Cosas Aprendidos

I have literally been holding back tears all day. I didn't realize that Spain, and especially Madrid, were going to have such a special place in my heart. I have absolutely fallen in love with this city, especially my neighborhood, and I am so upset about leaving. Though I miss my friends and family, it is very tough having to leave such a wonderful place. My house mom has been amazing, more than I could have ever asked for, and getting to know the culture of the neighborhood has given me insight into Spanish culture, and not from a tourist's point of view. I have gotten to see what life is like for the people of Madrid, with my host mom, and with some very generous other host families as well. I think that is why it is so hard to leave. I didn't just visit Spain, I lived here, and that is what has made it so special. I am never going to forget any of these people, and am incredibly thankful to have had this experience. It was so much more than I imagined, so much more than a classroom, so much more than just learning a language. I can't even explain the impact this summer has had, but I wish that everyone was able to have such a wonderful opportunity. The time flew by, and I wish there was more. I can say with complete confidence that I will return to Madrid, because I won't be able to stay away for long. On a lighter note, I thought I would do a list of things I learned here.

Probably not the most important things I have learned, but the things that are definitely going to stick with me:
Bebidas gratis: free drinks.
Croquetas are amazing.
Kalúa helado is heavenly.
Kapital gives out high quality bags.
Go to Gabana on a Wednesday.
Arriba, abajo, al centro, adentro.

Me encanta Madrid.

Viajes

The last week here has been packed with traveling and sightseeing. It was a blast visiting Valencia and Barcelona! I'm going to do a picture blog today instead of just writing about it.

Outside the science museum in Valencia, gorgeous!

Giant 3D model of a DNA molecule
nerdy, I know, but it was so cool!

Casually saw a chick hatch,
just the miracle of life, no big deal.

Aquarium! Starfish :)

Best dolphin show I've been to, it was amazing! 

Pingüino!

My walrus friend

Olympic Museum in Barcelona
This was literally the only thing related to softball in
the whole museum. Needless to say I was very disappointed.

Park Güell
Amazing mosaics by Gaudí throughout the park
I could have sat there all day 

View of Barcelona from Park Güell

El drac de Park Güell

Obsessed with this place!

Demasiado Divertido

So it has been a loooong time since I posted on here. I just haven't found the time (or chose to spend it doing other things) to write about everything that is going on. I have been so busy the past few weeks, and since the program ended yesterday, I finally have some time to sit and reflect. The weekend after Toledo, we had another day trip to Segovia. It was a nice trip to a beautiful city, but I have to say Madrid is still my favorite. The acueducto was very impressive! This provided the entire city with water way back in the day.

After a day in Segovia, I headed to dinner with Sarah and Erika. We were craving paella, but the restaurant only makes paella when they have reservations a day in advance! Keep in mind, this is a tiny, very casual place with most of the seating outside on a street in Madrid. Although originally very confused by this, the waitress explained to us that in order to make it fresh, it takes a day to prepare, and unless someone is going to eat it, they can't afford to cook paella all day, especially with the specific ingredients necessary. A little bummed, we decided to eat some croquetas (best tapa ever!) and then head to a place with more of a selection of real food because we were starving! We ended up at a really cute place down the street, with a hilarious waiter who kept sending his nephew out to speak english to us. We really enjoyed the family-run cafe and probably overstayed our welcome because they were playing whatever music we wanted and were just so nice. The next day, I went with Sarah and her host family to El Escorial, a small city outside Madrid. We saw a beautiful monastery there that has mostly been made into a museum. There was a beautiful view of the garden, and the place was very impressive. We then went to a nice restaurant, where Sarah and I split arroz con verduras, a dish very similar to paella, and it quenched our paella craving. The meal was delicious! 

The rest of that weekend was spent relaxing, and then after another week of classes, we headed to Rome! We left Thursday night, and the flight had announcements about the Italy-Germany game for the Eurocup. Italy won, so we concluded that it was because we were on the plane to Italy when this happened. We did a ridiculous amount of sightseeing, of which my classics concentrator roommate would be proud :) And obviously, we ate pretty well while we were there. I had some amazing gnocchi the last day, right before leaving, followed by the best tiramisu. It was a great end to a great weekend. However, this weekend left me questioning whether we had packed in too much fun. I barely slept, and upon arrival in Madrid, then studying for final exams, I contracted a cold :( As I write this, I am trying to cure myself so that I can continue to travel next week.  

Colosseum!

Vatican

We had to cover up to go into Sistine Chapel,
so Avia and I decided to act like tourists in our Vatican gear

Pantheon! Amazing, it was so impressive!

Following an amazing weekend in Rome, my Fourth of July was spent studying for finals on the 5th, sorry America :( After finals, we had a nice fiesta in the park outside our institute, and it was sad to see everyone go. Most people left today, but I am staying for a week to do some extra traveling. I realized that some of these people are going to be my friends for a long time after this program, and some I will probably never see again. I made some great friends here, and lucky for me, they go to Harvard, so I will see them again in the fall. I already can't wait for our Spain reunions, and yes, we already started planning them! And when I hopefully get over this sickness, I will be heading to Valencia on Sunday, and then back to Barcelona on Tuesday. I am excited to see Valencia, and very thankful that I get to go back to Barcelona. One weekend was not nearly enough time, and I have a list of things I still want to see. Spain is an amazing country, and I am so happy that I have been able to be here for this program. And what a way to get a citation! The past couple weeks have been packed with so many trips and probably too much fun, considering my body's response, and I am excited to spend an extra week traveling!