European dream.

Wow. So I didn't realize it's been so long since I've blogged! Sorry about that! Haha. I've had the most intense/fun/crazy month ever! I absolutely love Barcelona, but I've also loved going places and seeing things. I've never seen myself as an adventurous person, but being here has made me realize that I don't give myself enough credit! I mean, before I came here, I had bungee jumped in Florida, cliff dived in Nashville, gotten multiple tattoos and piercings...basically, I just am starting to realize that I really have guts. I'm not saying this to "toot my own horn", if you will, just that I am starting to realize that maybe I'm more of a risk-taker than I realized.

That said, I want to talk a little about the trips I've been on. I went to Italy at the end of February to visit my friend who is living there. I flew into Torino, and from there we went to Pisa, Florence, and Milan. In 5 days, we saw 4 cities. Florence was my absolute favorite city that I've visited yet. I loved Tuscany so much, it was beautiful! It was honestly straight from the movies...we ended up walking all through the hills and saw farms and fields. Seriously, I was in heaven. It was warm. We were just walking, not having a clue where we were going. I didn't want to leave! Plus, did I mention the food? Italy truly has the best food. I ate pizza every day. I also ate gelato every day. Holy crap, if you've never eaten European ice cream, it's worth it to come here JUST for that. I have to force myself to NOT eat it every single day. My favorite kinds were tiramisu  and stracciatella. I'm not sure if that's how you spell them. But really, I highly recommend getting them. Together. In one cone. And eating them. Why is food the only thing I blog about? Haha. Maybe that's just my favorite thing about being in Europe...or anywhere. I love to try not food. I'm all about trying anything once. Even though I generally don't eat red meat, I will try different meats if they are a "staple" of the culture or whatever.

Speaking of which...

This was my first of four pizzas in Italia. It was amazing. I ate the whole thing.

This is me in the very center of Turin!

You can't go to Italia without seeing the leaning tower and taking this stupid pose!

In Florence, we climbed 414 stairs to be able to see the entire city and more. I was obsessed.

This is me with the river behind me. Isn't it gorgeous?

This was the first, and only, pasta I ate in Italy. It was super good, but honestly, I enjoyed the pizza better. 

From Florence, we went on a train to Milan and saw the Duomo and went to a football game. We saw Inter-Milan v. Roma. It was super fun...Europeans love their football!

This is me being Mary Poppins in front of the Duomo.

I loved Italy.

The weekend after, I went to Munich with my friend Mary. We stayed with my friend Marion that I know from Capital. She studied at Cap for a year, and I was so excited to get to see her again! I never had a huge interest in Germany. I mean, I have always been super interested in the Holocaust, so I definitely wanted to visit a concentration camp. But, I've never been like, "Oh I've always wanted to visit Germany!" So. My expectations were low. However, I was SO surprised by how much I loved it! It was freezing, but I thought it was fantastic. The language was awesome (Can someone teach me German, please?), the culture was just...so fun. Everyone was so nice and laid-back. And once again, the food was fantastic. Why is the food SO good everywhere I visit?

We got to visit Dachau, which was the main reason I wanted to visit Munich. I was so grateful to be able to see a place that I've always learned about and read about. We stayed there for about 5 hours, and got to see and read so much about it.

This is the main building where the prisoners checked in, showered, id numbers were administered, and they cooked and ate their meals.

These are the toilets in each barrack. They had this many toilets for over 2,000 people.

The "shower" in the gas chamber. Apparently it was never used, but rumor is that it was used once or twice for experimentation.

The ovens in the crematorium. For me, this was the hardest part about the entire experience. I couldn't help but imagine the bodies of so many innocent people burning. 2-3 bodies could fit in each oven, and it was used to get rid of the bodies, in order to not have to justify the deaths of so many.

This is the area where the prisoners stood for roll call each morning and night. They often had to stand for hours and hours just for roll call.

The only entrance/exit to Dachau.

It was an experience I'll never forget. It is such a different thing to be able to see where the history that you've always read about actually took place.

On a happier note, that night we went to Hofbrahaus for beer and dinner. I'm not a beer drinker. I refuse to drink beer, but Marion convinced me that if I got the half-Sprite/half-beer, I wouldn't be able to taste it at all. She was right! I actually really liked it! I never would have thought to mix those two.

Who even knew pretzels were German? Not me. But this pretzel was huge an delicious.

This is my first German meal. It's called Spatzle, and it seriously tasted like straight macaroni and cheese.

Me and Marion in front of the Hofbrahaus! Beerhalls were great.

Alright. This was my second German meal. It looks disgusting, but it was SO GOOD.

The three of us in Marienplatz.

Me chillin in Germany! I lovedddd it. I want to go back and see more!

I have been so blessed to travel so much while I've been here. It's been so much fun and I am so glad I've gotten to see the world! My top three places so far have been:

1. Florence

2. London

3. Munich

However, I am really looking forward to this next month because I will be seeing more Spain! From now on, apart from meeting my dad in London, I will only be traveling in Spain. I am pretty pumped about that.

In general, I like life here. It's so laid-back and chill. I love knowing where I am going and walking everywhere. Lately, it's been really nice out, so I have opted to walk everywhere. I barely took the metro at all this past week. It's so sunny and beautiful! My friend, Sara, and I went shopping for sundresses yesterday. I bought 4. Oops? But I seriously LOVE to wear dresses and skirts when it's warm out. It's so fun and comfortable, plus it makes me feel all girly and cute. Every girl should wear sundresses.

This weekend I stayed in Barcelona for the first time since the beginning of February. Can you believe that? It's been really nice just chillin and not having to worry about getting up and running around forever. Traveling really wears you out. Sara and I wandered through the streets today, and we had no idea where we were or where we were going. We walked for about 4 hours, but it was really fun to see parts of the city we haven't seen before. I am excited for my sister and John to come because we will be seeing all the parts of Barcelona that I have yet to see. I've been saving the tourist things for when they get here.

Living out of a suitcase.

As much as I love adventure and traveling, I think leaving every weekend is really taking it's toll on me. I am so tired all the time. I feel like I haven't slept in ages, and when I do sleep, I never want to wake up. This is pretty normal for me, however, because I am a complete insomniac and my sleep schedule has been messed up my entire life. It's tough getting up for class, even my 12:30 is hard to make it to! Hah. My ideal school schedule would be to start class at 3pm...:) Unfortunately, waking up early and starting class early is a universal thing. I wish more people were like me! Haha.

So, I went to Paris this past weekend and it started off pretty poorly. Honestly, I think the trip was doomed from the beginning. After only being there for an hour, we took the metro to the Louvre and it was completely crowded. Everyone was shoving one another to get in, and then suddenly I felt a tug. I am usually cautious about my bag, considering pick-pocketing is such a huge thing in Barca, but I just was worried about getting on the metro. So, I look down and see a hand inside my purse. I yanked it out and shoved the girl. She must have been 14 years old, tops, and she just looked at me and kind of laughed. Are you joking! So, I was so upset. I was crying and so scared to look to see if she got any of my stuff...I had my iPod, passport, camera, and wallet with me, and she could have easily taken any of them. Fortunately, she didn't get anything, thank God. I was so distraught from that, I couldn't even appreciate my surroundings, you know? I was shaking so badly and really just wanted to be in my comfort zone, which is currently Barcelona. After that, a big group of us (about 8 girls) went to the Louvre, but Shanna and I weren't interested in going inside. I like art, but I'm not really one to appreciate it. 

So, we made plans with our friends to meet up at the Notre Dame, and Shanna and I went shopping. We seriously went into every single souvenir shop in Paris, it feels like. I ended up finding a few things for family/friends, but nothing special. I was on the search for a Fleur-de-lis ring, but I found everything EXCEPT a ring. I knew I'd regret it if I left without anything, so I bought a cute charm and chain. New necklace for me! We ended up not finding the Notre Dame...I mean, it sounds like it'd be so simple to find. However, we asked about 5 people where it was and NO ONE knew. How does that happen? It's one of the highlights of the city! We walked around and found a cute park. 

I bought the best ice cream, to aide myself in feeling better after the pickpocketing incident. 

That night, we ended up eating at an Italian restaurant near the Eiffel Tower, and hung out with our waiter (who turned out to be a huge jerk) and drank champagne. It was really fun, and the tower is BEAUTIFUL at night! By that time, the Eiffel Tower was the only good thing about Paris thus far.

The next day, Shanna and I were both pretty over Paris. She had been there before, so she didn't have an agenda. I sure did not either, so we opted for Disneyland Paris! Let me tell you, that instantly made me happy. I am obsessed with all things Disney, so this absolutely made the trip so much better. The park was basically identical to Magic Kingdom in Orlando, but a few of the rides were different. I loved every single minute! After we left the park, we walked over to Disney Village, where there are restaurants, shops, bars, and a movie theater. We ate dinner at Planet Hollywood and I bought the most postcards ever. :) I was a happy camper.

Sunday we woke up late and just took our time getting ready to leave. We had lunch at a really cute French restaurant and then went to the Notre Dame (We actually found it this time!). It was a beautiful cathedral and I loved being able to walk through and see all the windows and paintings. I think it's so incredible that after all this time, the cathedrals are still a huge part of these big cities. I think it shows that religion is still such a huge part in our lives. 

We also walked around the outside, and in the back is a cute little park. We then HAD to shop some more, and we couldn't pass up the crepes being sold on every single corner. I am no longer a French Crepe Virgin...Mine was muy delicioso with Nutella (the death of me) and banana. It was fantastic. 

From there, we ended up back at the airport just in time for our flight. 

Although it may sound like an amazing trip, the first day was such a downer that it was hard to make up for that. I was trying really hard to not let that ruin my entire trip, but when multiple people [try to] pickpocket you, burps in your face, elbows you, pepper sprays your metro card, and tries to take advantage of you...in one day...that pretty much ruins everything. Luckily I came home safe and sound, and I know what NOT to do on trips, from now on. Maybe someday I can go back to Paris when it's warm and pretty, and it can redeem it's poor reputation in my mind. We'll see.

For the last week, the Carnaval celebration has been going on all throughout Europe and Latin/South America. Barcelona itself does not celebrate, but all the cities surrounding it do. It's basically an excuse to dress up, drink up, and go crazy! I dressed up like a ballerina, and Shanna was a devil. 

We met some friends and hopped on the train to Sitges. It was so crazy. I have never seen so many people dressed up, inebriated, and ready to party. Seriously, I don't even think we walked two streets in the four hours we were there. It was so crowded, everyone was pushing everyone, and no one was getting anywhere. We saw all sorts of costumes like Mario, PacMan, Barbie, and Ronald McDonald. It's funny to see costumes that are so familiar...ie: Joker, Batman, Saw...I took TONS of pictures (too many to post them all), and had a really great time.

Class yesterday, however, did not happen. I was so tired, all I wanted was to stay in my bed. So I did, for the most part. Last night CEA hosted an event to learn how to cook Tapas! It was soo fun. About eight of us made four different dishes: Spanish omelet, roasted sausage and peppers, garlic mushrooms, and fried potatoes with two different kinds of sauces. It was basically a carb-fest, and we ate every ounce of what we made! It was really fun to learn about the different foods and how to make them! I feel so accomplished. We also got the recipes, so when I go home I can make Spanish food for my family. YAY!

Today has been a really frustrating day. I was supposed to leave for Italy at 9am, and I caught the 7:15 Aerobus. It took longer than usual, 45 minutes instead of 25-30, so I ran to the self-check in, only to find that my name was not in the system. I had to wait in the LONGEST line, only to find that I am in the completely wrong terminal! I had to walk all the way to another terminal (about a 5-10 minute walk) and they had JUST closed the gate. UGH! It was so frustrating and I feel awful because my friend that I am visiting was supposed to meet me at the airport. So, I tried calling him, and my phone won't let me call him. I had to buy another ticket, 111euro, to leave later today. I took the Aerobus home (luckily it's cheap!) and had to go to class. This time, I'm leaving way way earlier, just in case, and I'll just sit in the airport and read or something. It's so frustrating when a day starts out like that because then for the rest of the day you feel like everything goes downhill. I guess it's one of those days/weeks/months! Haha. Seriously though, it's frustrating and I hope he understands. I feel awful! Now I have to add going to the phone place next week onto my agenda. I only have Tuesday, Wednesday, and some of Thursday before I jet off to Germany. Man, this traveling stuff can be so overwhelming. Luckily I will get to see a familiar face tonight, as I have known Taso since 8th grade. It will be good to spend time with someone who truly knows me.

Speaking of which, I am so excited because my dad bought a flight to come to London on April 30 (my layover destination), and we are going to spend 5 days touring London! I am so excited, especially since London has definitely been my favorite city so far. I am also so happy because I didn't expect my dad to actually follow through with it! Money is definitely an issue for our family, so I am so grateful he went ahead and booked it. I have been really sad lately when I hear of people's parents coming to visit. I know it wasn't really an option for them to visit (because of my mom), but I still wish it could have happened. It would be fun to give them a tour of the city and show them what I see and do every day. Oh well, I am just grateful that my sister and John are visiting in April, and now I get to hang out with my dad in London! That's a close second to my mom and dad visiting here. :) 

2 for 1: Individuality and Seville.

I've always thought of myself as an individual. I know, sounds cheesy, but let me explain: My whole life, I have been friends with all different groups of people, who usually aren't even friends with each other. I have my own style; I try to dress different, but nice at the same time (you know, for the most part). I'm not saying I am better, just that I value my individuality. I enjoy going against the grain and being my own person. I like me. In Barcelona, the locals dress in their own styles and seem to really respect their uniqueness. However, the majority of people within my program seem to be all the same. They all act, talk, and dress the same. I honestly have an extremely difficult time recognizing who is who, when they all blend together as the same person. I don't mean to generalize or stereotype, but these people, especially the girls, are all the same to me. One major issue I have is that they think they are entitled to everything. They walk into restaurants and expect the waiters to speak English. They complain about how "mean" the locals are, when really it's because they didn't respect them to begin with. Also, I have never seen anyone treat professors with such disrespect. We are now starting our fifth week of class, and I still have classmates asking if the professors will email the powerpoints so they don't have to take notes, or asking if we have to know certain things for the test. I honestly don't understand how they don't feel bad for interrupting professors with questions they have already answered 20 times. Have they never been in a college class before?  I have yet to leave a class without a story about how rude someone was, or how they are not concerned that they didn't have the presentations ready. Last week, a classmate said to our professor, who is FROM Spain, that she thinks Spaniards are plain and boring. Also, they "BBM" (BlackBerry Messaging) and have full-out conversations throughout the entire class. I never want to hear the sound of Blackberry typing EVER again. Anywho, the point is that I am so grateful I was raised to be an individual. The fact that these girls all act the same and wear the same clothes just proves that they are afraid to be themselves, and will do anything to be accepted. It just shows how self-conscious, but still self-absorbed, they are. Although I often feel self-conscious and like I might not fit in, I try to embrace my unique traits. I am thankful to have my own style. 

That said, I am really loving Spain. I haven't had any huge issues with locals being rude. I think they are just like anyone else...people are allowed to have a bad day! I think it's so important to at least attempt to speak their language. Afterall, we are in THEIR country. We can't walk around and feel like everything should be handed to us. No wonder people hate Americans. The majority of people in my program are loud, obnoxious, rude, and...drunk. There is a reason it's a stereotype, and I am glad I go against that, for the most part. I do NOT want to be associated with the bad ones. Spaniards appreciate if you at least try to speak Spanish when you ask them questions. Usually they chuckle and ask where I am from, but I know that they like that I gave it a shot. Isn't that how you learn? By doing. So, I am trying. I am pretty awful at Spanish, I'm not gonna lie. But if I get the keywords, I can manage to get through. I have already learned so much in the last month that I have been here, I can only imagine how much more I'll learn in the next 2.5 months!

This past weekend, my roommates went to Amsterdam. I honestly have never had an interest in going, and other than Anne Frank's hideaway, I don't know much about it. I mean, I just found out that it was in Holland...I thought it was in Germany for the longest time. Also, who knew Netherlands and Holland were the SAME thing? Not me. Needless to say, North Canton Hoover does NOT prepare you in world geography. Some people don't have maps...

Anywho. I opted to stay home, but at the last minute my friend Sara invited me to go to Seville, Spain with some of her friends. We booked with RyanAir, which is REAL sketchy and I have heard a lot of negative things about it. However, it is cheap. We got a roundtrip flight for 80 euro, which is good considering we got it so last minute. I went to her apartment on Thursday night and we were planning on sleeping until 3am, when we had to leave for the bus, but we couldn't fall asleep. We ended up staying awake and talking until we had to leave. The bus ride to the airport was was FREEZING and all I wanted was to sleep. An hour and a half later, we got to the airport and hopped on our plane. It wasn't a bad flight, but we were a little sketched out by the fact that everyone applauded when we landed. Were they NOT expecting to make it?! Not sure. Well, we were looking forward to going to the hostel and taking an extra long nap. Afterall, it was only 8am, but our hostel room wasn't going to be ready until 2pm. It worked out for the best though, because that forced us to not waste the entire day sleeping. I hadn't known much about Seville, so I had no idea what to expect. I think that worked out for the best because then we weren't going to be disappointed, regardless of what we did.

The buildings were so old and beautiful, and I loved the cobblestone streets!

I couldn't resist taking pictures of the nuns walking to the cathedral. This is just one of the 20 pictures I took of them.

Orange trees were all over the city, and I wanted one SO bad. Also, I am determined to buy a moped when I get home.

There were so many statues in the town square. I took full advantage.

Chillaxin.

They had some weird fixation with the KKK. I am sad I didn't actually buy one of these postcards just to have it. I mean, I don't get it?

Just perty.

Almost all the streets were like this.

Seville is on a river (don't ask me which one) and we walked all along it.

I sure did eat McDonalds for the first time. And it was delicious!

Tiramisu. It was amazing. And just 4 euro!

The hot chocolate in Spain is like...pure chocolate. Picture this: A melted Hershey's bar. In a cup. With more sugar. Yep.

She forgot her pants, so I didn't want her to feel left out. Shopping!

Sara and I with pretty Seville in the background.

While our friends were on a paddleboat in the middle of the river, we opted for drinks and food at an outside cafe. Strawberry Daquiri...YUM.

Our 2 cocktails apparently added up...

We sure did find a Ben & Jerry's! Brownie Cheesecake on top with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (my favorite kind of ice cream. Hands down.) on the bottom. I'd never had B&J's before this!

How sad. I'm in the middle of Spain, and they have McDonalds and Burger King side-by-side.

Ready to go out for Valentine's Day! However, it took so long to get ready that we didn't feel like going out anymore. So, Sara and I opted for sweatpants, McDonalds, and more pretty dessert.

This was delicious. No words.

I chose the wrong trip to either a.) pack a backpack, or b.) go on 2 major shopping sprees. I fit ALL of this into my backpack, but still had to wear 8 layers (3 on bottom, 5 on top) on the plane. Not joking. What can I say, I am talented!

I had a really great trip and a really great Valentine's Day. I am so glad I got to go somewhere this weekend, and I hope I can see more of Spain in a few weeks! The next few weekends will be spent traveling Europe. Next stop: Paris!!!