Typical Last Post

I’ve been thinking for a while about what I wanted to say in this last post. There is so much to say and to sum up, that I can’t even think of how to write it all down. I’m already home from abroad now and my thoughts aren’t really focused on abroad anymore. I’ve quickly transitioned back to my normal lifestyle: wake up, watch tv, run errands, hang out, clean my room, read a book (maybe), work out (maybe), ya know, the normal Gaithersburg stuff. But as I think back over the past 4 months, I’ve remember just how much I’ve been through. Here are some things that I have learned while being abroad, mixed in with some thoughts and experiences along the way:

1. Overall, I loved studying in Barcelona. For the first time in my life I was living in the middle of a big city surrounded by constant activity and nightlife. But I realized that I don’t think I ever want to live in a big city again. The whole semester I wondered to myself how I could sometimes get bored living in such a big city where there is so much to do, and not at all bored in such a small city like Madison, Wisconsin. I guess I just prefer smaller cities with a closer community of people (who I can speak english to). I still loved learning about the city, the history, the activities, and the pride and mentality of Barcelona, lets just say its one lesson learned.

2. I’m both sad and disappointed that I still can’t speak Spanish very well. Yes I know the basics and can hold a very simple conversation if the other person is speaking very slowly. But after 4 months in Spain, I thought I would have improved a little more. And just as my frustration was starting to kick in with not being able to pick up the language, I got to come home, and relieve myself of any more embarrassment.

3. Another something I learned about traveling is that you meet so many people from all over the world, but will not necessarily keep in touch with them. I have learned so much from all the people I have met, and they no doubt make an impression on my abroad experience, but now these people are just snippets of my memories.

4. I realized that I am more independent than I think I give myself credit for. Traveling to foreign countries on my own is not something that everyone can do. I think that leaving home to go to school in Wisconsin my freshman year was a bigger step than I realized. That was my big experience going outside of my comfort zone, so by the time I got to Spain, meh I was ready for anything.

5. For one of the first times in my life, I spent a semester taking classes that I loved. (Except for that one that I hated, but at least it required close to no work whatsoever). And Spanish class was blah, so I don’t count that. International Marketing, yes it was boring at times, but also informative and worthwhile as well. This class taught me that it IS possible to incorporate environmental and social justice issues (such as unfair child labor conditions, pollution, factory conditions in third world countries, corporate and global corruption, etc.) into your typical, marketing, business class. So, In Spain I learned about corporations that turn a blind eye to child labor law violations in unsafe factories in countries across the world. And in my marketing class at Wisconsin I learned how to sell soap. See the difference? I also took a class titled “Catalonia and Spain through the Arts”. In this class not only did I have an awesome teacher who is pretty much the coolest Catalonian I met, or learn about the ancient AND recent history of Spain and Catalonia, or learn about the most famous artists in the world such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Velazquez, or get to go on field trips to different museums and locations around Barcelona, but I learned about the history of all of Europe and of the entire world. And I learned it all while enjoying being in class, wanting to listen to everything she had to say and teach us. I was actually sad on the last day of class. Lastly, my class called “Spain Today: Politics and Society” was another one of my favorites. Here I just learned more about Spanish history, and also about current political parties, Catalan politicians, and how the current political systems operate. It was a great course, but mainly because of my professor who made us laugh in every class. Me and my friend Kayla would actually write down funny things he would say in our notebooks.

Quotes such as:

“Sometimes I go home, and I have 3 heads. I’m not crazy, but I have 3 heads and they all talk to me”

“The other day I saw a seagull killing a parrot and then he looked up at me and said, QUE?!”

“I love fastfood. I love McRib. Hello my name is Tony, and I have a problem”

“I really didn’t want to come to class this morning. I thought about bombing the metro so wouldn’t have to come to class”

were only some of my favorites.

We wanted to compile our long list of quotes at the end of the semester and give it to him in book form, but ya know, we’re lazy abroad students, so that didn’t happen. So, it’s definitely going to be a change when I get back to Wisconsin and I’m back to taking boring business classes and spending most of time studying. But, I’m also taking some classes that I’m really going to love, and I guess coming back to reality, earning a Grade A education that I know will be worth all the work.

6. The closer my abroad program in Spain came to ending, the more excited I got to go back to Madison for the summer. I’ve had this conversation multiple times with friends over the course of this semester, but being away from home makes me really appreciate what I have here. I’ve never been an especially patriotic person, and I was always the girl in Europe saying, “shhh, your acting so American!” to my friends. But coming home, I realize how much I appreciate living and growing up in the States. Finally I'm back to the land of English! Where the toilet, sink, and shower are all in their proper places in the bathroom. Where our history is filled with stories of freedom and prosperity (well, for the most part). Where I could eat chipotle. And finally soon I’ll be in Madison for the summer, back with bucky, VIP, lake Mendota, and wonderful friends.

In Barcelona, I met great people, made best friends, traveled all around Europe, saw sites that I’ve always wanted to visit, made a lot of great memories, and was the reason for my parents taking a trip to Europe, something they never get to do. Plus, my best friends were in Europe with me, and fortunately I got to see them throughout the semester. Every once in a while I would have to do a pause. The pause is something Kayla, Yasmin, and I created when things started feeling surreal, or when we stopped appreciating or realizing where we were. It would go something like this: PAUSE. We are in a castle. in Portugal. Lets just think about this. or PAUSE. I’m standing inside of the actual Roman Forum, in Rome. Italy. Or PAUSE. I’m with Lily Goldberg. in Copenhagen???? Or PAUSE I’m standing in Anne Frank’s secret annex. But mostly, we did this Pause: PAUSE. We’re in Barcelona, for four months? Just, walkin to class, in Barcelona. Going to lunch, in Barcelona. Reading a book, outside in the sun, in Barcelona. As you can imagine, it took a while for it to feel real.

And so, in just 4 short months, with 9 countries, 10 languages, 6 currencies, 18 flights, 4 trains, 1 bus ride, 1 night sleeping in an airport, 5 hostels, 1 couchsurfer, 5 day trips, 19 museums, 1 flamenco show, 1 London play, 1 barca futbol game, numerous castles and palaces, 1 bullfighting ring, lots of roman ruins, 1 pickpocket, 1 Portuguese soup, 2 fish and chips, 3 Belgian waffles, 4 Italian pastas, 2 calcotada feats, 1 wine tasting, tons of café con leches, 1 Spanish cooking class, 2 Spanish yoga classes, 2 celebrity spottings, 1 week with my family in Europe, 1 Spanish haircut, 1 awesome intercambio, 1 national strike, 1 French air strike, a trillion churches and cathedrals, a handful of synagogues, 1 weekend night missing the late night metro because we were watching Sophia Grace and Rosie videos, many 5 AM metro rides after long nights,  1 night bar hopping in Barcelona, many nights spent coordinating travel plans, more clubs than I ever want to go to again, and countless flea and antique markets, I’ve had an experience that I will never forget.

Barcelona: On top of Montjuic. (don't know whats so funny)

Seville: Best churros con chocolate in Spain

Barcelona: On top of Tibidabo, gazing out on Barcelona

Barcelona: In the cable car going up Montjuic

Barcelona: While walking around one afternoon, a group of dressed up Spaniards randomly dragged me into a picture with them. I'm second from the left.

Sitges: dancing in the parade for carnival. See all those people who stuck around to watch?

Barcelona: Ahhhhh falling off the edge of Montjuic! Alright, poor attempt I guess.

Barcelona: Spanish cooking class!

Sitges: Even the dogs are dressed up for Carnival.

Lisbon: I wanted to pose with the woman in her window with all her pigeons.

Copenhagen: Walking through Tivoli gardens

Prague: Me with the black babies

Barcelona: On mount Tibidabo, kicking a cactus?

Barcelona: After leaving a club at 4:40 in the morning, we waited on the metro floor until the metro started running again at 5 am

But I must say, since the middle of April I’ve been ready to come home, I had my fill of Europe. And walking through the BWI airport doors to my parents holding a sign and a “Welcome Home” balloon, was just what I was waiting (and hoping) for. It sure does feel good to be home.