So I wrote that last entry thinking I wouldn't have time before I leave to write more...but it just so happens that I have some more time--so here goes.
I can't believe I'm leaving the place that I've called home for the past 8 months. I've grown more in these past 8 months than any other time in my life, and I am changed from the experience that I had here. I did this thing on my own. I completely left my comfort zone, and I knew that I couldn't look back. It wasn't like going to college, when I was just a car ride away from home--it was a full and complete culture immersion--and I loved it. Yes, there were the good days and the bad days, but I really don't remember much about the bad days.
The people I've met are incredible...every single one of them has a place in my heart. It's so weird that Marli and I are going apart. We've spent this entire time together...when we're home, not going more than 4 hours with out talking to each other (except when we sleep)--and whenever one of us would travel, we always knew the other would be waiting we when got back. Who am I going to tell when my mom sends me a funny email or when something great happens?? She's become one of my best friends--there were ups and downs...but we talked last night and decided we wouldn't have wanted it any either way. We were a good fit for roommates, and it really helped having each other around. We sort of balanced each other out. The group from last semester was like family to me. That's what we were...we came as strangers, became friends, and left as family. I know that if I were to encounter one of them, we would pick up right where we left off. Then this semester the group wasn't close as a whole, but I found a great niche of friends. Jenna, Megan, Allison, Stef, Heather and I made so many memories together. I know that those are girls that I will continue talking to throughout the whole summer and probably the rest of my life. And then there's Amparo...my Spanish mother. I think back about when she first arrived that second night we were in Valencia (since she had been in India)--and she walked in, beso-ed us and said "I am your Spanish mother!!" It was truly a blessing for Marli and I to be placed in her house. She really cares about us. She got really sentimental last night at dinner, and I know that saying goodbye tonight will be hard on all of us.
As for Valencia, I love it here. I'm so happy I picked this place to study abroad. I feel so relaxed here, and I love the vibe the city has. After exploring the city when I first arrived, I got the "vibe" that it was just right--much like the vibe I got when I visited Luther trying to pick out a college. The city is big, and yet it feels small. I loved winding my way through the center--going through each plaza, spending a few quiet moments reflecting in the cathedral, having horchata with fartons during the afternoon, looking at all the produce and meats at Mercado Central. The city is alive during the day and at night. I feel safe here, no matter what hour of the day. On Wednesday, Marli and I went to see the sunrise, and it was just another aspect that made Valencia ever more beautiful to me. I'm leaving a little piece of myself here, and I know that I will come back here throughout the rest of my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
That's all I feel like writing for now...this will probably be continued later...
Friday, May 7, 2010
Leaving.
Tonight...I'm leaving...getting on a bus to Madrid with the rest of the ISA group...getting on a plane tomorrow and will be back home tomorrow night.
It's weird...I don't really feel anything right now. I don't really understand what's happening. I'm shocked that the time is here. I'm staring at my full suitcases (all 3 of them...oops) and I just don't quite get it. I'm slightly upset right now that I can't find my American cell phone...it has to be somewhere in my stuff..but for now, I can't find it. I need to pack up those last few things and get into my traveling clothes.
Next time I write, it will be from home (unless I get horribly bored in the airport and decide to pay for wifi)....
It's weird...I don't really feel anything right now. I don't really understand what's happening. I'm shocked that the time is here. I'm staring at my full suitcases (all 3 of them...oops) and I just don't quite get it. I'm slightly upset right now that I can't find my American cell phone...it has to be somewhere in my stuff..but for now, I can't find it. I need to pack up those last few things and get into my traveling clothes.
Next time I write, it will be from home (unless I get horribly bored in the airport and decide to pay for wifi)....
Monday, May 3, 2010
Hello Finals Week.
Finals week is staring me in the face. It's Monday afternoon, and I just finished my first final in Vanguardia. It was weird saying goodbye to our professor, because it doesn't feel like it should be time to go already--I feel like there is so much more to learn. Tomorrow, I have my Phonetics exam. I also have Cinema tomorrow, where we will get our exam to take home and complete before class on Wednesday. I also have my Lit final on Wednesday. Tuesday night will not be very pleasant for me--having to study like crazy for lit and do my cinema final.
But then I will be done. I think I have to go to Phonetics on Thursday to get our grades back and so our professor can answer any questions, but that won't take too long.
Thursday and Friday will be filled with packing and saying goodbye to places...something I'm considering starting today.
Yesterday was probably my last day at the beach--a day of studying and soaking up some sun. I swam in the Mediterranean twice, and it was amazing. I also swam last Wednesday when I was at the beach with Allison. It's so peaceful--floating in the Mediterranean, the waves rushing under you, pulling you closer to shore. I kept thinking a verse from an ee cummings poem that a girl from last semester really liked. The verse is:
for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
It just makes sense to me. I'm going to miss the sea. It's such a wonderful, relaxing place. Today, Valencia decided to cry since we are leaving this week--in other words--it's raining buckets. Marli said it stormed last night, but I was fast asleep. We saw lightning last night before bed, and it was the first time we had seen lightning since arriving in Spain. Part of me is glad it's raining, it keeps me inside to study. I'm somewhat sickly right now--my allergies started acting up, which has led to sore throat and coughing and whatnot. Not too fun, and it turns out a lot of people in our group are feeling the same way. I hope to feel better by Friday..but we'll see. All for now--time to continue studying before lunch.
But then I will be done. I think I have to go to Phonetics on Thursday to get our grades back and so our professor can answer any questions, but that won't take too long.
Thursday and Friday will be filled with packing and saying goodbye to places...something I'm considering starting today.
Yesterday was probably my last day at the beach--a day of studying and soaking up some sun. I swam in the Mediterranean twice, and it was amazing. I also swam last Wednesday when I was at the beach with Allison. It's so peaceful--floating in the Mediterranean, the waves rushing under you, pulling you closer to shore. I kept thinking a verse from an ee cummings poem that a girl from last semester really liked. The verse is:
for whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
It just makes sense to me. I'm going to miss the sea. It's such a wonderful, relaxing place. Today, Valencia decided to cry since we are leaving this week--in other words--it's raining buckets. Marli said it stormed last night, but I was fast asleep. We saw lightning last night before bed, and it was the first time we had seen lightning since arriving in Spain. Part of me is glad it's raining, it keeps me inside to study. I'm somewhat sickly right now--my allergies started acting up, which has led to sore throat and coughing and whatnot. Not too fun, and it turns out a lot of people in our group are feeling the same way. I hope to feel better by Friday..but we'll see. All for now--time to continue studying before lunch.
An interesting link...
I know I posted a little about the Holy Grail last week (still need to go see that--but today is the day)--but today I found a link of the Valencia Cathedral's website that is pretty interesting. You can read more about the history of the Holy Grail and whatnot...enjoy!
http://catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php
http://catedraldevalencia.es/en/el-santo-caliz_historia.php
Friday, April 30, 2010
Being Mimsey.
During high school, I participated in Large Group Speech. My brother got me started doing it, and I really enjoyed it. During my senior year, I was part of a group ensemble. We performed part of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite." The part we did came from the third act.
The third act takes place in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Roy and Norma Hubley's daughter, Mimsey, is set to be married in the hotel that day, but she has decided to lock herself in the bathroom and refuse to come out. I was Norma, and my friend Alex was Roy. The majority of the scene revolves around trying to get Mimsey to come out the bathroom--involving trying to knock down the door, climbing out onto the window ledge, and doing a lot of yelling. She still refuses to come out. Finally, they decide to get her groom, who is patiently waiting downstairs for his bride. He walks into the suite, knocks on the door, says "Mimsey...cool it!" and leaves. 5 seconds later, she walks out of the bathroom and says, "I'm ready now."
I feel like I've sort of locked myself in the bathroom, refusing to come out--not wanting to think about leaving or dealing with everything else with my upcoming departure. But this morning when I woke up, I read 2 emails (one from my parents and one from Collin)--and suddenly I decided "I'm ready now." I'm not quite sure what they said, but I just had a sort of calm come over me. Chances are that I'm going to "lock myself in the bathroom" a few more times before I leave, but for now I know that I'm ready.
That's it for now. I'll probably write some more later...for now I'm going to rest a bit. I think I may be getting sick...or it's just my allergies starting. I'm just hoping I'll feel better by next Friday!!
The third act takes place in a suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Roy and Norma Hubley's daughter, Mimsey, is set to be married in the hotel that day, but she has decided to lock herself in the bathroom and refuse to come out. I was Norma, and my friend Alex was Roy. The majority of the scene revolves around trying to get Mimsey to come out the bathroom--involving trying to knock down the door, climbing out onto the window ledge, and doing a lot of yelling. She still refuses to come out. Finally, they decide to get her groom, who is patiently waiting downstairs for his bride. He walks into the suite, knocks on the door, says "Mimsey...cool it!" and leaves. 5 seconds later, she walks out of the bathroom and says, "I'm ready now."
I feel like I've sort of locked myself in the bathroom, refusing to come out--not wanting to think about leaving or dealing with everything else with my upcoming departure. But this morning when I woke up, I read 2 emails (one from my parents and one from Collin)--and suddenly I decided "I'm ready now." I'm not quite sure what they said, but I just had a sort of calm come over me. Chances are that I'm going to "lock myself in the bathroom" a few more times before I leave, but for now I know that I'm ready.
That's it for now. I'll probably write some more later...for now I'm going to rest a bit. I think I may be getting sick...or it's just my allergies starting. I'm just hoping I'll feel better by next Friday!!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Seeking the Grail.
I've been making my last list of things to do before leaving, and I realized that I haven't seen the Holy Grail, nor have I written about it.
The Holy Grail is the cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, and there are about 5 or 6 places in the world that claim to have the Holy Grail. Valencia is one of these places; however, the Holy Grail in Valencia is the only one with Papal approval and the one most historians believe could be the real thing.
So sometime this week, I will be seeking the Holy Grail--much like in Monty Python--except without the coconuts used for horse hooves. It is located in the cathedral in one of the chapels--but you have to pay to get in--and I always happen to be in the cathedral when that area isn't open. I'm excited for my little quest.
--------
On another note, I got some great news yesterday! I was offered an internship for the summer with the ACS, and I figured out where I'm living next year at Luther. It was a good way to end the day.
I went out for horchata yesterday afternoon, since there was a Luther guy in town visiting (he's currently studying in Nottingham). It was the first time I had "horchata granizada"--which is somewhat like slushy horchata. It was really really good!!
All for now, must get ready for Phonetics!!
The Holy Grail is the cup used by Jesus in the Last Supper, and there are about 5 or 6 places in the world that claim to have the Holy Grail. Valencia is one of these places; however, the Holy Grail in Valencia is the only one with Papal approval and the one most historians believe could be the real thing.
So sometime this week, I will be seeking the Holy Grail--much like in Monty Python--except without the coconuts used for horse hooves. It is located in the cathedral in one of the chapels--but you have to pay to get in--and I always happen to be in the cathedral when that area isn't open. I'm excited for my little quest.
--------
On another note, I got some great news yesterday! I was offered an internship for the summer with the ACS, and I figured out where I'm living next year at Luther. It was a good way to end the day.
I went out for horchata yesterday afternoon, since there was a Luther guy in town visiting (he's currently studying in Nottingham). It was the first time I had "horchata granizada"--which is somewhat like slushy horchata. It was really really good!!
All for now, must get ready for Phonetics!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Uff da.
Uff da. It's a phrase that entered my life during my first year at Luther. With one roommate from Minnesota and the other from North Dakota, "Uff da" was thrown around often in our room. Too much homework? -Uff da. Something crazy happen? -Uff da. Anything at all? -Uff da.
Today "uff da" is on my mind, because of everything going on. We have entered the final, FINAL countdown. 13 days and I will be back in Grimes. Uff da.
But enough of that talk, I thought I'd share a bit about my tour of the Lladró factory. I went to the Lladró factory on Friday afternoon with 4 other girls--Jill, Claire, Colleen, and Kaitlyn. We got a little lost, since Google Maps wasn't the most precise at nailing down the location of the factory. We arrived a wee bit late, but they didn't really mind. We got to see each step in the process of making the porcelain, from starting the molds to firing the pieces. The detail is incredible. There are a bunch of people who only make flowers for the pieces. The woman made a rose, right in front of us--and she was surrounded by all the different flowers she had made that day. It was really impressive. I also really enjoyed looking through the showroom...the pieces range in price from 40 euro to 120,000 euro. It's expensive stuff. Each piece is hand-painted, and all of them are beautiful. Now the show room is the place where they are wanting you to buy a piece--I was wanting to buy one, but I wasn't enthused about the price tag. We had hear rumors that there is a "Seconds" room--that is to say a room with the pieces that have "imperfections." We asked about it, and they took us there. It was a giant room filled with pieces--all about 50% cheaper. We only found one visible imperfection. I ended up buying a piece. I'll post a picture of it when I get home. For now, it's living in a box, carefully wrapped up under my bed--and I don't feel like ruining the packaging. It was a piece that I felt fit my personality. It's nice that I now have something uniquely made in Valencia to take home--and it's something I can continue to collect for the rest of my life.
The rest of the weekend has been a mix of working and relaxing. My literature professor decided to give us a lot of work to do over the weekend, realizing that we haven't read everything that she wanted us to read. I've been working away on those readings (post Spanish Civil War short stories) plus working on reading poetry from post Spanish Civil War. We've read a lot of poetry in my lit class, which I wasn't really expecting--but we found out this week that poetry is our professor's specialty. I have a presentation in Avant Garde tomorrow, and then will spend the rest of the day enjoying Valencia. These next 2 weeks will be a mix or work and pleasure--because I will have a lot of school work to do, but I also want to enjoy my last 2 weeks in Valencia. It will be a delicate balance to maintain.
I just finished skyping with my parents earlier, and I got a full tour of our yard. I'm surprised at how green everything is, and it made me excited to get to see everything in person. I'm going to go back to work now--keep on reading and taking notes. All for now.
Today "uff da" is on my mind, because of everything going on. We have entered the final, FINAL countdown. 13 days and I will be back in Grimes. Uff da.
But enough of that talk, I thought I'd share a bit about my tour of the Lladró factory. I went to the Lladró factory on Friday afternoon with 4 other girls--Jill, Claire, Colleen, and Kaitlyn. We got a little lost, since Google Maps wasn't the most precise at nailing down the location of the factory. We arrived a wee bit late, but they didn't really mind. We got to see each step in the process of making the porcelain, from starting the molds to firing the pieces. The detail is incredible. There are a bunch of people who only make flowers for the pieces. The woman made a rose, right in front of us--and she was surrounded by all the different flowers she had made that day. It was really impressive. I also really enjoyed looking through the showroom...the pieces range in price from 40 euro to 120,000 euro. It's expensive stuff. Each piece is hand-painted, and all of them are beautiful. Now the show room is the place where they are wanting you to buy a piece--I was wanting to buy one, but I wasn't enthused about the price tag. We had hear rumors that there is a "Seconds" room--that is to say a room with the pieces that have "imperfections." We asked about it, and they took us there. It was a giant room filled with pieces--all about 50% cheaper. We only found one visible imperfection. I ended up buying a piece. I'll post a picture of it when I get home. For now, it's living in a box, carefully wrapped up under my bed--and I don't feel like ruining the packaging. It was a piece that I felt fit my personality. It's nice that I now have something uniquely made in Valencia to take home--and it's something I can continue to collect for the rest of my life.
The rest of the weekend has been a mix of working and relaxing. My literature professor decided to give us a lot of work to do over the weekend, realizing that we haven't read everything that she wanted us to read. I've been working away on those readings (post Spanish Civil War short stories) plus working on reading poetry from post Spanish Civil War. We've read a lot of poetry in my lit class, which I wasn't really expecting--but we found out this week that poetry is our professor's specialty. I have a presentation in Avant Garde tomorrow, and then will spend the rest of the day enjoying Valencia. These next 2 weeks will be a mix or work and pleasure--because I will have a lot of school work to do, but I also want to enjoy my last 2 weeks in Valencia. It will be a delicate balance to maintain.
I just finished skyping with my parents earlier, and I got a full tour of our yard. I'm surprised at how green everything is, and it made me excited to get to see everything in person. I'm going to go back to work now--keep on reading and taking notes. All for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
