Sevilla- La Feria

Sevilla was beautiful... what a surprise! Haha. (Not). We left Granada at 8:30, and arrive in Sevilla a bit before noon. Once we got there, we went to this park/old-age-city. It was so ornate with plants and fountains. We went in the palace, and it was really neat to see the actually rooms where the King would sleep, and see the Queen's bath! After that, we had a lot of free time to just explore the city. I wanted to see the "Torre de Oro" becuase we had studied it in my art class. We made our way to the river, and found it :) After that some friends and I decided that we were getting the munchies. We found a random restuarant beside the river, and enjoyed some Sangria in the Spanish sun. (That rolls of the tongue niceley). After the relaxing afternoon, it was time to try and be a bit more "touristy" and take advantage of being in Sevilla for the day! We went to the cathedral, which is actually the 3rd largest cathedral in the world. It was absolutely unbelievable. SO huge.... it was unreal. We even got to climb up to the top of the tower... where the bells were. It was a 36 stair flight climb, and the view was amazing at the top! After that we went to the Plaza de Sevilla. The COOLEST thing about this plaza was that it was were parts of Star Wars was filmed! (I believe its Attack of the Clones) Or something... Haha. By the end of the day we were exhausted... and ready to be back in Granada. Sevilla was wonderful, just another day in the beautiful life!

Ronda = Love

Ronda was absolutely beautiful. It is definately one of my favorite places in Spain. We woke up this morning at... 5:30- left our houses by 6, and took the 7:15 train. What an early morning- but SO worth it! The train ride was about 3 hours, but since we were riding through the mountains in Spain I didn't mind. Everything was so luciously green, an the rocks were the most beautiful shade of red. Once we got there, Chris took it upon himself to be our "guia" for the day... and led us around the small pueblo to all of the different look out spots. The town of Ronda is so small,but SO precious. It's not super-touristy either, which I really appreciate. It is famous for its bridge that was build in the 17th century. This bridge is behind me in the picture posted above. Our day consited of hiking up mountains, sitting on cliffs while listening to live Spanish guitar, taking in the sun, and of course- lots of laughs. It was quite possibly one of my favorite days here in Spain... days like these are what studying abroad is all about! Next stop- SEVILLA! (Tomorrow) Hasta luego!

¡Ole!

Its official. I have lost my heart to the Spanish culture... bull fight tonight= amazing...... First off, we got to the Plaza de los Toros and didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was a fundraiser for kids with downsyndrome.... so that was really neat to me. At this event, there were the three best bull fighters in Spain, (which means basically in the world) and they were doing it for charity- so neat. As an opening "act" the kids with downsyndrome got to meet, greet, and take pictures with the matadors. It was so precious- the kids were dressed up in little flamenco costumes. So adorable. After that was done, the bull fighting began! The first guy was riding a horse, and fought the bull from there! At times, I was worried that the bull was going to just lift the horse and the man up by his bucking neck.. but all went well! After that guy, there was a fighter from Cordoba, Spain. He was VERY showy. He would pound his chest,grab the bull's horn, get on his knees, go head to head with the bull... etc. The crowd LOVED him, and he was just basking in the attention! The next guy was from Madrid. He was pretty good, but not as entertaining as the others. He did this one trick that was pretty sweet tho- He spun around in a circle, and the the bull did the same thing! It was like he had already trained the bull within 3 minutes of being in the ring. The fourth matador was from Granada. His name is "Fondi". He was QUITE the showsman! The crowd obviously loved him because he was from our city. He was so smooth and poised. He looked like a gazelle out there in the ring. It was spectacular, and simply elegant to the eye. Not only was it neat to see actual bull fights, the audience life was also just as intruiging! In the crowd, there was a LOT to take in. We were sitting in the highest section, understandably, so we got to see basically everything going on! There were not only many elderly people there, but also people my age. We were actually sitting by some Spaniards that were my age. I took it upon myself to ask them questions throughout the fight. It was neat to get to interact with them, and see things from their perspective as well. It is custom to eat and drink throughout the fight, so I saw everyone with their canteens of wine and their sandwiches. It kind of cracked me up how EVERYONE had one... they knew what they were doing! Also, at the end of each fight, everyone waves a white cloth or tissue in the air, and screams. Its just their way of applause... and it was so beautiful when everyone did it! During the fight, people would yell "Ole!" or "Guapo" or "Torero!" Everyone got so into it. It really did feel like I was watching a sport back in the states. Some people may say that bull fighting is cruelty towards the animals. After actually witnessing one, I would have to disagree. They handle the bull in a very classy manner, and it is something that isn't too crude to watch, in my opinion. It appeared like an art, or a sport in a way.

Well, No Ireland.

I'm sure some of you have heard... but there was a volcanic erruption in Iceland. Because of this, there is a gigantic volcanic cloud over the northern part of Europe. This means that there are no flights able to depart or arrive. We went to Malaga yesterday with the intention of flying to Dublin, without any knowledge of the volcano yet. We then came to find out that EVERY flight out of Malaga was cancelled. Even though Malaga is in southern Spain! So... needless to say it was a rough day of taking the bus to Malaga, realizing we couldn't even go, and then the bus back. Oh well- things happen! We were in line with a lady who was supposed to be flying to Dublin tomorrow for her brothers wedding. It was heart-breaking because she was SOBBING. The airlines are out for who knows how long... there's no way she could make it. Her circumstance really put things in perspective for us. We didn't have it that bad! We are trying to get our money back for our flight... but lost money for the hostels. We are also thinking about re-scheduling for the second weekend in May... but who knows if that will even work out! We're keeping our chins up though :)

A little heart-felt.

So, everyone needs one of those moments where they can just sigh, relax, and reflect. I believe I FINALLY had one of those tonight. I hope you all appreciate my little "heart-felt" blogpost this evening.

However crazy this may sound, I am SO ready to be home... but the thought of leaving this new "Home" that I have made here makes me feel sick. I am finally starting to feel like I know my place around here... I have an amazing family that loves me here, and have made the GREATEST new friends I could have ever imagined. (After you see each other at their worst... aka sleeping in various airports; As well as at their best.. like when we go out... you have a special type of bond that no one can compare to). It almost brings tears to my eyes... thinking of where I have come from while being here. I remember sitting in my FIRST college course my freshman year. It was a class called "Intersections". We had to write out our goals for our college career. (I think it was a way to fill time in this class... and make us feel like we are actually at college for a reason... getting us on the right foot). Anyway,we had to write out our goals, like I said... I don't remember ALL of mine... but one inparticular I do remember.
#4: Get an Education Major AND a Spanish Major. Sidenote: I honestly didn't think I could accomplish both... nor did I ever think I would have the desire/ambition to go THIS far with my Spanish. I thought that the Spanish Major was a really high goal, but the thought of achieving it for some reason intruiged me. And LOOKIE HERE. I am in Spain, speaking Spanish everyday... communicating easily with a family that doesn't speak a lick of English. Good grief. I am so happy.... and... proud.

Here's a little insight as to how I feel like I have made my own family over here:

Yesterday, I had a bit of a rough day. I was talking with Maria about some of my frustrations/hurts... and for some reason started to get a little teary-eyed! She proceeded to pinch and kiss my cheeks, hug me, and give me a pep-talk... that I am beautiful, and much too pretty to cry (remember folks, in Spanish)! This made me even MORE emotional, because while looking into her precious crazy eyes...I felt so grateful for who she was to me. Last night she wanted to make me a special meal, to help my "sadness"...and guess what it was?! A good ol' American hotdog. That sweet lil' thing.... she's just so precious... Ever since yesterday, she has been checking up on me... giving me kisses and hugs... making sure I'm ok. Tonight we had hamburgers and fries- this woman knows the ways to help an American-girl out! Haha.

Gah...I have my Jesus, and also friends and family in Spain AND America... Needless to say, I am one blessed brunette American girl... living in a Spanish world....

Nerja!

So last weekend Chris's girlfriend was here, so we went to the beach for a day! I had been to Malaga already, so I was excited to see the difference between beaches. Nerja was a LOT less "touristy" and I enjoyed it. It was a BIT windy, but we found a nice place with some shelter. It was a great relaxing Saturday with friends. :)

La Vida Bonita

Today was wonderful for many reasons:

1. Class went by surprisingly fast.
2. Lunch was grrrrreat. We had white rice with tomato sauce, a fried egg, and some new thing that consisted of fried bacon, cheese, and vegetables.
3. My work out was relaxing... and there were some hilarious people to watch. ;)
4. After my work out, I went to the plaza right next to the gym. It was a beautiful sunny day, so i wanted to take full advantage of it! I put in my earphones, and laid down on a bench... two hours later, i woke up! I wasn't planning on falling asleep, but it was just SO relaxing... and I felt fully rested afterwards. :)
5. After my surprising nap, I went to the plaza with the crazy spiky trees (I took multiple pictures of it earlier in the semester). While there, I sat on another bench and read "New Moon". Got to love it!
6. Dinner was my favorite pasta salad, with pork tenderloin. mmm mmm good. Paco and Maria kept telling me, "Come mas!" (Eat more) So what did I do? Ate more, of course. Haha.
7. The weekend is HERE! I love not having class on Fridays. :) On saturday I am going to the beach with some friends. We are going to Nerja, and I haven't been there yet, so i'm sure there will be pictures to come!
8. I got to have a chat with my grandma via skype, and it was wonderful. :) (Love you gma!) :)

Well thats all for now! Over and out.

Semana Santa/Easter!

1.Where I spent my Easter Sunday service. At the Granada cathedral!

2.Jesus and Mary being carried as a float. The men carry the floats on their backs. Pretty crazy!

3. So the (KKK) appearing costumes creeped us out a bit... gotta be honest! But apparently, Spain established the custom of the costumes 4 centuries before they appeared in the U.S. with the KKK.

4. The most precious little Spanish children, and their grandmas watching the parade. :)

La Plaza

Today was.. really neat actually. After I was done with class for the day, I decided it was just way too beautiful outside to go home and sit in my room. I went to my favorite plaza, and decided to have some "quiet" time for a while. This plaza that I enjoy, is absolutely filled with flower stands, and pigeons. The pigeons... well... im not too fond of, but the flowers and atmosphere is so refeshing. I treated myself to some KinderBueno icecream, (my little taste of heaven)... and found a bench. I began eating my ice cream, which was absolutely amazing, and started to take in my surroundings. There was a group of 5 teenage boys practicing bull fighting with their clothes and everything. It was actually pretty funny, because they were in pairs. One of the boys had to pretend he was a bull, and squat down and run. They were having so much fun, and I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Also, it was so neat thinking of bull fighting as an actual sport. They are so serious about it here. I was watching their coach, and he was correcting them with technique and everything. Also, there were little boys, probably 4 years old, surrounding me. They were absolutely precious... squeeling as they chased pigeons. They would drop some bread crumbs, and then run as fast as their short little legs could take them. They thought they were conquering the impossible. It was so so so adorable. Hearing little kids talk in spanish just makes my heart melt. Thats all for now! Until next time.

Spring Break 2010

1. Us girls making the word "SPAIN". Haha.
2. One of Gaudi's houses he designed.
3. Us girls in front of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
4. In front of the water show! :)


Wow. First off, Happy Easter! I hope that everyone has a very blessed day full of praise to our Risen Lord! Spring break was absolutely, positively, amazing. I really couldn't have asked for it to have been any better. Caitlin, Maggie, and I left for Barcelona early Saturday morning. We flew out of Granada and arrived in Barcelona around 11. We easily navigated our way through the metro/train stations, and used our handy-dandy map skills to find our hostel. Our hostel was such a pleasant surprise. Probably the nicest I have stayed in, named "Barcelona Mar." We had internet, a kitchen, scan-cards rather than keys, and even our own personal lockers that were HUGE for our belongings. We got it for a great price, too. I believe it was 14/16 Euros a night. The only thing was that it was right next to a street called "Las Ramblas." This street is basically a huge carnival going on, there are venders everywhere... and I guess at night its gets pretty sketchy. We managed to stay safe for the most part at least! We cleaned up when we arrived, and decided to go check out the market. In the market, there was every kind of food that you could have wanted. There were pizzas, to smoothies, to random heads of animals that looked like dinosaurs... I may spare you all from posting the picture, we'll see. Haha. Anyway, there were body-to-body people everywhere, so after a while we decided we wanted to get out of that environment. We found a plaza with a beautiful fountain... bought some bread and lunch meat...made a little picnic, and people watched (my favorite). We were just chillin, laying in the sun, and an old woman that was begging came up to us. She was shaking her cup in our faces, so we told her no and to please leave. She then proceeded to lean down, pick up my UN-OPENED diet pepsi, which i was so excited to drink... opened it, took a sip, and tried to give it back to me. I was so shocked I didn't even know what to do. I just told her to take it after that... and us girls laughed about it for a bit. After she left I started reflecting on the biblical connections to what had just happened. First off, I was trying to not look the lady in the eyes as she was begging, after running into so many needy people, it begins to break your heart if you look into their eyes. However, because I wasn't completely giving her my full attention, she was sneaky and just decided she wanted a sip of my drink. At first, I was honestly a bit appauled, and frustrated that she had just taken my pop. Then I hit myself in the head, and realized, Paige... it was just a Pepsi. I should have just given it to her in the first place. We are supposed to be feeding the hungry, but I guess I had just become a bit numb to what that really meant, after dealing with so many needy people that "harrass" you. So all in all, this was a good wake-up call for me! That night we went to a grocery store to get all of the food for our meals we were going to cook. We made some pasta, which HIT the spot. Pasta never fails us. We then decided to check out a water-light show. Apparently it was supposed to be really sweet. When we walked up to the Palace, I was blown away. Imagine the largest fountain you could imagine, with the water being all lit up... changing colors from a deep red to a crystal blue. In the background there was music playing. It was just so powerful, especially with the palace in the background. It really made me think about what heaven will be like. It was one of those magical moments where you are just in awe of your surroundings, and makes you really reflect, digging deep into your soul. Those are the moments I live for, and I've had plenty of them to go around! Caitlin, Maggie and I just chilled on a ledge for a while and met a dad from Ohio. He was traveling for business, and was an agriculture magazine editor. We talked to him about studying abroad and such. I asked him if he ever studied abroad, and he said,"No it wasn't a very popular thing to do at Miami." I replied with, "Well i wouldn't study abroad either if i went to school in Miami!" Maggie chimed in, "I'd never leave that sun." Little did Mags and I know, he had said he went to Miami college in Ohio. He laughed, re-informed us, and we laughed it off. Gotta love those moments. Haha. On our way back to our hostel that night, as we were waiting at a crosswalk, I felt something touch my purse. Since I was already on edge with it being night time and all, I turned around, and caught a guy trying to unzip the front zipper of my purse. I think I must have gave him a very intimidating look/lunge of disgust, and he ran off. Must have been these "guns" that carry with me, on my left and my right. Thank the LORD he wasn't successful, he would have had my iPod and my passport. Whewfta. After that incident, we needed to get on the metro to go across the city. (Keep in mind, we were a bit flustered from my attempted robbey.)As we hopped onto our metro car, there was a mugging going on. A gang of 7 men, 1 girl were taking some ladies purse. They were rolling around, and at that point some men on the metro came to her aid, but the gang got off the cart with the purse. THAT freaked us out. The rest of the trip we were on edge, scared to even bring our purses outside with us. The next day, we woke up and ate a breakfast full of Nutella and ColaCoa (HEAVEN). We then headed to 'La Sagrada Familia'. This is a huge cathedral designed by Gaudi. Gaudi was an architect that was very unique in his designs. He used a lot of curves and swirls. Anyway, since we were visiting on Palm Sunday, we got to see so many unique things. There were families everywhere.. children with HUGE ornate palm branches... just chilling in the plazas around the cathedral. We got to go inside a smaller part of the cathedral, and the stained glass blew my mind. It was so beautiful... After that we decided to endulge, and get a meal at the good old Hard Rock Cafe! I can't tell you how great it felt to have my beloved ranch dressing and barbeque sauce again. I devoured my burger and fries. After our stomachs were full, and our wallets were empty, we decided to go check out the other buildings/houses Gaudi had designed. There are pictures posted above... so neat, huh?! I was infatuated with them. Its like you just walked into a real-life Candy Land. The next morning we woke up, and checked out a chocolate museum. The detail and perfection of these chocolate sculptors was crazy! (And we got a free chocolate bar out of the deal) We then went to a park on top of the city. We had to HIKE up there, and take a few escalators along the way, but it was so worth it. We got to have an amazing few of the city, and even hit up a free massage stand. Now THAT, my friend, is what I call a vacation! It was then time to grab our monster backpacks, and say good bye to Barcelona. We headed to the airport and flew to Madrid. We had to stay the night in the airport, because our flight to the Canaries didn't leave until the next morning, but that was alright. It wasn't our first Rodeo! We bundled up, had a few heart-to-heart girl talks, and fell into dreamland. We woke up, met up with our friend Steph, and flew to the Canary Islands! The flight took about 3 hours, but we gained an hour, so we got there in enough time to hit up the pool and get some great sun on the first day! We stayed in a hostel which was actually our very own apartment. We had 5 girls, and three boys with us, with two apartments. So we had plenty of room for all of us. It was SO nice to have your own living space, and not have to share a bathroom with strangers. Basically, every day while we were in the Canaries, we would sleep in until about 10, make some breakfast, get our flip flops and suits on, head to the pool, take in the sun for about 5 hours while reading, listening to music, cracking jokes... you name it. After the pool we would shower up, get ready, make food, play card games... and stay up until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. It was the most relaxing, perfect spring break ever. It was good to get away from everything. It was a great time of reflection and evaluation as well. Don't you love it when breaks do that for you? I do. I came back to Granada with some sweet tan lines, a darker skin tone, many stories I continue to laugh about, and even closer friends than before. :)