Hello everyone! I have not written in this blog since I studied abroad in Spain three years ago, but I was asked to start writing again once I moved to the wonderful state of New Jersey. Since I've been here for almost three months now I figured it was about time to start writing it again. I promise to try my best to write at least once a week!
I moved to New Jersey at the beginning and it has been quite the experience since! I live with two girls in a house that I found on Craigslist. It (surprisingly) has turned out very well so far and I'm pretty happy. I really like my job so far and to me, like I am sure to the rest of you that know me, was a surprise. I actually don't mind going to work, although I would be happy if they decided to push the start time back a bit. It takes me about 20 minutes to get to work and in NJ that is short because there are so so so many people. I looked on Wikipedia and NJ is the most densely populated state. You can never get away from people no lie! I have found that there really are people like they Jersey people you see on tv, but there definitely is not as many as I thought! I am just waiting to go down to the shore this summer and be surrounded by guidos.
Last weekend I went into New York City for the evening to celebrate one of my roommate's boyfriend's birthday. I am converting into a true Jersey person (never!) because I learned the Jersey lingo and now only refer to it as "the city." I know I am so cool. It's still so hard for me to fathom that I live close to it. The NYC life is just so far removed from anything I have experienced before but I am enjoying exploring it right now. I figure I'm young so now is the time do it.
This week I start traveling for my job. I'm going to Grand Rapids, MI. It's so funny listening to people at work because some people think it is so small. They have a Nordstrom so in my viewpoint it's a metropolis. Instead of going back to NJ on Friday like I was supposed to I am going to Illinois to see Andy's girlfriend graduate from college on Sunday and spend some time with my parents. A highlight of the trip will be the cheeseburger basket that I will get at Culver's with my father.
I apologize for the short post, but I am getting tired and need to get my rest for my day of work tomorrow. I will write again soon, but until then, I hope you all have some great days!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The U.S. of A.
I have been back in the US for exactly one month, today. It really hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be adjusting back into the motherland, so it's all good. I do think it has helped though being in D.C. because well, it's not Shawano. And they have Zara! I went there today and I totally saw the sandals that I bought in Spain there. I'm international fashion queen! Haha...not! I have to admit that one of the first things that I noticed when I got back was how fat people are here. I'm not trying to be mean, but really? America definitely needs to work on that as everyone already knows. And also the other typical thing that I noticed was how much bigger everything and how it's so spread out. When I first came home and we were driving in Green Bay I noticed random grass lots that I never paid attention to before. So if you really want to know anything about my trip or the way that I am feeling about readjusting just ask! Bye!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Reporting To You For The Last Time In Spain
My flight is in less than 8 hours. Weird. I am actually going home. I have to admit it was always one of those dates that I knew would come, but always thought it was so far off that I didn't need to worry about it. Well now it's here. And I find it very fitting that there is a Bilbao Athletic Club game on tv that I am watching right now. Also it's the first Saturday night in a long time that I am not with my friends. Anyway, I don't think that this will be my last blog, so don't worry! I think that I will blog about my transition back to the States, but I am not promising anything yet.
Now I will continue on with my sweet vacation with my parents. It's going to be pretty brief because I have to get up in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Ugh!!! Last Saturday we went to San Sebastian and drove around and then we decided to go to France, just so we could cross the border. On the way there we got the brilliant idea of stopping and buying pastries. Spain doesn't have the best pastries, so let me tell you, the extra 12 kilometers were definitely worth the drive. Then that night I went to a bar with a Norwegian girl, Nora, who was in my program and 2 of her friends to watch Eurovision. Eurovision is this singing competition that lasts only night between singers from European countries. A country can't vote for their own country, so Nora says that usually neighboring countries vote for the other. And Norwegians were predicting that Norway would win. So they thought that the competition would be playing in tons of bars. Well it was, but the problem was that it was being played without sound. That is kind of a problem when the whole point of the competition is to listen to them sing. We happened upon this little bar, that later we found out was a gay bar. One of Nora's friends had a Norwegian flag and so that set that up and we're waving it around and some gay guys danced with us when the Norwegian song came on. And one even asked me why the U.S. was not in Eurovision, and well, isn't it kind of obvious? Anyway, Norwegian ended up winning. I was planning on going back home after that, but since Norway won I had to go to Fever, which is a dance club. While we were there, they even played the song that the Norwegian guy sang to win.
Sunday we went to the Guggenheim (my third time, but I just sat and read a book while my mom dragged my dad around!) and then we drove around to some beach towns around Bilbao. From my last post, you can tell that we got up and went to Leon. We stayed there on Monday, went to Porto, Portugal on Tuesday and then headed to Lisbon on Wednesday. Portugal was cool, but we could tell that it was definitely a poorer country. And the weirdest part about it for me was that you couldn't flush toilet paper down the toilet. Once you used it, you had to put it in a trash can. Aren't you glad you know that now? I thought so! We saw Sintra, which is a very touristy, but still cool place, that is outside of Lisbon, and also the city of Lisbon. Then this morning we got up and left to drive back to Madrid. We were supposed to go to lunch at 3:30 at this place that is famous for lamb, but we didn't make it since I had some problems with the directions. That's not a new story, but I still feel bad. We still ended up going into Madrid, we're staying out by the airport because our flight is so early, and went to the Madrid Botanical Garder, Plaza Mayor and we saw the Prado Museum. So now I am sitting here writing this in our hotel on my last night. I have this thing that I always do where I saw something is for the last time and blah blah blah (I realize that this doesn't explain what it is but if you asked one of my best friends they would know, and all I have to say is that I got it from my mother!). So I am going to go to bed now to try to get 4 hours of sleep. Yay! And the next time I write it will be from the grand ol' state of Wisconsin. So signing off from Madrid and Spain actually...Adios!
Now I will continue on with my sweet vacation with my parents. It's going to be pretty brief because I have to get up in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Ugh!!! Last Saturday we went to San Sebastian and drove around and then we decided to go to France, just so we could cross the border. On the way there we got the brilliant idea of stopping and buying pastries. Spain doesn't have the best pastries, so let me tell you, the extra 12 kilometers were definitely worth the drive. Then that night I went to a bar with a Norwegian girl, Nora, who was in my program and 2 of her friends to watch Eurovision. Eurovision is this singing competition that lasts only night between singers from European countries. A country can't vote for their own country, so Nora says that usually neighboring countries vote for the other. And Norwegians were predicting that Norway would win. So they thought that the competition would be playing in tons of bars. Well it was, but the problem was that it was being played without sound. That is kind of a problem when the whole point of the competition is to listen to them sing. We happened upon this little bar, that later we found out was a gay bar. One of Nora's friends had a Norwegian flag and so that set that up and we're waving it around and some gay guys danced with us when the Norwegian song came on. And one even asked me why the U.S. was not in Eurovision, and well, isn't it kind of obvious? Anyway, Norwegian ended up winning. I was planning on going back home after that, but since Norway won I had to go to Fever, which is a dance club. While we were there, they even played the song that the Norwegian guy sang to win.
Sunday we went to the Guggenheim (my third time, but I just sat and read a book while my mom dragged my dad around!) and then we drove around to some beach towns around Bilbao. From my last post, you can tell that we got up and went to Leon. We stayed there on Monday, went to Porto, Portugal on Tuesday and then headed to Lisbon on Wednesday. Portugal was cool, but we could tell that it was definitely a poorer country. And the weirdest part about it for me was that you couldn't flush toilet paper down the toilet. Once you used it, you had to put it in a trash can. Aren't you glad you know that now? I thought so! We saw Sintra, which is a very touristy, but still cool place, that is outside of Lisbon, and also the city of Lisbon. Then this morning we got up and left to drive back to Madrid. We were supposed to go to lunch at 3:30 at this place that is famous for lamb, but we didn't make it since I had some problems with the directions. That's not a new story, but I still feel bad. We still ended up going into Madrid, we're staying out by the airport because our flight is so early, and went to the Madrid Botanical Garder, Plaza Mayor and we saw the Prado Museum. So now I am sitting here writing this in our hotel on my last night. I have this thing that I always do where I saw something is for the last time and blah blah blah (I realize that this doesn't explain what it is but if you asked one of my best friends they would know, and all I have to say is that I got it from my mother!). So I am going to go to bed now to try to get 4 hours of sleep. Yay! And the next time I write it will be from the grand ol' state of Wisconsin. So signing off from Madrid and Spain actually...Adios!
Monday, May 18, 2009
It's Ending All Too Soon...
So this will be my last blog from Bilbao...possibly Spain. Sad, I know. My mom, dad and I are leaving to go to Leon today, then Porto and Lisbon, Portugal and lastly Madrid to fly home. They got here last Thursday night and pretty much we have just been hanging out till then, sleeping til 11 (which has been killing my father.)
First off, the football game. Well it was fun in the sense of the atmosphere, but in the result, not so much. Bilbao was the first to score a goal, and the game was tied all through the first half. But then in the second, well I can just say one word, Ouch! The final score ended up being 1-4. That part wasn't fun and there was a guy next to us who was crying when they lost. I am sure that it had to something with his drinking/smoking situation, but it was quite funny nonetheless. I went down to Sam Mames around 8 with some friends and it was so crazy when we got out of the metro. There was tons of people everywhere, wearing their red and white, drinking their beer and kalimotxos. I have never seen anything like it (I have pictures, but at the moment I can't put them up) and I have to admit that it would be pretty awesome if there was something like this in the U.S. We walked up the streets until we went to get a spot to watch the big screen on the local tv stations building. The only thing that I am not proud of the night is that I only stayed out until a little after 2. There was a lot of people out after, but it just wasn't as fun since they didn't win, so therefore I went home and slept a nice night of sleep.
Then later my mom and dad got here and we did stuff around here like tour around Getxo, have pintxos, see the Guggenheim (Again. Well actually I sat around reading my book while my mom made my dad follow her around.) Sorry this is abrupt, but we have to leave to go to Leon, so I guess I will be writing again before I leave. Hasta luego!
First off, the football game. Well it was fun in the sense of the atmosphere, but in the result, not so much. Bilbao was the first to score a goal, and the game was tied all through the first half. But then in the second, well I can just say one word, Ouch! The final score ended up being 1-4. That part wasn't fun and there was a guy next to us who was crying when they lost. I am sure that it had to something with his drinking/smoking situation, but it was quite funny nonetheless. I went down to Sam Mames around 8 with some friends and it was so crazy when we got out of the metro. There was tons of people everywhere, wearing their red and white, drinking their beer and kalimotxos. I have never seen anything like it (I have pictures, but at the moment I can't put them up) and I have to admit that it would be pretty awesome if there was something like this in the U.S. We walked up the streets until we went to get a spot to watch the big screen on the local tv stations building. The only thing that I am not proud of the night is that I only stayed out until a little after 2. There was a lot of people out after, but it just wasn't as fun since they didn't win, so therefore I went home and slept a nice night of sleep.
Then later my mom and dad got here and we did stuff around here like tour around Getxo, have pintxos, see the Guggenheim (Again. Well actually I sat around reading my book while my mom made my dad follow her around.) Sorry this is abrupt, but we have to leave to go to Leon, so I guess I will be writing again before I leave. Hasta luego!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
SUMMER!!
I finished my last exam for the semester yesterday! Woo hoo! And now summer is here. I do have to admit this was probably the most anti-climatic semester for being done. Most of the time I am like, woo hoo I get vacation, but this time since I´ve practically been on vacation for the past 4 months, it doesn´t seem as much of a big deal. Now do not get me wrong, I am overjoyed to be done with my business classes, but still it just doesn´t seem real.
So today is the big day. It´s the final for the Copa del Rey, which translates into the King´s Cup, which is the championship for the Spanish league. So Bilbao plays Barcelona tonight at 10 and it´s going to be wild!!!! Pretty much no one expects Bilbao to win because, well, Barcelona is really good and recruits players from everywhere. There is going to be like 12 giant tv screens all around Bilbao for people to watch the game in the street, so it´s just going to be one big party. I can´t remember who told me this, but they said that if Athletic (Bilbao Athletic Club) loses, there will be a 24-hour party and if they win, there will be a 48-hour party. Really, the only conclusion that I can draw from this is that I am probably going to stay up the whole night. If you can´t tell, I´m really excited! I don´t even like football that much, but it´s just the fact that nothing ever or probably will ever, happen like this in the U.S. I am going to nuke it up for all it´s worth!
Sadly, the first person from our program is leaving today, so it really means that the semester(and my trip) is coming to an end. Hindsight is always perfect, and I now realize that I should have tried to get a job teaching English here for the summer. Oh well, I am lucky to be going to D.C., so I am not going to complain. It´s just kind of sad, but I would assume that most students who study abroad feel like this so I guess I should just get over it. (BTW I´m trying the tough attitude to make myself feel better and I´m not sure it´s working.) But my parents are coming tomorrow and I am way excited!!! It´s like perfect timing because my good friends here are leaving like right after Mom and Dad get here, so good planning! Ok, sp I need to go get ready for the day since it´s 11:30 and I´ve done nothing! ¡Hasta luego!
P.S. And sorry I suck at the interesting facts now. I can´t decided if I have been here long enough now where I don´t pick out every little thing that is different or else if I am just too lazy. It might be the latter. Just ask me stuff when I get back and I will be more than happy to tell. :)
So today is the big day. It´s the final for the Copa del Rey, which translates into the King´s Cup, which is the championship for the Spanish league. So Bilbao plays Barcelona tonight at 10 and it´s going to be wild!!!! Pretty much no one expects Bilbao to win because, well, Barcelona is really good and recruits players from everywhere. There is going to be like 12 giant tv screens all around Bilbao for people to watch the game in the street, so it´s just going to be one big party. I can´t remember who told me this, but they said that if Athletic (Bilbao Athletic Club) loses, there will be a 24-hour party and if they win, there will be a 48-hour party. Really, the only conclusion that I can draw from this is that I am probably going to stay up the whole night. If you can´t tell, I´m really excited! I don´t even like football that much, but it´s just the fact that nothing ever or probably will ever, happen like this in the U.S. I am going to nuke it up for all it´s worth!
Sadly, the first person from our program is leaving today, so it really means that the semester(and my trip) is coming to an end. Hindsight is always perfect, and I now realize that I should have tried to get a job teaching English here for the summer. Oh well, I am lucky to be going to D.C., so I am not going to complain. It´s just kind of sad, but I would assume that most students who study abroad feel like this so I guess I should just get over it. (BTW I´m trying the tough attitude to make myself feel better and I´m not sure it´s working.) But my parents are coming tomorrow and I am way excited!!! It´s like perfect timing because my good friends here are leaving like right after Mom and Dad get here, so good planning! Ok, sp I need to go get ready for the day since it´s 11:30 and I´ve done nothing! ¡Hasta luego!
P.S. And sorry I suck at the interesting facts now. I can´t decided if I have been here long enough now where I don´t pick out every little thing that is different or else if I am just too lazy. It might be the latter. Just ask me stuff when I get back and I will be more than happy to tell. :)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
I Should Be Studying...
But I´m not. Oh well, I´ll do it soon. I have finals on Monday and Tuesday so I really need to get on it. Today I went to the beach. It was really nice, but the water was cold. And I got burned really badly and it hurts so much right now. Susanna kept wanting me to sunbathe with her in the back yard with her and Irene and I was always said no. Well today I finally said yes and I got burned. I showed it to her and all she could keep saying was that she was so sorry and that I have even whiter skin than Irene, who is pale for a Spaniard.
Otherwise I had a group paper due yesterday and I have another one due tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last day of all my classes, which is semi-sad. I mean for my Spanish class yes, for my business classes, no. But really most of my free time I have been spending with my friends since a lot are leaving next week.
Sorry this is about as long as my post is going to be try. I will try to write again tomorrow or something but I am really tired right now. I think the sun took it out of me. But talk to you all soon!
Otherwise I had a group paper due yesterday and I have another one due tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last day of all my classes, which is semi-sad. I mean for my Spanish class yes, for my business classes, no. But really most of my free time I have been spending with my friends since a lot are leaving next week.
Sorry this is about as long as my post is going to be try. I will try to write again tomorrow or something but I am really tired right now. I think the sun took it out of me. But talk to you all soon!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The End is Coming...
So officially the end of my semester in Spain is less than a month away. It´s so weird to think that I´ve been here that long, and I honestly have to admit I don´t know what to think about going home. Before I thought that I would be totally fine with going home and readjusting, but yeah, now I am not so sure. I guess I shouldn´t worry about it and take it as it comes...buttt that probably is not going to happen.
Anyway, last weekend we had a group excursion to Burgos. Burgos is like an hour and half south and a bit west (I think) from Bilbao. We left Friday and came back on Saturday afternoon, like 7. I realize that probably most of you wouldn´t call that afternoon, but 7 is in the afternoon here. On Friday, we saw some excavation site and a cathedral, which is the 3rd biggest in Spain. And on Saturday, we could go on a hike, which I didn´t, and so I had free time. It was pretty cold though, and well I didn´t exactly have the correct attire, so I have to admit I didn´t do much. One of the tour guides told us that Burgos is either the first or the second coldest city in Spain. Yeah, I should´ve been prepared but I wasn´t.
I really didn´t much the rest of the weekend, except I ate Mexican food at one of my friends. And then the next day, Susana made beef fajitas which were SO good. She kept saying about how they probably weren´t going to be as good as my mom´s, but I could´ve ate a million!!!!!!!! On Monday, I went shopping (sorry Dad!) with one of my friends and she had to go to these two stores that weren´t really close, I mean not far but not really close, and so we went to find them. It was so funny because we walked through the ¨ghetto¨ of Bilbao. My friend, Morgan, was freaking out and we wouldn´t go down these streets because she would see a group of people and make us a turn. It doesn´t sound as funny when I tell the story but it was quite hilarious. I mean there were a lot of people on the street so it´s not like they would´ve done much to us. But she would walk super fast and ahead of me because she was freaking out. Morgan made us go this one way that she didn´t realize was a dead end and some guy asked us if we wanted to play soccer and she walked right past and then I said no. Once we had turned around from the dead end, we walked past him again and he asked us if we wanted directions.
Pretty much now I am going to hang out here for the rest of the semester. I figured I came to Spain, and I should be here for at least a little while. And the weather is ¨supposed¨ to be getting nice, but yeah, that has not occured yet. Hopefully this weekend. I am so ready for the sun and the beach! I also think that some of wanting to stay here to is though, I am still recuperating from my spring break.
(I don´t really know if what I am going to write is congruent with what I wrote before because now it is a day later and I don´t feel like reading what I wrote. FYI) Last night we had a tour of San Mamés, which is the stadium where the football team plays here. It was pretty cool to go on a tour and see everything.
Here is my interesting fact!!! Get excited! Ok, don´t because it´s not really that great, but whatevs! So they put the word tio at the end of a lot of sentences, which is kind of strange since tio means uncle. And Spanish people swear all the time. I mean like all the time, like we wouldn´t be happy with what they were saying in the U.S., I mean if we actually understood what they were saying. So yeah, my fact. Now bye!!!!
Anyway, last weekend we had a group excursion to Burgos. Burgos is like an hour and half south and a bit west (I think) from Bilbao. We left Friday and came back on Saturday afternoon, like 7. I realize that probably most of you wouldn´t call that afternoon, but 7 is in the afternoon here. On Friday, we saw some excavation site and a cathedral, which is the 3rd biggest in Spain. And on Saturday, we could go on a hike, which I didn´t, and so I had free time. It was pretty cold though, and well I didn´t exactly have the correct attire, so I have to admit I didn´t do much. One of the tour guides told us that Burgos is either the first or the second coldest city in Spain. Yeah, I should´ve been prepared but I wasn´t.
I really didn´t much the rest of the weekend, except I ate Mexican food at one of my friends. And then the next day, Susana made beef fajitas which were SO good. She kept saying about how they probably weren´t going to be as good as my mom´s, but I could´ve ate a million!!!!!!!! On Monday, I went shopping (sorry Dad!) with one of my friends and she had to go to these two stores that weren´t really close, I mean not far but not really close, and so we went to find them. It was so funny because we walked through the ¨ghetto¨ of Bilbao. My friend, Morgan, was freaking out and we wouldn´t go down these streets because she would see a group of people and make us a turn. It doesn´t sound as funny when I tell the story but it was quite hilarious. I mean there were a lot of people on the street so it´s not like they would´ve done much to us. But she would walk super fast and ahead of me because she was freaking out. Morgan made us go this one way that she didn´t realize was a dead end and some guy asked us if we wanted to play soccer and she walked right past and then I said no. Once we had turned around from the dead end, we walked past him again and he asked us if we wanted directions.
Pretty much now I am going to hang out here for the rest of the semester. I figured I came to Spain, and I should be here for at least a little while. And the weather is ¨supposed¨ to be getting nice, but yeah, that has not occured yet. Hopefully this weekend. I am so ready for the sun and the beach! I also think that some of wanting to stay here to is though, I am still recuperating from my spring break.
(I don´t really know if what I am going to write is congruent with what I wrote before because now it is a day later and I don´t feel like reading what I wrote. FYI) Last night we had a tour of San Mamés, which is the stadium where the football team plays here. It was pretty cool to go on a tour and see everything.
Here is my interesting fact!!! Get excited! Ok, don´t because it´s not really that great, but whatevs! So they put the word tio at the end of a lot of sentences, which is kind of strange since tio means uncle. And Spanish people swear all the time. I mean like all the time, like we wouldn´t be happy with what they were saying in the U.S., I mean if we actually understood what they were saying. So yeah, my fact. Now bye!!!!
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