Venture through Granada

October 25-27

Exploring through Spain for another weekend has changed my perspective on this country entirely. From the old streets of Seville to the land of free tapas in Granada... Spain, you continue to surprise me with each and every adventure we have together. Our latest excursion, as they call them was a trip up North to free tapa land itself, Granada, Spain.

After arriving in this beautiful city, we couldn't wait to experience the food culture first hand. So we cruised through the city, and found a cute little tapa bar surrounded by great views, great flamenco music, and great friends. We relaxed with a few beers, and I must say, we finally found a Spanish beer that tastes more similar to any American beer that we have had yet. Upon much discussion, we agreed that it was a cross between a Budweiser, and an IPA. Needless to say, Cerveza 1925 tasted a little like home.

Sheesha and Tea bar!

As our day continued, we came to realize that the popularity of Sheesha and Tea was a very popular combination in Granada. So before returning to our hotel, mounted on the top of the city with a 30 minute walk to town, we sat at a Sheesha bar and indulged some more. Each tea we ordered came in a personal pot with a mini cup, with real flavors. I ordered mint flavor, which came with full mint leaves and flavor roasting in the pot. It was satisfying to have a tea so authentic and perfectly fresh to top off the day!

On top of the historic sites, famous tapa bars, and city swag, Granada also is known for it's lively night activities. Ours included a club called Mae West, which was something entirely different than what we expected. Not only was it in the middle of a shopping center of some sort, but it had 3 separate rooms, each with a different "theme." The first was a classic, seemingly old western tavern with a bar and more of a chatting atmosphere. The next had a full blown stage with a DJ, several bars, a balcony, and a huge dance floor. Then the third, was a smaller stage with dance instructors teaching funky spanish dances, similar to the "Cha-Cha Slide." And not to our surprise, by the time we were ready to go back to our hotel, it had just started getting busy... at 3 a.m. I don't think I will ever be able to rally like the Spanish.

One example of the beautiful architecture in La Alhambra

Saturday morning was a whole new day or site seeing and history learning. We visited La Alhambra, one of the most popular historic sites to visit in all of Europe. Luckily, I was learning about this place in one of my classes, so it was thrilling to actually see it in person. It was huge, with incredible views of the city, and architecture with detail that would be impossible to recreate. It's one of a kind beauty was truly memorable. Our tour guide put a new perspective on the historic Palace of the previous Kings and Queens, by saying, "We don't even deserve to be here." And by 'we,' he was referring 
to tourists in general. Which goes to say how special and treasured La Alhambra is!

View of Granada from the top of La Alhambra! (Steph Hutch Photo)

When night came, we had a different idea of fun on our minds for the last evening in Granada. We made our way to a street in the center of town full of local bars and tapa restaurants. To learn more about the culture in Granada, we casually bar-hopped from place to place, getting beers and free tapas for a few hours. Free tapas is definitely something I could get used to. After expanding our taste buds and knowledge of typical spanish meals, we finished the night in another tea and sheesha bar to top it all off.

El Torcal National Park Malaga, Spain (Steph Hutch photo)

Early Sunday morning, we woke up and took a bus to a national park just outside of Malaga, called El Torcal. For about an hour, we hiked around what used to be the bottom of the ocean! There were incredible rock formations unlike anything I have seen before, surrounded by green trees and plants, and huge rock cliffs similar to those you see in a Lord of the Rings movie... or something like that. It was a day filled with beautiful views and exploring, in a world transformed throughout history.

I am loving this place more and more each and every day, and am so lucky to call it home for now. Spain truly has surprised me more than I ever could have imagined!

This weekend we are leaving for PARIS! Branching out of Spain will be a thrilling and entirely different experience... and I absolutely cannot wait!

xxx, o

Time for Africa!

   
October 11-13

Morocco, AFRICA!

Yet another weekend of venturing out into this incredible world has come and gone, and what an experience we had. This time, we traveled to another world in itself- Africa. Although we stayed mostly Northern, only traveling around Morocco, I have never felt more out of my comfort zone and I loved every second of it.

The Travel: It took us about, a 3 hour bus ride, an hour ferry ride, and another hour and a half bus ride to get to our hotel called Hotel La Paloma (we must not be that far from Spain right?). It really wasn't bad, just a hop, skip, and jump to another continent, and we arrived in Africa!

The Abode: Upon arrival at our very religious, conservative, owned by Super Muslims Hotel, we all got the most confused looks from the people there. It could have been our hair, our 'revealing' clothing styles, our bright eyes, but realistically it was all of the above. Once we got past the lobby full of stares, we settled in nicely to our 4 star comfy beds to which we all agree beat the worn out spring beds we have in our host families. So needless to say the part of Africa which we spent time in wasn't THAT African after all.

Chefchauen!

The Food: When traveling to Africa, it is very similar to traveling south from the states, in some ways. Rule #1. Don't drink the water! A basic concept, but more difficult than it seems. Rule #2. No street food. Only consume food and drinks that are prepared in a restaurant where you know they are cooked fully and safely! Rule #3. Order the simplest of foods. Luckily we went with a group, and had no choice in what to order as the meals were just brought to us at the table. But I was thankful for this, because given an Arabic menu, I would have not a clue what to order. So our meals were pretty basic, a curry-ish soup, with chicken and coos coos, meatballs, and chicken and rice. We were happy to be finally eating food with flavor! For some reason, the food here in Espana, although delicious too, is so bland, with little flavor or excitement. The little taste of Africa came just at the right time.

The view from our restaurant.

The Exploring: Based in Morocco, our adventures weren't anything more than an hour and a half bus ride away from our humble abode La Paloma. Our first morning on the continent we hopped on the bus and took a drive to Chefchauen, also known as the Blue City, because everything is painted blue. We had a nice little tour guide who spoke nearly perfect English, not surprising as we learned that the inhabitants of Northern Africa speak 5 languages... And here we are struggling to learn a second. He toured us through all of Chefchauen, a relatively small city buried in the tall mountains around it. We saw blue doors, teal doors, aqua marine doors, navy walls, turquoise floors, ocean towers and all other shades of blue that you can think of. It was more exciting than it sounds, especially looking back at my 260 photos of mainly just doors. But each one was unique and beautifully different.

My newest friend.

Day 2: HUMP DAY! Not really, but today we rode camels! At first, we were under the impression that we would be going on a long exciting camel ride down the beach at sunset, but where we actually ended up was much different, and nonetheless still exciting. Pulled off the side of the road was our big tour bus, and 5 camels... for the 50 of us in the group. As it turns out, our thoughts became a little more realistic as we noticed the small area for which we were to ride the camels. Although it was a short and sweet little ride, it was by far one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. How many people do you know that have ridden a camel?



The most exciting Sport in Northern Africa: Bargaining. 
Each day we had an hour (ish) of free time, that consisted of perfecting our sporting skill of bargaining. Similar to how we bargain with pesos, but this time with the Moroccan currency the Durham. When we went into the day we asked our tour guide what the reasonable price for some items would be, and he explained to us to never pay more than 5 Euro (they accepted euros in the markets), for anything. So, eager to test our skills we went to the nearest shop to purchase some goodies. After hearing the store owner tell us that a simple painting was 180 Durham (18 Euro), Joe (the buyer), insisted on only paying 5, which is what our tour guide had told us to do. Although we considered this offer quite generous for what the item was, the man responded with a blunt and forceful, "get out of my store." To which we proceeded. This little game of theirs continued all day, and we ended up paying a little more than what we bargained for, but hey... When in Africa right?


We ended our weekend in a small city known for its murals and paintings on the walls. Similar to graffiti, but in legal forms. There were walls and walls of mostly beautiful paintings, and in some cases if they were beautiful enough, they would stay on the walls for the entire year before it was painted white again. It's interesting to notice how different cultures view things. For the most part, the graffiti that I am used to consists of 4 letter words and inappropriate phrases. But here, the people focused on painting something beautiful that people would enjoy looking at! As did we.

Leaving our mark on Africa's walls. #gobeavs!

Along with the walls of graffiti, we left our mark on the relationship tree wall, where it will stay until we return again and write something again!

Reflecting back on the weekend in Africa... It was nothing like what I expected. In my mind I had pictured desert, with safari trees and dirt roads. Instead, there were luscious green mountains surrounding the cities, with paved roads and goat markets. Still different in so many ways, but I'm assuming Northern Africa has few similarities to the real Africa. 

I have now traveled to 3 different continents, and have every intention of continuing to up that number. Seeing many different parts of the world gives a whole new perspective on what we have in America. Some good, others indifferent, but watching other cultures interact and live is by far one of the most interesting aspects about this world. I can't wait to keep exploring!

Until next time Africa!

AA: Americans Abroad

So, studying abroad obviously comes with its cultural shocks. Including the food, the buildings, the clothing, the language, the people, etc. It's easy to say, "We're not in Kansas anymore." Although I have been coping with this surprising detail every day since I have been in Spain, it still gets to me. So I have been carefully observing each and every time I feel like just another American in someone else's country. Here are some examples of what I have noticed about being a foreigner.

#1. Everyone stares.
And I don't just mean the casual eye contact that we may make once in a while, I mean a full blown, straight up, blank, stare. On the metro, in the park, at the store, in the mall, everywhere. It's just as obvious to everyone else as it is to us, we don't fit in.

#2. Everyone knows you're American.
They don't even think to say, Australian, British, Irish, or any other English speaking country. It's always American. And don't even try to speak Spanish to them, because since it's so clear that you are of the English speaking kind, if they know any English, they will speak it to you without question.

#3. Your clothes stick out.
The days of wearing yoga pants and leggings to school everyday are over. In Europe, they dress, and they do it well. I've made a few small purchases of the European clothing type, to which I note are clothes that I would never, and I repeat, never wear in the states, but not to my surprise, the blending is still at square one and not moving forward any time soon.

#4. You walk faster.
That's all there is to it. The pace of the Spanish culture is insanely slow, I often find myself frustrated and annoyed when walking behind someone who is leisurely taking their sweet time. Then I think to myself, why am I walking so fast? I don't have anywhere to go, or any time I need to be somewhere, it's just the way I walk. And in America, we walk fast. As a result, I zoom past them and try not to make eye contact.

#5. You talk louder.
Again, all there is to it. People begin to glare and scowl at you when they can hear every single word you say, and even if they don't understand what you are saying, they still hate you for using your outside voices, inside. As our stories get funnier, our laughs get louder, and our knee-slapping jokes get better, our blending in continues to go down the drain. Thus giving the Spaniards another reason to stare at you...

#6. You drink more.
Another assumption you can make from Americans. Not only do we have a more unhealthy diet, a more obese population, and a more stressed environment, we also indulge ourselves in alcohol much more than we should. You know you don't fit in when you are the only group of students (for the most part under the legal drinking age in the States), anxiously chugging your beers like they are going somewhere. The Spanish like to drink to be social, and enjoy a beverage, where Americans drink to drink. Somewhat of a learning experience for us all here on the other side of the world.

#7. You eat more, more often.
I'm not sure why this is, but I find myself eating more than I usually ever would, and sometimes not by choice. My host mom is always insisting that I have seconds, and even thirds at the lunch and dinner table. If I resist, she will take the liberty in putting more scoops of food on my plate, to which I have no choice but to eat it in order to be polite. Maybe the study abroad programs teach this to host parents in their training sessions: Americans eat A LOT, make sure to over feed them. I'm not sure, but either way it't not benefitting me, or my clothes at this point.

#8. You go home before the party begins.
I just don't know how they do it. How can people possibly have a job, a family, or go to school when they are out clubbing and raging until 6 a.m.? Yes, 6 a.m. is when the clubs close, and 2 a.m. is when they open. Where I'm from, the bars legally close at 2 a.m., while here, we are just getting started. It was fun the first few times, but there is no way that I can keep up with these party animals. 6 a.m. is just past my limit. No matter how much I wish it wasn't.

#9. You rarely can use your credit card.
Maybe America is just technologically advanced (obviously), in which case, Spain is seriously behind. Many bars, supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, and even some clothing stores, only take cash. No exceptions. There is no such thing as opening a tab at the bar, letting CapitalOne buy your midnight McDonald's, or splitting the bill 4 ways at the Cerveceria. There is however one special time to use a card: the ATM, where they charge ridiculous fees to get some cash taken out. Point taken. This is one aspect I find hard to adjust to, considering everywhere in the states takes credit cards. A word of advice to any future travelers, don't go anywhere without some spare cash in hand- a lesson I am still learning.

#10. Nobody can say your name correctly.
Don't even bother trying to introduce yourself by your name from home, because one way or another, they find a way to butcher it. Putting all language barriers aside, communicating names is one difficult task here in Spain. Maybe its because their H's are unpronounced, their J's are silent, and their D's sound like R's. In this case, my name has become much more complicated than need be. Maddie is no longer pronounced with D's, and therefore my new Spanish name is Mari, with a rolling of the tongue R sound.

So there we have it, 10 of the first most blatant differences that I have come across since I have been here. No matter how hard we try, let's face it... We look different, sound different, and act different, and that goes to say, there is no blending in with these Spaniards anytime soon.

Besos besos besos.

Let's Be Adventurers- Take 1

When people say traveling in Europe from country to country is easy, they kinda mean it. With all the bus systems, trains, and cheap flights that can pick you up and take you anywhere, it should be easy right? Well so far, we've taken just a few bus rides, and come across some pretty neat little European cities. 

First stop, pool party.

Our hangout for the day.

A few companies here in Spain like to put on special events and parties for all the students studying abroad. For instance, a pool party. But not the kind of pool party we would go to when we were 5. This particular pool party was equipped with free mojitos, champagne showers, saxophone playing DJ's, mermaids, and sunshine. All the friends we have made in the program attended, and made for one heck of a day.

The photographer liked us.

We laughed, played in the pool, enjoyed complimentary beverages, and met TONS of students from the states and elsewhere. 


Needless to say, for a short bus ride and a cheap investment, this day was totally priceless.

Next stop, PORTUGAL!

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Wow, in the same weekend as the pool party, we took another bus for 3 hours to the coast of Portugal. We were nowhere to be found by civilization in this tiny private beach called Praia da Marinha, where it was just the sun, the ocean, free sangria, and good company. We arrived to our beach in the early afternoon, and spent the entire day without worries.

Although this private beach was nothing short of amazing- it had some frightening aspects to it. First of all, the waves were huge. Not only did we manage to get slammed by them more than once, but they ferociously crashed into the rocks set by set (making for cool photos of course), and eventually trapped us on the beach area for a little over an hour. 

It turns out, the tide had come up so far, that the cliff we originally walked past to get to the beach, was now 4 feet under water, with waves constantly coming and going. We finally managed to sneak past the cliff unharmed, except for the girl who decided to run into the wave and lost all of her items, Iphone included. Her bad... Timing is everything, right? But nonetheless, it was an absolute gorgeous day in Portugal, and I would return in an instant to go back!





On the bus ride home, we were driving towards the moon, which was bright orange and low in the sky. We soon came to find out that the reason the tide was acting so strange, is because of the harvest moon, which was happening that day. The world had begun to make much more sense now, considering we know nothing about this side of the world and the oceans that come with it. Mainly we were just happy that we made it off the beach safely.

And with a sunset like this, being trapped on the beach wasn't a terrible thing after all.


The thing I love most about the adventures we have had so far, is that anything goes. Literally, anything. There are zero cares, zero worries, and zero time to focus on anything else other than the exact moment you are in. These are experiences I will be able to look back upon and remember only the good things, with memories that will be stuck in my mind forever. Until next time Portugal.

Muchos besos.

Barcelona Round 2!

September 14, 2013

Barcelona, Spain

Vacay with some babes!

My first trip from my home away from home: Barcelona!

To start this wonderful weekend, I had two of my closest friends visit Sevilla and see me for a few days. These two chicas have been exploring Europe for a month now, and finally made it to the Spanish world down south! I was beyond ecstatic to be able to spend time with them, and lucky that they chose to come to my new digs. For 3 short days, we lounged on the top of their Hostel by the pool, made homemade guacamole, and explored the city of Sevilla together!

After 3 days of laziness, we ventured out with 2 trains and a whole lot of snacks later, when we finally made it to Barca! 

Our first night in the city was a blast- to say the least. We arrived to our rented apartment in the early evening, grabbed some quick dinner, and got ready to paint the town. Our first stop, a club right on the beach called Opium. A place full of Spainards among other Europeans, and to make us feel right at home, hundred of tourists similar to yours truly. The night was filled with dancing and laughter, and excitement to be reunited in one of the most amazing places in the world.

As the fun drew to an end, we decided we weren't quite ready for the night to be over. Thus we came to the conclusion that since we are right on the beach, we MUST go swimming (at 5:30 in the morning), of course! As a result of our spontaneity, we semi skinny dipped in the Mediterranean just to say we did. It was a blast in itself, and topped the night off just right.

This trip had little to do with the amazement of Gaudi's creations, the incredibly giant market in the center of Las Ramblas, or the beautiful parks and statues that are to be seen in this enormous city. But nevertheless, it was a more eventful weekend than I could have imagined, and I was so lucky to be able to have the time I had with these amazing girls!

Shout outs to a few of my favorite Spanish babies: Madison Morales, Nicole Sisco, and Emily Gaar- Thank you for a weekend I will always remember! Cheers to memories like this, and many many more!

At the end of this trip, it occurred to me for the first time that Sevilla is now my home. The incredibly happy feeling that I have to be able to call it just that, is priceless.

As always, muchos besos!

We do school here?

September  11, 2013

Seville, Spain

First day of school!

School has started for us here at Pablo de Olavide University, just a short 15 minute metro ride for me, where I have settled in quite nicely given the shock at first. The professors are all extremely welcoming, and very easy to talk to although their English isn't the greatest, and my Spanish isn't quite up to par just yet. But I have to admit, the language is becoming more and more familiar to me as I am being forced to listen and speak Spanish as I would speak English at home. The progress I have made in just 2 short weeks gives me hope and excitement for what there is to come!

There have been many funny rumors about what our school used to be, before it was a college. For example, an insane asylum (which isn't surprising if you saw the school...), a prison (apparently where Prison Break was filmed, YAY!), and a few other strange assumptions. The campus is very spread out, but nice to walk through.

As American students, we are completely isolated with all other American students, way on the far side of the campus, as if to keep us away from the natives. Although this is sort of an unfortunate aspect of the school, it makes it much less overwhelming and intimidating to be a student there, and so far, I am loving it!

Here is what the school looks like from above:

Prison break? Maybe.. Insane asylum? Not surprised. It looks all too similar to a jail for crazy people in my opinion, but as a student there, I am anticipating learning too many great things about the language and culture in Spain to care too much about what this place may have once been!

Aside from being assigned an entire novel to read in Spanish... class is enjoyable, entertaining, and not too long to the point of complete boredom. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to be a student here, and be able to travel Europe as I have always wanted! 

Throwback to my first trip to Barcelona!

Special shout out to my big sissy Chasie, for teaching me the ways of being an abroad student, and encouraging me to be able to do something I never would have thought of on my own. For being the first person to enjoy Spain with, and eventually be my roomie in this beautiful place! Since our first time in Barcelona together, I have dreamed of the day that we will live somewhere in Spain together, and I cannot wait for our time to come.

Needless to say, although it would be quite an experience to solely travel Europe, I am glad to be studying here, and am so excited to see what the accomplishment will be in the end.

But enough about school, it's adventure time! See you on the other side!

Siempre besos de Espana!

Where the magic begins!

September 9, 2013

Seville, Spain

Finally we have arrived at our home base destination, Seville.

Luckily, my house is located in a very central spot to everything in this humble city! I have a quick walk to the metro, El Centro (Plaza), Plaza de Espana, and everything else there is to see.

My host mom's name is Gema, and her name entails exactly what she is, a gem. She is the most kind hearted, sweet and genuine little Spanish lady I am blessed to be living with. Although I miss my family at home more than ever, she is the perfect substitute for my extended vacation abroad!

As we are accepting the fact that school is upon us, trips have been spontaneously planned, and opportunities to explore Europe are being set into place. Thus far, we have trips to Cadiz, Portugal, Morocco, Paris, Dublin, Milan, and for me, Barcelona to be with some of my best friends from home! Enjoying Sevilla is one of my main priorities as I am here, but the amazingly inexpensive trips that are on the side are a must. (Many more posts to come following each and every trip!)

Here is a sneak peak of my home here in Sevilla: 

View from the top of the largest wooden structure in the world!

Calle Betis

Plaza De Espana

More updates to come!

Muchos besos de Espana 

22 in Toledo!

Cordova, Spain

September 5, 2013

Toledo to Seville, Spain

Today was my 22nd birthday, which continued our journey South to Seville, and consisted of roughly 6 hours in a large bus, with little leg room and symphonies of snoring students around me. On the way, we stopped in Cordoba, Spain, where we visited the Great Mosque, the most beautiful Islamic monument of the western world. 
















At midnight on this glorious day, a group of my new found friends and I explored around Toledo in search of a birthday place during the exact moment of my 22nd year of existence. We came across this bar called Babia, where we quickly became friends with the bartender, Alberto, and happy birthday's were shared from all around.

This bar taught us all a lesson that made us laugh, while also think at the same time! Written in stale chalk on the old wall, was this saying in Spanish: 

Which means, "There is always someone worse in the head than you. If you don't believe, be silent and observe." 

I am finding that there are so many more small things in this world to appreciate, whether they mean a little, or a lot. I am meeting the most incredible people on this adventure, and I plan to keep them in my life for many many moons! Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate my birthday in Spain, it wouldn't have been the same! Special shout out to Stephanie Hutchinson, for always being there for me and making me feel at home always! 

Traveling South

September 4/5, 2013

San Lorenzo Del Escorial & Toledo, Spain

Although this post is a few days late, I am writing as if it was the day of!

The day consisted of roughly 6 hours in a large bus, with little leg room and symphonies of snoring students around me. We rode from Madrid to San Lorenzo del Escorial, where we visited the Royal Monastery, a giant castle like palace that is a resting place for the Royal Families of Spain, a library, as well as a school.

After what seemed to be an entire day, (but was really only about 2 hours), we reloaded the bus and made our way to Toledo! Our hotel room was a step up from our tiny cozy spot in Madrid, where we spent one quick day and night exploring the beauties of Spain. We continued our touristy ways by following a man all around the cute little city, and pretending we could understand each and every Spanish phrase he quickly spoke to us.

These tours of museums, palaces, and famous gardens has truly given me a new meaning of appreciation for historical arts, although I prefer to explore this new found excitement on my own! 

Needless to say, Spain is amazing in so many ways, and the fun has just begun.

Bienvenidos a Madrid!

September 1, 2013

Madrid, Spain

Today marks the official first day of this incredible adventure.

For 21 long, exhausting hours, we made the trek from Portland Oregon, to Atlanta Georgia, and finally to Madrid, Spain! The feeling of being here is still unreal, but getting more and more believable as we spend time in this beautiful place. Our hotel is a tiny, homey little place in the center of Madrid, called Hotel Moderno, where we have 2 twin beds, a balcony, and a confusing electrical system. But for now, we call it home!

Tomorrow we meet the rest of the group at the hotel, and explore Madrid more excitingly! For the mean time, a coffee shop and a little treat to start this morning off sounds just about right.

Stay tuned!