Hola mis amigos! I hope that all is well in Lex and that Fall Ball was a success! I cannot believe that it is already mid-October and that the semester is halfway finished. The workload has picked up a little bit over here and I just finished my first two midterms today. Classes are going well but the Spanish style of learning is very different from what I am used to at W&L. Class is completely lecture, professors do not have office hours, and our grade consists mostly of our midterm and final with maybe a little quiz squeezed in somewhere. But the best part is that I do not have classes on Fridays! Luckily, I've been able to take advantage of that and do some travelling.
Me outside of my homestay (doors to the left) and my senora's pottery shop (glass doors to the right).Not that I like escaping from Barcelona for too long, though! I love this city, the beach, the food, the architecture, the siestas, and the Catalan culture. My homestay family is awesome - Pepa, mi senora, is an amazing cook and I can smell lunch and dinner cooking right below my bedroom every day. She makes pottery and her shop is located below our bedrooms and living space. Pretty cool! We live in El Gotic, which is the old Roman city aka the original Barcelona. It's very touristy, but absolutely beautiful and very central to the rest of the city. There is always something going on in Barcelona and it's fun to walk and get lost on the side streets with the cafes and tiny shops. I decided to study abroad on my own, which has been great because my independence has definitely grown and I've made friends from other universities in the States. But being located in a major city has many perks, liking having my W&L friends come and visit for the weekend!
Me at the top of the mountain in Parque Guell which was designed by the artist Gaudi.
Me at the top of the mountain in Parque Guell which was designed by the artist Gaudi.I've also done my share of travel so far- I've visited Madrid and Toledo, Seville, Sitges, Munich, Valencia, and I am going to Paris next weekend (shout out to Karen and Andy who will be there to celebrate a birthday and anniversary and my dad doesn't know I'm meeting up with them so shhh). It is so easy to get around in Europe and the flights are pretty cheap. I hope to book a couple more trips or day trips in Spain before I fly home in December! My favorite part about travel so far has been the hostel experience. You feel SAO college and sao Euro (but maybe we've just gotten lucky with the past few hostels we've chosen??). You think First-Year dorm situations are funny? Try living with your friends in bunk beds, a communal bathroom, and in a different country for a couple of nights.
Me and a friend outside the cathedral in Valencia.
I miss the fall weather (Barcelona is still in the 80s), W&L Lacrosse (I get weird looks running in Generals Lax gear), the close proximity of everything in Lexington (I take a 20 minute metro ride to school), real coffees (cafe con leche is great, but sometimes it's a little mucho on the leche), and my friends! Somehow a group of us got talking about Harry Potter the other day and I mentioned that I had been sorted. Naturally, everyone was curious as to what house my lacrosse team had chosen for me. I'll let you guess if they were shocked or not at my reply. Can't wait to see everyone in January and let me leave you with this inspirational quote on the wall of the gym here in Barca- "SI QUIERES, PUEDES!"
Me and a friend outside the cathedral in Valencia.I miss the fall weather (Barcelona is still in the 80s), W&L Lacrosse (I get weird looks running in Generals Lax gear), the close proximity of everything in Lexington (I take a 20 minute metro ride to school), real coffees (cafe con leche is great, but sometimes it's a little mucho on the leche), and my friends! Somehow a group of us got talking about Harry Potter the other day and I mentioned that I had been sorted. Naturally, everyone was curious as to what house my lacrosse team had chosen for me. I'll let you guess if they were shocked or not at my reply. Can't wait to see everyone in January and let me leave you with this inspirational quote on the wall of the gym here in Barca- "SI QUIERES, PUEDES!"
Special thanks to Buck for filling us in on her adventures! Use Google translator to find out what's keeping Buck motivated! Check back next week for a wrap up from our Fall Clean-Up Day happening this weekend all over Lexington!
