Post-Travel Videos - Paris Day One

Hola! 

Yep, this blog is still happening! Aren't you happy you checked on it today?

Anyways, today's video documents the day when Laura, Maddie, and I roamed the streets of Paris for the first time. We saw all the major sites: Notre Dame, Seine River, Lover's Lock Bridge, Lourve Museum, Champs de Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower.

What a day! 


Stay tuned for upcoming videos:
Paris Day Two
Brussels
Bruges
Amsterdam
...and even a surprise video!

Cheers,
Anna

Post-Travel Videos - Marseille

Hola! 

Is anyone still reading this blog? I hope so! In fact, you should comment on this entry if you are currently viewing my website! Anyways, today's post is finally ready! It is a video on my time in Marseille, France. I know I already posted about my time in France, but making a video brings it more to life. 

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Anna

Final Hike in Segovia

Hola! 

Recently, I have told some of my faithful followers that I would make more posts about my time abroad. As you know, I post-traveled without a computer and so I could not easily blog about my final adventures. Then, I returned home to Minnesota and had to quickly unpack, see friends, and then repack and move to Columbia, Missouri (where I am now). Thus, I have been extremely busy and have not had time to tend to my blog. 

That is, until now. Today is the day! On this gloomy Memorial Day, I decided to spend the morning updating old entries (I added more photos to recent posts- check it out) and creating a new video blog. This video is about my final two days in Segovia. 

Enjoy!

Cheers to a wonderful semester!

Cheers,
Anna

Bus Thoughts - Paris Day One

Hola!

Today, my friends and I are leaving Paris and are taking a bus to Brussels, Belgium! It's crazy how fast this trip and these cities are passing - we are halfway done!

One thing that will never cease to amaze me is the fact that you can get to an entirely new city or country in a few short hours. It took us two hours to get from Madrid to Marseille, three hours from Marseille to Paris, and now four hours from Paris to Brussels. It's cheap, too! This bus ticket price was €25 (and it's not even our cheapest transportation cost!). I love it. In fact, I think the quick speed and inexpensive cost of travel and adventure is one of the greatest things I am going to miss about my time in Europe.

Anyways, this bus has free wifi, so I thought I would use my blogger application on my iPhone to write a quick post about my amazing two days in Paris, France!

It's incredible all you can do in 48 hours. On our first day, we started by getting Nutella crepes at one of the many Parisian cafes in the city. It was made hot and fresh in front of us - yum! Next, we took a free walking tour and were guided around the top sites by an American living in Paris. As we walked, he told us all about the history of places such as Notre Dame, lover's lock bridge, the Lourve museum, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs de Elysses, and the Eiffel Tower. It was fascinating.

I can check "eat a crepe in Paris" off my bucket list!

I am a big fan of the free walking tours that are available in major European cities because the young workers are always passionate about their city. They are knowledgable and tell you helpful tips about traveling throughout the town too. Plus, their salary is dependent on tips, so they work for their money! I love starting a trip with a walking tour because you 1) get situated in the unfamiliar land 2) see many of the major sites and 3) learn a lot, which makes you appreciate the city and its people.

We learned about equestrian statuary during the walking tour.
Specifically, our guide spoke of the symbolism of the horse's front legs.
If both are in the air, it means the person riding the horse died in battle.
If only one leg is up, it means the person died of unnatural causes (e.g. murder)
If both are rooted on the ground, it means the person died naturally. 

After the tour, we decided to walk the Champs de Elysses to the Arc de Triomphe. It is such an iconic street filled with shops and people. The only purchase I made was a jar of peanut butter, which was a surprising find!

The Champs de Elysses leads up to the Arc de Triomphe

It was fun window shopping on this iconic street!

Arc de Triomphe

Next, we walked along the river to the Eiffel Tower. By this time, it was getting late so we wanted to stop at a cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, everything was ridiculously expensive! All of the entrees were priced around €20-30, which equates to $25-35. My friends and I were not going to pay the price, so we decided to buy baguettes from a local bakery instead - it only cost us €0.60, so it was much better! With our baguettes and peanut butter in hand, we made a picnic on the Eiffel Tower lawn and had dinner while watching the sunset. We spent hours in this spot, laughing and reminiscing about our wonderful semester. It was a surreal experience - I felt like I was looking at a photograph because it was so beautiful and perfect.

Picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower!

Eiffel Tower at dusk

To end the night, we crossed the bridge to get a wonderful view of the tower lit up at night. As if it weren't pretty enough, it starts to sparkle and glitter with lights at 10 PM. It was an incredible sight to see!

What a sight to see!

Well, I've come to realize that my trip to Paris deserves more than one post, so I'm going to stop now.

Stay tuned for Paris: Day Two (we did even more on this day!).

Cheers,
Anna

Ps. Did I mention that I'm trying to last the week on €40? That's all the euros I have left, and I want to see if I can make it through without having to visit the ATM. Oh, and my debit card expires after today, too. Wish me luck!

Paris Preview

Hola! 

I decided I would do another post because I am absolutely thrilled to be going to Paris in the morning! With this, I wanted to dedicate an entry to preview what I hope to do and see in the next two days:

Midnight in Paris 

Arc de Triomphe

Beautiful both day and night!

Montmartre Walk

Parisian neighborhood

Shakespeare and Company Bookshop

Located across from Notre Dame on the left bank

Pierre Hermé

World famous macarons! 

Jardin du Luxembourg

Beautiful gardens!

Eiffel Tower

Cliche, but it's still a must!

Lourve Museum

Another cliche, but a must in Paris!

Cheers,

Anna

Marseille, France

Hola! 

Today was a fabulous and relaxing day in the south of France! After getting some well needed rest, we caught the metro and bus to Calanque de Morgiou. There, we hiked and went to the Mediterranean Sea. It was incredibly peaceful and had some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. 

My favorite part of the day was lunch. We packed food and hiked to the top of a mountain that overlooked the water. There, we ate and chatted about our amazing experiences that we have had so far this semester. We are so blessed! 

View from where we stopped to have our bag lunches

Maddie and I on our French hike!

Our hike was incredibly beautiful!

After the hike, we took the metro to the Marseille port and walked around the cute neighborhood filled with shops and cafés. It started to rain, so we decided to grab Starbucks (got another mug!) and head home to make dinner in our amazing apartment.

View from the port!

We are having another relaxing night again because our train for Paris leaves at 6:00 AM tomorrow! I can't wait!

Cheers,
Anna

Welcome to Heaven Hotel

Hola! 

Today, Maddie and I left Segovia and embarked on our post-travel adventure! We took the bus to Madrid at 9:00 AM and then caught a 1:40 PM plane to Marseille, France. There, we met up with our friend Laura Kosch, who studied abroad in London this semester! 

Tonight, we decided to lay low as we arrived around 5:00 PM. We checked into our apartment, which is amazing by the way. I am used to sharing a dorm room in a hostel when traveling, so I am obsessed with this place. We have two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom all to ourselves. It's so pretty and clean, too. 

Wanna hear the best part? It's cheaper than hostels here in the south of France.

Anyways, so we have simply walked around, went grocery shopping, and cooked dinner in our apartment tonight. Specifically, we ate vegetable stir-fry, soup, and salad. Yum. 

Our lovely dinner!

Now, we are pulling all of the beds into the living room so that we can all sleep in the same room - slumber party style! We are about to watch a movie on Laura's computer too - so pumped. 

Never too old for slumber parties!

First day of post travel: relaxing with close friends - all I ever wanted after a long semester. 

Cheers,
Anna

Final Night Thoughts

Hola! 

Today is my last day in Segovia. 

I honestly cannot believe I just wrote that. 

The entirety of my clothes and memories from the past four months are packed into one suitcase - it is a surreal and bittersweet feeling. Thus, I decided to make one last video diary post, as it is the last time I am able to record myself in my wonderful Segovian home.

This isn't happening. I am not leaving. This semester is not over. You can't make me leave.

Cheers,
Anna

Top 10 Reasons Why Segovia is the Best Place to Study Abroad

Hola! 

Two days. 48 hours. 2880 minutes. 172800 seconds - such little time left in Segovia. 

With this, I am spending the time I do have doing the things I love about Spain: running,  eating froyo, hiking the mountains, and spending time with friends and my host family. In addition, I am taking time to reflect over my wonderful semester and thus have concluded that this quaint city is the greatest location to spend four months. 

Top 10 Reasons Why Segovia 

is the Best Place to Study Abroad

1. Diversity of Spain

Before my semester abroad, I knew very little about the country and its people. I didn't realize that it had various regions that are almost like individual little countries themselves. That is, each area has its own dialect, traditions, flag, and customs. Even more, the geography of each part is so diverse. Spain has everything from snow-capped mountains to flat lands, the Mediterranean and Atlantic beaches to a desert region, and so much more. By living here for four months, I was able to visit most of the regions (I didn't make it to the Northern Basque Country) and see and meet a variety of people. Spain is truly a diverse country.

Map of Spain and its various regions
(Segovia is located in Castilla y León)

2. Being able to visit numerous countries

One of the main reasons why I originally picked Spain was because it is located in Europe, which means that it's close to many interesting countries. During my four months, I have gone/will go to Spain, Portugal, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium, and Holland. Nine countries in about 100 days - pretty amazing! Plus, it's relatively cheap too! My entire weekend in Portugal (flights, living, food) cost about $200 - that's way cheaper than flying to Portugal from Minnesota!

I have seen so much in less than four months!

3. Safety 

Segovia is a safe haven. Now, I realize that it is a bit naive for me to say, but it's the best way to describe this quaint Spanish town. I have never felt in danger during my four months here, which cannot be said for many study abroad programs. With this sense of security, I am able to run and walk alone- even late at night. There are also no "sketchy" parts of town, so I know that I am always (relatively) safe.

I always feel safe on the Segovian streets!

4. Best bang for your buck

Things in Segovia are reasonably priced, which cannot be said for many other abroad programs (e.g. London or Australia). More importantly, though, is that all the necessities are included in the starting price. We don't have to buy groceries, metro passes, cleaning supplies, or anything else for that matter!

I like the euro way more than other European currencies

5. Home stay

Living with a host family is an indescribable and priceless experience. It allows you to learn so much more about the culture and people of the country than you would if you were merely living with other Americans. You eat their food, follow their schedule, and truly live their way of life. In addition, you get treated like a queen during your home stay. The family cooks all of your meals, does your laundry, and cleans your room and bathroom. It's great! I like it not only because it's less work for me, but it also allows me to spend more time exploring and enjoying Segovia. Finally, I like host families because it means that someone is caring and looking out for you. This is especially helpful when you're sick or are having difficulties with cultural barriers. In all, I highly recommend home stays. Good day or bad, it has been an incredible ride. 

Diego and Jorge, my two host brothers

6. European men

There is un montón of eye candy in the streets and halls of school. European men are tall and preppy. They exude confidence and class. In essence, they're the best.

European guys > American guys

7. Course offerings

All of the professors in Segovia are incredibly kind and understanding. They realize that we are in Spain for both the academic and cultural experience, so they take this into consideration and assign light amounts of work. In addition, the earliest class starts at 9:30 AM. Thus, there are no 8:00 AMs! I have been stuck with taking 8:00 AM classes every semester at CSB/SJU, so I have enjoyed starting my days a bit later in Spain. Finally, the longest class in Segovia is an hour and a half, which is much shorter than the three hour classes that exist in many other study abroad programs (e.g. London program).

Sign from my school, IE Universidad

8. Gladys White

As I have previously written, the woman is a saint. She is definitely the best study abroad director!

Gladys and some Bennies!

9. Running trails

In my opinion, Segovia has the most spectacular running paths in the world. You run by a river, flowers, mountains, a cathedral, and a castle. It can't get much better than that! In addition, there are so many trails! You never get bored! 

Photo taken with my phone during a run!

10. Small town community

Segovia is great because if you meet someone, you are likely to see them again. You may make a new friend at a café and then see them later in the day on the street- it's great! Everyone is so friendly too, so they are likely to say hola to you every time they see you. 

I love Segovia

Don't make me leave.

Cheers,

Anna

Cosas Pequeñitas

Hola!

In the Spanish language, when you add "ito/ita" to the ending of a word it indicates either smallness or affection. Thus, I created a list of the really little things I miss about home and decided to share it in this blog.

Las Cosas Pequeñitas 

1. My closet

Back at home, I have a nightly routine of standing in front of my closet and picking out my outfit for the next day. I like to turn on music and put combinations of clothes together until I find the perfect match. It's great not only because it's relaxing and fun, but it also saves me time in the morning! In essence, it's some value me time during my hectic days where I get to play with my fashion sense. 

Unfortunately, I do not get this luxury in Spain. For the past four months, I have been living out a suitcase and thus do not have a wide selection of clothing. Before coming, I prided myself on only bringing one suitcase that was under the 50 pound limit, which meant that I did not have much room for my clothes. I merely have "versatile" options. That is, my Segovian closet is filled plain colored shirts, neutrals, and jeans. It's pretty boring and definitely doesn't let me be creative with my fashion. I am so excited to have all my clothes when I return home! 

Ok so this isn't my closet, but a girl can dream, right?

2. Starbucks
If you know me at all, you know I am a coffee snob - and by that I mean I am extremely partial towards Starbucks. I relish in getting my tall, extra hot skinny vanilla latte every week. Unfortunately, Segovia does not have a local Starbucks. The closest location is an hour away in Madrid. Because of this, I only get to have the little cup of heaven when I travel, which equates to about once a month. My friends can attest to the fact that I freak out whenever I see a Starbucks and that I've even been collecting their mugs in every city I visit (I have six so far). Needless to say, I miss my weekly latte and the wonder that is Starbucks Coffee.

Sidenote: Starbucks > Caribou (sorry Lauren)

One tall, extra hot, skinny vanilla latte for me! 

3. The gym

Now, I absolutely love running in Segovia. It is actually the thing I am going to miss the most. With that being said, though, I still miss the gym at home. I miss my interval speed workouts on the treadmill, watching TV on the elliptical, and spending time doing resistance training in the weight room. I am excited to return and strengthen my arms and core again!

Let's work out! 

4. My favorite foods

I eat like a queen here. All of my meals are prepared by scratch and I don't have to lift a finger during clean-up (I still continue to offer my assistance, though). However, I do miss picking out my own meals and meal times. In addition, I miss my some of my favorite foods! The following foods are staples in my diet at home, and I have not had any of them during my time in Europe. I miss them!

A. Organic peanut butter

I have found peanut butter in Spain,
but it's nothing like organic peanut butter from home!

B. Black beans

I eat black beans almost every day at CSB/SJU

C. Ice in my drinks

Apparently ice is only an American food staple!

D. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is my go-to breakfast in the States

5. Cell service
I do have an iPhone in Spain, but I can only use its phone-like features when I have wifi. Thus, when I am outside of the house or walking on the streets, I cannot use it as a way to communicate. This has been especially frustrating during excursions or vacation as people easily get lost. I can't wait to return home and have my wonderful Samsung Galaxy 3S back and be able to call and text whenever I want- let alone use the internet too! 

Before the trip, I always took for granted the ability to call or text anywhere! 

Two days left in Segovia. Time flies.

Cheers,

Anna

America does it Better

Hola!

Now, I feel like I might have bashed the United States a little too hard yesterday, and thus felt compelled to write an entry entitled, America does it Better. That is, after months here I have also realized that there are many things that make more sense at home.

1. Meal times
After months of living in Segovia, I have learned quite a lot about Spanish food and their eating schedule. With this time, I have adapted, yes, but I am still not a fan. Namely, I do not like the large gap of time between la comida (lunch) and la cena (dinner). With this, I come home at night and am starving and thus stuff my face with food. Soon, I am extremely full and yet it is time for bed. I do not like this feeling! In the United States, on the other hand, I eat dinner around 7:00 PM, which gives my body time to work off the food and go to bed in a comfortable (or even slightly hungry) state - much better! 

2. Nightlife departure time
On a similar note, I do not like how late Spaniards leave to go to the bars and clubs. Now, I don't mean to sound like an old lady, but I can't handle leaving at 1:00 AM and coming home at 5:00 AM. It makes your next day miserable if you have to do anything, or it makes the day a waste if you sleep all day. Getting back at 1:00 AM, like I do in Minnesota, makes much more sense! With this, I can be asleep by 1:30 AM and still get seven hours of sleep when I start my day at 8:30 AM. Yet again, much better! 

3. Smoking
With all the research and public knowledge of its danger, why do people still smoke?! It baffles me everyday to see young people on the streets of Segovia lighting up with friends. Not only is it expensive, but it causes you to age and die quicker due to its negative health effects. In Minnesota, smoking is looked down upon and is not accepted in society. In Spain, on the other hand, it is a cultural phenomenon and is part of the social scene for all ages. It is both incredibly frustrating and sad. 

4. Store hours
In Spain, most people follow the no pasa nada lifestyle. That is, they do not feel compelled to pack their days and always be on the go. Spaniards wake up later, take afternoon siestas, and spend hours preparing and consuming meals with family. While I'll admit this is probably better than the US lifestyle, there are parts that frustrate me about it. One in particular is how the no pasa nada mentality affects the shops in town. That is, all stores (including supermarkets) are closed on Sundays. This can be frustrating and difficult, especially when you're hungry! Similarly, most tiendas (stores) do not have set store hours. They open when the owner chooses to arrive and close when the he or she decides to leave. I'll admit that the shop keepers try to keep a daily routine with this, but it is still irritating to not know the set hours. 

5. Education system
In Spain, you specialize your studies fairly early in your schooling. That is, there is less time to be "undecided" with your path in life. While I realize that there are pros and cons to this, I appreciate that the education system in the US allows (or even forces) students to spend time exploring their options in regard to major/specialty. I think it equates to greater happiness later in life.

Two days left in Segovia. Time flies.

Cheers,

Anna

Post-Travel Plans

Hola! 

This Friday, I embark on more European adventures! That is, I'll be traveling north as I make my way through France, Belgium, and Holland. Specifically, I am traveling with my two friends, Maddie Tompkins and Laura Kosch. I can't wait! 

By looking at pictures online, looks like I'm in for the trip of a lifetime!

Marseille, France 

(April 26 - April 28)

Marseille is located in the south of France

Paris, France 

(April 28 - April 30)

Paris is capital of France

Brussels, Belgium

(April 30 - May 3)

Brussels is the capital of Belgium

 Bruges, Belgium

(Day trip from Brussels)

Bruges is only an hour from Brussels - perfect for a day trip!

 Amsterdam, Holland

(May 3 - May 4)

Amsterdam is the capital of Holland

After post-travel with friends, I am flying back to Barcelona to meet up with my mom and dad. To say I am excited for this would be such an understatement. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THEM! (Yes, the all-caps and bold combination was necessary)

Spain 

(May 4 - May 14)

My parents and I are going to Barcelona, Toledo,
Granada, Sevilla, Córdoba, Segovia, and Madrid! 

Cheers,
Anna