"Find the joy in the journey" -Leaving Spain

I have officially completed my month of studying abroad in Alicante, Spain. I would sum it up as a success. It has been a big dream of mine for a long time, and I was so blessed to have had the opportunity. My whole purpose was to study Spanish, live the culture, and earn credits for my minor in Spanish.

I wanted to start off with some suggestions for my readers or just people interested in traveling/studying abroad:

-         -Bring a water bottle (It has helped me a lot! In Spain, water supply is few so a water bottle is a necessity.)

-         -Travel to other cities or countries if you can! My motto was “You can only fit so many souvenirs in your bag- so spend your money on travel & make memories.”

-         -Take more photos (the more the better, right?!)

-         -Write or blog your moments (I believe some day when the memories are growing faint, I can read my blog or my journal and be reminded of the awesome experience.) 

-         -Don’t take all the room in your suitcase for clothes (You will want to shop & bring back new clothes or other souvenirs.)

-         -Bring toiletries that you can throw away (again, you will want space traveling home.)

-         -Have a translator! Google translate, dictionary, etc. (I used it every day!)

-         -If in Spain, learn how to shower in eight minutes or less because the water supply is slim.

-         -Be prepared to walk everywhere!

-         -It is very hot- dress appropriately & extra deodorant.

-         -Ladies- I suggest a cross-body bag & a bigger shoulder bag for books and other things

-         -Eat lots of ice cream! It’s even better in Europe!

-         -If you’re ever in Alicante, you will not need any rain gear. It NEVER rains.

-         -Do not buy sunscreen in Spain- bring it with you (it is about 20 euros a bottle!!)

-         -The tram or metro is best (I never felt safe in a bus.)

-         -Make friends! The amount of diversity is amazing. (Personally, I think it is awesome to have other friends from countries all over the world!)

-         -You will be surprised at how many hand gestures, reactions, body language, and context will help you understand a foreign language.

      It was a bittersweet moment this morning when I boarded my first plane departing from Alicante. I thought about how the city had been my home for a month and how I really have gained so much from the whole experience. It was very hard to say goodbye to my friends last night. They are all from different parts of the states, so there is a very slim chance I will ever see them again. But I call them angels- from the Lord.

Finally, to sum up the trip:

-        -(He aprendido mucho) I have learned a lot! It was a struggle at the beginning with my classes being a little overwhelming. It took me a week or so to adjust to life in Spain.

-        -The life/culture is very different than the states, I would say that eating lunch at 3 P.M., dinner at 10 P.M. and night life until 2… very different than how I spend my days in the states.

-        -I never went hungry in Spain, but I sure did miss my sweet mother’s cooking.

-        -I really am so blessed to have met some of the most amazing students in our program. They were angels, and I don’t know if I would had made it without them.

-        -I came to Spain with good grammar and weak conversation, but I am leaving with better grammar, I can speak more comfortably, and my vocabulary has grown exponentially.

-        -The whole trip was an eye opener! If you have read my previous posts, I mentioned how Spain is NOTHING like Mexico or the Spanish culture we are exposed to in the states. Also, even with 7 years of Spanish in school it was a slap in the face to be thrown out into this foreign country & it’s like “now it’s time to really learn.”

-        -It was a challenge, but I am so thankful I was forced to learn and forced to appreciate another culture. It was 100% worth it! I learned so much, and now I appreciate my own culture & heritage even more.

Thankful for the land of the free and home of the brave.

I miss my wonderful country.

-Hasta Luego Spain!

& Hello USA!

Things I miss back home...

For those of you that didn’t hear about me going to the doctor here, I will inform you now!  I asked our program director to make me an appointment with the doctor because I believed that my staph infection resurfaced. I was quite nervous when she emailed me back saying he doesn’t speak English… But turns out I understood 95% of everything that was said that day in the clinic. (Another plus- I didn’t have to pay a penny! J) I waited about an hour to see the doctor, when he took me into the room and asked what the problem was. I described to him that I had a skin infection. He checked it out for about 5 minutes, asked me a few questions, and then diagnosed me with an allergic reaction. It was an experience I won’t forget, but I am glad it wasn’t a bad experience.

Saying that… I would have to say that the three hardest things that I have done while being here are:

·         -Presenting my paper for grammar class in only Spanish

·         -Ordering my plane tickets to Italy in only Spanish (very scary! I’ve never bought my own plane tickets until coming here, and it was all in Spanish!)

·        - Then, going to the non-English speaking clinic & doctor.

And the top few things that I miss most from back home:

·      -   Peanut butter & Jelly

·     -    A car to drive/ ride in

·    -     Dark chocolate

·    -    Limon in my water

·   -     Mexican food

·    -     A bigger coffee (it’s about the size of a shot here)

·    -     Being able to not wear shoes in my own house

·   -     Being hydrated (they don’t drink nearly as much water here, or even have as much water resource here because it never rains.)

Some other fun things that I have enjoyed since being here were Zumba (of course) and baking an apple pie (Julia, my host mom’s way.) Zumba was led by a dance studio and was arranged by my study abroad program. I really have loved this program mostly because of all of the opportunities for activities and fun. If you’re looking into studying Spanish abroad, consider Spanish Studies Abroad. We are never bored! We have about two to three activities a week, and Zumba was one of my favorites. Also, making a pie with Julia was awesome. I have the recipe now that I plan to use in the states but sorry, I am not sharing J

Abrazos & besos

When in Rome... (Italy- not Georgia)

I fell in love with the city of Rome, Italy in three days. I had to decide between going to Paris, France or Rome, Italy, and I don’t think I could have made a better decision. I loved seeing all of the beautiful architecture, eating the delicious food, and meeting very nice Italians! We tried our best to do every tourist attraction there is to do in Rome in two full days. We did it; we saw everything we had planned on our itinerary. It was an awesome trip!

Before we even left Alicante, we met an Italy native heading back home to Rome. He overheard us talking about our address, and he told us he lived very close! He was a HUGE blessing. We met up after the flight, and he took us to buy train tickets and get on the train to our apartment. Once we got off the train, he walked us to our apartment! How nice. Literally, we had no idea where we were going- God was looking out for us!

Our first full day (Saturday) we got to see the Colosseum, the Rome forum, we walked by the Tiber River, Rome’s oldest outdoor market, and the Pantheon. It was a super fun but full day! We took the metro (which is like the subway) like 2 trips on Saturday, but we walked mostly. Literally, we walked from one side of the city to the other. It was awesome getting to see all of the beautiful architecture and the city but also very tiring.

On Sunday, we went to walk up and see the Spanish steps. It is a very popular and busy area, but very nice! After, we went to this beautiful park where we walked around and had lunch & enjoyed cappuccino. We decided we wanted to go to the Vatican on Sunday, and we looked up the dress code… No shoulders or knees showing. So… I had to go buy pants because I never even thought about that! For dinner on Sunday, we decided to go out with a bang. We ordered four pastas among the three of us and shared. It was great- a real Italian experience! Afterwards, we decided to finish the night off with viewing the Colosseum at night. It was so beautiful; I am glad we got to see it both in the day and at night.

To finish off the trip leaving was a fiasco… (or I would refer to it as eventful) We first couldn’t get in contact with the owners of the apartment to check out. Next we went to the train station (post buying tickets) to find that the railroads were blocked, then the train station people would not help us because they didn’t speak a lick of English (translated- no refund.) So we finally contacted a taxi, got to the airport with 40 minutes before the plane boards. Well security was three miles long and too many people. Pushing it, we made it on time. I was worried, but I was praying the Lord to help us get back to Alicante.

Safe and sound, we are here in Alicante! Rome was super awesome, an experience I will never forget. It is a beautiful city full of nice Italians, good food, beautiful sites to see, and fun. I hope you all someday can experience Rome yourself. I loved it, and I am looking forward to going back someday. 

-Grazie! 

(Check out my facebook for more photos!)

Wow- almost two full weeks completed!

This week has not been too extravagant, but I wanted to share some things that have stood out to me this week.

If you didn’t get a chance to read my status on Facebook, my host family received another student this week. Her name is Stephanie, and she is from Belgium! She is a beginner in Spanish and knows a little English. My status mentioned due to the fact that her Spanish is weak, I have taken the role of a translator in our house. My family speaking no English and Stephanie speaking hardly any Spanish, makes times interesting. But I feel so cool I get to translate between the two!

I thought it would be interesting for those back in the states to read some big differences that I have noticed here, so here it goes:

{-You have to wear shoes in the house.

-There is no pepper in this house or on the table. I reached for the black shaker at the dinner table only disappointed to find that there were two salt shakers- one black and one white shaker.

-If you don’t eat at least two servings, they think you don’t like the food.

-Topless beaches- need I say more?

-Walk everywhere… it’s not a problem, but it is simply different than walking for pleasure like I do back home.

-All clothes & graphic tanks are written in English- which is strange because English is not common here.

-They sell so many sweaters… I don’t understand why because it never goes below 60 degrees here.

-People smoke cigarettes here like it is no one’s business. Seriously. Every other person I walk by smokes (strange to me that it would be more than the obvious in the states)

-The food is nowhere near like Mexican food! I think the only thing they share is guacamole!

-Finally, I would like to point out that I have been mistaken for an Italian twice, yet people try to speak English to me? }

I also noticed that my level of understanding has increased dramatically! Sometimes I can only understand because I can’t think of the correct wording to reply with. My vocabulary grows about two words a day. Now I have about 55 new words total, give or take a few.

Tomorrow, July 11^th, my two friends and I are leaving for Rome Italy (for the weekend!) We are very excited to say the least! Follow me by facebook or Instagram @millieeep for more pictures and updates while in Italy.

Hasta Luego,

Millie

One full week completed in Alicante

Okay- to leave off where I was on Tuesday’s post, I wrote about a group of American students and I going out to watch the soccer game. Well it was a school night so some of us didn’t want to stay out late so my friend Camille and I decided to catch a cab home. It was our first time in Alicante getting our own cabs… quite hilarious. The cabs here are not yellow (like in NYC) they are white and typically a van (that’s all I have noticed.) Camille and I, not being locals or too familiar with cabs here, she tries to hail a police car for a taxi ride! We laughed and laughed because the police cars are also white vans. Anyways, we made it back safely, but that memory is in the books.

Some of you may have seen some photos on my facebook from Tuesday’s activity, the Castillo de Alicante. It was beautiful because it is on the top of a mountain so once you reach the top you have a view of the sea, the city, and the mountains- absolutely stunning.

So, class is becoming less overwhelming. It is still difficult. My professor takes the class very seriously; we have several assignments (homework) every day. Our class 3 hours with a 15 minute break in between. After grammar, I head to conversation class for an hour. It is a lot of class in one day, but I really enjoy Spanish. Conversation class is just speaking and answering questions with our teacher. She is crazy, but it is really an enjoyable class.

This week we met our speaking partners (intercambios!) The speaking partners are people that volunteer through the university to help us practice our Spanish (and sometimes their English.) I share my speaking partner with my friend Angela. Our speaking partner is Pedro. He is super awesome and helpful. We first met them on the beach for ice cream. And yesterday (Saturday the 5^th) we went to Guadalest a city 45 minutes outside of Alicante. We learned a little history and got to see the bluest lake ever! After the lake, we had Paella for lunch and then went to the beautiful waterfall. It was gorgeous!! I didn’t take my camera due to the hiking and water, but I included a few pictures from my phone.

I am starting to get into a routine here. Class in the morning, lunch after school, siesta, and out with friends on the town for the night. I really love every student in the program with me. We are like a small little family.

Friday, my friends Camille and Peter and I, fly out of Alicante to head to ROME, ITALY! We are super excited. Follow me on the journey.

Hasta Luego-

Millie 

¡Hola!
Well this is my first post since I have arrived in Alicante. This whole trip is full of "firsts!" My first time leaving the US by myself. My first time staying with a family that speaks no English. My first time either walking everywhere I go or taking the tram (like the subway but on train tracks and connected to power lines.) My first Spanish class solely in Spanish (and my professors first language is actually French, like what??) my first time by the Mediterranean Sea, and my first time at a topless beach!!
    {It was very interesting. All of the Americans just laugh because we want to take pictures of the beach but are afraid of catching a naked lady in the picture! It's not only people tanning with no tops, the walk up and down the beach topless! It's super weird for me (because I'm a very modest person) }

Coming to Europe, English is the minority! And everyone here almost knows 3-4 languages each, and sometimes a little English. I am one of three American’s in my grammar class. Most international students know some English, but you are not really allowed to use anything but Spanish. Since most are international, we are forced to use the Spanish because it’s pretty much our only way to communicate. Even my professor does not know English.

I got off the plane like happy, this is going to be great I'm pumped! Well I couldn't find my luggage, and I have no idea who to ask? I fight the tears because I have 15 minutes of free wifi to talk to my family. And I couldn't find who was picking me up. Freaked out to say the least.

But overall I know this is and will continue to be one of the most rewarding trips of my life. I am challenging myself in ways I never thought possible. Saying that, I mean that no, nada, not one class in the US can prepare you for speaking solely Spanish like actually being in Spain or Mexico, etc. I thought I knew Spanish fairly well, when it comes to surviving.... You just have to squeeze every bit of Spanish in your brain out! It takes a lot of concentration & energy. I leave the dinner table every night exhausted from listening and trying to translate what they are saying (of course they never stop or slow down going a mile a minute) every time I can speak to my fellow American students or someone back home, I rejoice knowing I can speak English and understand a complete sentence!

My days now consist of waking around 7 to get a shower and eat before I need to leave 5 minutes before 8 to walk to the tram station and catch the 8:08 tram to my university. Between stops and the distance it takes about 25 minutes to get to the school. I arrive around 8:40, and I need más cafe!! (Coffee) They offer coffee in the vending machines - great idea! I can buy a cup of cappuccino for .35 cents!! But the cups of coffee (as in size) here is teensy tiny compared to 16 oz. coffees in the US. J
I have my grammar class from 9-12, and I have my conversation class from 12-1.
I ride the tram back home, and it's time for lunch and siesta. A siesta is a MUST when in Spain. Night life is later that normal (normal for me) Things don't really get going until like close to 10-11! Typically each night the American students in my program get together to either go for tapas (appetizers) or ice cream!
Like tonight (7/1) we are going out on the town to watch the USA play in the World Cup. It is a huge deal here for fútbol, as guessed because it is Europe.

It's hard to get everything in one post, so I will try to write sooner next time.
But if I left anything out that you're interested in, leave me a comment with your questions!
I would love to share more info on the city, the culture, and the language.

Gracias!

My Host Mom and her grand daughter