No Pasa Nada

It means "no worries" ... [for the rest of your days]

Hi all!

Because there is just so much to catch you up on, I have decided to make this a list post for the sake of my time and your attention span.

  1. I traveled to Lagos with twelve other students a couple weekends ago. I would say the highlight of my time there was surfing! No, I have not always wanted to try surfing but it seemed like the perfect place if I were to ever do it! I caught exactly 2 waves and had salt water coming out my nose. It was truly a miraculous experience. 
  2. Mom and Dad came to Sevilla to celebrate our birthdays! It was great because A. they are my parents and I love them, B. I saw parts of Sevilla that I hadn't had a chance to explore yet, and C. I ate at restaurants that I would have never found because my TripAdvisor talents are none compared to my dad's. My two other friends from FIT, Madison and Caroline, also came for the big birthday weekend! We celebrated with tapas, flamenco, lots of wine and a day trip to Cádiz. It was the perfect timing. I was ready for some familiar faces and a piece of home. 
  3. I got a job "teaching" English to three adorable Spanish children! I quotation mark that because they lived in Colorado for a year and are basically already fluent. The parents want me to help with homework and find ways to keep them speaking the language. I believe this will be a good side activity to keep me going. Plus, I'll take any excuse to hang out with kids!
  4. I've started to feel a little overwhelmed with weekend travels, schoolwork and exploring Sevilla itself. I am quickly finding ways to balance everything. This includes no television shows and limited siestas. 
  5. Mama Maria is still cooking a lot of delicious food and I am eating every bit of it. So that's good. 
  6. New pictures in the "Sevilla", "Lagos", and "Cádiz" tabs!

I am off to Madrid for a few days with Mom and Dad! Will check back in soon. Lots of love to you all. xo

Sevilla

Hola everyone! (WARNING: this is long but contains everything you need to know to date)

I arrived in Sevilla last Tuesday to find my host mother, Mama Maria, waiting for me with a massive lunch set on the table. Little did I know it was only the beginning of many more massive, delicious lunches. My living conditions are wonderful. I live with a host mother and two other students from the same program. Mama Maria is a lovely woman with so much energy and eagerness to learn. She actually reminds me a lot of my Nanima -- she is constantly chatting away on the phone and cooking something super yummy. Also, she used to paint so the walls are filled with gorgeous, brightly-colored artwork. All in all, I feel very comfortable in her home and am excited to get to know her better through hand gestures and random Spanish words.

Speaking of Spanish, there is a very big language barrier here (surprise!). No one speaks English in Sevilla and if they do it is very little. My professor said that the school systems in this city call themselves "bilingual" but the only class that is taught in English is science. They purely memorize the information in English but never apply the language to every day life. This doesn't seem like the ideal way to learn a new language, hence, no one speaks English. I am simply forced into learning the language. 

The students in my program connected very quickly. I'd like to think it's because we are all so different. We have students whose ages range from 18 to 27 and ethnicities extend from Puerto Rican to Dominican to Haitian. We all grew up in different states like Iowa, California and Indiana and one student is even fluent in Hawaiian! I am really enjoying the people and know it can only get better from here.

My class schedule got a bit mixed up due to my lack of Spanish knowledge coming into the program. I think this worked out for the best though because I now have a great schedule that leaves ample time for siesta everyday. I am taking a Political Geography class, which I desperately need because I can barely point out the United States on a map (kidding, of course) and an International Business class. In addition, I am in Spanish class for three hours everyday. All the professors come from different backgrounds (including an alumni of UNC Chapel Hill!) and keep the classes interesting and interactive. 

As far as Sevilla goes, I am in love. The best way to describe it is modest and quaint. Of course, there are touristy spots but I am surprisingly not overwhelmed by this at all. It is beautiful in a very unique and calming way and I can't wait to explore it more! So far we have seen flamenco and belly dancing, drunk Arabian mint tea, eaten too much tapas, danced at a discoteca (club) till 4 a.m. and booked a trip to Lagos, Portugal! Oh yes, I am going to Lagos this weekend! 

I could go into the cultural differences but to be honest I am tired of typing. Maybe later.

Love to you all & missing you lots xo

 

Nikos

We are three days into Mykonos! 

This is a very different island -- much younger and more vibrant. We are staying in a family-run apartment complex near Mykonos town (yes, it is simply just called "the town"). The family is absolutely amazing and has made us feel so comfortable and at home. Every morning we drink tea and coffee in the lobby and watch the family dynamics unfold. It is extremely entertaining. 

During the past few days we explored the town and smaller beaches on the island. However, my favorite day was when we rented an ATV and beach-hopped from Platis Gialos to Paraga to Paradise. Each had its own vibe, including scenes of nudity. We saw way more genital parts than we wanted to. 

Paradise is known as the party beach. It sounded a lot like Miami from how people described it -- not that I have ever been to Miami, of course. We went for a couple hours in the afternoon, which was enough for us. Even though it was 4 p.m. there were people dancing on a raised platform and shots being passed around with loud house music in the background. 

We had been told by many travelers that driving ATVs on the island is very dangerous because of the windy roads and crazy Greek drivers. Thankfully, since high season has passed there are not too many people on the roads. Personally, I thought driving the ATV was so exhilarating! 

Overall, we concluded that Santorini and Mykonos are for two very different stages of our lives. Santorini is for significant others and gazing at sunsets. Mykonos is for meeting young people and lounging on beaches. At the moment, we prefer the latter. 

It is unreal to think that after many months of planning, this trip is almost over. Madison has been a great travel buddy (HI MADISON) and I don't think we could have picked a better pre-study abroad vacation spot. The most rewarding part for me was knowing that we did this completely on our own. We researched hotels, read too many TripAdvisor reviews and sent numerous e-mails to ensure that everything would go smoothly. Needless to say, it has gone so smoothly. 

I will arrive in Sevilla on Tuesday at noon. I have orientation Thursday and Friday and then jump right into classes on Monday! Will keep you all posted from there. xx

P.S. everyone/thing in Greece is named Nikos ex. owner of the apartment, bartender 1, bartender 2, Restaurant Nikos Taverna, etc. 

First stop

Hi everyone!

The wifi here has been extremely spotty hence the delayed and lengthy post. 

Madison and I arrived in Greece on Monday and so far it has been absolutely incredible. We are staying in Imerovigli, a smaller town in Santorini between the two larger towns, Oia (pronounced ee-yuh) and Thira). The location is perfect for what we wanted -- quiet and convenient. I also must say there is a ton of up-hill walking, which I consider more like hiking. 

Since Santorini is all about the views we decided to do an [actual] hike from Imerovigli to the most northern town on the island, Oia. It took us two hours and most of the hike was along the west coast, which was beautiful. We started earlier in the morning and then spent the afternoon in Oia. Oia is where you see the picturesque white-washed buildings against blue skies. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.

We also did an afternoon boat ride to the Nea Kameni volcano, hot springs, and Thirasia.

FUN FACT: Caldera means a piece of land that was broken off due to a volcanic eruption. Santorini was once part of a larger island but due to an eruption the northern and western parts of the island split. The piece of land that was separated from the north is now known as Thirasia. This is why the views from the north and west are referred to as the Caldera views and are THE BEST views on the island. 

This day was really interesting and it was refreshing to see the island from a different point of view. 

I wish I was rebellious enough to jump in

One thing we realized is that this is not a beach island -- at least not the beaches you're thinking of. Because it was once a volcano, it has red and black sand beaches. Another thing we noticed is that the island is dominated by villas, restaurants and beautiful pools on the caldera that we could never afford. We knew that it was going to be very touristy but not to this extent. And not just tourists but couples... everywhere. Needless to say, we have been having a very romantical time. 

Tomorrow we are off to Mykonos! Will post more from there. xo



It's about that time

After two months of eating my parents' amazing home-cooked meals, binge-watching 'Smash' and lazing around in my pajamas (no, really, I never changed out of my pajamas), I am finally off on my next adventure!

I am heading to Santorini and Mykonos for one week with a close friend from FIT, Madison. After, I will go to Sevilla, Spain where I will study for three months. Classes include: two Spanish courses, Literature and Cuisine, and Contemporary Arabic and Islamic World. But let's be honest, I'm mainly there to eat, meet new people and explore places outside the United States.

I am so incredibly excited, nervous and anxious. This has been the longest that I have been home since I left for college. Everything here is so familiar and easy and comfortable. But I must move on!! It is time to move on... 

To avoid repeating myself, I will keep you all in the loop through this blog! Enjoy and I will see you all very soon :)