The Perks of Spanish Strikes

After five months of rolling my eyes at these endless Spanish strikes, I have finally come to understand the necessity. Last week the Spanish students at our university voted to strike (yet again) because the school decided to raise taxes on their tuition. 

In front of our school

At first we all just figured it would mean another day or two of cancelled classes and no real progress, which is what we’ve seen during every other strike they’ve had. Instead, we came back from Lagos to a surprise last day of class, and rumors were flying around that classes would be cancelled for the rest of the semester. I heavily underestimated these Spanish kids, but they ended up actually getting classes cancelled for the rest of the semester. For us, we thought that this just meant 2 weeks where we didn’t have to go to class anymore. Instead, it has turned the university world upside down. Everyone is more confused than ever about what is happening, and our scheduled exams are completely up in the air. My exam that was supposed to be yesterday was turned into a take home exam, and our other teacher informed us before the strike that he ¨might not be able to email us¨ until the strike ends, which is conveniently after we are back in the US.

Apparently the rules state that the teachers are not allowed to have contact with us, because it is technically working, which is not allowed. Conveniently enough, the rules also allow the protestors to throw rocks (yes, rocks) at us if we try to enter the building while they are protesting. Needless to say, I will happily be steering clear of the university. 

We don’t really know what will happen, and our program directors have never had to deal with a situation like this before. Luckily we are more than happy to oblige with not going to class and switching to take home exams, but once again, Spain has thrown us a curve ball. This country never ceases to amaze me. 

Lagos

I can´t believe I´m writing this blog post about our last trip. It feels like just yesterday that we were riding the bus to Granada and decided that Lagos was a must do on our travel list, and now it has come and passed. I must say that I have loved every single trip we have taken, but Lagos was special. Not only was Lagos our last trip, but it was the only trip we took (aside from our program excursions) where we had more than 4 people going. A group of 12 of us rented a house for the weekend, and set off on a 6 hour bus ride to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

After six long hours of what I´m sure the strangers on the bus would describe as horrible, we arrived in Lagos, Portugal. Since none of us spoke Portuguese, we pulled out a trusty map and set off in hopes of actually finding this house we were renting. The walk to the main office alone was enough to make me fall in love with the city. I can´t picture a more perfect little beach town, complete with sailboats and crystal clear blue water. Even more wonderful than those was the 70 degree temperatures, which were more than welcome after the 99 degree heat we had the past week in Sevilla.

We found the main office and followed our housekeeping lady (yes, we didn´t even have to clean for ourselves this weekend) to our house. Walking into our house reminded me of the typical first entrance into a vacation home, where all of the little kids sprint to pick the best bedroom. Even though most of us are 20 or 21, nothing has changed. We reverted back to our roots and all sprinted up the stairs to check out the house. After the housekeeping lady finally calmed us down and said she would give us a tour, we realized we had both a pool and a patio complete with a giant table and outdoor chairs. It was truly heavenly. We quickly dropped our bags and headed to the beach for what was supposed to be the best day weather-wise.

After laying out for awhile, some of us decided to brave the water, and although it was absolutely freezing at first, it was definitely worth it. We swam through the rocks in crystal blue water, and got to see other parts of the beach that you can´t easily walk to. After swimming, it was back to laying in the sun. Most people headed back to the house pretty early, but I am the kind of person who likes to lay on the beach until there is literally no sun left. Luckily, Rachel wanted to stay out for as long as possible to, and by the time we made it back to the house, the rest of our crew was showered and ready to head to the grocery store.




We all chipped in to buy a ton of pasta and chicken, and went home to cook a huge meal for everyone. It was mostly nice to be able to sit out on a patio all together and eat a meal. We don´t get the opportunity often to all hang out in a house setting here, because we aren´t allowed to have friends over to our home stays.

Our fish bowl and huge straws

After dinner and what felt like 12 million dishes, we all got ready to explore the Lagos nightlife. All of our friends who had been to Lagos before said the nightlife was really fun, and we were all excited to go out together. What made it even better was the great location of our house, which literally wasn´t more than 2 minutes from any bar we went to. First we headed to the most famous bar in Lagos, which is famous for offering giant fish bowls that you drink with gigantic straws and split between 7 or 8 people. After heading from bar to bar, I really started to feel like I was back in America. The second bar we went to, called Three Monkeys, is famous for offering beer bongs. Needless to say the night led to some great memories and even better pictures.

The next morning, despite the cloudy skies, some of us headed back to the beach. Even though it started to drizzle, Jess and I decided we would stick it out and hope for the best. Just after everyone else deserted us to go back home and avoid the rain, the sun came back up and we were blessed with a few hours of perfect weather. We packed it up once we couldn´t stand our growling stomachs anymore, and headed into town to find some food. Once again feeling like I was in America, we found a restaurant that had BLTs. I can´t explain how happy I was to see a BLT again, after going almost 5 months without what is possibly one of my favorite foods. Needless to say, I loved Lagos even a little more after this.

We went home and sat out on our patio, where everyone was reading and (pretending to be) studying for our exams that start this week. We had all heard about a place called Nah Nah Bah, that is famous for offering one of the top 50 best burgers in the world, and decided we would go there for dinner. The restaurant did not disappoint, and I can say it is one of the best burgers I have ever had by far. We went back to our house and hung out together in the house all night, which is a luxury we are definitely not used to in Sevilla. A few of us went back to some of the bars, but most of our time was spent avoiding the rain.

The next day was the last day for most of our group, and we all woke up and went to breakfast together at a tiny hole in the wall place that offers breakfast American style, with eggs, bacon, pancakes, and even hashbrowns. I once again felt like I was eating in America, and it was a great way for half of our group to say goodbye to Lagos. After breakfast, 9 of them went to catch their bus back to Sevilla, while Marissa, Maggie, and I stayed behind for an extra day. Once everyone had gone, we hit the beach again for what was definitely the coldest day. I braved the cold anyway and laid out in my bathing suit, hoping to get a little more of a tan. Once we couldn´t take the cold anymore, we went back to the breakfast place (which offers breakfast all day long) because we just couldn´t get enough. After dinner (breakfast?) we headed back to the house and all watched a movie before passing out.

Our new puppy friend!

We woke up to our last day in Lagos and decided to take advantage of what little time we had left by heading back to the beach. The weather was perfect and we were heartbroken to have to head back to the house at noon to pack up and leave. We had even made a new puppy friend on the beach, which made it even harder for me to say goodbye. Reluctantly, we headed back to the house and packed up our bags and headed to the bus station. The 6 hour bus ride back may have started off boring, but it ended up with new British friends who moved to sit next to me after their friend vomited all over their original seats. I spent the last few hours explaining to them that bullocks and bloody hell simply aren´t real words, and they decided that their stereotypical American accent of a drawn out "Howdy" may have been a little unfair. 


All in all, I truly loved Portugal. Maybe it was the American food, which I have seriously missed for the past 5 months. Or maybe it was just being able to spend a weekend all together in a house. Whatever it was, it was a great way to end my European traveling, and I wish that I could sit on that beach forever. Unfortunately its back to reality, and we are starting the only two weeks of the semester where we have had to do school work. Lucky for us, they announced yet another strike yesterday, and classes are cancelled for the rest of the semester. Now if they would only cancel exams too...

The Final Countdown

Okay, so maybe the title is a little dramatic, but with less than a month left I feel like counting down the days is all I can think about. This semester has truly been a blur. Since I stepped foot in Spain in January, I knew that the semester would go by quickly. January and February sort of crept by at normal speed, but once it hit March I feel like the time escaped me. You could tell me that it was March right now and I would probably believe you (other than the fact it was 104 degrees here today). But it isn't March, it is May 9th. And I leave this beautiful city on June 4th.

I feel like I have accomplished what I set out to do. I have wanted to study abroad since I even knew that it existed, and it is odd to me to think that my time here is almost over. Ever since starting college I have planned which classes to take around my semester abroad. All of my friends had heard a million times that "I'll be abroad spring semester of junior year." And now it has come...and it has almost passed. Of course there are things that I am looking forward to returning to. On the top of that list are probably food items to be honest; Spain just can't do Tex Mex or milkshakes quite like America. However, there are so many things that I am leaving behind here that I have no guarantee of returning to.

I think that study abroad is beneficial for many reasons, but of all the lessons that it has taught me, I think that letting go is one of the biggest. I had to let go of my comfort zone when I boarded a plane on January 10th, and I will be letting go of the best semester of my life on June 4th. I know that the future holds great things for me, and returning to Chapel Hill for my senior year is one of them, but it is hard to let go when I don't know that I'll ever have the same experience again. Sure, I'll return to Europe someday. But will I return to the carefree lifestyle that I have here now? Will I ever feel at home here and not just like every other tourist?

I am so grateful to have had the chance to live in Spain for this semester. It has been a whirlwind of new friends, new food, and new experiences. Never have I lived in a place where it is acceptable (and expected) to drink a beer during the week at lunch. I can truly say that I have integrated into another culture, and that is the best lesson that studying abroad could have given me. Being able to appreciate other cultures has always been important to me, and I feel that opening your mind to how the rest of the world lives can give you a perspective on life that is otherwise unattainable. I won't say that study abroad changed me, but I think that it helped me grow from where I already was.

On June 4th I will return home and finish what I started. I will finish the application to medical school and take the MCAT. I will go back to Chapel Hill and take my classes and go back to my life and my friends there. I will come home and get to see my wonderful family and spend time alongside of them. But I will also be closing this chapter of my life. I will be saying goodbye to 5 people that have become my second family. I will return to being the youngest child, and having the ability to sleep without hearing children screaming. I will go back to sleeping alone, without having Maggie a foot away at every second of the day. I will have to say goodbye to a beautiful country that has opened its arms to me and given me the best 5 months of my life. But most of all, I will have to face the fact that I can no longer anticipate "my semester abroad" and that it is over. For now, I'm going to soak up the Sevilla sun and spend my last month here enjoying what is left.

Winning London

I feel like after all the travelling we've done this semester, I've almost become desensitized to it. I've known that I was going to London ever since I booked my flight ticket over a month ago, but it was almost as if it didn't hit me until we were there. The few days before I barely even thought about it, which is very different than how I felt before all of my other trips. Even though I may not have built this one up as much before going, it ended up being great.

Maggie and I traveled with two girls on our program named Marissa and Natalie, and Marissa was nice enough to set us up with her friend who is studying in London, and we got to stay at her apartment (or "flat" as the Brits call it). Not only does staying in an apartment mean we save money on a hostel, but it also means that we had a nice kitchen, no worries about things getting stolen, and access to our own space of sorts. Even better, 3 of the 4 girls who live in this apartment were out of town this weekend and were nice enough to let us use their beds. After staying in enough hostels for a lifetime, I can attest to the fact that something so small as having a comfortable bed can make all of the difference in a trip.

We left Sevilla late afternoon with our packed lunches in hand (luckily Pilar caught on that pate is not my thing and we got salami on our sandwiches), and headed to the airport. After we had probably a 20 minute conversation about how RyanAir is always on time (though it has numerous other faults), our plane was delayed for an hour. Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal, since we weren't getting to London until late anyway, but we had already bought our bus tickets from the airport into the city center, and we didn't want to miss the bus and have to buy new ones. When our plane finally took off we were already cutting it close. Then we got to the airport...and waited in customs...for 2 hours. Of course the line for European Union citizens went quickly as the line designated "All Other Passports" stood at a standstill. Since we figured we'd already missed the bus, we met the people in line around us and tried to pass the time. We finally made it through border control after being interrogated by the police man for what felt like forever, and we ran to the bus stop. The bus pulled up and we begged the bus driver to let us on even though our tickets had been for 2 hours earlier. Luckily the bus wasn't full and he let us on, and we headed towards the city center. By the time we finally got to the apartment, it was past 3 in the morning. Since all of the roommates weren't leaving until the next morning, the first night's sleeping arrangements were less than comfortable. Maggie and I slept Willy Wonka style on a couch, and I'm not sure either of us got much sleep that night.

Phone booth picture

The next morning we slept in a little bit, and then headed to the grocery store. After learning that the pound to dollar conversion is 1.6:1 (aka awful for the American dollar), we decided we would try our best to not spend a ton of money. Buying groceries had saved us so much money on other trips, and it did the same in London. Since Maggie and I don't get a ton of vegetables at our home stay, we loaded up at the grocery store and the 4 of us got enough food for 2 dinners, and breakfast and lunch for every day. Since the next day was cinco de mayo, we agreed we would have to hit up Chipotle, which none of us had eaten (or seen) since leaving America. After unpacking our groceries and of course eating a few of our new snacks, we headed out to check a few things off of our London bucket list. Most of the museums in London are free, and we headed to the British Museum to check it out, since it is famous and all. It was absolutely massive, but after weaving our way through a few galleries, we came across the Rosetta Stone, which I never expected to see in person. After the museum, we took the classic phone booth pictures outside and looked more touristy than ever. The red phone booths really are everywhere, and after walking a bit further we found one surrounded by trees and retook the pictures because they would end up prettier at this one (we scream tourist). Our last stop for the day, since we were all still tired from the day before, was to King's Cross Station. For all you Harry Potter fans out there, this is the station that Harry takes the train to school from each year. The station has a little Platform 9 3/4 on the wall that you can take pictures at if you're a nerd. So naturally I insisted that we go. After the train station we headed home and made dinner before passing out in the most comfortable bed ever.

Outside of Buckingham Palace

The next morning we woke up early and ate breakfast while we planned our day. Of course the weather was dreary and rainy, but what can you expect in London? Since London is a huge city we already decided we would buy an all day metro (or tube) pass. We learned that people really won't understand you if you call it the metro. On a whim, we all decided that we would really enjoy seeing a musical if we could find cheap tickets. There is an area of London that is like Broadway, and they have all of the famous classic musicals plus some British ones that we had never heard of. On our way to the metro we stopped by a stand and asked the lady to tell us what the cheapest tickets available were. We all decided on a musical called "Blood Brothers" that she said was great. Since we didn't have to be at the theater until 4, we still had plenty of time to tour the city. First we headed to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. This is basically just when the Queen's guards change, and it reminded me of the changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetery. We got to see the classic guards in the fuzzy black hats and red coats, and for some reason the band played "Circle of Life" on their trumpets. After Buckingham Palace, we headed a few streets over and took pictures of Big Ben and the London Eye, which is a giant Ferris wheel . From there we headed over to Westminster Abbey and then Trafalgar Square. Trafalgar Square had a giant countdown to the Olympics, which is taking place in London this summer. From Trafalgar Square we made our way to Harrods, which is by far the most amazing department store I have ever seen. I felt ashamed to even step foot in such a beautiful building with my wet shoes and dripping umbrella, but it was a must see. Everything was immaculate, from the chandeliers to the golden staircases, and there was an employee every square inch asking if they could spray you with perfume or help you to find your perfect shade of lipstick. The food area was full of beautifully decorated chocolates and gourmet food. I truly think I could have spent hours in Harrods, but we had to make a move on if we were going to see everything on our list for the day before our play. I'm so glad we hit the bathrooms on our way out the door, because there was the nicest lotion and perfume in the bathrooms, and a maid who cleans the stall after each person. Maybe that seems wasteful, but I found it truly wonderful.

In front of the London eye

We headed to Hyde Park, which I was expecting to be the clone of Central Park. Although I wasn't far off, it was beautiful. The park itself was huge, and it was full of people running and playing sports and hanging out even though it was a dreary and cold out. We set out to Hyde Park with the intent of seeing the Princess Diana Memorial, and since we didn't have much time, we headed straight there. The memorial is a giant fountain that looks almost like a ribbon and loops around in a big green area. It overlooks the lake that is inside of the park, and it was really beautiful. Unfortunately we basically had to sprint past it in hopes of making it to our show on time, so we kind of ruined the peacefulness of the whole thing. We made it to the theater with about 5 minutes left, and made it to our seats right on time. "Blood Brothers" was great and we were all really glad that we had an impulse to go to the theater. Not only was it a great escape from the cold, but it was a really fun time, and we had yet to do something like that while travelling through Europe. As fate would have it, there was a Chipotle next door to the theater. Literally next door. Since Chipotle was on the top of our to do list since leaving Sevilla, we headed right inside once the play was over. I felt like I was right back in Chapel Hill when I ate my burrito bowl, and the check out man even gave us a free bag of chips because he said we "looked hungry." I took it as a compliment.

After dinner we jumped on the metro to see Trafalgar Square (the Times Square of London) really quickly before heading back to our flat (don't I sound so British?) and watched the remake of Footloose. I'm not sure what prompted us to watch that movie, but I'd probably advise against it.

Art?

We woke up the next morning and headed out for another full day of sightseeing. Our first stop was the Tate Modern, which we were really excited for. The Tate Modern is one of the most famous modern art museums in the world, and I have only heard crazy things about it. It only took one room for me to agree that it is the most bizarre place I have ever been. The "art" galleries were full of the most random things ever. One room was literally full of cinder blocks stacked up on top of one another. Another room had a giant pile of clothes. Modern art may not be the same as seeing a famous painting, but it definitely is more funny to walk through. There were also paintings within the museum, and I got to see both a Picasso and a Dali, which was really cool. Since the Tate Modern is right along the river, we headed to see the famous bridges as well.

The Millennium Bridge is right next to the Tate Modern, and I recognized it from the Harry Potter movies. Right next to this bridge is the replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which is the only building in London allowed to have a straw roof. Even though it is not the original, which burned down, it was still amazing to see a building that has so much history behind it and that we have learned about ever since I can remember. We attempted to go to the Borough Market, which is a famous food market, but unfortunately it is closed on Sundays. After the market, we ran into the actual London Bridge (cue London Bridge is falling down), which was not very much to see; but the Tower Bridge which is right next to it was absolutely beautiful. The sides of the bridge are a really bright blue, and the middle of it has two giant towers. We walked across it and got to see the outside of the Tower of London before heading back to the metro for our last tourist stop: Abbey Road. Although the Beatles obviously got through unscathed, this intersection is no joke. We figured we'd just pop in the road and get a quick picture, but the oncoming traffic was not having it. We basically played chicken until we finally got a picture, Beatles style. We signed the wall outside of Abbey Road Studios (which apparently you're supposed to sign), and then headed home to beat the cold. We made dinner for ourselves and played cards a little bit before settling in for another movie. Since we can never really have people over to our house, it is great to be able to have movie nights. We watched The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I've been dying to see, and then went to bed.

Abbey Road

We woke up the next morning and had to pack our bags to leave. We all didn't want to have to get more pounds out of the ATM (since they are useless everywhere else in Europe), so we got super thrifty at the grocery store for our last lunch. We wrote a card to the girls who let us stay at their apartment, and left them some money since they had saved us so much by letting us stay there. We headed to the bus station, and after seeing the ticket man get hit by the bus (literally) we boarded and headed to the airport. Even though border control had been miserable when we got to London, I figured security couldn't be too bad on the way out. I guess I should never underestimate the thoroughness of airport security. Since being in Europe, I've yet to take my liquids out of my backpack, or even take off my watch for that matter when walking through the metal detector. Usually the guy behind the computer is drooling and the people manning the security detector are texting. That is my view of European airport security. However, England has it together. I have never been through tighter security in my life. After taking off my watch, I still beeped when walking through the metal detector, and I proceeded to get felt up by the lady in charge. When I say felt up, I do not use the term lightly. At first I joked with her that it felt like she was giving me an arm massage, and then she moved to my chest...and my nether regions, which she groped with the same ferocity as my arm. I couldn't help but laugh hysterically, and I'm sure she didn't appreciate my lack of maturity for the situation, but it tickled. After everyone stood in awe as I was sexually accosted by the security guard, we moved on to our gate, where we boarded our very last (hopefully ever) RyanAir flight and headed home.

Signing the wall outside of Abbey Rd. Studios

I really loved London, and I would venture to say that it is a more historical (and cleaner) version of our very own New York City. The weather is definitely the down fall of the city, as it was rainy and cold every single day that we were there. The only real negative of my trip to London was that I was unable to meet up with Prince Harry. He was out of town on business or something. I guess I'll just await his next trip to Sevilla.

This week brings me one week closer to exams, which means that my time here is inching to a close. This weekend our host family is going out of town, which means Maggie and I have full reign of the house. I'm sure we will find something more exciting than homework to do while they are gone.

Westminster Abbey

Changing of the guard

Our new friend

Big Ben and the London Eye

The Globe Theater

The Tower Bridge