/7. Or should I say ONE loud voice that Callie and I like to call “The Pterodactyl” (you know…the flying dinosaur, yeah that’s how it’s spelled, I googled). She is a quite an “abundant” woman who owns a shop right outside our apartment building and stays up until about 1am every night, smoking and drinking with her amigas, and letting out her sporadic pterodactyl screeches. So the noise, coupled with the heat comparable to that of the Sahara desert, makes a goodnights sleep pretty rare. Thankfully I’m able to wedge earplugs into my inner ear which helps mask some of the noise. I’m sure after a few more weeks I won’t be able to notice the noise nor the heat. Aside from the earplugs, I brought along my little koala bear friend, Kingsley, who certainly helps me sleep better (yes I know I’m 20 years old). Having Kingsley here gives me a sense of the familiarity of home, and reminds me of a certain special someone.

All in all, I guess I have to say that love outweighs the hate just by a little bit, and I do love my room, aside from a few imperfections. My room is teaching me to appreciate the everyday things I take for granted like air conditioning and silence. I’ve noticed the imperfections are what make it unique and different. Everything has imperfections, and nothing/no one would be interesting if it were all perfect.

"A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections" ~ Chinese Proverb

I've Arrived!

Hola a todos! After being in Sevilla, Spain for a little over a week, I finally decided to put my siesta to good use today and start my blog! A week ago I left the comfort and familiarity of my home in Chicago and embarked on my adventure to Sevilla. The morning of my flight was exciting, bittersweet, and stressful all at the same time. I spend the first half of the morning doing my last minute packing, and checking and rechecking my list of things to bring (yes, I do love my lists..Brooke and Eddie). The second half I relaxed and tried to mentally prepare myself to leave my "comfort zone" of familiar places and faces, and venture out into my "push zone" of the unknown. After loading my bags into the car, and saying some tearful goodbyes to my family, my mom and I headed to the airport where I met up with Brooke, one of my good friends from school who is also studying abroad in Sevilla thank God!! We both said our final goodbyes to our families and headed off to our gate, but not without first running into Miley Cyrus and momentarily stalking her through the international terminal.

My first flight was from Chicago to London, and took about 7 hours. From London we flew to Madrid, where I experienced my first taste of Spain…while also walking a 35 minute maze to get to my next gate…I’ve honestly never been to an airport more confusing than Madrid’s. From Madrid we finally flew to our final destination (and my home for the next four months) of Sevilla. After struggling with our 500 lb suitcases, Brooke and I caught a cab (or should I say formula one racecar) to our apartment complexes which are luckily on the same street, Avenida de la Paz.

VIEW FROM MY ROOM

Once we arrived, Brooke and I stepped out into the sweltering heat, paid the racecar driver, and went our separate ways (which is only a 55 second walk/13 second drive away…thanks google maps). My host mom, Mari Paz (sporting some sassy floral print short shorts at the age of 55), and my roommate Callie, came down to meet me and help me with my suitcases. Once in apartment 7A, I met my adorable 62 year old host dad, Jose Luis, and was shown to my room which I share with Callie, whom I was relived to find is a completely normal and friendly southern belle from Mississippi (with an amazing voice!!). She showed me around, translated a few Spanish words I couldn’t quite understand, and taste tested my first meal of deep-fried chicken nugs and tortilla Espanola (epitome of health).

My first night here was tough. Definitely shed a few tears, especially when I was putting up a few pictures of my family, boyfriend, puppies, and kitty right near my bed. I know it’s completely normal for me to feel the way I do, and I know in a few weeks time I’ll be acclimated and having the time of my life! 

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~Saint Augustine