First Video Diary from Spain!

Tuesday Night Fun

Last night, my friends and I decided to take on the town! We met at 11:00 pm to relax and drink wine on top of the aqueduct. It was simply beautiful and peaceful. The rumors we heard from past Spain students turned out to be true- wine is cheaper than water! We bought three boxes of wine at 1.5 euro/each, which was more than enough for us (20 students) to drink! 

After we finished the wine, we walked to a bar called El Oso Blanco. It's a great environment because it's quaint and the bartender, Jesús, enjoys CSB/SJU students. I have yet to buy a drink, but it's still a social and fun time. 

I left El Oso Blanco around 1:15 am and went back to my apartment, but others went to another bar! Night life in Spain starts and ends much later than it does in the United States. My friends who went to the second bar said that they returned to their apartments around 4:30/5:00 am, depending on where they lived. Es loco! 

On top of the aqueduct at night

El Oso Blanco

Tonight we are celebrating my friend's 21st birthday! We are planning on getting tapas and drinks at a restaurant that has "Euromania" on Wednesday nights. That is, everything costs one euro. It should be fun! 

Cheers,
Anna

Happy First Day of School!

¡Hola! Hoy fue mi primer día de escuela! Me gusta mucho mis profesores y la escuela es hermosa. Para una de mis clases, tengo que escribir en un diario todos los días, así que ahora voy a escribir en este blog todos los días. Disfruta! 

Hello! Today was my first day of school! I really like my professors and the school is beautiful. For one of my classes, I have to write in a journal everyday, so now I am going to write on this blog everyday. Enjoy! 

Glimpse into day:
8:00 Wake Up
8:45 Meet friends at the aqueduct
9:30-11:00 Español Avanzado (class) 
11:00-12:30 Run/walk around the city with Maddie Tompkins
2:00 Lunch
4:30-6:00 Culture and Art History (class)
6:00-8:00 Chill with friends at Froggi (café) 
9:30 Dinner
11:00 Meet friends at aqueduct 

I am taking classes at IE Universidad - Located a half mile from my house

After our 9:30 class, Maddie and I went on a run throughout the streets of Segovia. We decided to explore the city by foot and get beautifully lost. For most of the adventure, we had no idea where we were, which is fine because Segovia is relatively safe and most roads lead back to the aqueduct. It was definitely an unforgettable experience! 

 On our run, we stumbled upon a running store!

Cheers,

Anna

My Wonderful Host Family

Marta

Such a precious family

Diego (left) and Jorge (right)

Taking a Stroll in Segovia

Catedral de Segovia - photo taken with my phone
Located down the street from my home

¡Bienvenido a España!

Clips from the first 24 hours of our journey! 

Last Night in America

Tomorrow is the day! I actually cannot believe it is already here. I have had a countdown on my phone for the past few months, and it's crazy to look down and see "1 day" left! To say I am excited would be an understatement.

Specifically, I depart for my adventure of a lifetime on Saturday, January 12th at 1:15 PM. From Minneapolis, I will fly to Atlanta and then I'm off to Spain. If everything runs smoothly, I should arrive at the Madrid Airport at 9:35 AM on Sunday, January 13th. Cross your fingers that I, and my three bags, make it to my new home safely! 

Once I land in Madrid, I will have a few hours to relax until I meet up with my group at 12:00 AM (Fun fact: noon is 12:00 AM and midnight is 12:00 PM in Spain). From there, we will take an hour bus ride to Segovia.

Apparently, the bus will drop us off in front of the aqueduct (see above) and we will each be handed off to our respective host families. My friends who went to Spain last year all remarked that this is a distressing and exciting experience. I know I'll be exhausted, disoriented, and shocked - it should be interesting and unforgettable way to start my journey. Wish me luck! 

Cheers,
Anna