When they said time flies, they weren't lying

Well, I obviously haven't posted anything here for a few months - since I've been in Spain. So much has happened since then from Seth coming and traveling with him to Ireland and The Netherlands to starting my senior year of my undergraduate education.

If I had a dime for every time someone asked me what I think about being senior - well, I probably wouldn't need to be looking for a job right now. Yes, it is bittersweet. I am ready to be done with the schoolwork but I am also not ready at all to leave this place when I feel like I just arrived. Or at least just got the hang of things.

It seems that every time you finally get to know a place and feel comfortable it is time to move on. I really noticed that in Spain but it is happening again right here in Chapel Hill. There was freshman year when I didn't know how to study for college exams or write a college paper. I didn't know where to hang out or what classes to take (although I somehow always knew not to take Friday classes!). Sophomore year I learned a few more teachers to take but I didn't know what bars to go to to on what night or what restaurants to make sure to try. Junior year was a whirl wind of preparing for Spain and being in Spain so it just flew by and now it is senior year and I just figured out what classes to take, how to do well in them, what bars are the best, all the restaurants to try, and what amazing friends I have made. And now I only have a few more months before I have to go own and do the same thing somewhere else, preferably NYC :)

I guess life keeps you on your toes that way - you can never get to comfortable before you are kicked off the couch and moving on. It makes you appreciate what you have while you have it. I have learned throughout college and studying abroad that no minute can be taken for granted because there is too much fun to be had during that minute. I've learned to take risks, to not sweat the small stuff, and to enjoy every moment. The only problem is I feel like I learned those things too late.

Anyway, I don't want to get too sentimental on my first blog post back but I'm sitting on my couch with a glass of wine and an assigned reading just thinking,"MAN, that was fast!"

Sorry my posts will not be nearly as exciting as they were in Spain but I am currently on the job search so maybe that will be interesting to follow??

Stay tuned :)

AKW

You live and you learn.

I am currently in my spanish bed for my last night in Matilde's/my home :( It's so strange to think back now and remember those first few nights when everything was so new. I feel like I am going to cry :( :( which calls for a double sad face.

Matilde made our favorite soup and sandwich for dinner tonight and I only somewhat successfully packed my things. I thought sending my winter jacket and some other random stuff home with my parents would make my load lighter but somehow I still have too much stuff to fit in my suitcase. Going through all of it has brought back all of the memories I have made here. This post is so scatterbrained but so is my mind right now so forgive me.

Over the last few days I have been thinking about all of the things I have accomplished or learned or tried for the first time while studying abroad. I made a list.

Things I accomplished while studying abroad:
1. Successfully planned 5 months worth of traveling: from Copeland and I's first trip to Bologna to the 16-day tour starting tomorrow with Seth it has been tough to plan but so much fun and definitely so worth it!
2. Rode a camel through the Sahara Desert: which is obviously something not many people get to do and a great "what is something interesting about yourself" response (I am always looking for something other than I have 3 siblings and was born in New York)
3. Camped in a desert oasis with berbers: again something not everyone gets to do and I am really grateful I had the chance to because sleeping in a small comunity of burlap tents surrounded by sand for miles around and seeing more stars than I could ever image was something I will NEVER forget.
4. Completed the world biggest half marathon: finishing this race without walking was something I did not think I could and it made me realize I can do anything I really work for and set my mind to.
5. Learned to surf: well kinda...I didn't actually get up but I was on a surf board, in a wet suit, in Lagos so it counts.
6. Survived all night at the largest Carnival in Spain: I am referring to Carnival in Cadiz where I wore a mask all night in the pouring rain with tons of drunk people until 6 am. This brings me to my next accomplishment...
7. Celebrated a birthday at a German club until 6am: Too. Much. Fun. :)
8. Ate authentic bolognese sauce in Bologna, Italy: Yum! There is nothing like it and I wish I could have some right now especially because it was in a beautiful restaurant with dim lighting and live jazz filling the room.
9. Attended a movie premier and met 2 movies stars: by the names of Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. Yes, I have been obsessed with Gerry :) ever since and I am proud to say it.
10. Took a picture with one of the above said movie stars: Of course this was Gerard Butler grabbing my camera and taking a photo with Copeland and I and then signing our hands. Love.
11. Won a free vacation by rapping and beat boxing: now those of you who know me (which is everyone who is reading this blog) know that I did not pick up the rapping/beat boxing skills here in Spain but I never win anything and my luck changed here! Lagos was amazing and had I paid for it, it would have been worth every penny. Also, shout out to stepper Cameron Battle because she put on a just as great performance!
12. Learned some bad words in German from some new German friends: these are the friends from the 6am party by the way. Now, I don't want to type these words and offend a reader but I think learning curse words where ever you are in the world is important as to become one of the locals :)
13. Attended a professional Spanish soccer game: which was Sevilla FC. It was so cool to hear the song/chants that the fans sing and see the excitement in the old Spanish men that we feel in something like Carolina Basketball.
14. Attended a professional German basketball game: well hardly professional against our standards but it was hilarious as well as a great way to feel like a local/part of the culture.
15. Never drank the same beer twice at the Internacional Cerveceria: and I will continue not to when I go tomorrow. This is one of my favorite places to go in Sevilla and they have so many beers I made a promise to myself to try a different one every single time. So far so good- I have had dark, light, good, and bad but it has been so much fun and I learned that I love beer from Belgium.
16. Learned to salsa dance: It's funny when I was making this list I forgot it at first I guess because it was so long ago but it was SO much fun going every M/W and learning a new dance! I think it will come in handy one day ;)
17. Helped teach English to a classroom of the cutest 11 and 12-year-old Spaniards in the world: I looked forward to going to my class at Claret every Tuesday and hearing "HHAAALLLLOOOOO" when I walked in the door. The children were so excited every week and they were so funny and great to be around. This was definitely one of my if not my favorite parts about studying abroad. I will miss them so much!
18. Rode in a Spanish police van and took pictures pretending to get arrested. This just happened last night and it was so much fun! Us girls went out together and Sarah wanted to take some night pictures of the Giralda so we stopped there. This police van with 3 officers pulls up and we get to talking. Long story short Sarah and I get pin on "badges," we take tons of photos of each other with an officer pretending to arrest us, get to talk on the walkie-talkies in the van, and get a ride home from them on all the streets where only emergency vehicles can drive. Awesome.
19. Conquered living in a foreign country and made a second family while doing it: I gained SO much studying abroad and I know I will be talking about it the rest of my life. I also now have a home with a lovely 2nd mother and sister to visit WHEN I return.

As you can see I have been busy these past 4 months and I am sad to say that it is coming to an end. It's bitter sweet knowing Seth is on his way and we are going to have so much fun traveling to Ireland, Prague, and Amsterdam as well as I am going to see all of my friends and family soon when at the same time I have to leave this place I have come to love so much. I walk around Sevilla now as if I am walking around Chapel Hill or Raleigh because I feel comfortable and I know the city. It's mine. I am so excited for what is to come in Seth and I's travels for the next 2 weeks and I am super excited to see my brothers and sister and friends. I am excited to eat American food (my mom's grilled cheese) at a normal hour. But I don't want to leave this place where dogs roam without leashes (and poop wherever they please), where people get dressed to the 9's just to go to the grocery store, where cafeterias are plentiful and drinking at 11am is a local pastime, and where an afternoon siesta is mandatory.

I can't wait to come back sometime in the near future and remember all of the things I did in Sevilla like sit by the river eating 100 Montaditos, running through Parque Maria Luisa, attending feria de abril and riding the ferris wheel, seeing the processions of Semana Santa, making quick trips to the bazar or Nervion Plaza, and waking up early for/getting back late from the bus station to visit somewhere amazing or come back from said amazing place.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my time here, I know I enjoyed experiencing all of the things I wrote to you about. Thanks for reading and see you all so soon!

Besitos!
Amanda

Living the life in Lagos.

Hello my dears,

So for the last program hoorah I went to Lagos, Portugal this past weekend with 499 other students studying in Sevilla. We went with the same tour group as we did with Morocco, Discover Sevilla. The ride is only 3 hours so that was great so we were off Friday morning. Since everyone except like 3 people from our program were going we got class canceled on Friday and just made it up last Wednesday instead and got a final moved to the day before haha. Anyway Lagos is absolutely gorgeous and definitely the most amazing beach I have ever had the pleasure of tanning on. We got to stay at a 4 star hotel which was awesome and even had a kitchen and after checking in we headed to la playa. The cliffs and clear water were so amazing. We also took a long walk to a lighthouse where there are paths around the cliffs and grotto. We got the most amazing pictures! Friday night we went to dinner and to a party that Discover Sevilla put on at a place called Monkey Joes, which was a lot of fun. The night was filled with drinking and dancing and laughing.

Saturday the 6 girls: Cameron, Copeland, Caroline, Sarah, Kaleigh, and I headed to town and the beach for a bit before our Sangria Cruise. Unlimited sanria, beautiful views, a grotto tour, and a boat = amazing experience (obvi simple math). We started on a bigger boat and when we got to a good spot we anchored and took 10 people at a time on a smaller boat through the cliffs! Some brave souls even jumped in the water, one of which was NOT me because it was freezing. Then Discover Sevilla set up a party of the beach and we headed there for a couple hours before heading off to the end of the world. Yes, you read correctly. We went to what was thought to be the end of the world before it was discovered that the earth was in fact round. Guess what- the end of the world is probably the windiest place I have ever been but the sunset was amazing as well as the views.

Sunday we were off to the west coast for a more exclusive beach. The. Most. Amazing. Beach. I. Have. Ever. Seen. Just picture it: green mountains, blue water, soft sand, and rocky cliffs. Now take that image and multiply it by 100 and you will understand where we were. Cameron, Caroline, and I took surfing lessons complete with extremely form flattering wetsuits. Although I couldn't stand up I did get to my knees and it was a great experience. Just laying on the board as the waves rush you to shore, ahhhh. Surfing is also an extremely tiring workout and as I type my arms are still aching from carrying the board. Narley dude. Hang ten. I definitely want to try again in the good ole US of A. Sadly, we had to head back to Sevilla (and worst of all exams). It was a great weekend though and I couldn't have picked a better way to spend a weekend before exams (Besides actually studying for said exams).

I actually just finished my worst exam today so I am feeling a large weight off my shoulders. Seven more days, two more exams, and one more english tutoring until my time in Sevilla is up...
:(

Amanda

How 'bout that camel ride in? I guess that's why they call it the Sahara.

A wonderful thing about studying abroad in Sevilla during the spring semester is you get, not one, but two spring breaks! The second break is for Feria de Abril, which is a week in Sevilla full of private tents, flamanco dresses, dancing Sevilliana, horses, amusement rides, and drinking. But before I embarked on that journey I took a little (6 day) trip to Morocco. I know what you're thinking but do not fear, I went with a tour group who has been plenty of times.

The trip started at the beautiful hour of 4:45am on Friday with a bus ride to catch the ferry. We visited Rabat, Fez, and THE SAHARA DESERT! Saturday night we even rode 4x4's into the desert in order to hope on some camels and head to a desert oasis where we spent the night, whoooo can say they did that! There was berbers signing and playing drums, a fire, and the most beautiful sky I ever seen in my life. With no light pollution for miles and miles it feels like you are in a planetarium except it was way cooler and real. We all woke up at 5:30 in the morning to climb a huge sand dune and watch the sunrise over the Sahara. No big deal. Then we drank some tea and hopped on the camels again for a 2 hour ride to a desert hotel, which hurts after the first 30 minutes. Now if you think Morocco is strictly third-world stuff than think again because these desert hotels are like resorts with beautiful pools, restaurants, tennis courts, and even mini golf. Oh and that reminds me- the food in Morocco is amazing! Breakfast consists of tons of different delicious breads and pancake-type things with honey and jam. Of course there is tea, tea, and more GLORIOUS tea! Then for lunch and dinner there is amazing cous cous and vegetables as well as a oranges with cinnamon (try it- it is soooo good). Anyway I got a turban and even learned how to put it on myself. Turbans are essential in the desert if you do not want a birds nest full of sand as hair. These would be a great addition to the USA when you dont want to wash your hair in the morning- just sayin.

Something that really amazed me was that the berbers do not go to school but each one knew about 4 languages. They spoke arabic, english, spanish, and french all from being around tourists. I have been taking spanish for years and even live in a spanish speaking country and they were better than me. Also, they act like it's nothing cool or out of the ordinary that they can do this. Super cool.

Fez was also really cool. We went to the Medina, which is a huge market area with tiny little unnamed streets and the only "transportation" that can fit inside are horses and donkeys. We visited a place that made tons of scarves and all by hand. We also went to a tannery for leather goods, a carpet-making place, and a pharmacy that sells everything from natural viagra to tea and perfume. It's so strange to see things made by hand now-a-days. I sound like an old lady but really, it makes you really appreciate the beautiful work when you watch a woman produce an 8x10 carpet stitch by stitch.

It really is an amazing place and somewhere I never thought I wanted to visit but will (hopefully) being going back to in the future. And it ended on a great note because there was a party the last night at the hotel with everyone in the tour group. There were surprise belly dancers and a talent show. The prize for the winner of the talent show got a free trip to Lagos, Portugal with the same tour group, Discover Sevilla. Guess what?? I WON :) I performed a little rap and also beat boxed (thanks to Seth) and won my 140 euros back for the trip I am going on this coming weekend! YAY.

Well I am off to watch the fireworks for the last night of Feria! Ahh my time here is coming to a close WAY to fast!!

Later alligators!

The Warrens take Spain

So the next weekend after the marathon Copeland and I headed to Barcelona to meet my parents for their week in Spain! We were walking to the hotel when I heard a voice that I recognized as my loud New Yorker father before he could finish his sentence (sorry dad, i did love the greeting though!). I look up and there they were on the hotel balcony yelling to me as I walked down the street :) We took Barcelona in 2 1/2 days visiting all the Gaudi, Las Ramblas, and odd Catalan language we could in our time there. My favorite parts were the market where they sold fresh fruit smoothies for 1 euro each and tons of other delish looking treats. Also, the Magic Fountain was awesome; its this fountain that shoots water to the sound of the music playing for the show as well as changes colors throughout. It was beautiful night watching the water/lights/music show and drinking vodka for the girls and Aschbach for my dad. He was extremely excited about finding this particular drink and even more excited about its price because he used to drink it in Germany- ahh Euro trip memories.

Next was our tour of Madrid, which was my favorite of the two cities. The Spanish say you are either a fan of Madrid or Barcelona and my mom and I were Madrid's while my dad and Copeland were Barcelona's. (Aren't you glad I told you that and you now know just incase you ever need that information?!?) I loved the history in sights in Madrid from the Royal Palace to the Parque Buen Retiro to, oh you know, GERARD BUTLER AND JENNIFER ANISTON! Oh the glory of walking up upon a movie premier and waiting almost 3 hours to snap a picture of some famous americans. And we were going to go to the Prado (an art museum- HA). Turns out Gerard Butler is in love with me- came over after I shouted "P.S. I LOVE YOU GERARD" and grabbed my camera right out of my hands, snapped a picture of Copeland, him, and me and proceeded to profess his love!! Ok, ok everything is true except me shouting "p.s. i love you gerard" I mean, WHO would do that??

ALRIGHT already, everything is true except the part where Gerard professed his love but that's ok because he did touch my camera, take a picture with me, and signed my hand (which he also touched in order to sign it). The wedding is next August :)

Our next and last stop was Sevilla. It was Semana Santa- holy week- leading up to Easter, which is a BIG deal here in Spain and the biggest celebration is in- you guessed it, Sevilla! There are millions of people and it is extremely hard to navigate through a usually easy-to-get-around city center. I first realized this when I was going to meet my parents at their hotel after I dropped my things off at my home sweet home and it took me an extra 30-ish minutes. First I couldn't go the direct route because it was blocked off by millions of Catholic Spaniards trying to get a glimpse at the procession passing through. Also, the actual procession had tons of people in it (people wearing hoods that look like they are official members of the KKK) and so I had to wait until it was stopped and run through the parade to cross the street.

The precessions are really cool though because each one has a different huge statue/scene at the end with a Jesus or a Mary with lots and lots of men carrying it through the streets. These men are underneath the gigantic thing and they can only take little baby steps, cannot see, and are under a huge platform filled with lit candles and heavy silver and gold. It is quite an amazing sight.

We had a great week though filled with Spanish food and drink, the arabic baths, sightseeing, and the spanish siesta of course. It was great to see my parents since the longest time I have been without them in, oh, 20.5 years! And Copelands family arrived 2 days before my parents left so we all got to hang out and go to dinner a couple times as well as attend a Sevilla Futbol game. I think my dad was very pleased to have some more testosterone around and we are all excited to spend some more time together over the next year when Copeland and I (and Erin!) live together again.

Anyway it is currently the last week of classes and I have some major school stuff to be doing but I promise I will post about the Sahara Desert/Morocco this week! Then only one more post about Lagos and my last week in Spain before Seth arrives and we are off to tour 3 other countries :) AHHH can't wait!

See you soon (literally SEE because I only have a month left, sad.)

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry

Soo I did a great job of keeping up with this blog...
My bad.

Anyway lets move past that and start where I left off, Lisbon and the half marathon :)

Lisbon is a b-e-a-utiful city with its hilly streets, new buildings, and old railcars. Oooo those railcars- soo cute! They remind me of San Francisco even though I have never been. Also, great news, our hostel was very clean, had a great breakfast, and awesome rooms. They even let us come back after we checked out and shower after the half marathon :) It was a very welcome and pleasant surprise from my last hostel experience. We toured Lisbon using the #28 railcar which takes you up to a spot with a great view as well as the castle in Lisbon. We had to check in for the marathon the day before the race, which was in another side of Lisbon and also very beautiful with great museums, towers, and churches.

I was worried about running 13.1 miles in the first place so I was really hoping everything would go ok that morning (like I would feel good and my calves/knees wouldn't hurt because they had been) but of course nothing goes as planned. My knees and calves were fine but Copeland and I planned to meet up with Cameron and some of our other friends who weren't running so they could hold onto our stuff. We were at two different hostels so we decided to meet at the metro station in the morning and head to the half marathon together. Well. turns out we met at the same station but two different entrances so we didn't find each other and headed to the marathon separately. This wouldn't have been a problem had I not taken a drawstring backpack with my (very large) DSL camera, a long sleeve T-shirt (it was chilly), and some fruit and cliff bars. The camera weighs a ton and I had to wear it on my back- perfect. So we are running across the bridge, which is the start of the marathon. Actually we were hardly running because there were so many people that you couldn't really run. Anyway I'm running with this awesome backpack on and the drawstring breaks (due to the fact that it was given to us by the sponsors of the marathon and therefore cheap). So I had to retie the string and continue running. Not so much fun running with a giant camera on your back and I was feeling pretty down until I saw some of our friends (Rachel, Katie, Katlyn, Brad) standing along the race route! I was SO excited to see them and I ran over and threw the the bag without an explanation and continued running. I felt SO much better without weight on my back and the rest of the marathon was great :) I finished without stopping and even got another glorious backpack at the finish line filled with a european-brand Special K bar, a metal, a water bottle, and (get this) MILK. Ew. I skipped the milk carton and settled on an ice cream bar they were handing out instead haha. I was very proud of myself for finishing and also really excited that I felt so great doing it. Let me tell you the best part about participating in a half marathon- you get to the stations where they are handing out bottles of water and a Gatorade-type drink and you get to take a sip or two and THROW the bottle on the side of the course like you are a real professional- it makes you feel SO COOL! Sadly, I am not kidding about this being my favorite part.

After finishing we got a good meal and even better ice cream before touring a little more of Lisbon and heading on the bus home.

Summary of the story: yes, I have finished the world's biggest half marathon :) Also, someone broke the record for the fastest half marathon that day. A man from Africa with the name Zersenay Tadese and a time of 58.23. I finished RIGHT behind him.

It's always good to see old amigas

Good morning from Spain! Weather Update: It has been nice in Sevilla for about 5 days now!!! I should not be excited about this because Sevilla is supposed to be sunny all the time but since I have arrived it has been raining and this is the longest we have gone without rain!! It is supposed to stay nice all week so I am hoping the "old" Sevillian weather is back and here to stay.

Anyway, it has been such a busy week because we had some friends come to visit :) Copeland's friend, Nan, and her friend, Katy, arrived in Sevilla on Saturday. They are studying abroad in Scotland and decided to come for a visit. Erin arrived on Sunday morning and together, we 5 girls had a great time! Sunday was Nan's 21st birthday so Saturday we went out to celebrate the 21st birthday USA-style. Sunday we went and got a nice dinner and the restaurant even gave us free shots for Nan's special day :) We showed them all the touristy things throughout their time, which was fun for me to see again. We also got to try a bunch of new restaurants; always a good time. One of my favorites, which we visited 3 times over the week, is 100 Montaditos. Montaditos are little mini sandwiches and this establishment has 100 to choose from. They range from 60 cents to 1.50 and they are DELISH. Served with some fresh chips = a great (and cheap) meal to take to the river or anywhere else. Nan and Katy had to head back to Scotland on Tuesday and on Wednesday Erin, Copeland, and I went on a day trip to Ronda. Ronda is a small town about an hour and a half away from Sevilla with beautiful cliffs and a gorge. It has breath-taking views and tons of Islamic and Roman history. We did some hiking in extremely inappropriate hiking attire and ate bocadillas in a small park.

Erin was back on her way to party in the USA and Chapel Hill before we knew it! She left on Friday and we were sad to see her go but really excited that the next time we do we will be moving into our HOUSE together on Pritchard!

Copeland and I were talking about how on the day we left for Spain we thought it would be so long until Erin would arrive and then our parents and everything but on Sunday morning when we headed to pick up Erin from the airport we realized how time had flown by. We have been in Sevilla for over 2 months now but I still feel like getting stuck in Paris was yesterday.

Also, it's very strange to be able to have friends visit and show them around- makes you really feel like you know the city and are a part of it like we would feel if someone visited Raleigh. It's strange to actually take a step back and realize, "Wait, I am showing my friends around Sevilla, Spain- like I own the place."

The half marathon is coming up in ONE WEEK so we are headed to Lisbon on Friday! And then the next Friday we are traveling to Barcelona to meet up with my MOM AND DAD :) Exciting things, very exciting things!!

See ya on the flip side
(just kidding)

Jerome and Latisha

Hallo! What a wunderbar (German for wonderful) trip to Germany! Now, it is going to take a while to tell you about all of the great and amazing things we experienced in Germany but here we go…

The trip started with a 6-hour bus ride to Madrid on Thursday morning. Copeland and I were up and showering before 5 am, yes you read correctly--FIVE AM! We arrived in Madrid a little late because of traffic but around 3:30 we headed on the Metro and to our hostel. I’m glad that I am from a big city and know how to read and follow Metro routes because our travels went very well. We were staying at Hostel La Posada de Huertas for the night so we could fly into Frankfurt Friday morning. Now, this was my first experience in a hostel and I am not sure they are for me….I thought that I would be fine with the hostel-type experience while touring Europe but I think growing up with a OCD mother (yes mom, I am considering vacuuming more than once a day, being able to see the tiniest of crumbs on the kitchen counter from across the house, and biweekly Spring cleaning symptoms of OCD) made me a little skived to sleep in a hostel. It was a nice hostel but I was terrified for any inch of my skin to touch the bed and I wanted to bath in hand sanitizer after going in the bathroom. Anyway, I survived one night. We shopped around Madrid for the afternoon and ate dinner at a great little Italian restaurant. Madrid is so beautiful and I would have been very sad to leave if it weren’t for knowing I would be back in a few weeks.

Friday morning we headed on the Metro and to the airport, excited for the (long) weekend to come! Our flight was delayed a bit but we got to Frankfurt and were greeted by Paul, who Copeland had met this past summer while he was staying with her extended family in America for 2 months, and Nils, Paul’s friend. We were staying with Paul for our time in Germany in Koblenz where he lives, which is a little bit outside Köln. Köln is about an hour-ish from Frankfurt. We all got to Paul’s house where we settled in while Paul and Nils worked on a wonderful dinner of spaghetti with curry chicken. After dinner we headed to the city of Köln by way of a 40-minute train ride with some more of Paul’s friends: Gabriel (Gaga), Carina, Nicoil, and Simon. We were going to a club called Triple A to celebrate (a few days late) Paul’s birthday! The clubs have an odd system in Germany of giving you a card when you enter, which is essentially your bar tab. Every time you order a drink the bartender marks it on the card and at the end of the night you hand over your card and pay your bill. The catch is if you loose the card or, say, thought you were smart by “misplacing” the card so you would not have to pay your bill - you have to pay SIXTY-FIVE EUROS. So great system for the clubs because I am quite positive tons of drunken customers loose their card. Anyway we got our cards and I quickly stuck it deep into my pocket for safekeeping. Vodka and red bull was the drink of choice for the birthday boy but they ordered a bucket for the table, which consisted of a bottle of Absolute (with a giant sparkler flaming from the top), tons of cans of red bull, glasses, straws all in a big bowl of ice; basically a mini bar for your table. The price: 120 euro, chump change. How many did we get: 4. What does that lead to: a great night of “making party” until 6 am. Side note: the phrase, “No Homo,” is all the rage in Germany right now. They use it with almost every sentence and I must have heard it 500,000 during the course of the trip.

Saturday Paul, Nils, Copeland, and I went to the ruins of a castle high atop a hill near Koblenz. It offered beautiful views of the surrounding towns and the river Rhine. Now, I did not know Germany was known for their bakeries and bread but only for their wursts (sausages). Well, I quickly learned after stopping at a bakery and upon entering becoming overwhelmed by the smells and the sights. We went to the same bakery every day of our trip after that visit, seriously. Anyway, then we were off to cheer on the local team of the professional German basketball 2nd league, the Dragons. Lets just say that German professional basketball is not the same as American although you do have to take into account the fact that it was the 2nd league or tier. I’m pretty sure the gym was bigger at Millbrook and the cheerleaders: 12 and 13 year old girls without a coach (the “Dragon Flames”). The announcer was cool and extremely hip shouting, “BOOM SHAKALAKA” after a deserving play. It was a really fun time and a cool experience since it is something the locals do.

Sunday we went to cheer on another basketball team although it was made up of 15-year-old boys that Paul coaches. It was kind of like the YMCA or Parks and Rec league with tons of games going on in the facility, lots of parents and siblings watching, and even a small bake sale. Sadly, after a close game Paul’s team couldn’t pull through but it was still a lot of fun! We met up with Nils in Köln to visit a cathedral called the Dom. It was sooooo windy when we were walking that restaurant tables and chairs around the plaza where the Dom is located were flying away and parents were literally holding on to their children for dear life. It was like a scene out of wizard of oz. The tower of the Dom is 157 meters (what a workout) and offers beautiful views of the city. When we got down the polizei would not let us out because the wind in the plaza was so strong but after about 5 minutes we were free to walk at our own risk. We walked over to the CHOCOLATE MUSEUM ☺ yum yum yum yum yum. We learned all about harvesting coca and the history of chocolate but more important received plenty of samples! Even more importantly Lindt was shooting an Easter commercial for their Golden Bunnies and asked us to be a part of it!! All we had to do was tell what the Golden Bunny meant to us so I quickly signed the waiver that I could not read a word of seeing that it was written completely in German. The touched up our makeup, shot the scene, and gave us our own golden bunnies. If you know me at all you will know that chocolate in exchange for work (especially being in a commercial) is fiiiiine with me! I’m not sure if they will use our part of the commercial but I’m just going to say they are. Next time you see me I will be in the big screen along side Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, where I belong.

Monday Paul, Copeland, and I went to my 2nd home- a medieval hillside castle- Marksburg. It is one of very few remaining knights hillside castles due to the destruction during WWII. It was gorgeous and we even got a private tour since it was Monday and not many visitors were there. As you can se from the picture I got to try on a medieval knights helmet, which I believe is very flattering for my figure. Don’t you agree? Maybe in more of a gold? ☺ On the way home we stopped at the German Corner, which is where the rivers Rhine and Mosel meet. There is a huge statue of the German Emperor Wilhelm I and a flag and symbol of each German federal state. Later that night we went to a bar with Paul, Nils, Gabriel, and Simon, which was having ladies night. Pay 3 euro and get 4 glasses of wine or 4 beers- sounds good to me! We had a great last night with our new friends and even made plans to return in December for an Austrian ski trip!

I can’t believe Tuesday came so fast and it was time to return to Sevilla but not without a tour of Frankfurt first. Wow, Frankfurt is a beautiful city because it modern, classic, and sooo clean! You don’t see any graffiti or trash just an occasional McDonalds or KFC. We visited the building where the first German National Assembly was held and another beautiful cathedral. Then we did a little shopping before heading to the airport….

We had such a great trip and Germany is definitely somewhere I have to go back to (hopefully in December ☺). From the historic sites, to the bakeries, to the great people it is a vacation I will always remember. It is some awesome to have a local tour guide (or a couple of local tour guides) because you get to experience the city or country in a different way.

Chao for now (no homo),
Amanda (or my new German nickname Samantha)

When did February Happen?

Hello all,

Sooo sorry I have not updated my blog in well...about a month...we have been super busy! But have no fear, I will tell you allll about it now. Maybe grab a snack and make sure to use the bathroom before you start reading :)

Last time I updated was when Copeland and I got back from Bologna...hmm let me think back:
The two weeks after Bologna we had tons of school work with 2 tests, some compositions, a presentation, and a couple quizzes. We survived it all even though it is extremely hard to do homework and study in Spain.

The first weekend back we went to a concert to benefit Haiti. It was definitely a different experience with the music in spanish and all but it was fun! On Friday we went out to a vegetarian restaurant and I had hummus YUM! The restaurant was in an area we had yet to explore but we really like it and want to go back soon! We met up with some friends from our group and did a little botellon-ing by the river. Basically that means to drink in public, which is illegal but not enforced. We all brought some wine and such and sat on the side of the river and chatted until we decided to head to Lobo, a bar across the street. Lobo was fun because it had some great old american pop music including Spice Girls and Hanson- awesome.

The next weekend we made a trip to Granada with the entire program. Granada is a city about 3 hours away from Sevilla and is right next to the Sierra Nevada mountains! Of course it was rainy. Not sure what happened but when we arrived in Spain this semester we must have brought the rain because it is only supposed to rain some 20 days out of the year and we have definitely surpassed that number already. We still had a great time visiting the cathedral, tombs of the Catholic King and Queen of Spain (reyes catolicos as they are known here in Spain)Isabel and Fernando, and a teteria! The teteria was my favorite part with a relaxing ambiance and awesome tea! I got mint tea with lemon and I drank every drop! Copeland and I also split a banana and strawberry crepe sooooo delicious! The teteria had an Arabian theme and was full of locals, which we were excited about because that always means its good! The second day we went to la Alhambra, which is large Arabic palace and fortess. Later it, of course, became a Christian palace, as it goes here in Spain. The Alhambra is full of Islamic arquitecture and beautiful views of the mountains and all of Granada. We spent about 3 hours walking through the military fortess and the palace with our trusty tour guide and professor, Fernando.

Last week a lot of the students in the program, including myself, started volunteering at a local private school called Claret, teaching English. My class is 12 and 13 year olds and they are SO CUTE! I arrived and their teacher, Rufino, told them they had to ask me questions in English and I would respond but also ask them a question. The first brave student, Carlos, raised his hand and said, "Hello, my name is Carlos. What is your favorite futbol team?" When I said, "Sevilla" all of the class erupted in YAYs and boos because there is another team in Sevilla called Betis so it is pretty divided. Carlos, however, had on a Sevilla sweatshirt so he was pleased with my answer. The questions proceeded and the hour-long class was over before I knew it. Carlos asked about 20 questions, never forgetting to introduce myself (again). He was seriously ADORABLE and was my favorite student :) They asked me everything from my favorite food (in Spain and America) to what I like to do in my free time. I also got, "Do you like graffiti?" Well, the nino sure did and even gave me a sheet of paper at the end with my name written in a graffiti-type font, which he got all the boys in his corner to sign. It was really a great experience to get to spend time with Spanish children, especially since it is so strange living without 3 younger siblings in the house! I am really excited to get to know them better through the semester!

This past weekend we went to Cadiz, a port city about an hour away, for Carnaval. Carnaval is a huge festival/party the weekend before and after lent. Everyone dresses up in costumes and drinks the ENTIRE night away. Copeland and I bought masks at a Bazar and bus tickets to Cadiz about a week before the event and were really excited about one of the largest Carnaval celebrations in the world. Well, we bought our ticket to leave at 7pm and return at 7am but when we were about to leave for the station (at 6pm) we realized our ticket was for the 5pm bus! So we quickly left and the man at the bus station let us change our ticket for free after a tiny bit of begging :) We were on our way! We arrived in Cadiz at about 9 and found a little restaurant to get some dinner before our night of partying. Next step- caffine. We got a cafe con leche then headed for a plaza where tons of people were setting up their own personal bars. We came prepared of course and started mixing our drinks alongside them. The costumes were hilarious with many (many) guys dressed up as girls, groups of chickens, firefighters, Bob Marleys, and even a few Spongebob Square Pants. Everyone just wanders and drinks; so we did the same. We ran into some other girls from our program in the midst of 1,000´s of people and hung out with them the rest of the night. It rained, per usual but we had our umbrellas and later went under a covered area. There are lots of food stands like at the fair so around 3 Copeland and I bought baked potatos! By 4:30 we were wet, cold, and tired so we went by the churro tent to escape the rain and grab some coffee and water. Then we waited for our bus while chatting with a friend we made from Georgia Tech who was studying in France and visiting Spain for his spring break. He actually dated a girl who went to Carolina and it turned out to be someone from Smithfield, where Copeland is from. Of course Copeland knew the girl since Smithfield is such a small town and once again we were extremely excited and surprised to realize what a small small world it it! We got back to Sevilla at 9am still cold, wet, and tired but quickly showered and went to bed! It was so much fun and an experince I definitely wont forget from our time here!

WOW, well I will try and be better about updating so I wont have to fill you in on three weeks in one post! On Thursday morning we leave for Madrid and Friday morning take a flight to Germany so I will post again when we get back next Tuesday! This is basically the start to traveling every weekend and visitors coming so we are super excited! I knew time would fly by but it is CRAZY that after this weekend it is going to be MARCH! I am trying to take advantage of every moment! Well, besides Copeland and I's one american splurge- The Bachelor! Yes, we watch it very week and we hate Vienna! Well, I'm going to do some school work before lunch! Hopefully Matilde is cooking up something good :)

Hasta luego!
Amanda

"I think it's like Aloha"

Did you know "ciao" meant hello and goodbye? It was one of the many things Copeland and I learned while in Bologna, Italy this weekend! We had an amazing time. The food, the history, and the experience made Bologna one trip I will never forget (and one trip I will have to take again)!

I have to say, at first I was a little worried because we almost missed the bus to the airport, which would have been the perfect start to our first solo trip. Luckily we ran after the bus and the rest of our weekend was smooth sailing. We arrived in Bologna a little after 8 on Friday and arrived at Arcoveggio Hotel after realizing we probably should have brushed up on our Italian. It was so funny how we resorted to Spanish so much! I kept catching myself saying "hola," "gracias," and "perdón," instead of "ciao," "grazie," and "scusi," and even before "hello," "thank you," and "excuse me." I made me realize how much I am actually getting used to being in Spain.

We went to a popular wine bar and restaurant with live jazz called Cantina Bentivoglio. It was something I will remember FOREVER! When we walked in it looked like a cozy restaurant with tons of old and dusty wine bottles lining all of the walls. The hostess asked if we were interested in the jazz show, which we were, of course. When she opened the big wooden door in the back of the restaurant Copeland and I instantly smiled at each other with excitement- the jazz bar was tucked underground, lit by candles stuck in top of wine bottles, and filled with locals enjoying the music. The band, The Larry Willis Trio, was fantastic, and I felt like I could appreciate it so much after taking a jazz class at UNC last year. We ordered traditional tagliatelle al ragu' bolognese for me, insalata mista for Copeland, and bruschetta and a bottle of prosecco to share :) For dessert we ordered coppa al mascarpone con cacao e cioccolato and mousse al cioccolato con biscotto alle mandorle (mascarpone and chocolate and coco powder and chocolate mousse with an almond cookie). Every. Single. Bite. Was. AMAZING! We sat and drank and eat and listened until about 1:15 when we walked back to the hotel, reviewing every detail.

On Saturday we got an early start with a delicious and fresh breakfast buffet at the hotel. We walked into town to do a little sightseeing: Piazza Maggiore, Fontana di Nettuno, San Petronio Basilica, The Two Towers, and The University of Bologna. It was all beautiful. The Basilica is the 5th largest in the world; I would have taken pictures but it was not allowed. I guess you all will have to go and see it for yourself! There are tons of towers in Bologna and the two most famous are right beside each other. One is called Garisenda and it is leaning pretty badly so its just to look at :) The other is called Asinelli and you climb to the top, which we did. It was a 98 meter hike up the most narrow staircases you can imagine. We definitely had to take a couple breathers but we made it to the top (where it was freeeeezing!) and got a great view of Bologna. We were a little frightened on the way up because the stairs were so steep and narrow; the way down is a lot worse. We held on the railing for dear life and made it back to solid, but still very cold, ground. We got lunch at a little place Copeland found in her Lets Go Europe travel guide called Osteria dell'Orsa. It was very authentic with the menu only in Italian and communal seating . We ordered what we thought would be good considering we couldn´t read the menu and were pleasantly surprised with a panini for me and basically a bruschetta salad for Copeland. Yum. Being in Italy we were looking forward to getting some gelato, of course, and we had done our homework. Il Gelatauro was a small and traditional cafe and gelateria known to have some of the best gelato in Italy. I couldn´t describe the texture and/or taste of the three flavors we ordered: dark chocolate, cannoli (with bits of the cannoli shell mixed in), and pumpkin spice! Ahhh it was amazing, but again you'll HAVE to go yourself to really understand. Oh, and don't worry I would love to go with you and show you all of these little gems ;) While exploring we came upon some really loud disco/rap music and decided to see what was going on. It turns out there was a character by the name of Beppe Maniglia (as we found out from the cards his minions passed out) who had a rather large stereo system connected to his motorcycle. He also had a microphone and seemed to know every beat to the tunes but never started rapping. He had two little sidekicks, who were extremely old to be hanging around a motorcycle rapping superstar. The card they gave us with Beppe's picture had to have been at least 30 years old considering in the photo Beppe was in his late 20's and the Beppe in front of our faces had to be 50-some. He did not age gracefully. After some more exploring we went back to the hotel to warm up and freshen up for dinner. We went to a place called Bravo Caffe, which also had live jazz. It was really modern and great change from the night before. When we sat down the waiter filled us up with some champagne, homemade meatballs, and freshly baked (in-house) bread--and that was before we ordered anything! Copeland and I both ordered tortellini because after staring at them all day we decided it was a must! We were right. The dinner was topped off with cappuccinos and dessert while the band played. We ordered an Italian Trifle and Chocolate Layer Cake with crushed coffee beans....wow! We savored every bite, knowing it would be our last italian meal before we headed home to Sevilla.

We got a great nights sleep after walking about 20 miles throughout the day and woke up to another wonderful breakfast. We wanted to make sure we got into town early to get a couple more things checked off of our to-do list: the Archeological Museum and MORE GELATO! We walked outside and it was SNOWING! It was so beautiful especially dusted on all of the statues and architecture. We stopped for some cappuccinos to warm up and then went on a tour of the Archeological Museum. Great thing about Bologna- almost every site is free- we only spent 3 euro and that was to climb the tower, which was well worth it. The museum was great with rooms containing Roman, Greek, Spanish, and Egyptian treasures. I definitely liked the Egyptian floor the best; it had mummies, tombs, caskets, and all kinds of jewelry. The only problem was EVERYTHING was in Italian...so we guessed what each little artifact was used for and what everything was exactly :) I think we were right but what we thought was a piece of jewelry could have very well been an ancient weapon! We had a great time anyway and when we were done we both knew the last thing we had to do before heading on the bus to the airport...GELATO! We had into another place on the internet the night before called Gelateria Gianni because it had won a lot of awards and supposedly had some pretty crazy flavors. Even though it was snowing we knew we couldn't leave Bologna without one more gelato excursion so we found Gelateria Gianna where we were the first and only customers (which may have been do to the fact that it was 11 am and snowing...not sure though). I ordered another dark chocolate (SO RICH AND DELICIOUS), mascarpone with cocoa, and inferno (this was one of their innovative flavors: white chocolate, dark cherries, chocolate chunks, and vanilla wafers!!!!) it was definitely the "icing on the cake." A perfect end to a perfect weekend.

We marched happily to the bus stop and headed toward the airport, but of course not without an extremely odd coincidence...while sitting on the bus I had my luggage in my lap and two girls (also speaking english) sat across from us. One saw my luggage tag and told me she too was from Raleigh! It doesn't end there- she asked me what high school I went to and I told her Millbrook and she exclaimed, "I graduated from Millbrook in 2000!!" So in the small city of Bologna on an airport bus thousands of miles from the United States, North Carolina, or Raleigh I found someone who graduated from the same high school as me! Small world. We chatted a little bit about old teachers and she told us that she now teaches english in Cadiz, Spain and has been for three years. She was traveling with another teachers (from Massachusetts), her spanish boyfriends, and a couple of his friends. Anyway we got to the airport and surprisingly, even though it was snowing our flight was not delayed and we made it back to Sevilla in time for a little rest before dinner.

It was definitely I weekend I will never forget from the friendly Italians we met (two gay guys-one was a waiter at Bravo Caffe and his husband/boyfriend befriended us after dancing to the live jazz in the middle of the restaurant) to the delectable Italian food and everything in between (the snow and sights). It definitely made me excited for the trips to come this semester and confident that I can travel around on the trips without tour groups, adults, or a travel agent. Can't wait for what's to come!

Arrivederci,
Amanda

Olé!

Hello,

Last time I posted we were going to La Carboneria on Friday. We did and I got some great videos to share--lucky you! We thought it was supposed to be a different type of dancing but it ended up being Flamenco again, which was fine with us because it's a lot of fun! Friday the group was a little different: there were only 3 members with a different guitarist and the backup singer from Tuesday was the lead singer but the dancer was the same. The show was great again and we went home to get some rest for what we thought would be a trip to italica the next day.

When we woke up on Saturday it was pouring rain but we walked to the hotel to meet with our group for our trip to italica. Well italica is actually roman ruins in Spain so it is all outside so our professors canceled the trip until another date. With our jeans soaked we walked back home and went straight back to bed :) The rain stopped that night and we met up with everyone to go out. We ended up going back to Cervercia International and I got a different type of beer (still from Belgium) called Boucanier, delicioso! Next stop- Rebotica for giant mojitos of course! We tried something new on Saturday night--la discoteca! The club Catedral gave out free passes so we all went and it was soo much fun! Everyone had glow sticks on and Lagy Gaga was pumping out of the speakers (they LOVE lady gaga here). Copeland and I danced the night away and burned off the calories from our mojito :) We didn't expect the discoteca to be fun but it was actually great and we want to go back soon!

Sunday ran, did some homework, and got gelato yummm. I got dulce de leche and hazelnut and copeland got fruit yogurt and mango flavors. Everytime we would pass this one gelato stand in Nervion Plaza we would oooo and ahhh but never indulge...we fell in love after the first bite!

Monday we had class, of course...but everyone decided to go to La Carboneria for flamenco again haha! So we joined and got to see another showing with our favorite flamenco dancer :) I think we are going to wait a little while until we go again though.

Tuesday was exciting because we DIDN'T HAVE CLASS!!! We woke up for breakfast and were planning on heading to outlets near the mall called The Factory. When we got to the bus stop we realized we would miss lunch with the bus schedule so we decided to run first and go to The Factory after lunch. The bus there is free, which is nice and we did some shopping and came back to do some studying!

Wednesday we had a really hard quiz in our grammar class...not too sure how that went but we only need to pass!! During siesta we did some work for our Spain and the European Union class at 6:30. After that we came back to get ahead on some work because......

WE ARE GOING TO ITALY FRIDAY!!! Ahhh we are so excited!! We are heading to Bologna, Italy, which is the culinary capital of the Italy (which is the culinary capital of the world in my opinion)!! Our flight leaves Friday after lunch and we are staying until Sunday afternoon :) Bologna is supposed to be a great college town- it has the oldest university in all of Europe! And we read about a gelato shop that is supposed to be one of the best in Italy so you know we are going there!!

Today is Thursday and the weather is finally nice! We had Spain and Islam class this morning then walked around town or about 4 hours until lunch! We found a couple of new stores and went to the bus stations to inquire about billetes (tickets). We just had lunch and are going to start packing for Bologna!!

Ahhh we are just living La Dolce Vita!

I'll update on Sunday after our vaca!!

Love you all!

Amanda

Vivo en España!!

Ahh it is just hitting me that I actually live in Spain- for four months!! So crazy.

It's starting to feel more real now because we are getting into a schedule and can actually get around pretty well! On my last post I left off on Sunday...

After our run Copeland and I met up with Sarah, Caroline, and Mac near Plaza Nueva. We wanted to go shopping but we quickly realized EVERYTHING besides restaurants/bars are closed on Sunday. So we window shopped :) It was a gorgeous day so we walked to the river and decided to sit a while--actually one of my favorite things we have done so far. We sat on the edge of the river and chatted for a couple hours with the sun on our faces, ahhhh. I forgot my camera or else I would have some great pictures.

Monday we had class and such so it wasn't too exciting besides the fact that it's in SPAIN! Then on Tuesday we had our 1 class :) and walked to go shopping- inside the stores this time. Tuesday night Copeland and I met up with Sarah and Cameron to go to...FLAMENCO! We went to a place called La Carboneria, which everyone recommends. The flamenco is free and it is really a cool place where lots of locals go. We all got some tinto de verano (of course) and enjoyed the show! It's definitely different from what we expected but really awesome--singing, guitars, clapping, stomping, and dancing! The show lasted about an hour and we headed home.

Wednesday we got to sleep in (!!!) because our first class was canceled since we had an excursion to Cordoba that weekend. And Copeland and I's "afternoon" class (6:30-7:45) was canceled as well because our profession, Jesus, has some car problems. We decided to go to Nervion Plaza in place of class and just walked around for a bit. We stopped at Cafe y Te- galato for me and cafe con leche for Copeland. I had the dulce de leche flavor in a cone and it was SOO GOOD!

As for Thursday we had class and an excursion to la Catedral de Sevilla. Fernando gave us a tour and it was so beautiful! It is the biggest Cathedral in the world (area) according to The Guinness Book of World Records. Pictures could NOT capture how giagantic this cathedral is. There is beautiful treasures from centuries past including crowns, gold plates and goblets, and other knick-knacks that I, of course, have lying around ;) It is also where Christopher Columbus is buried. Actually, SOME of Christopher Columbus is buried here--they only have some of his remains such as only 1 leg. There was a lot of controversy over if his body was actually in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, or Sevilla. Cuba opened the tomb and it was empty--fail. The Dominican Republic still claims he is buried there except that they did some DNA testing of the one in Sevilla against the bodies of Columbus's children and viola it is him! Some parts could potentially be in D.R. though? Another fun fact: there used to be a crocodile that lived in the Patio de los Naranjos (an walled outdoor area with tons of orange trees). Legend has it that the daughter of a spanish king was being courted by a sultan and as a gift he brought an elephant and a crocodile to Sevilla. The elephant died and one of the tusks is hanging in the Patio de los Naranjos but the crocodile lived for a really long time there. People loved it and it grew so comfortable with humans that it could be pet like a puppy! When the crocodile died years and years later the people of Sevilla mourned! They embalmed the crocodile and hung it in the Patio as well but Fernando told us that right now the real one is being restored a bit and the one hanging was wooden. Interesting! Our group climbed La Giralda- the tallest point in Sevilla. It was quite the march up but well worth it. The view was awesome (as you can see from the pictures) and it was a great workout!

Thursday night we went with lots of people from our group to Cerveceria International, which as beer from all over the world. The walls are covered in different beer bottles and the menu is pages upon pages long. Copeland and I tried a beer called Augustijn from Belgium. It was really good and strong! Next we went to La Rebotica, where you get a giant mojito for 5 euro. They very tasty but definitely for sharing so Copeland and I split one.

Today is Friday and we had class this morning and are thinking about going back to La Carboneria tonight for some different dancing (not sure what kinda yet but I will let you know next post)! Tomorrow is Italica with professor Fernando!!

Adios amigos!

Amanda

Spain Sightseeing!

Hola a todos!

It has been a busy past few days in Spain but so much fun! It has been sunny, which is a nice change of pace! We finished our first week of class so we only have 17 more to go (WAHOO)! And we did some great sightseeing and have been going out on the town!

Thursday Copeland and I went on a run after class because we are going to do a half marathon in Lisbon, Portugal in March! I definitely have some training to do but it will be get exercise and an awesome experience to finish a half marathon (IN PORTUGAL)! Then we took a tour with the study abroad program led by one of our professors, Fernando. He is really sweet and knows everything about anything historical in Spain! We went to Reales de Alcázares, which is the palace that the royal family still lives in today! It was soo beautiful and we are definitely going back because Fernando told us they have some days were it is free and we will have more time to roam around the grounds and gardens. The style was originally mudéjar, which is muslim but it also has some Roman and other styles as well because many monarchs have added on through the years. All of the ceilings and stone work was so intricate and it was so gorgeous to walk through. After our tour Copeland and I went out to meet our friend Clara and her (and our new friend) Ana. We had a lot of fun first at Flaherty's and then at a bar where Copeland and I were the ONLY americans! Clara talked us into getting "agua tropical," which is NOT water at all haha! It is basically a pitcher of shooters, muy delicioso! After exams are over for the students in Spain we are going to go to tapas together, yum!

On Friday Sarah, Copeland, and I went to Discover Sevilla to ask about some trips they offer. It is owned by a few guys who studied abroad in Spain themselves and loved it so much they came back to live here and started a tour service. They put together trips for college students studying abroad and we really want to go on their trip to the Sahara Desert--it includes camel rides and staying in an Oasis one night with a Berber cooking for us! We also went to churros con chocolate with some friends from the program. YUM, they are sooo good! The churro is fried dough but big fluffy sticks of it not little crunchy ones you would think of from the U.S. And you get "hot chocolate," which is really thick and basically like a melted chocolate bar with cream. You dip the churro in the chocolate and ENJOY! We are definitely going back for more (in a few weeks so we don't get fat)!

On Saturday we woke up--way to early--at 7 am to meet our group for an excursion to Cordoba. It takes about two hours to get there, which was perfect for a nap :) Cordoba was originally a roman city and was later captured by the Berbers. The Mosque was constructed as early as 784 and was later converted to a Cathedral. It is giant inside and contains gorgeous architecture. We also saw the Cordoba synagogue, which dates back to the 14th century and was also very beautiful! We got back to Sevilla around 5 and, of course, got cafe con leche before going out on the town with everyone. We went to a bar for free sangria, which was actually free tinto de verano and then a bar called Long Island. Long Island has a shot for every state of the USA--Cameron and I chose Ohio, EW it is just straight absinthe. I found out at that moment that absinthe taste like black licorice, which I consequently do not like. But we had a fun night and returned home a little early to try and get a normal amount of sleep.

Today is Sunday and we went on a run around Sevilla and are about to explore a bit with Sarah and Caroline!

We have to take class in Sevilla???

It's true, we have to actually go to class and even do HOMEWORK while studying abroad...I personally think that researching flights, accommodations, and tours is enough work to replace classes! I say this because Copeland and I have been travel agents these past couple days planning our travels throughout Europe for when the program is over and it is hard work! From trying to find the best travel times and making sure we stay within some budget we finally each came up with itineraries (thanks skyscanner!). It looks like Seth and I will be starting in Sevilla and visiting Munich, Vienna, Prague, and Amsterdam!!! So I guess now we have to focus on actual classes, which have been pretty good so far. I am taking Advanced Grammar and Composition, Spain and the European Union, Spain and Islam, and Spanish Art and Culture, muy interesante! We already had reading homework :( but all of the professors and really nice and very funny. It is definitely hard to think about class when you are thinking about the adventures we are going to have touring Europe though!

Otherwise, Sevilla has been super rainy these past couple days and it looks like it will continue to be for a while...when the sun comes out so will my camera and I will hopefully have some pictures up that all of you can be jealous of :) Thursday and Saturday we are doing some tours with the whole group so I will definitely have pictures of those soon. Also, our new friend Clara invited us to happy hour at Flaherty's with 1 euro Heineken's and karaoke on Thursday so we are excited for that!

Hasta luego amigos!

Amanda