Bonjour Paris

July 2:

We got up early and headed out to see Paris. We went to Starbucks to get coffee and use the Internet since we didn't have it at the apartment. We went to Notre Dame Cathedral and too pictures. We were going to go in, but the line was really long. We decided we would come back. We continued to walk around and visit the little shops. We took pictures of the river and got pictures of the Eiffel Tower from a distance. after walking around all morning, we grabbed lunch at a nearby restaurant. The waiting staff was awesome. They joked with us and gave us a hard time, it was a great lunch! The food was good as well. After lunch, we continued to walk around. We made our way to the Louvre, but it was closing in an hour. We decided to wait to go since we didn't think we had enough time. We continued to walk around through a nearby park. It was a great day for site seeing. On our walk back, we stopped by the side walk vendors because I had seen a painting I wanted. Luckily, I found it want and was really excited. We went back to the apartment to drop our stuff off and then out to dinner. We decided to grab kebabs again because it was easy. So we grabbed them and went back to the apartment. We headed to bed early, since we had been at it all day.

Notre Dame

June 3:

We got up and went to Starbucks again. Our internet was still down and it was our only way to communicate with home. We went to another side of town to see the city view from a higher point. Also, we saw the wall of love. After that, we walked to Moulin Rouge. We took pictures and then had lunch. After lunch, we grabbed the metro to Arc de Triomphe. This was an arch built for those who died in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic War and gave a great view of the city. We climbed 284 steps to the top. It was a gorgeous view! We could see everything around the city. After the arch, we decided to split up, so Jaimie and her sister, Ellie, could go to a museum. Chelsey and I walked around and went to take picture at the Opera House. Before going there, we decided to grab coffee and take a break. After the Opera House, Chelsey and I walked around to the shops and then we met back up with the girls. After that, we took the metro to a palace across from the Eiffel Tower. We were told it was a great view of the Eiffel Tower. It was a great place to take pictures! We walked around the Eiffel Tower for a bit and took pictures. We then grabbed dinner at a restaurant close by, so we could watch the Eiffel Tower lite up. Dinner was really good. I have found French food is pretty good, at least I had better luck then food in Spain. After dinner, we went to watch the Eiffel Tower lite up. We headed home after watching it lite up because we were all pretty tired. We crashed once we got back.

June 4:

We got up and headed out. We found out about a ancient market, so we decided to go. When we arrived it was more like a farmers market. It was really cool, but more fruits and vegetables and we wanted gifts for friends at home. After the market, we split up again and Chelsey and I did some last minute gifts. After we walked around for a bit, picking up our gifts and headed back to the apartment. I needed to pack up my suitcase and such because we were catching dinner late and we had to get up early. Around 6, Chelsey and I headed to Starbucks to use the Internet. After a bit, we went back to the apartment to meet up with the others. When they got back, we got ready for dinner and headed out. We went to a nearby restaurant that was known to be really good. The critics were right! It was delicious! We had a great last dinner and then went out for gelato. You were able to pick as many favors as you wanted and they made it into a rose. It was really good. As we ate our gelato, we walked around the area and enjoyed our last night in Paris! I had a great time in Paris and would like to go back.

Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

June 5:

Leaving day! The girls were going home and I was going to Germany. They had an early flight, so we all took the metro together. I didn't have to catch the train till 12:01, so I got there very early. I had about 4 hours to kill at the train station. The train ride was about 6 hours including my layover, but it wasn't to bad. I was a little nervous about changing trains in Koln, but it wasn't a problem. I just asked a few questions and I had no problem. I made it to Bielfeld and met up with Netti. We got to her house and she showed me around. We had a great dinner and was exhausted from traveling, so I headed to bed early. I was so relieved to be with Netti and her family!

London Baby!

June 30:

We got up around 7:30 that day because my flight to London was at 10:40 and I wanted to be at the airport by 8:40. I didn't sleep much the nigh before, so getting up was no problem. We got ready and left our hostel. We ad no problems getting to the train that would take us to the airport, but we were almost on the wrong train. We thought it was ours and we had board, but some girl pointed out it was the wrong train. Thankfully we got off just in time or else I would have missed my flight. We made it to the airport and Josh and I departed. He was waiting on a friend and I was catching my flight. I had to be checked in by 10 and we arrived around 9. I walked around trying to find where to check in for about 30 mins. I was beginning to get really nervous. I finally found someone to speak english and they said my check-in was in another building, so I had to walk a bit. I finally arrived at my check-in around 9:30 and the line was really long. At this point, I was sure I was going to miss my flight. I finally got checked in around 9:58, just in time. I ended up having to pay for my luggage because it was overweight. I got to security and again the line was long. I forgot to that I would need to take my laptop out and I had packed it in the bottom of the my carry on, so I had to dig it out. I got through security and then had to go through another check point for flying to the UK. I finally made it to my boarding area. By this time I was exhausted. I got on the plane and was on my way. For some reason our plane had taken off late, so we were late arriving in London. I got through customs and collected my luggage and made my to meet the girls. The airport was a bit of a distance from the hostel so it took me about an hour to get there. It was pretty easy to get there and I was so relieved. It was nice to be somewhere where I spoke the same language. Finally, I arrived at the hostel. I got checked in and dropped my bags, so I could go find the girls. The girls had been using a starbucks near by for internet because our hostel didn't have it. So I found the startbucks, so I could try to communicate with them since I wasn't sure where they were. I went to starbucks and tried to find them. I didn't hear from them, so I went back to the hostel. I needed to repack my stuff, so I began to do that. Eventually they came to my room. We got ready and headed out to check out the city. We took the metro downtown and grabbed a bite to eat. I had a CHEESEBURGER! After such a long time in Spain, I hadn't had one in a while and I was craving it. It was so delicious. After dinner, we walked to tower bridge.  We walked around London till about 11pm. By this time I was exhausted, but it was so cool to see the city lit up at night. It was a great day in London.

July 1:

We got up around 8 to head go look around the city. We had to catch a train to Paris around 4, so we had to get as much in as possible. We went to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Also, we went to Trafalgar Square.We had lunch at a pizza place and it was pretty good. We were going to try to see Abbey Road, but the metro was down and we were afraid we'd miss our train if we tried to make it. The weather was a little chilly and it rained on us a little, but London was amazing! I really enjoyed all the sightseeing we were able to do in the short amount of time that we were there. I will defiantly be going back! We went to grab snacks for the train and then back to the hostel to grab our things. We got to the train station a little early, so we hung out until it was time to go. I didn't have a seat next to the girls, but it was okay because I slept nearly all the way. The train ride was about 3 hours long and like I said I slept all the way so it was okay. When we arrived in Paris, we found our apartment and dropped our things. I was hungry so the girls and I headed out to find some food. The area we were in was very cool. We walked around for a bit then I grabbed a kebab at a restaurant down the street. it was pretty delicious. We went back to the apartment and crashed for the night.

Last days in Pamplona

June 28:

We had our presentation this day and we were all dreading it because we were told that last years group went till midnight. We were hoping this wasn't the case for us since we it was a our last night in Pamplona and we wanted to spend time together. Luckily, our presentation ended up only going till 2:30 and we were expecting till 5. After we finished, I and a few of the other girls went with the professor to check out new dorms for the next year. He wanted some feedback on them to see if there would be better. We all really liked them and I think the group next year would like them as well. After that, we caught the bus back to the dorms and I went to grab lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the dorms. I finished my packing because I would be leaving the next day. Around 8, we headed to old town to the tapas bars. It was a great last night out with everyone. I thought about not going because I knew they would be out late, but I was very glad I did. Over the time here, we have become some what of a family and it was nice to spend the last night together.

June 29: 

My last day in Pamplona and it was bittersweet. I was looking forward to moving on to London, but I was sad to be leaving my new friends. I was getting anxious to travel again, because it was so nice to be in one stop for a while. Our train leaves was leaving at 5:54pm, so I had a majority of the day to finish getting ready. My luggage was over weight to fly within the EU because they only allow for 20kg, which is about 44lbs. I came to Spain with 43lbs. The other problem was I  could only fly with one carry on and I came with 2. I hadn't bought many things while in Spain, I just had to condense down to less luggage. I knew I was going to be over weight, but there was nothing to get rid of. So I just sucked it up and made it work. I had lunch with the girls for the last time and we just hung out. Around 5, Josh and I headed the train station. The goodbye was sad, but I will see them all again in Bloomington. The train ride was fine. It felt long, but I think I was just anxious to get to our destination. When we arrived in Barcelona, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed to our hostel. We got to the street we needed to be on and the map sent to us by the hostel didn't have the connecting street, so we decided to ask the police officers. They were very helpful because they even warned that the street we were going to was bad for pick pocketers. He said that they will ask you for the time and then someone else will take your luggage. Luckily, we didn't have any problems and we got checked in!

Without Internet!

I just wanted to let you all know that I have been without Internet the past couple days and am still without it consistently. I will be updating soon! I have made it to Paris!

Last week.. More to come!

Sorry I haven't updated this week, we were busy finishing up school and such. Honestly, nothing to exciting went on. But now I'll fill you in on everything!

June 25:

We had class again today and the Dean of SPEA joined our group. Our normal professor taught us in the morning and then Dean Graham informed us of his position in the Bush Administration. It was really interesting learning about the aspects of his job. He also talked about the differences in the US and Europe governments. He talked about how we make agreement with them and the process of going about this. It was a really interesting lecture an I enjoys the time he gave us. That evening we hung out our the dorms because we were given and assignment for the next day.

June 26:

I was able to have breakfast with the Dean that morning along with 6 others. It was a great opportunity to give him feedback about our programs and for him to learn about us. It was an excellent breakfast and it was nice being able to give suggestions to improve aspects of department and such. Also, we had class again, but the majority of the time was spent giving our small group presentations. We had them to prepare us for our individual presentations on Thursday. After our group presentations we had a short coffee break, and then our picture was taking by the local newspaper. Since Dean Graham was in, he was taking the opportunity to present to the Economics Dept. at the University and the paper wanted to capture the moment. After our picture session, we went to where his presentation would take place. His presentation was on electric powered cars and what different countries around the world are doing. I learned a lot of information about electric cars and how each country is approaching them. I really enjoyed the lecture. After class, Abby and I went to old town for Doner Kababs! This is the most delicious food I have ever had. They are do large and delicious!! We then returned to the dorms and I laid down for a nap. I hadn't slept well the night before. After my nap I began to work on my presentation for Thursday. I accomplished about a fourth of the paper that evening. I then figured out a way to catch up on my shows, so I ended up staying up really late. This was an okay thing because we didn't have class the next day. The professor had given us time off to work on our papers.

June 27:

Since I stayed up so late the night before, I didn't get up till 12pm. When I got up, we decided to grab a bite to eat. Once I returned to the dorms, I I got to working on my paper again. It took me awhile to finish it, but only because I was catching up with people from home! It was really nice being able to talk to my friends since it had been so long! After I finished the paper, we went to watch the Euro cup because Spain was playing. I wasn't in a very good seat for the game and I was pretty tired, so I headed home at half time. I went to bed shortly afterwards because we had to be at class earlier for presentations.


I have more to fill you in on, but I don't have time to type it all. I wanted to give you all something to check up on for this past week. I did this all from my phone, so I'm sorry if there are any crazy errors. I will defiantly have more to come soon. I leave for London in the morning, so there will be a lot to share from there!!

Week 3

June 18:

Today, we had two new professors. Adrianna has been with us for a few weeks. She's helped organize the course with the University. She is a professor at the Public University of Navarre. Jose was our other professor and he was from the South part of Spain. He is a specialist in the area we were covering. It was really nice that he took time away from his work to come up and teach us. After class, I wasn't feeling that well, so I laid down in my room for a bit.  Around 6, I went to the store to grab some dinner and food for the week. I'm trying not spend as much money since I have been eating out so much. I figured that is the easiest place to save. When we finished at the store, I came back and prepared my salad and bread. I didn't do anything else the rest of the night.

Roman Aqueduct

June 19:

We had class again today with Jose. He only taught one session because he had to catch his plane. Adrianna taught our second session. After class, Professor Kerry and a few of us headed to old town for lunch and then to meet the Cultural Teacher for a lesson. We walked the Camino de Santiago, which is also referred to as the Way of St. James. This path was used to spread the word of the Christian people. It now is used for religious walks and to prepare for athletic events. The trail takes about 30-35 days if you walk 23-27 kilometers a day and goes straight through Pamplona. The trail follows the Milkway. Along the way you can find signs that lead you where you need to go. The sign of the pilgrims is the sea shell, so that is the signature of the signs. There are hostels along the way and the one in Pamplona only cost 3 euros to stay at if you have the pilgrimage card. It was a really enjoyable walk. We started in a small town on the outskirts of Pamplona. On our walk, we ran into a nun and she told us about her life. It was really interesting talking to her and learning about her life. After the walk, we took the bus back to the dorms. We had to get to work on the homework for the week. We spent about 3 hours on the homework and then it was time to head to bed.

Pilgrimage Hostel

June 20:

We were up early to head to our excursions for the day. We started at a company called CENER. They are a National Renewable Energy Center. They were the 1st renewable energy producer and were the 1st to have a wind farm. CENER has about 4 wind farms. They have customers on every continent. The director gave us a tour and taught us about the different renewable energy resources. It was very interesting learning about the company and its work. The entire building of CENER is ran on renewable energy. Something really interesting they told us is they are working on using clothing fabric to produce solar power. They said it will be about 10 more years before they have this perfected. After CENER, we went to a wind farm owned by a company called Acciona.  The woman who showed us the wind turbine told us that one turbine could power 10 100 watt light bulbs for an hour. She said they own plants all over the world and all their wind farms produce 9000 mega watts which is 9 nuclear power plants. Also, she talked about how 80% of problems detected in the turbines can be fixed from their head quarters in Pamplona. The information she gave us was very interesting! After our tour of a wind turbine, we headed to lunch in a small nearby village. Wen we were finished with lunch, we took a walk to another small nearby village. The country side of the walk was beautiful. When we walked to the top, where the village was, we joked about the village because it was nearly completely empty. We talked about how it could be a scary movie we were in and zombies would come out any minute. It was pretty entertaining listening to the stories everyone was coming up with. After the bus picked us up we headed to Noain Town Hall. In 2011, their climate-change municipal plan won the International Dubai Award for best practices. They talked about renewable resources as well and they had a large garden that the community could use. They said they decided to build the garden because it was cheaper than maintaining it as a grassy area. It was a beautiful garden! At this point we were all pretty tired, but we had two more stops. First we went to CENIFER a Technical College for Renewable Energy. They told us about the programs they have. After CENIFER, we went to CRANA. CRANA is the Center for Environmental Resources in Navarre. By this time, it was 7:30, so we had been going for 11 hours. Everyone was really exhausted, so when we got back to the dorms I just stayed in my dorm. It was late and I wanted to relax after such a long day. 

View from Wind Farm

Wind Turbine

Village we walked to

Renewable Resource Garden

June 21:

We had another guest professor named Maria.  Her and Dean Graham started the program about 3 years ago. She was a student at Harvard and Dean Graham was her Advisor. So, they began to discuss starting such a program when Dean Graham started at at IU SPEA. She helped teach the course for the first 2 years and then received a political position this past year and had to move to Toledo, Spain. Since she had moved, she could no longer teach the course, but wanted to make an appearance in our class. After class, I headed back to the dorms and decided to get lunch with the girls. When we got back to the dorms after lunch, I had to work on my memo. Around 8:45, we headed across the street to watch the Eurocup. We had dinner and sat and talked till around 12. It was really fun chatting with the girls and catching up. Since it was so late when we returned, I get to bed.

June 22:

Since we don't have classes on Fridays, the girls and I decided to head to old town. We had lunch at a famous Cafe where Hemingway would go to write. It was a very good lunch and our waiter was excellent. He was very friendly and funny. He told the girls who ordered chicken that they couldn't stop to talk or the chicken would get up and run away and then he would have to shoot it. It was pretty funny! After lunch, we walked around. I decided to finish up my gift shopping. I was pretty excited to find everything I needed. Since they have siesta time, Abby and I decided to grab coffee at a nearby cafe that over looks the city. It was a beautiful day, so it was a very enjoyable coffee break. After we had coffee, we headed finished up and walked back to the dorms. We were going out to the Discoteca that evening, so we went back to rest. They don't go out till around 2am here, so I had to nap before going out. When we arrived at the club it was about 2am and I was so surprised to see elderly out dancing the night away. It was really funny to us, because we were all really tired and they were having the time of their life and it was 2am. Most of the older crowd didn't leave till about 3am. It was a really fun night. I'm glad I got to experience it before I left. This is my last weekend in Spain before moving on to London, so I wanted to make sure I experience the night life.

Ready for a night out!

I can't believe this is my last week in Spain. I have almost been here a month and it's gone by so fast. I have really enjoyed my time here and have learned so much. I have made a lot of great friends and look forward to what the rest of the trip. This week we have to give our presentations, so I'll probably spend most of my time preparing. I head to Barcelona on Friday night, so I can fly to London Saturday and meet up with some friends. After a day and a half in London, we go to Paris for four days. I will then be going to Germany to see Netti. I can't wait!

End of week 2

June 15:

We got up early to head to San Sebastian. San Sebastian is on the west coast of Spain! We caught the bus around 9:45, which put us in San Sebastian around 11. It was a really nice ride! There was and extraordinary view the entire ride. Once we arrived in San Sebastian, we found our hostel and got checked in. The owner of the hostel was really great. He didn't speak any English, but we made it through. He told us that if we weren't quit at night he would use his windchester on us. We all looked at each other really confused, then he did the motion for a shot gun and we finally understood. If we weren't quit, he would shoot us. We all had a good laugh from it. After settling in We changed into our swim suits and headed out to get lunch. It was really great because the beach was only a block from the hostel. We grabbed lunch at a hole on the wall pintxos bar. It was a delicious lunch! The woman who worked there reminded me of my mom. I could see here moving to some beach area owning a hole in the wall bar, with massive amounts of food on display. And of course, it would be super delicious! After lunch, we walked down to the beach to get our tan on. It was the perfect day for the beach, sunny with a breeze. I laid there for about an hour then decided to play in the water. The girls and I played in the water for about an hour. The water was a little cold, but you got use to it quickly. The water was also very clear and the waves were perfect for playing in. I got out and went back to lay in the sun. Around that time, the boys found us. We all just chilled on the beach for a bit. I think a one point I fell asleep and when I woke up I was over the sand. I believe 4 hours at the beach was enough. Some of the girls an I walked back to the hostel to shower. After being in the sand, it always feels so nice to take a nice shower. We finished getting ready and the other girls came back. I decided to wait for that group to get ready, so the other group headed out. In the meantime, I just hung out a the hostel with the girls because I was pretty tired. Around 8:30, we headed to dinner. We walked to the old town to find a place. After walking around for a bit, we finally found a place. I had a chicken sandwich, which was pretty good. After dinner, we walked back to the beach to take some pictures. We made it just in time for the sunset. It was very beautiful and I'm glad I got to see it. We then walked back to find a place to watch the soccer game and maybe run into the rest of the crew. Eventually we ran into all of them. We were all just sitting around chatting and enjoying the night. Around 11:30, Chloe, Abby, and I decided to head back to the hostel. We were pretty exhausted from such.a long day in the sun an we knew we had a long day ahead of us.

 View in San Sebastian

June 16:

We all got up around 9:45, so we could head to Bilbao for the day. When I woke up, I realized that I should of used more sun screen. It's always funny to see the crazy tan lines I get. My legs and back were red, but the thing that hurts the worst is my ear and that's not plural. Which is really weird because my ears never burn, but I realized it was because the sun was on the left side of my body all day and it's mainly where my earrings normally sit. So obviously they never get sun there and now I have a blister. Basically it feels like my left ear is on fire! No worries, I'll live through it! ;) We all finished getting ready and headed toward the bus. We stopped in a pastry shop to grab coffee and breakfast. After a little difficulty figuring out which bus we needed to be on, we figured it out and boarded. It was about a two hour trip, but it was pretty amazing ride. Besides it being curvy, the scenery was amazing. We got the best of all views mountains, ocean, and old towns. When we arrived in Bilbao, we purchased our tickets for home. After that, we found lockers to store our bags in. We fought with the lockers for about 20 minutes. There were only two left, which was fine between the seven of us, but we couldn't the the keys to turn. Finally, I got ours shut and worked on the other. We never could get it shut, but a smaller one opened. That was a true puzzle getting 3 bags into that one. Let's just say, 10 minutes later after we fit everything we got a round on applause from the people watching. Mission accomplished! We then grabbed taxis and headed to the Guggenheim Museum. We grabbed some food before heading in. We ate at a Turkish restaurant. The gyro i had was mouth watering. I had never had anything like it, but is was amazing! After lunch, we headed to the museum. We spent about 3.5 hours there and it was very cool. The art inside was really wonderful and some very deep. It was a lot of fun to see all the artwork. There was a bit of everything: photography, paintings, iPad drawings, large maze structures, and video work. After walking around the museum, we headed across the street to grab coffee and ice cream. We had about 3 hours to kill before our bus, so we decided to do a little walking. It was really unfortunate because it was rainy and cold, but we trudged through it. We found a H&M and decided to go in. It was the best H&M ever. Three floors of heaven. I was pretty sad because I'm already worried about getting stuff home, so I didn't buy anything. It was nice to look though. After everyone finished looking, we grabbed taxis and headed back to the bus station.

Guggenheim Museum

June 17:

Today was a typical Sunday. I caught up the blog and relaxed. We tried to do some grocery shopping, but all the stores were closed. It was very unfortunate because I wanted to get groceries to have for the week, but it will have to wait till Monday. I called my dad for Father's Day, but wasn't able to talk long because it's so expensive. It was nice to hear their voices. Back to class tomorrow. I can't believe we are half way done with our program. The days are slow, but the weeks are fast. It's going by so quickly and before I know it I'll be in Germany and heading home. 

Week 2.. so far!

 Jun 11:

I love their coffee! (can you see the heart)

Sunday night I had gone to bed early because I was still pretty tired from the weekend. We had unlimited Domino's pizza on Sunday night for 6 euro and it was awesome! I got up Monday morning and got ready for class and headed to breakfast. It's really nice because breakfast is included in our program, so that is one less thing we had to worry about. It's not a bad breakfast either. Class was pretty good today. It was one of our longer days; we had class till 5. I really like the Professor. He, his wife, and her father are really awesome! After class we returned to the dorm and I worked on the homework. We have been watching the Euro cup here, so that evening we went to a restaurant across the street to watch London vs. France. It was a pretty interesting game. I have never really watched soccer, but I enjoyed it. The atmosphere was a lot of fun too! After the game, I came back to the dorms to finish the homework. About an hour after I returned, the girls came to my room to and asked if I wanted to go get Cafe chocolate (hot chocolate) and Churos. The hot chocolate is basically melted chocolate and it's very delicious. Churos are like a oblong elephant ear with sugar sprinkled on them. You dip the churos in the hot chocolate. It's heaven for any woman! We sat and chatted for a bit, then headed back to the dorms. Shortly afterwards I headed to bed.

June 12:

Tuesday class was only till 2. Normally, we have a cultural lesson after class, but that was scheduled for Wednesday morning. It was nice getting out of class early because we had time to do other things. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, so we took the bus to old town to try a vegetarian restaurant.  It was a 1st, 2nd, and dessert course place. It's really nice to eat like that at lunch because then dinner is light. The food at this restaurant was really delicious.On our walk back to the dorms, we walked through the Citadel. The Citadel is the finest example of military architecture from the Spanish Renaissance. It was a really nice walk! After lunch, we went back to the dorms to gather our laundry. We thought we would be able to do our laundry ourselves, but when we got there we weren't able to do our own. I didn't have a whole lot of laundry, so I decided not to have it done. I instead came back to the dorms and did what I need in the sink. It was like I was experience freshman year for the first time. It has been pretty cool living in a dorm because I never experienced it. It's nice to just walk down the hall and say hey to the girls!

June 13:

Wednesday's are excursion days. This week we started out on campus and had our cultural lesson. We were going to the market later, so she taught us market words. We learned some fruits, meat, and vegetables. I'm slowly learning Spanish. I'm very thankful for the girls I have become friends with who know Spanish because they have been helping me pick it up! After class, we walked to old town to experience the local market. We were given a list of items to look for as a scavenger hunt. We had to find prices on the items and record them. Not many people participated, but Abby and I did. It was

Group Photo at Palace of Navarre

interesting trying to figure out what things were. After the market, our cultural teacher showed us where the Palace of Navarre was, so when we had to be there later we could find it. We branched off from the rest of the group and had lunch at the vegetarian restaurant again. That is how much we enjoyed it! When we finished lunch, we headed back to the Palace for our tour. Our tour guide was a man who didn't speak any English, so it had to be translated to us. The man was pretty funny and very sweet! Every item in the Palace has a meaning. The tour guide described everything and it's story. The Palace is where the President of the Government use to have his office. They told us only important people were able to go inside that office, like people from Indiana. It was pretty funny. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures. After we finished our tour, we went to the Foundation Moderna. They do economic evaluation of Navarre and try to improve it.Navarre is known for it's sustainability like wind farms, crops, and other green movements. After we finished our tour, our bus took us to a nearby winery on the outskirts of Pamplona. We received a tour of the winery and learned about how the process goes. It was very interesting learning how they make their wine and seeing the machinery used. Since my family has started a vineyard, I tried to take in as much as possible. But in the short amount of time we were there, I couldn't learn enough. The harvest time for their grapes is normally late Sept. They harvest at night because the coolest temperatures help bring out the most flavor. They then put their grapes in silver bins(not sure exactly what they are called, but I think they are used to pull the juice out). The grapes sit in the silver bins for at least a year and then they are transported to barrels. The grapes then sit in the barrels at least a year normally longer.They change there barrels every four years to give the wine a better taste. Once it is taken out of the barrels it is put into bottles and sit in the bottles at least a year. They then guess when the wine is ready. Basically it's all a big guessing game! The land that the vineyard sits on is beautiful. It is surrounded by mountains! Spain in general is so beautiful! When we left the vineyard, we returned to the dorm because it was late and we had class the next day.

  The girls and I at the Winery

 

The Winery had 1200 barrels of wine and each barrel holds about 300 bottles.. you do the math :) 

 

June 14:

Today we had class until 2. When we were finished with class we had to take the public bus back to the dorms because our bus wasn't able to pick us up. It took about a half hour to get back to the dorms, but it would have been nearly a 40min walk. The girls and I were starving when we returned, so we went to grab lunch. After lunch everyone returned to their rooms because we were wore out from the week. We knew we would be going out for pintxos. I stayed in to catch up on my blog and photos. My internet stopped working for a bit so I was getting pretty irritated. Finally, I got it to work and I was able to update everything. Around 8:30, we went to old town for pintxos and to experience the Thursday night life. I returned just a little bit ago, so I could talk to my mom and pack for the weekend. Tomorrow morning we are headed to San Sebastian, which in on the coast, and then Saturday we are going to Bilbao, which is were the Guggenheim Museum is located. I think it will be a good weekend.

I am missing home a little more everyday. I'm sad that Sunday is Father's Day and I won't be there. It's one of the holidays that my whole family is together. I'm really enjoying Spain, but a part of me misses Indiana. I miss my family, friends, and the food! I know I have mentioned before that there are so many carbs, but honestly I just want a good home cooked meal. Eating out all the time really begins to wear on you. All I know is it's a good thing that we do so much walking or it could be bad! :) I hope you are all enjoying! Sorry I'm not posting everyday, but sometimes there isn't enough that happens in a day to post and I don't wanna wear it out. 

I'll update again on Sunday!

 

Finishing up the first week in Spain!

June 7:

We had to be at the bus at 10am, so we could be in class by 10:30. Today we had class from 10:30-12, with a 20 minute coffee break. Then 12:30-2 we had class again with an hour lunch break till 3. After lunch, we had one more session from 3-4:30. We had to wait around for the bus to come at 5. They brought us back to the dorms and I prepared to get ready for the evening out with our professor. He treated us to Tapas and the Tapas bar. We made our way to old town around 8. This is the evening that they have good deals on tapa. Tapa is basically an appetizer. It is really good. Each bar has a wide variety of food. After a while, we made our way to another tapas bar. This was my favorite one. The food selection was really delicious. After that, a couple of us decided to go dancing. It was really a great night out on the town. It was fun to experience a Thursday night with the locals.

 The crowd a the Tapas Bar street ^

Heather, Me, Abby, Shelley, and Maggie at Tapas street ^

June 8:

We arrived home late on Thursday night, so I decided to sleep in. I woke up around 11 and got up to shower and get ready. After getting ready, we went to grab lunch and a place called Nachos. It is the best meal I have had so far! After lunch, we went to the store to grab some fruit and such. After the store I walked home because I was still pretty tired. I decided to relax a little bit and around 4 some of the girls came to see if I wanted to go shopping. We went to old town and found some really cool shops. My favorite shop was called I am. It has jewelry, scarves, and purses. All the accessories a girl needs. I bought a cute scarf, necklace, ring and pin. I also picked up a scarf for a friend. It was just the perfect little store. After about 2 hours, Abby and I decided to head back. Many of the group were going to the Discotecha, but I wasn't really feeling the dancing. So I stayed in. I hung out with some of the girls. I also got to talk to my mom and catch up on home things.

June 9:

I didn't get to bed till late the night before because of the time difference and communicating with home, so I slept long again. I got up and went out with the girls. We decided to grab some lunch at a restaurant across the street. It was pretty good! But the best part about it was the dessert. It was called hot chocolate but it was more like melted chocolate. It was so delicious! After lunch we went back to the dorms because from 1-5 a lot of places close for siesta. Around 4 we decided to head to old town and do a little more shopping. I got a new shirt. Also, we saw a protest going on in old town. It was a very peacefule protest and was escorted by police. We think it was for education cuts. We heard there have been a lot going on, but normally in the bigger cities. After shopping, we grabbed a bite to eat. We went to the Tapas Bar that we were at the other night and grabbed some food. It was a really cool atmosphere. After dinner, we grabbed some ice cream and walked back. When we got back, we hung out for a bit and then decided to go across the street to sit with some others while they ate. It was a pretty relaxed night, but fun to hang out with everyone.

Protest ^

Hanna and I.. (my new scarf)

June 10:

Today was a very relaxed day. We got lunch at Nachos and then came back to the dorms. It began to rain so we decided to stay in. I have been catching up my journal, watching friends, uploading photos, and catching up my blog. I will get to homework soon. I'm looking forward to what the week brings and next weekend. I think we are going to go to San Sebastian and Bilbao. San Sebastian is a coast city and
Bilbao is where the Guggenheim is located.


Spain is amazing and I recommend it to many! I hope you are all enjoying!

June 4:

We woke up for breakfast at the dorms and then each of us headed back to our rooms. I finished uploading photos and cleaning my room. Around 12, we decided to get some lunch at a place called Wok to Walk. It was really good and the workers were super friendly. After that we walked to the supermarket to get some food that would keep. We had to be back by 2:30 to catch the bus for class. We were running behind, so we had to rush back. We went over logistics in class that day, received a tour of the grounds, and took had a reception to get to know our fellow classmates better. We returned to our dorms around 9:00 and then decided to head out for the evening. We walked to Old town and found a place to sit an chat. It was a lot of fun getting to know the others and roaming the city. Around 11:30 I headed home to get some sleep for class the next day.

June 5:

 I woke up around 8:30 to prepare for class and get breakfast. We had to be on the bus by 10 to be at class at 10:30. We began to dig into the class and it is really cool. The professor is very cool and the information is interesting. Even though the days are long, it is broken up well. Every day is different, but class starts at 10:30 and ends at 12. We have a coffee snack break for 20 minutes and then have class 12:30-2. At 2 we go to lunch and then on Tuesdays we have cultural events led by a local. We walked to the old city and saw where the running of the bulls takes place. Our tour guide discussed how they start and how they make sure the buildings aren't damaged. We also saw a memorial for the people who defended Spain and the walls of the city to keep invaders out. We walked past the hotel where Hemingway wrote his book The Sun Also Rises. The buildings where very cool and old. (Many pictures on FB)

I think we are going to try and go back to old town this weekend. There are many cool shops and restaurants we want to try! After old town, we walked back to the dorms. I got cleaned up and around 9pm a group of us headed to the park to chat and eat bread. The park is really close to the dorm and over looks a nice little pond. Again, it was nice to hang out with everyone and get to know them.

< Beginning of Running with the Bulls

 

June 6:

I had to be at the bus by 9am the morning because we were headed to Southern France. It took about 2 hours to get there and I slept the whole way, which was a good thing because the road was super curvy in the mountains. The town we visited was St Jean Pied de Port. It was a very cool little old town. It was very small and beautiful. We didn't have much time there because we were headed to go rafting. We grabbed lunch and then made our way to rafting. Rafting was so amazing! I had been twice before with OTEAM, but rafting in the mountains in Spain was so different. We had a captain and were able to do a lot of "tricks." We got to experience the emergency position during a rapid, so in case we would fall out. We also got to jump into the rapids from a rock and float down stream. After that, we made our way down stream and were able to jump from a 20ft cliff. That was very exciting and the water was freezing! We also flipped our raft, so the guide could show us how to pull others in. We played a few games in the raft like attacking other rafts by throwing people out and walking around the edge of the raft in circles. It was a perfect day, I mean what isn't perfect about rafting with cute French boys! :)

 After rafting, we loaded on the bus to go pick up the rest of the group that decided to go hiking. After driving up the mountain in a charter bus, we got stuck. Since the roads are so small, everyone was pretty nervous. We unloaded the bus so the driver could get turned around, but it was a perfect time to take pictures! It was beautiful! We hung out there for a bit waiting to figure out were everyone was and next thing we noticed the bus driver hoped in a car and drove off. We later found out he went to the top of the mountain to see if the bus would make it. Everyone made it back to the bus safely and we made it make to our dorms in one piece. :)

 

Getting stuck ^

 The view from being stuck ^

Once we returned we ate dinner and came back to our places. I decided to catch up my blog and upload pictures. So now I am up to date!



On a side note, I am really enjoying Spain! I'm making a lot of new friends. Pamplona is not what I expected, but it is beautiful. I thought it would be a very small, old city. There is an old part, but we are in the new area. I thought time would fly when I was here, but I can't believe I have only been here a week. I feel like it's been weeks! This is good because summer normally goes so fast. I miss my family and friends, but I'm staying busy enough not to think about it. The time change is hard to deal with to talk to anyone, but I'm making it work. I'm starting to adjust to the food and finding places I like. I believe at the end of this trip I might go into a carb como! In all, Spain is amazing and I can't wait to continue my adventure!

St Jean Pied de Port, France >

Some Photos thus far

Sagranda Familia

View from Park Guell

Sagrada Familia

Train ride photo


Check out my facebook page for many many more!

Hola Spain!

Finally made it to Spain! I haven't been able to have a steady internet connection, so I haven't been able to update everything, but I will catch you all up right now!

June 1: 

We arrived in Barcelona around 8am, which is 2am Indiana time. We waited at the airport for about 3 hours for another girl from the group to join us from London. After she arrived we made our way to the hostel, which was quite an adventure. We had to take the train to, but weren't sure how to get there. We finally figured it out and also figure out that it is really hard to travel in a group of 11 with lots of luggage! We got off at our stop in the city and had to walk to the hostel about 4 blocks, which wore us all out. Especially after such a long flight. Around 12pm we finally arrived at Casa Gracia. We checked in and made it to our rooms. Luckily, since there were so many of us we had two bedrooms to ourselves with communal bathrooms. At this point some of us showered and some went straight to lunch. I decided to shower since it was such a hike from the train station and a long plane ride. We finished getting ready and headed to lunch.

We headed to a local square nearby for lunch. The restaurant was called Bo's with traditional tapas and such. I have a chicken sandwich, which was pretty good. After lunch we grabbed gelato, which is so amazing! We decided to head back to the hostel because we were all pretty tired. At this point in the day it was about 3:30 which meant I had been awake for 26 hours with one hour of sleep. I napped for about 3 hours and woke to get ready for dinner around 7pm. We headed out as  group for dinner, but we couldn't agree on what to eat since there were so many of us. We split up and my group asked a local bar owner a good restaurant to eat at that was cheaper and close. He was very friendly and even walked outside to show us the way. The place was called Mussolo, which was a very cool place. When we walked in the waiter spoke to us to ask which language and then greeted us accordingly. Our waiter didn't speak much English, but was very friendly and helpful! For dinner I had chicken and chips, which was very delicious. For dessert I had cheesecake and coffee. The cheese might be the best I have ever had!

After dinner we went back to the hostel because they arrange events for people staying at the hostel every night. We met some new people from Australia, Germany, and others. Everyone was very cool and it was nice getting to talk to other people. Around midnight, we headed to a local Salsa Club. We were all a little confused and thought they would be teaching us to salsa, but that isn't how it worked. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to learn to salsa, but it was very cool to watch everyone else. It's such a beautiful dance and I hope to learn some day. Around 1am, I headed back with some of the group. Everyone was pretty exhausted and most of my room was in bed by 2am.

June 2:

I woke up around 9:30 to head to breakfast. After breakfast, we prepared to head out for the day. Again we split the group since we were so large. My group headed to Sagrada Familia, which is a very large Basilica that they have been building since 1866 and won't be finished until 2026. It was designed by Antonio Gaudi, a famous architect in Spain. His work was so amazing. Every piece of artwork he created had so much character and detail. Gaudi died in 1926, by being struck by a bus, but they have enough of his paper work to finish his project. We toured the Basilica with a guide and the detail she gave us was incredible. Everything Gaudi did related to nature, so the inside was created like a forest. All the windows would eventually be stain glass to reflect the forest floor. After the tour we grabbed a quick lunch across the street at McDonald's. That wasn't the ideal lunch I had had, but it was neat to experience it from another country. Besides the inside of this McDonald's to be a lot nicer it was exactly the same. We then headed to another creation of Gaudi's called Park Guell. On our way to Guell park a gust of wind decided to make me look like Marilyn Monroe. I was so embrassed, but luckily there wasn't anyone around.

 Park Guell was very cool as well. There was so much architecture and beautiful art. Honestly, words cannot describe the beauty of the the two places we visited. From Park Guell you could see over a large part of Barcelona all the way to Balearic Sea. It was very beautiful! After spending a couple hours at the park, we decided to go to the beach. By this time, it was about 5pm, so I decided not to lay out. I did walk through the water and it was freezing. The weather was so beautiful in Barcelona I was surprised that the water was so cold. This didn't stop many people from going in. The water and the beach were packed. For a moment, I forgot I was in Europe until I saw some of the sites that are considered social acceptable at the beach. But it gave our group a good laugh. We were there about an hour when Josh and I decided to head back to the hostel. When we got back, we chilled and then got ready for our last evening in Barcelona. Once everyone was back we headed to dinner around 9pm, which is normal for the locals. They all eat every late. We found a small cafe and we each ordered tapas to share. I also had a salad, which was pretty delicious. One of my favorite parts about Spain is that the serving sizes are so small that it's just enough to fill you. After dinner, some of the group went to a club to go dancing and my group headed back to the hostel. Once we arrived there, our event coordinator from the hostel asked us to go grab dessert with him. We walked around the city and went to a small bar in a area that he considered Bohemian. It was very cool! We went back to the hostel around 2am and headed to bed. We were all pretty exhausted from walking all day and still a little jet legged. Also, some of us were leaving on the train at 7:35am, which meant we were up at 5:45.

Barcelona was pretty amazing. It was very beautiful and so many sites to see. The people were all very friendly and I would defiantly go back to visit. 

June 3:

We woke up and headed to the train around 6:50. We had some difficulty and were scared we were going to miss it, but we made it with a little time to kill. The train ride was about 4 hours and it was very beautiful ride. Even though I slept some of the way, I saw a lot of the country side between Barcelona and Pamplona. Once we arrived in Pamplona, we grabbed a taxi to the dorms. We got checked in and settled in. After getting settled, we went to grab lunch. I had a small chicken sandwich which was pretty delicious. We then came back to the hostel to chill. Most of us were pretty exhausted from lack of sleep so we each came to our rooms. I unpacked and took a nap. About 7pm we decided to go to dinner. We went to a close restaurant and I had a wrap. It was pretty good until I took a bite and there was fish in it. I really don't like fish, so I had to pick around it. After dinner we went to the gas station across the street from our dorms to grab some water. We came back to the dorms because it was around 9pm and I think everyone was ready for some alone time. I came back showered and to catch up on uploading photos to my computer and catch up this. When I got back I put my water in the window because the outside temperature was pretty cool and I wanted it to stay cool, next thing I know it's falling out the window because there aren't any screens, oops! I was so nervous when it fell because I am on the 5th floor, but luckily it's just rooftop between me and the building next to me. It's now about 1 am and it's time to head to bed. We start class tomorrow around 3pm, so I plan to go to the store to get snacks and water in the morning.

Pictures to come!!<3

One more week..

I have one more week in the states! It is all going so fast! I purchased my final train tickets this morning, so I'm am all set besides packing.

Many of you may be wondering why I chose to study abroad. There are a number of reasons. As I grew up, I always had an exchange student from another country living in my home. I thought it was very interesting to learn about their culture. I hoped that one day I would be able to go over and visit them. I felt visiting them would bring a more direct culture experience to me. Also, since I began college I told myself I would do something of this nature. I kept putting it off and finally told myself it was my last summer as an undergraduate and it was time to fulfill my dream. I really enjoy learning new things and experiencing change, so what better way then to submerge myself in another atmosphere. I'm unsure what I want to do when I graduate and I hope this helps open some new doors.

 Everyone says this is a once in a lifetime experience, but I hope that is not true for me.

Preparing...

Wow, I can't believe this is my last full week in the states before I make my adventure to Spain and beyond. It's finally starting to settle in and I'm beginning to get more excited as well as nervous! I have been slowly preparing for my study abroad trip by booking hostels and train tickets. There are a few more items to be purchased, but almost all is set! Soon I will be making my way abroad and sharing with all of you!

More to come

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The count down is on!

I will be leaving for Spain at the end of this month. Along the way, I will be blogging so friends and family can "experience" my trip with me. I will be posting pictures as well. This trip would not be possible without the help from many, especially University College at IUPUI, IUPUI Office of International Affairs, and IUPUI SPEA. They have made a great contribution to my trip and am very thankful for their assistance.

Just a little background on the trip: The program is through IU Bloominton SPEA. It is taught by a number of professors, but mainly Professor Kerry Krutilla, IUB, and Dean John D. Graham, IUB. Also, two professors from Spain and a worker from the Department of Justice in Spain. The course is titled Economis Evaluation of Health, Safety, and Environmental Programs in Europe and the US. In Spain, we will be studying at the Public University of Navarra located in Pamplona, Spain. We will have class three days a week, two-three times a day. On Wednesdays, we will be traveling to different parts of Spain and southern France as a class, more details to come. We have the weekends to travel, if we wish. The program itself takes place from June 4th-June 29th.

On May 31st, I will be leaving my hometown in the US to fly to Barcelona. Upon arrival in Barcelona on June 1st, I will spend a few days there with fellow classmates until departure to Pamplona. Around June 29th, I will be traveling to London to meet a few friend. We will spend a few days in London and then make our way to Paris. From Paris, I will be traveling to Germany to stay with a friend. While with her we will travel to Berlin and Munich, as well as around local towns to her. I will arrive back in the US on July 23rd.

I look forward to sharing my experience with all and I hope you enjoy!