T+1 month: USA Living

It’s been an entire month since I’ve returned back to my “normal”/”regular” life. Every week evokes different types of emotions.
So here’s a week by week play-by-play (except actually a general overview):

• Week 1: The first week was quite “normal.” I think my exhaustion, which caused me to sleep through the majority of the week, did not allow me, or helped me avoid, experiencing what my “new home”/old home would (and does) feel like.

But one thing that did upset me was people constantly asking me how much it sucks to be home… This question made me wonder how unhappy people actually are in their daily lives.

Our daily routine makes up the majority of our lives; it consumes us and strongly affects how we feel and for those reasons, I don’t understand how people continue doing things that make them feel so unhappy. I’ve recently come to realize, or perhaps recently acquired this ideology, that I will not do anything elective that does not make me happy. OBVIOUSLY there are required tasks that we must all do, like get up to brush our teeth when we are super comfortable on the couch, but I hope you all realize that is not what I mean. I’m referring to engaging in elective activities that do not bring us intrinsic happiness (not even the idea of happiness that we are pressured to believe in due to society.) This mindset strongly contrasts that of the the typical over-caffeinated and over-exhausted American who is constantly on the go, so I am grateful for being able to experience and learn about other society’s cultures and values while I was abroad.

• Week 2: The second week became a bit tougher. Reality was hitting me hard. It’s quite ironic that when I was traveling to a new country every weekend and living on another continent all together, I felt more sheltered than I did/do returning home. I suppose it’s the idea that the “type” of people that would go to “such places” and do “such things” are all very similar. Coming home, back to reality, I was hit with the fact that not everyone is “good people,” and people do hurtful things without realizing it. I think this may be obvious, and maybe even a truth about life, but it definitely does take a toll on a positive person. I definitely began to miss my friends from abroad.

o The Blackhawks also did win the Stanley cup this week making things MUCH better! I went to the parade with my family. It was an awesome afternoon with great people.

  
  

• Week 3: The third week was still full of early mornings and going to bed even earlier. I saw my family a lot and that made things better. We had a surprise 50th birthday party for my aunt and it brought happiness to so many people, obviously making me even happier. I love my family and am so grateful for them.

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
o TBH I spend most afternoons with my family. (Like I already mentioned the Blackhawks parade and the birthday party, but there were many other afternoons like those including: the USA vs. Poland men’s volleyball game, an afternoon full of soccer, breakfast after church, and so much more.) If I’m not spending time with my nieces then my parents or my Babcia. I’ve realized that this is currently what makes me happy.

• Week 4: During the fourth week, I began to realize how much I internally changed. People still ask me about my trip and how it was, and it’s been very difficult to express my emotions and illustrate my experiences. I’ve recently realized that I’ve been feeling quite a bit of stress and anxiety about returning back to school. I enjoyed my experience abroad so much that I fear I will become a victim of all my old bad habits that were fostered by my environment. (I can definitely elaborate more on week four, but I’ve come to the point where writing this is no longer enjoyable so I’ve decided that this is where I’ll stop for today. No reason to force something that isn’t necessary)

 

 I miss many things about living in Spain, and I assume the list will only grow longer, but I do not regret one thing or wish that things were different. Every day is a growing experience. The only thing that is guaranteed is the current moment so I will do my very best to make the best of every current moment.

 

 Wishing everyone a safe & HAPPY 4th of july! Enjoy!

Ten un buen tiempo chicos!
P.S shout out to my boy Anotonio for helping me struggle through his class and giving me an A 😍😍

Xoxo,

K

May 7: This is it

I can’t believe it’s already may 7.

I’m currently sitting on a bench in el Parque de la Alamedilla, across from Plaza de Espana, soaking up the warm sun while I wait for Brooke and Ashely.

(this is what you get for taking Selfies on my phone)

Earlier today I went over to the AIFS office to pick up some documents, and ended up talking with the director, Gaye, and another student in the program, about how quickly the past four months have flown by — and I’m sad. I’m not ready to leave, but I just might never be ready to leave this city or these people behind. Some people are certain we will meet again, and I really do hope so, but I know how tough it will be once we get back to our busy lives at home.

Many of us also promise to return to Salamanca, me being one of them, but I do recognize how slim those chances are. And if we do return, it will be as tourists, guaranteeing us a different experience and making this departure so much more difficult.

The weather is finally getting nice and there’s so many more places to explore, but not enough time. One week from today, I will be spending my last day in Salamanca and I just can’t believe it. (Before then I need to ace five exams, wish me luck!)

Just this past week, I discovered a new and very cool place to run… Very different than the rest of this city. (Some of you may have seen it on my snapchat story.) Lush green trees and beautiful bright flowers lined the trail — my ideal place to run. This leads me to think about how many super “guay” places I’ve yet to discover.

The city has transformed with the change of the weather. Flowers are in full bloom. All the parks are well-groomed with full landscaping, but the wild flowers that grow in the field have caught my eye and captured my heart. These flowers are definitely something we don’t have in my neighborhood back at home and I will definitely miss their natural beauty.

I haven’t had much time to reflect about leaving, but today it has finally hit me. It’s strange because I’m not going home for another four weeks, but I only have seven measly days left in Salamanca. All the friends I have made, who were always only a whatsApp and four minutes away, will be dispersed all over the country and some even all over the world.

It’s said that only 1% of the population studies abroad, and I am so grateful that I am part of that 1%. (I wish it was a greater percent, because this is definitely an experience I will never forget and definitely do not regret.) I’ve learned so much living in this foreign country, which I called my home for the past 4 months. When we first arrived, Gaye told us that Salamanca will feel like home. That when we come back from our weekend trips, “we will be happy to be “home,”” and I can say that is 100% accurate.

This weekend I am heading out on one last final weekend trip — to Rome. As I said, I’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t had time to process what is going on (hence the lack of blog posts, sorry! Promise there will be plenty of TBTs and FBFs to come) but I am finally super excited to be going on this trip! Again, as I’ve said so many times before, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this opportunity. To be able to visit Rome, a city that my family has yearned to see.

xoxo,

K

Barcelona for Thought

This blog is obviously not complete, but I think it demonstrates a lot of what I was feeling at that time.

Read on if you’re interested:

Cheers to Barcelona & Learning New Things

While all my friends at home are celebrating the end of April and anticipating the coming of May, I am dreading the passing of the next three weeks. I am not ready to go home. Every day I realize how much I have learned, and how much I am still learning.

My family laughs that I never attend class and that this semester cannot justify as “studying,” but I truly believe I have learned more about life, myself, others, the world, and even just daily life-skills than ever before. Just the other day, I realized that no one will understand my experience here. My friends who I do so much with here still don’t understand the experience I have had during my time abroad. We each experience things and perceive things in our own way. The small things that go unnoticed are the things that have shaped us over the past few months. (I did not plan on writing about this – the plan was to talk about my weekend in Barcelona, but I feel like this is what I need to say. I haven’t been in the mood to write, hence the lack of posts, but now I feel  … so sorry if this is boring you! BUT continue reading to hear about my latest trip to Barcelona)

This past weekend I was privileged to spend the weekend in Barcelona with two of my best friends. I always recognized I was extremely #blessed to be studying abroad and being able to travel so much, but just this past weekend I finally realized what I have spent the past semester doing. I’ve literally been flying from country to country “for the weekend.” For example, when I met people in Barcelona I was telling them that I am only here “for the weekend.” How crazy!? People save for a lifetime to travel to one of these cities, and I’ve had the privilege to travel to many of them in one semester at the meek age of 20. I definitely recognize that I am #soBLESSED.

As much as I enjoyed and relaxed in Barcelona, looking back on the trip I realize it was a huge learning experience as well. The first day we arrived, we struggled to find our Air B&B. We only had a street name, but no exact address and of course no communication devices.( I’m glad to say me and Ash figured it out and eventually got there, only three hours later than expected.)

Despite our slow start, the following days were jam-packed with cultural sight-seeing. The city is filled with tourists, but reasonably so… there are so many cool things to see in Barcelona. We began our first day with a general tour of the city. Not only did we get to see some of the sites, but we also learned a lot of the history and also met some cool people along the way. (Our tour guide was actually a poet and song-writer.) After the tour we walked through Espana Industrial Park and then saw the Arc de Triumf. The best part of all of this was that we got to go at our own pace and enjoy what we were seeing. We had plenty of time and were able to take in what we were doing and what we were seeing – an opportunity to be present.

That day we also went to go see the Sagrada Familia, which was one of the things we were most excited to see. I’m not going to get started about my feelings or thoughts about the Sagrada because I can go on forever, but it definitely is something everyone should see… regardless if you are religious or not.  After that we also went to go see Gaudi’s famous residential houses. I still can’t fully understand how his mind was able to construct such abstractly beautiful ideas.

Tomorrow I leave for Rome. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for me there!

xoxo

Taking it to a whole nother level (or altitude)

Hola friends,

 

As many you know, last week I hiked the Quintar Mountains (at least one of the many of the range).  It was an absolutely incredible experience that I will never forget.

During our long trek, my friends and I were discussing what a difficult, and nearly impossible, of a task it is to explain and accurately describe one’s experience in nature. Today I will be daring to take on that exact task. I am fully aware that there is no way I can transcend what I felt at the peak to you all, but I will do my best.

My experience began even before I stepped onto the base of the mountain, or even onto to the bus.  When I was signing up for this trip, neither I nor my roommate knew what we were getting ourselves into. Not until after we paid did we look at the packet of information. This excursion required you to have hiking boots, a hiking stick, and other things that I did not have with me in Spain nor at home in the USA.  (My family is Polish and when we go to the mountains we hope to have sneakers without holes and some Milka chocolate to give us energy.) The packet also explained the trail, but it was all in Spanish which required too much effort and energy to fully understand, but I did see 20 km. I’m pretty sure I never hiked anything close to 20 km before in my life, at least knowingly.

Distraught by what we got ourselves into, we went home crying to our Senora. She read over the packet with an expression that scared us even more. She told us it definitely would be a tough hike, and that was the breaking point for my roommate. She decided she would not be going. As for me, I knew I wanted to take on the challenge, but then again I had none of the equipment.  My Senora then offered to ask her cousins if they had the equipment I needed.

A couple of days later, she came into my room with a full bag of gear. She found me a proper jacket, boots, and a hiking stick! I was, and still am, so appreciative of her. It definitely was not part of her job description to help me to this extent.  This small act of kindness I will never forget. She reminded me how the little things can make all the difference to someone else.

Then it was finally the morning of the hike. I had to get up at 4:30, which is the same time my roommate was getting home. (Oh my to the Spanish horario.) I didn’t sleep much — waking up every hour, nervous that I would not hear my alarm. As I walked to the bus stop, the streets were still full of people – most not even going home yet, but just to another bar or club.

We finally started hiking at about 9:30. It was a cloudy morning, but not cold. There was a soft mist, but not unpleasant. We started on an easy trail, which would be like any other forest preserve.  Once we started hiking, I felt much calmer. I knew I could keep up with ease. After about an hour, we started on a tougher route. The incline got steeper and the path rockier, but nothing too strenuous. The beautiful scenery definitely helped the time pass quickly. There were tall trees surrounding us on both sides and a river that we walked alongside. The air smelled fresh and clean.

After about two and a half hours we hit snow. At first just a little, but then the entire path was covered with a white blanket. I walked in the footprints of the person in front of me, making the journey through the snow less difficult; however, I had to keep my head down a lot in order to not fall! Whenever I got the chance to look up, I was amazed by what was around me. It’s flabbergasting to think that no one created any of it. It was “all natural,” and so inspiring.

After about four hours and a couple of breaks, we broke through the tree-line. We were no longer walking through the forest but through open terrain. The snow got deeper and the wind got stronger. Luckily the sun was starting to break. This part of the hike definitely got tricky. The higher we got, the slushier and more slippery the snow was. It became evident that hiking boots and a hiking stick were definitely necessary. This part of the journey took about an hour and a half and it was one hundred percent worth it. The views were immaculate, and they were even better from the very top.

When we finally arrived, which was what all our hard work was for; the clouds opened up and offered us a beautiful view of the mountain range. We were literally standing amongst the clouds. The intensity of white was blinding. The wind was strong and the air was cold, but it was all worth feeling like we were on top of the world.

The climb down was much quicker, but just as interesting. Once we escaped the fields of snow, we went down a luscious path filled with greens. I still can’t believe the various terrains we encountered that day: dirt, grass, snow, water; I felt like we experienced it all.

The hike took about nine hours. Nine hours sounds like a dreadful amount of time, but I appreciated every 54000ish minutes of it.

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

Today’s an absolutely beautiful day — 68 and sunny.  The streets are filled with families going for walks, bike rides, or jogs. I’ve spent the afternoon lying next to the river reading. (We all know how much I love the sun and being outside.)

At moments, these past couple of days were emotionally tough for me. For the first time since I’ve left home, I spent an entire weekend in Salamanca. A lot of my friends were away traveling, so I was left with a lot time alone. The days passed by quickly, and I wasn’t ever “bored,” but I think the loneliness was getting to me and I started missing home.

Some things I miss are:

• Making my own breakfast (which consists of something other than processed sugar aka toast and cookies)
• Peanut Butter (I’ve been missing this forever so if anyone is feeling generous and wants to send some my way I would not be opposed)
• Watching TV with my friends and just “hanging out” in the comfort of my own living room
• Sunday mornings at home with my family.
• Hugs and cuddling, especially with my girls. Lidia always wants to cuddle and when Celina tells me she loves me my days always gets so much better.
• Going to church with my family and Sunday family dinners
• Fighting with my sister and telling her how absolutely crazy she is
• College basketball. This is a definite
• Going out and doing something other than eating and/or drinking. I think everyone knows I’m a huge fan of activities
• Feeling productive and doing things that are meaningful and impactful

I know I don’t want to come home, but a piece of home would be really nice right now. The weather is getting nicer and I wish my family and friends were here to enjoy it with me. I know my mom and I would be going for walks or laying outside for hours on end, reading or napping.  I know I’d be going for bike rides with my friends of forcing them on a nature run exploring the outskirts of Manc city.

(A little piece of home)

It’s also tough for me to become accustomed to not having friends over. If I’m not out, (which includes either drinking or eating,) I’m usually at home. I usually don’t mind being alone, and sometimes even prefer it, but I’ve never been alone for so long. I’ve met so many people and have plenty of friends here, but I do miss having someone who knows me definitely and someone I can cuddle up to when I’m sad. I guess this shouldn’t come as a surprise to me since I live with three other girls, who are pretty much my best friends, and grew up in a house that was NEVER empty, but I guess it was something I never realized.

The other morning I also realized I was beginning to feel empty. I felt like I wasn’t contributing to society, living without a purpose. My friend Brooke told me that it’s part of the beauty of the experience, but I don’t think I’m at a point where I can appreciate that position. It made me realize that I am someone who needs to continually be inspired and to continually work towards achieving a goal. I guess these are things that are quite evident to other people, but not so obvious to myself. It’s funny to think that when one integrates themselves into a new culture, they learn more about themselves rather than about others. (this has at least been my personal experience, maybe I’m just selfish.)

This post sounds rather negative, but I am still absolutely loving my experience. I’ve even begun to acquire a routine. Salamanca it starting to feel like home.  For example, on Friday afternoons I go on long runs and play soccer at 5. I’ve met so many cool people and its so much fun. I play with mostly guys, but there’s nothing new about that. I love playing with them because they respect me as a player. They don’t play different because I’m out there and they don’t hesitate to pass me the ball. Some of the guys are really good, and I love playing  both with and against them because I know they are challenging me to get better.

I am also pushing my limits and distances when it comes to running. I’ve started running farther, and as I mentioned in a previous post — I’ve begun to run outside of the city. Fields stretch on end, and the views are absolutely breath-taking. I often take a long-break and just sit and look. These runs are method of self-care and are just a impactful on my mental-self as my physical-self. I want to push myself physically, but I am also using the run as a moment to release any negative thoughts and let my mind rest, wander and explore, or contemplate.

And yesterday, I spent the entire day outside. I was feeling emotional and decided to indulge myself with sunlight. I went on a long run and then met up with my friends to “bottolon” at the park. We had an afternoon full of beautiful views and real-conversation. There was no technology – just conversation and nature (and of course some wine.) It was a great afternoon that created many memories.

Despite an emotional weekend, I am so grateful to have this experience. Yes, I am happy that my Spanish is improving, but more important to me is the self-discovery journey I am on. The “average” afternoons I spend making strangers into life-long friends are the things I will never forget.

(But yes, I’m super happy that my Spanish is improving. Just the other day I went to the bus station to buy tickets for Spring Break and it was such a simple task. I remember when I first landed in Madrid and had to go through customs. It was such a stressful experience, and now I am feeling so much more confident with my Spanish and things like buying bus tickets or asking for directions is a lot less stressful.)

Hope you enjoyed this small insight into my mind and what’s going on with me internally, (if not… sorry and check out my next post about my hiking adventure!)

K

#FBF: Flack back Friday

Holaaaa Amigas!

In honor of #FBF I’d like to take us all back to Seville. Enjoy!

(Obvious photo cred to Brookelynn Harness)

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About two weeks in, I had my official first bad day in Spain. I’ll admit, I was a full on devil with a complete b*tch face to match it, and it was because of humus, hence completely unnecessary. Ok… things may have piled up and the final straw was the humus, but none of the things were worth getting worked up over, even a little; but I did, and a lot at that.

In Spain, both meal times and meal options are very different than in the United States.  For example, cakes, cookies, strudels, muffins are the majority of options for breakfast; (Can you say carb overload?) however, this is their way of life and living abroad includes adjusting to their culture. I will definitely admit that some days all I want is some oatmeal with fresh fruit or an omelet, but neither are common options for breakfast. (Eggs are usually eaten for lunch of dinner, never for breakfast.)

(never seen SO many carbs >_< )

Being stuck with a body that does not like to digest multiple ingredients sometimes makes it slightly difficult to eat out.  (Thankfully my Senora is absolutely INCREDIBLE and cooks all my meals both gluten and lactose free, so for anyone who is worried about studying abroad because they have food allergies, don’t be! This story relates to one particular instance in which I had a completely awful attitude to match this slightly unfavorable event.)

We had just arrived to Seville and we were all starving after a long day of traveling.  So around 9 p.m. we left the hotel in search of somewhere to eat. (As I mentioned, dinner is usually not eaten till about 9:30-10 in Spain.) Due to our grumbling stomachs, we were all becoming “hangry” – angry due to hunger.  Because of our large a group it was very difficult for us to agree on a place, let alone find one that could accommodate us all. We ended up choosing a more expensive café, which we later found out only served tapas. As I mentioned in my previous post, tapas are great when you are looking for a lighter meal or snack, but we were all anticipating a feast to satisfy our hunger.

(These are some of the bigger tapas)

Frustrated by our lengthy search, we decided to just stay and order something there. At this point, I am mildly irritated but nothing serious. I have a serious flaw of being incapable of ever ordering something I actually want in restaurants in America where I can anticipate what I will receive, so when it came to ordering from a Spanish menu I think you can already imagine my struggle.  After staring at the menu for about 20 minutes and eliminating all the options I assumed contained Gluten or Lactose, I decided to go with the option that included humus.

Minutes felt like hours while we waited for our food.  The rest of the group was digging into bread and crackers, subconsciously fueling my fire (which I only realized now.) My good vibes were dwindling by the second. Then, others were receiving their food and it looked delicious, but I was still waiting.  As I mentioned, none of this is serious AT ALL, but I decided I was going to be angry and that was it. When I finally received my food, I received a plate of balls of humus and that’s it. Now, I am being a complete diva and refusing to even pretend to enjoy my food, hence the derivative of this story being humus.

Being angry at home is fine. You are either surrounded by complete strangers that will never see you again, or by your best friends who know how to handle you. I absolutely realize that at times I can be unreasonable, and I was choosing to be so at that moment; but sometimes a person just wants to be angry and doesn’t want to chose to be happy (aka me that tonight). When you’re surrounded by people you just met, but will have to continue to encounter, dealing with these emotions can be tough. No one wants to project a negative vibe, but when all you want to do is crawl into a hole and ball, it’s tough. And yes, I realized NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, at that point was bad enough to ball over, but at that moment all I want to do was cry.

Even worse than giving off a bad vibe, is receiving a reaction that will only fuel your fire. As I admitted, I know I can be a handful – especially when I am being emotional. At home your friends know how to deal with you, but every person has their own individual means of coping and strangers aren’t aware or your personal strategies. However, I got through it and the next morning everyone was still my friend, thankfully.

The awesome part of studying abroad with complete strangers is that everyone is in the same boat. Everyone is experiencing the same new things as you and wanting to achieve the same things as you: to make friends and to enjoy his or her time abroad. These similarities create a bond between you and those people.

Even though that night was unnecessarily the worst, it was great learning moment for me. Everyday won’t be great and sometimes it will be very frustrating to adjust to others customs, but it helps us become more patient individuals — and becoming more patient is never a bad thing. I love that this experience is not only allowing me to travel and visit new places, but to also help me become a better person.

So thanks hummus.

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I’ve been sharing with you all the good times I’ve been having in Spain, but today I wanted to demonstrate that it’s not always rainbows and butterflies — a bad day is a bad day regardless of what continent your on. And I think we’re all allowed a bad day once in awhile.

Today: this incident already occurred over a month ago and the bonds I’ve created with these not-long ago strangers is only growing stronger. I am loving my time abroad. Obviously some days I am not a ball of sunshine,but overall I am grateful I get to experience a bad day in Salamanca — or whatever city I am in that day.

Hope no one is having “one of those days” today; and if so, hopefully this post can brighter your day a little bit, and if not then this obnoxiously large picture of a happy sun will. 

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

Andalucia pt. 1

Hi friends!

Sorry for the late post, but I’ve been super busy visiting the many beautiful cities of Andalucia for the past few days.

During my trip to Cordoba, Seville, and Granada, I explored many different themes and ideas in relation to the sites we visited that I would like to share with you all in my coming blog posts.

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Today, I would like to talk about PASSION and PERSERVERANCE.

In Granada, I had the awesome privilege of seeing a live Flamenco show. The show took place inside of an excavated mountain site. The location alone was breathtaking. The room wasn’t very big but very beautifully decorated. The ceiling was decorated with silver, copper, and gold. The room itself was illuminated with red and green lights. The walls were covered with photos of famous guests who attended the show in the past; a few distinct American guests include Bill Clinton and, more recently, Michelle Obama. (Michelle actually has her name painted on the chair she sat in.) I believe the attendance of these two famous guests illustrates the very beauty and cultural importance of this Flamenco performance. The room was delineated with a single row of chairs with only a couple more in the back. The set-up of the room allowed every audience member to have a great view of the performer’s feet, making this show a very different experience than any other Flamenco show.

For those who don’t know (and no shame if you don’t, because I know I definitely didn’t know much about Flamenco before I came to Spain), Flamenco is an intricate style of dance which includes rapid movement of the feet in combination with graceful movements of the arms. The music is usually lively and consists of loud and passionate beats. Every sound is intentional. The music brings the sounds to life. The performers move their feet with the intention of adding another element to the music. Their shoes clack to the beat. If one makes a mistake, the error can be very noticeable due to the clear sound their shoes make.

I actually took a Flamenco class in Salamanca the previous weekend, and I quickly realized Flamenco is definitely NOT for me. I cannot believe people are actually capable of moving their feet that fast, let alone in combination with arm movements.

Taking my past failed experience into consideration, I was in complete awe throughout the whole show. I cannot imagine the time it took for these performers to master this skill. Obviously, dancing comes easier to some compared to others, but Flamenco is an art that takes years to perfect. Some of the performers were clearly over the age of 50, but they way they moved their feet was mind-blowing.  I’ve heard many stories of people attempting to learn to Flamenco and failing miserably, so I respected these performers’ devotion to the art and the many hours of hard work they put in to master the dance. It is definitely not easy.  The dancers radiate passion when they perform. Their body movements and the beats they create are so strong and powerful that you feel them come to life. It truly is both admirable and inspirational.

In our society, I think it has become the norm to give up after the first or second attempt if one does not succeed. I definitely agree that it is difficult to persist when the first few attempts end in failure; however, taking into consideration the journey the dancers had to endure and persevere through in order to dance at the level they do today, I can only imagine the first few dance lessons these performers had. I believe I can safely assume their dancing was very, very different in comparison to their dancing today.

I’m hoping this inspirational feeling stays with me and keeps motivating me throughout my semester-long battle to learn Spanish. Some days are much better than others, but sometimes my frustration gets the best of me and I just want to give up; however, I am very proud that even within my short-period here, I have already learned so much! I am hopeful that I will only continue to improve. I know it will not be easy, and it won’t be an overnight transformation, but hopefully, if I practice every day and keep at it (like the flamenco dancers) I will be more than kind of, maybe, somewhat proficient.

Check in for the next couple of weeks to hear more about my trip!

Miss you all! See you in t-less months than before!

Xoxo,

K

HOW MY FIRST WEEK IN SALAMANCA HAS IMPACTED ME:

Hi Friends!

 (Yes this is really what I get to see when I go running.. not too bad of a view)

WARNING: This blog is a lot about personal realizations and discoveries, so if you’re not even a tad interested in me and solely interested in Salamanca and traveling I’d advise you to stop reading now and check out my blog on Monday which will pertain to the first part of my trip to Andalucia!

Another public disclaimer, I wrote this during the end of my first week in Salamanca. See how else my views have shifted or what has surprised me during the semester with these more reflective posts.

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I absolutely CANNOT believe today is officially a week since my family dropped me off at O’hare! It feels like an infinity longer, but I must admit it has flown by! It is really interesting to reflect on my daily life here in Salamanca compared to at home, because it has changed so drastically within such a limited time, yet I am still the same person.

I definitely believe my time abroad will open my eyes and help me discover things both about the world and about myself. I’ve already begun to notice my own personal ideologies (and on a less serious note, habits) that contradict those of the norm here in Spain, and even of those of my fellow classmates from America. As many people known, especially those who spend a lot of time with me (not necessarily by choice either aka my roomies) I am constantly doing numerous things at once. Every minute is valuable when there are so many things that need to be done and a very limited amount of time; however, here, I am solely doing one thing at a time and very slowly. For example, every morning our Senora prepares us breakfast. The only thing left for me to do is to wake up and eat before I leave for class. (My roommate, Holly, and I usually sit for about twenty minutes!) This may seem normal to some, but for those who know me, my normal morning schedule includes working out, showering, cleaning my room and/or the kitchen, cooking and eating breakfast, etc., all before I leave for class in the morning. I definitely think this will be difficult for me to adjust to, especially because I’ve realized I pride myself on my productivity. The mere facts aren’t quite as interesting as the meaning behind these differences. I believe the habits we develop say so much about the society we live in and what society values. Here, people value what they do with their time rather than time itself. American practices follow the motto: “Time is money,” but I don’t believe that is the majority’s opinion here and I definitely think it impacts their quality of life.

Moreover, me vuelve loca (I am completely obsessed) with the fact that EVERYONE walks here! Even though Salamanca is densely populated with buildings and churches, there are so many hills and stairs all over the city making it a great way to experience the outdoors! I laugh that Salamanca is a city version of Swallow Cliff. (I will be posting a blog later this week about running in Salamanca that talks more about this!)

All the buildings here are old, but so well preserved. The architecture is absolutely mind-blowing. While visiting London, I realized how small we each really are, and this feeling has carried over to Salamanca. There are so many people here who I have absolutely no idea who they are. There are so many opportunities here to be whoever you want to be and to do whatever you want. As Katy Herron said, “the limit does not exist.”

I’m so excited to continue this journey of both world and self-exploration.
Xoxo

Segovia

Hey Friends!

 

I don’t have much to say about this weekend, but I did want to share some pictures from my trip to Segovia!

 

 

 

 

 

The Cathedral of Santa Maria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fountains in the Royal Gardens

Random Fact: These fountains are only  on for a couple of days a year in celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random fact 2: The Aqueduct of Segovia in not held together with any type of cement or glue! It is solely made of stone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Fact 3: The Walt Disney Castle is actually based off of this real castle in Segovia (This one’s for you Allie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Fact 4: This armor may appear small, and in reality it is! This is made for children. Children actually began training at the young age of 8.

 

 

 

 

 

The beautiful view from the Disney Tower!

 

And en fin, I clearly would be doing a cartwheel!

 

If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will definitely get back to you!

Happy Lunes!

xoxo