So Many Adventures, So Little Time
Sometimes I start to feel homesick and decide I’m ready to go home and see my family; but then other times, like today, I realize how amazing I feel here and how many great opportunities I’m experiencing!
I spent the weekend of the 7th-9th exploring Barcelona with Catie. On our first night we experienced the Spanish night life, which was definitely a cultural difference. After a pub crawl sponsored by our hostel, we went to a popular night club for a while. Around 3:00am we decided to head out, and as we were leaving there was still a huge line of people waiting to get in! I could never just be going somewhere at 3am, that’s just crazy. The next day we spent the whole afternoon laying on the beach and walking along the beachfront. That night we went to the city center for some shopping and dinner – seafood paella! It was great. On our last day we went on a walking tour around Barcelona and visited the Sagrada Familia. The weather was great, and it was very refreshing to see a beach and blue skies after 2 months in London.
I was worried about Dallas all week. He got bit by a spider or something in Brazil and had to go to the hospital. I just hope he’s better by December!
This past month I went on a trip with a tour group to Amsterdam and Bruges. Both places seemed surreal. Amsterdam, in particular, was unlike anywhere else. Some parts were gorgeous with huge houses lining the canals. We got to go on a canal boat tour one night and it was very very cool. Yet, the rest of the city was noticeably dirty and smelly. We walked through the infamous red light district and ate some famous Dutch pancakes. The next day we went to a very rural area and saw beautiful windmills, a cheese factory, and a clog factory. Then in the afternoon I visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House. Both were awesome!
The following day we drove to Bruges in Belguim. The whole place felt like a scene out of a medieval fairy tale. I ate a Belgian waffle and frites (French fries), which are actually Belgian but the first American to see them heard the Belgians speaking French and assumed they were a French thing. Silly Americans. I also got some of their famous Belgian lace and chocolate!
I’m going to try to be very productive with my schoolwork this week. I already wrote a 1500 word paper today! Tomorrow I’m going a show sponsored by USAC with all the other students in the program. It should be good.
Next weekend I’m heading to Vienna and Prague. It’ll be my first trip completely on my own, but I’m used to getting around now so I think I’ll be okay.
Only 5 more week to make memories! Time has really flown by.
