InstaBlog: Thanks StudyAbroad for making my Insta so cool

So I’ve been avoiding writing this blog to avoid accepting the fact that my study abroad experience is officially over.. I guess this blog is still avoiding a formal goodbye since this will be a mass InstaGram post.

Over the past week I’ve experienced some monumental things and I think they deserve recognition.

Lets first start with:

Cheers to eating gelato in Rome with one of the most incredible families I know, other than my own #rome #gelato #studyabroad

Rome was a very different experience from many of my other trips. Rome had no agenda… We aimed to see the big things (the Colosseum and the Vatican,) but our schedule was not jam-packed like so many of my other trips. We sought to enjoy the present moment, like eating gelato every night from the same place near our hotel.

Brooke’s grand-mother (a for-sure angel) worried that she was holding us back, but I can honestly admit that she made the trip the experience it was. Rather than catching the first bus/train out every morning and rushing from one place to the next, we traveled slowly and rested often. This pace forced me to focus on where I was and what I was doing. This internal reflection played a large role as to why I will never forget my trip to Rome. (I assume she will see this somehow, so  I would like to say… rather than apologizing you should be saying, “you’re welcome,” because I am thanking you.)

I don’t even know calculus, how did these men build such extravagant constructions without any technology?!  #what? #RomanRuins

I can honestly say that my whole study abroad experience was a humbling one, but seeing these ruins really did make me realize how small I really am (but not in a bad way.) We are each just a very tiny piece of history with an immense future before us. So many of us, (the majority of us,) will be the runner-ups no one remembers and the great ideas that fell in the shadow of an even better idea, but that shouldn’t discourage us. The runner-ups are usually only milli-seconds behind or an encounter with bad luck from coming in first. Those great ideas were still described as great, and it that greatness shouldn’t be discredited because something “greater” came along.

So just because your hard work isn’t mentioned in history books that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard work worth appreciation.

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Selfies 4 muhh fam #selfie #colosseum #studyabroad #rome #missmyfamily

For the past five months I’ve been raging about how much I love being abroad, but I of course miss my family as well. I don’t want to go home because I am living in the present and am so happy to be able to experience all these new things, but I OBVIOUSLY am so excited to see my family and friends.

I can’t believe that my babies are already so big. I’m sad that I’ve missed three of their birthdays and that they’ve all grown so much since I’ve last seen them. (Thankfully I’ll be home for Celina’s birthday!!) They’re Skype videos always put a smile on my face, so thank goodness for technology. I’ve also had to miss some of my best friend’s 21st birthday, which did stink, but I hope they know I wish I could have been there and that we will OBVIOUSLY celebrate when I get home in two and a half weeks!

But I’ve thankfully had all of their support and am constantly in contact with them.

From strangers to family #babyBRO #bocadij #anythingDij #thisisn’ttheend @MerkelH8SocialMedia

While I’ve missed my family and friends back home, I will definitely miss the friends who have become a part of my family while I was abroad.

I think about going back to Salamanca but I know that it will not be the same as the first time around, because I believe my experience was strongly influenced by the people I had met there and got to share this experience with. I’ve never been part of a group where everyone was so extraordinary. Everyone brought something to the table, and it was so inspiring.

I think it is pretty clear that I became closer with some people than others, but I can honestly say that I learned something from every single person in the group. The diversity among us was incredible. We came from different parts of the country with very different backgrounds, yet we were all able to find things in common.

I really do hope that it’s not adios but only an hasta luego and that we all can  all meet again.

In da club on a Tueday #SheChoosey @KhandaviaNightClub

I may not have studied in Madrid or Barcelona, cities that are famous for their night life, but I do not think that my social life suffered one bit because I chose Salamanca.

I always praise Salamanca for its extreme variation in population — very old people and young college students. I think it is very interesting how they co-habitat.

Salamanca is home to so many ERASMUS and international students creating a very student-oriented night-life. It will be strange going back to the U.S. after adapting to the culture and schedule of Spain. For example, my host-parents were always so excited when I told them I was going out, which is an extremely different response than I get from my parents at home. I believe this difference in perspective comes down to agenda.. I’ve noticed that Spaniards drink to be social, while Americans drink to get drunk. Drinking is a not a taboo activity, but a social one.

Also, the saying, “Nothing good happens after midnight,” definitely does not apply to Spain. It is the Spanish culture to go out later and to come home much later as well. Most bars do not fill up till about 12 and some night-clubs do not even open till about 3 a.m. (Khandavia haha,) which is the time most bars/clubs close in the U.S.  (FYI: Kebab you will be missed and Leonardo’s you always knew how to satisfy my tummy on a budget so Thank you.)The best part of Salamanca was that I always felt safe waking home at whatever time it was. The streets were always filled with people, regardless of what day or time it was.

I will miss the night-life and social-culture of Salamanca. I have made so many friends from all over the world waiting in line to get into Irish, dancing the night away in Khandavia, or just while watching a Real Madrid game at one of the bars near my house. These people were a great way to learn about the world. Speaking different languages and sharing different stories.

So even though I didn’t study in Madrid or Barcelona. and chose a small-town instead, I don’t think my social life suffered, instead I think it flourished.

La Ultima Cena  @Calle Pinto #FinalSupper #studyabroad #familia

I remember first arriving in Salamanca after a long weekend in London, very exhausted and being picked up by two complete strangers. I remember getting into the car and thinking, “What in the world have I gotten myself into?” But as the days passed, I found comfort in these two strangers. The woman became Clara and her husband became Felix, and they became my parents in this foreign country.

The first dinner we had together was filled with awkward silence, not knowing one another and not yet feeling comfortable in each other’s presence. I can admit that the final dinner started off silent as well, but for a completely different reason. I recognized that this was the end. Months passed with an endless number of meals where we got to know one another, and this was the final meal we would all share together. I did not know how to express my gratitude for these two people who made me feel like part of their family.

Living in a home-stay was one of the best decisions I made while studying-abroad. I learned so much it. Not only did it give me an opportunity to practice my Spanish, but it taught me so much more about living with strangers and life in general. I know I am only one of the many that they have hosted in their home, but they will always be the only parents I had in Salamanca.

I will definitely miss Clara’s wonderful cooking and Felix’s awful jokes, but I will also miss all the little things of living in their home.

When I was leaving, I figured I would be too exhausted to be upset when I said goodbye. Boy, was I wrong. I felt emotionless as I lugged my suitcases from my room to the door, but when Clara appeared and gave me a hug the tears would not stop. When I was finally able to control myself, I walked the stairs to meet Felix at the car. (He offered to wake up early and drive me to the train-station because that’s the type of person he is.) It was difficult for me to speak, let alone look at him without tears pooling in my eyes. When I finally got on the train and gave him a hug goodbye, the tears started all over again. I did not want to let go. I recognized that the chances of ever seeing them again are so slim. Again, strangers who became my family..

Saying Goodbye is never easy, especially when they become a part of you #HastaLuego #amigasparasiempre #leos

I can’t even begin to expound on this picture. Words can not describe the bonds that were created during this short time. We were strangers and ended up leaving knowing everything about each other.

Ashley once mentioned how study abroad is such an ass. It brings people together and makes them become best friends and then forces them a part when its all over. “Its just not fair.”  And I agree, its not fair. Being able to travel the world together, explore a new culture together, and grow together creates an eternal bong, and then being forced geographically apart is hard.

Manc City will always have my HEART #Catedral #greatviews

Salamanca. Manc’ City. The city two hours from Madrid. The city by Portugal. Before I came to Salamanca, I never knew that the city even existed. I had no idea where it was located. I had no idea what it was famous for. I had no clue about absolutely anything. And perhaps, that’s what made the experience so great.

Salamanca will always have a piece of my heart. I spent only a short period of my life there, but it was an important period.

Salamanca has so much to offer, as I’ve mentioned throughout this post, and I just want to encourage anyone and everyone who has the chance to study there, or even just visit, please do!

I think the hardest part of saying goodbye to Salamanca was the fact that I will never get to experience the city as a resident again. I can visit, but it will be as a tourist. I will never have the opportunity to go on endless runs and explore new parts of the city, lay out by the Rio Tormes with my friends, botellon and eat a boccadillo at one of the many beautiful parks, play futbol with people from all over the world at Salas Bajas, walk to San Boal and arrive to class 10 minutes late and still arrive before the professor, go to CarreFour and pick up snacks and a 2 euro bottle of wine, stop for tapas or a glass of wine with my friends before or after class, eat an endless amount of patatas bravas for  5 euros, or most importantly ** go to Chupiteria and find all my friends.

All of the things are insignificant, but they are what made my experience so incredible.

There is so much more I can say about this city, but I think you guys get the idea.

The end of one adventure always leads to the beginning of another.#podhale #poland  #nature

It’s always difficult to say goodbye, but we are always eager to say hello.

The end.

Thanks for letting me share with you, and if you’ve read this in entirety I applaud you.. It took me a couple of days to write this, so I couldn’t imagine reading it all in one sitting.

I’ll be back on American soil in about two weeks! I’m excited to see you all!

xoxo,

K

Kristina 2.0

Hola friends!

It’s officially been two months, or eight weeks, or 60 days since I boarded a plan at O’hare and left Chicago. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by, but it’s already been two months, or eight weeks, or sixty days, since I last seen home.

Within the past two months, (or eight weeks, or sixty days,) I’ve seen more and experienced more than I could ever have imagined. I’ve visited over 10 new cities: London, Madrid, Salamanca, Segovia, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Toledo, Dublin, Limerick, Ciudad Rodrigo, and Valladolid, (or three new countries: England, Ireland, and Spain.)

Within the past two months, (or eight week, or sixty days,) I’ve visited a numerous amount of famous monuments around Europe including: Big Ben, the Cliffs of Moher, The Prada Museum, The Alhambra, Las Manchas de Don Quioxte, and the list keeps going.

 

Within the past two months, (or eight week, or sixty days,) I’ve done an unending list of things for the first time including: ride the “Tube” in London, attend an Atletico futbal match in Madrid, attend the Carnival del Toros in Ciudad Rodrigo, climb to the peak of Trigo in the mountains of Sierra de Quintanar, dance the night away in Khandavia in Salamanca, and get lost in the city of Dublin during a run (along with SO much more).

Within the past two months, (or eight weeks, or sixty days,) I’ve also done something that weren’t as exciting and sometimes even hard for the first time. For example, living with someone I’ve never met before, living in a stranger’s home, living in a country where I was in the wrong when I didn’t speak the native language, having to deal with my raging hormones with my best friends an ocean away, and figuring out how to live in a culture that is so very different than my own.

But the best part of all these new experiences aren’t the lists I can now compile, but the new memories and experiences I have that affect who I am every day. I’ve met new people who have altered my perspective and opinions on a plethora of topics. I have friends from all over the country, who I would have never imagined being friends with before. They have an array of hobbies and their personalities vary drastically from my own, and I love the fact that we are all friends! Every day I am learning and growing. I came here to study, and my family has been joking that I am actually on vacation; but even though I am traveling a lot, I am learning every day. I am studying life through first-hand experiences and I could not be more grateful.
But some things about a person never change. My strong personality has not gotten any weaker nor has my stubbornness. I still make mistakes and sometimes say things I do not mean. I still feel guilty when I upset or offend someone, even if I just met that person, when I left my frustration get the best of me. I still don’t understand myself completely and what I want or am looking for, but I am still doing my best to figure it out. I still love life to the fullest, and I want others to do the same.

I’m not sure if I can explain this “metamorphosis” I have experienced, and continue to experience, since I’ve arrived in Salamanca, but I definitely feel different. After two months, (or eight weeks, or sixty days,) Salamanca has begun to feel like home. The other day I joked to someone that I was coming home “tomorrow,” and that made me think — I would be absolutely distraught if I had to come home now. I am not ready. I am not ready to leave all my new friends, to leave the Spanish culture, and to end this journey. I have so much more to experience here, and I absolutely cannot wait. I have just begun to fall in love with Salamanca, and I cannot leave. I am so happy that I don’t have to.
Here’s to three and a half more months in Salamanca!

See you all in about four.
Xoxo,
K

Red, White, and Blue. ‘Merica

Hola Amigas!

I’ve apparently gotten sucked into the “tranquillo” lifestyle and been slacking on my blog! (For the one or two that actually care, I’m sorry! Muchos lo sientos!)

Ever since my arrival, I’ve noticed some key differences between the Spanish society and then U.S society and those differences/distinctions continue to amaze me.

(I can’t believe it’s already been almost exactly a month since I’ve arrived in Spain and over a month since I got on a plane in Chicago and left the country to live on another CONTINENT for six months! It’s definitely been a wild ride and I’m definitely loving every second of it!)

During my first or second week here, (the days are already starting to blend together), my host dad/senor (Felix, as he will be referred to from now on,) asked me about the insurance policy in the United States. Luckily, I studied the American Health Care Act, or ObamaCare, and was able to some-what explain to him the basics of this plan. He told me that he has heard a lot about it on the news and wanted to know more. In reality, he probably knew more about the American insurance system than most Americans. I say this confidently with the various viral videos of Americans contradicting themselves when asked to talk about the American Health Care Act and ObamaCare as evidence.

My thoughts after this conversation were more interesting than the conversation itself. Think about it… most Americans can’t explain the bill in their own native language let alone in a foreign language, myself definitely included!

Having lived in the United States my entire life, I never actually realized what a power-house the country actually is. We are always told that we are lucky to live in such a great country; but with constant reminders of violence, hunger, and poverty we often overlook what it means to live in the United States and how the rest of the world perceives us. In the United States, our news channels (which there are a plethora of) rarely relay on-going events in other countries and if they do, it is because the USA is directly affected by the outcome of those events. In contrast, the news here is filled with on-going stories of what is happening in the United States politically, economically, and socially.

For example, this past weekend I watched the Super Bowl here in Salamanca! Football is definitely not popular in Spain, but the bar was packed with both Americans and Spaniards. Felix even admitted to watching the Super Bowl in the past, despite not being interested in football. I asked another one of my Spanish friends why they watched the game, and in essence she explained to me that it was important in the states and thus that importance translated in Spain.

Moreover, as I’ve attended more classes I’ve become more aware of my tunnel of knowledge, or lack there-of general knowledge. The majority of people here can tell you all about the history of not only Spain, but also Europe. Their geographical knowledge is much better as well, allowing them to locate various countries, rivers, and mountains that I wouldn’t even be able to name. (In my own defense Spain is definitely a much smaller country than the United States, matter of fact so is Europe. I am also aware that there are numerous history and geography buffs in the United States, but I admit I am not one of them.)

Through my own experiences, I’ve come to a personal opinion that the American education system focuses predominately on its own information. In history, the little that I did learn, we focused on wars that the United States participated in and more so the one’s that ended positively. I guess I should not be shocked by this. I believe the American education system directly relates to the way its citizens view their country. Americans have so much pride. I am speaking generally because obviously everything is dependant, but Americans love being American. They love their country and they love their flag. They bleed red, white, and blue.

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And now a quick blurb on how I’m feeling and what’s been going on. This past weekend I visited a friend from DU in Valladolid (a city about an hour away from Salamanca.) It was an awesome experience that I can maybe tell you more about some other time. Today, in about two hours, I leave for Dublin! I am so excited. Yesterday, (02/03) was a tad rough for me. Nothing had happened but I did not have the energy I usually do. I guess it was just one of those days for me, proving that everyone has days regardless of where they live.

Also Happy Birthday to ALL my friends celebrating February birthday’s because there’s only like 52 of them! I love you all and I’m sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you!

Hope everyone is coping with the cold!

Xoxo,

K