home again

I just thought I would write one last time to let everyone know that I have arrived safe and sound back to the U.S.

I flew in last Sunday night around 9:30, and sort of to my surprise, my luggage made it too! I flew first from Madrid to New York JFK (8 hours), then from JKF to Cincinnati (2 hours), and then finally from Cincinnati to Appleton (1.5 hours). It was such a relief to finally be home and to be able to hug my family once more.

While I already miss things about Spain, I have re-adjusted quickly and am glad to be home. Again, thanks for all the support! :)

El Fin (The End)

As extremely hard as it is to believe, I have only two full days left in Valladolid and three full days left in Spain. Three breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners. Two more days with my host family, and two more days traveling all on my own.

And then, I will be home.

This past Saturday Ashley and I went to El Escorial--a gigantic building that was built for King Phillip II in the 16th century, as he was very religious and sure that it was his calling to build a magnificent building for God. If I had gone there earlier in the semester, it still would have been cool, but I am very glad that I waited until I had a full semester of Spanish history behind me before I went to see it, as it was an incredible experience. To see the tombs of Kings that changed the course of Spain's history but also the course of the world's history was definitely something that gave me goosebumps. Even though it rained all day, it was a really cool experience and Ash and I had a lot of fun.

I now have my grammar, literature, oral expression, and history exams behind me, and this afternoon I will take the last two--European Union and Art. So far they've all gone really well, so I'm hoping to keep that up! Tomorrow I will be packing like crazy and returning to school for the very last time to check my grades, and then on Friday we have a graduation ceremony and party. On Saturday I will be in Madrid for the day to go to the Prado and the Reina Sofia Museums, and then spending the night in Madrid before my flight for the States leaves at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. I am due to arrive to the Appleton airport at 9:16 pm.

I am very excited to come home--to see all my family and friends, to eat on a schedule that I plan, to not have to carry my computer to school everyday, to watch TV in English and be back in the swing of things with US news. I am very sad to leave Valladolid, though. I have really gotten to know this city very well--I see the same people every morning when I walk to school, my host parents feel like my family, I can give someone directions (most of the time) if I'm asked. I will leave a part of my heart here, that's for sure.

I'd like to thank everyone who sent me cards or e-mails or packages while I've been here, or even those who've asked my family how I'm doing or have been reading this blog and looking at pictures. I really appreciate your care and concern, and am excited to get home and tell you stories in person! :)

There are some videos from France up in the "Some interesting videos" album, and there are some pictures of El Escorial up, too. I have a bunch of pictures from Valladolid, but I will probably put those up next week when I am back home.

El fin! Hasta LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS! :)

Sol y Playa

We learned in our geography class that Spain has so many tourists due to what they call “sol y playa,” or “sun and beach.” This past weekend I experienced Spain’s sol y playa, and I understand totally now why it’s such a tourist draw. It was fantastic!

We (Katie, Ashleigh, and I) left Valladolid by bus on Thursday morning, and arrived in Bilbao around 2:45. Bilbao is the home to one of the world’s Guggenheim museums, and is the center of Spain’s Pais Vasco (Basque Country) which is known fairly well for attacks by ETA, a separatist/terrorist organization. Thankfully, that didn’t affect us while we were there! We were in Bilbao just to see the Guggenheim, and while it’s a pretty small museum, it was really cool and very interesting. The architecture is what it’s known best for, and the main exhibit that was featured was called Surreal Things, an excellent exhibit about Surrealism. There were lots of pieces by Salvador Dali, which was very neat to see. I never knew that surrealism started with political and psychological ideology (Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud), so I definitely learned something! We were at the museum for about 3 hours, and then we headed back to the bus station to catch our bus to San Sebastian.

We got to San Sebastian around 8, and it was really chilly! We found our hostel with no problems, and then went out to find a grocery store. We called it a night pretty early—we watched CSI in English, which was exciting, and then hit the hay. Unfortunately we had three other roommates, studying in Madrid but from the States, who were extreeeemely rude and obnoxious all night, every night we were there. Good thing we got to nap on the beach!

On Friday it was about 78 degrees and sunny—windy in the morning but calmer in the afternoon. We were at the beach from about 11:30 until 5:00, just lying out, reading, and walking along the water. We learned pretty quickly that you are in the minority if you are female AND wearing a bathing suit top! We were already aware that Spain is much more open about that sort of thing than the U.S., but we definitely saw a good example of that on the beach! For dinner we bought pasta and delicious strawberries, and then after dinner we hung out for the rest of the night with two guys staying at our hostel who are also from our program here in Valladolid (and also go to Eau Claire). Saturday’s schedule was pretty much the same, it was warmer, about 84 degrees, and we were at the beach from 11 until 5:30. After showering and eating sandwiches for dinner, we went back out by the beach and collected seashells and walked along the water until it was dark.

On Sunday morning we got up a little earlier and hiked up one of the two “mountains” in San Sebastian. It was a short but tiring climb, and the view from the top was very pretty. There is a gigantic statue of Jesus at the top, so we climbed all the way up to that and from there were able to look out over San Sebastian’s two beaches, all of the city, and the mountains and ocean that surround it. Unfortunately right after that my camera started acting up, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fix it. Thankfully I have a bunch of pretty pictures from this vacation, and I don’t have too many other things to take pictures of. I’ll probably go out and get one or two disposable cameras, and then just steal other people’s pictures! Very disappointing, but there doesn’t seem to be much I can do about it! After the time we spent at the mountain, we had about two hours before we had to get to the bus station, so we spilt up and spent some time apart doing whatever we wanted to—I collected things on the beach and then just sat and enjoyed the sun a little while longer. I felt like I got my Florida, even if only for three days! I missed being able to have that vacation with my family this year, and even though it would have been better if they were with me, at least now I might be almost as tan as they are! J

Our bus ride back to Valladolid was about six hours long, but it went relatively quickly. I am glad to be back in Valladolid now and to have less than two weeks before I return home! I am done with all of my travels for the semester, which is bittersweet. I am very happy to not have to stay in anymore hostels, and also very happy to not have to spend too much more money. At the same time, I definitely have a list of places that I want to go when I do return to Europe. It might not be anytime soon, but it will happen eventually! I think that traveling so much has made me a little bit more homesick, as we see so much and are rushing and tired and everything, but it’s also obviously such an incredible experience to be young and without many responsibilities and able to plan trips to wherever you please. The semester has gone quickly, but I have seen and done SO much in my travels, and am extremely grateful for that opportunity.

The next two weeks will be relatively low key—I have my last four days of classes this week, and then I think I will go this coming weekend to El Escorial, the castle in which all of the kings of Spain are buried. The week after that we have exams on Monday, no school (for yet another holiday) on Tuesday, exams again on Wednesday, and then our grades are posted on Thursday. On Friday we have our graduation ceremony, and then on Saturday I will be in Madrid, and Sunday on my way home. Can you believe it? I sure can’t!

Hasta luego!

Do Not Forget Tomorrow

I have now returned from my last big vacation of the semester—I have been at the Madrid airport for the last time before I fly back to the states! Ashley and I went to France for five days, from late late late on Friday night until very very very early Thursday morning, and we had an amazing time.

We took a bus from Valladolid to Madrid, waited in the airport for several hours, flew from Madrid to Paris, took the metro into Paris, and then took a train from Paris to Caen. Talk about utilizing public transportation! We found our hotel and were very pleased that the owners were nice, spoke English, and that our room was clean and welcoming! We even had a TV with BBC on it, so we could enjoy some English entertainment. On Saturday night we walked around Caen a little bit—visited the Chateau of William the Conqueror, and booked our tour of the D-Day beaches. We called it an early night and fell asleep around 9:30 after having been awake for more than 36 hours.

On Sunday morning we walked to the Caen WWII Memorial, where we boarded the van for our tour. It was a really small group, just Ashley and I and then two younger couples from Barcelona, providing us with some more one-on-one time as well as an opportunity to practice our Spanish. We have been amazed at how many languages so many Europeans know how to speak; these other four people on our tour spoke fluent English, French, Spanish, and Catalan (the language spoken in Cataluña, the region where Barcelona is).

Our tour covered everything (and more) that we wanted to see in Normandy. We drove past the complex that BBC news camped in and broadcasted from during WWII, and made our first stop at Gold Beach, where the British troops landed on D-Day. We then walked around an area that contained several German bunkers and ammunition storage, some still with the original canons/tanks inside of them. We stood inside a bunker that was used for the filming of a scene in the movie “The Longest Day,” although, funny enough, the scene that it was used for in the movie was fictional and never actually occurred.

We then continued to the American Cemetery, which was extremely pretty, solemn, and an emotional experience for both Ashley and I. The main entrance to the cemetery is called “The Garden of the Missing,” and contains walls with the names of all of the soldiers who went missing in action. We were extremely surprised to find out that bodies are still being found today--the most recent discovery was only six weeks ago. Upon entering the cemetery there is a statue that represents the youth of the majority of the soldiers who were killed during the battle of Normandy, as their ages (unlike the other D-Day cemeteries for different countries) are not written on their crosses. Our tour guide told us that buried in the cemetery are only three women, 33 pairs of brothers, and two pairs of a father and a son. I think that was where I really began to feel emotional, thinking of all the wives and mothers who lost a part of their family, or maybe even their whole family in only a matter of hours. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to spend at the cemetery, but I am very glad that I got to see it and it was, without a doubt, a very emotional experience.

We then continued to the two American landing beaches, Omaha and Utah. It was high tide when we got to Omaha beach, so it was difficult to really grasp how it looked on D-Day, plus there is a rode that runs next to it and houses that have been built since the end of the war, so it doesn’t look quite the same. Omaha Beach is frequently called “Bloody Omaha,” as it was the only beach where the Germans were ready and waiting and therefore the most violent and chaotic. Having seen the scenes from Saving Private Ryan, it is just incredible to look out over the water and attempt to imagine the horror that ensued within and around it. Utah Beach on Pointe du Hoc was a change of scenery, as the landscape is covered with bunkers and with craters from bombings that took place shortly before the landings. There are several cement bunkers still intact, but they are no where near the quality of the other German bunkers we saw (they were built more hastily, with not as much time or skill), and there is also still debris of the bunkers that were blown apart and unfinished when the bombings occurred.

When we got back to Caen we went to the Caen Memorial Museum, which Ashley and I both agreed was extremely well put together—we learned so much and it really helped to clarify the questions and amplify the emotions that we had earlier in the day. One of the parts of the museum that really stood out was a section all about the letters that soldiers had written home, some from soldiers who survived and some from soldiers who had their letters delivered in the event of their death. The letters came from all nationalities, from the liberators and from the occupiers. All of these men were normal people with families, with friends, with lives that they left at home. It helped to again put into perspective the tragedy of war and how the lives of so many people in the world are affected by it. If I came to understand anything by the end of that day is that I hopefully won’t ever understand. Watching the footage of the soldiers jumping into the water, trekking up to those beaches, all I could do was hope with all I have in me that no future generations will ever know what it is like to fight a battle like that. We really enjoyed Caen, as well as the tour and the museum, and I am extremely glad that I made the choice to travel there.

On Monday we took the train to Versailles, where we saw the outside of the Palace of Versailles (it was a little too pricey to go into it) and the extremely expansive gardens behind it. The sky was really scary looking, but we enjoyed walking around and taking in all the statues and the landscaping and imagining what it must have been like to live in a time when that actually could have been your backyard! We then continued to Paris, where we made our way to our hotel and, in preparation for a long day of sightseeing, went to bed early.

Tuesday was a GORGEOUS day in Paris—blue sky, sunny, only a few clouds—and we are still sore from how much walking we did! We started at the Eiffel Tower where we took a ton of pictures, then walked to the Arc de Triomph and down Champs-Elysees. From there we headed to the Moulin Rouge where we unfortunately couldn’t afford to see a show, so we sat in a garden facing it and listened to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack! Good plan, if you ask me. We then walked to Notre Dame Cathedral and took pictures there, and then strolled around the Latin Quarter and ate gyros and French fries for dinner. We ended our 12+ hour day back at the Eiffel Tower, sitting on the lawn and admiring it as it sparkled.

On Wednesday morning we got up and headed back to Notre Dame so that I could go up into the towers, and while the wait in line was long, it was definitely worth it. The view was amazing! After Notre Dame we walked to the Louvre, where I spent my last 2 hours or so in Paris strolling around and finding the most famous art it had to offer! I was extremely happy to see the Mona Lisa, as well as La Venus de Milo and Gericault’s Raft of Medusa. From the Louvre we hiked to a bus station in order to catch a bus to the airport, and were headed back to Valladolid. After that bus ride, a plane ride, and yet another bus ride, we were finally home, safe and sound.

It was such a great vacation—I think we found the perfect mix between educational and enjoyable, and therefore learned A TON while still thoroughly enjoying ourselves and having a relatively stress-free trip! I am sad that it is my last one, but also glad that I ended my major travels on such an excellent note. In less than a week—next Thursday—I will head to the North of Spain, Bilbao and San Sebastian, with Katie and Ashleigh to see the Guggenheim and to spend quite a bit of time lying on the beach! I think it will be a good way to end my time in Spain, and hopefully a good way to get a little bit of a tan! When I return from that trip, I will have less than two weeks before heading home.

Incredible!

Hasta luego! ;)

Irish Hearts Live Longest

So if I ever run away, it is safe to assume that I will be somewhere in Ireland! I have now returned from my four day getaway to both Ireland and Northern Ireland, and it was just too incredible for words.

We left from the Valladolid airport on Thursday morning, had a little time between flights in London, and arrived to Belfast around 6:00. The first thing we noticed when we entered the UK was how amazingly friendly everyone was. Everyone smiles and asks how you are doing, which is a big change from what I’ve seen so far of Europe! We explored Belfast a little bit, saw the city hall and the “Belfast Eye” ferris wheel (we don’t think it’s really called that, but they say it because they want to be like London), and walked along the water. We also learned that the Titanic was built in Belfast, something that neither of us knew before. The cranes that assisted in building it are the largest cranes to ever be erected in the world, called Samson and Goliath, and they still stand in the harbor where the Harland and Wolff company used to build ships. They no longer build any ships there, but the Titanic is their claim to fame.

We were fortunate enough to have a tour offered through our hostel, and it was very affordable for us to go on an all day tour up the Eastern coast of Northern Ireland on Friday. We saw the ruins of two castles—Dunluce and Carrickfergus—both right on the ocean. The Dunluce castle is amongst the most well-known in Ireland, as when it was still an operational castle, part of it collapsed into the ocean, killing several workers in the kitchen, the part that collapsed. We also went to the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, which rises 100 feet over the ocean. The weather was misty and a little windy, perfect for crossing a rope bridge! ;) It offered AMAZING views, and we were proud to have conquered the bridge.

The tour took us along the costal rode, which passes through several of Northern Ireland’s glens—little cities situated right on the coast. It was difficult to take pictures through the bus windows, but we thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the houses, churches, cemeteries, and historic sights that they had to offer. We also saw a RAINBOW! In Ireland! and the towns where Liam Neeson and Paul McCartney call home. All of this driving culminated in the reason that I really went to Ireland in the first place—seeing the Giant’s Causeway. When I was in 7^th grade, I saw a picture of it on my geography book, and it instantly became a place that I wanted to get at some point in my life. Little did I know that I would actually get to see it, and that it would be only 6 years later! It was absolutely breathtaking. The causeway was formed as the result of cooling lava—the basaltic rock split into identically shaped columns. It is commonly referred to as the 8^th Wonder of the World, but so few people know about it or have visited it. Ashley and I walked along the cliffs overlooking it before actually going towards the water, we ate a picnic lunch next to a bunch of sheep, and then went closer to the water to climb around on the rocks. It was so, SO beautiful. We were commenting on how something like that is the beauty that reminds us what the world is like without the influence of hate and war; something natural that hasn’t been touched by humans and that helps us regain some hope that maybe someday that kind of peace will be achievable. Later in the gift shop we saw a card that said, “The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.” Perfect! That’s exactly what our feelings were about the Causeway. Ashley and I were both so very glad that we decided to travel there—the weather was amazing as well, so we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I really think that it was truly one of the best days of my life thus far.

We then made our way back to Belfast, where we explored the city a bit more and ate at a delicious Chinese restaurant. We laughed and talked for (literally) hours, and then got a good night of sleep back at the hostel. On Saturday we traveled to Dublin, which was a total change of scenery! There were tour buses EVERYWHERE, and definitely many, many more people than were on the streets of Belfast! We walked around and did some souvenir shopping, saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and explored the Temple Bar district. For dinner we ate a traditional Irish meal of Beef and Guinness stew, mash (mashed potatos), and a puff pastry, along with a glass of Guinness. It was all extremely delicious, and extremely expensive! After dinner we went to a pub to listen to some live music, which completed our Irish experience. The pub was packed, the band was very good, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

On Sunday we traveled from Dublin to Madrid, and then from Madrid back toValladolid. Although it was a long day of travel, we had plenty of time to get from place to place and everything went very smoothly.

Ireland has most definitely been my favorite trip of the semester thus far. While I really enjoyed my other trips, Ireland is just in a class of it’s own, due to the incredible natural beauty, the rich culture, and the amazingly kind people. I’m not sure when I will get back there, but I know that I will someday.

I now have 2 weeks (well, only 8 days!) of classes left before my next vacation, to Paris and Normandy. I am starting a new class about the European Union this week, which I am really looking forward to. I also have a large research paper that I need to start…well, about 2 weeks ago, and with all of those things going on, the semester will be over before I know it!

Pictures SHOULD be up on Webshots! ;) Hasta luego!

Back from Vacation

Once again, I have returned home to Spain and my oh my, does it feel nice! It has been one heck of a week! I enjoyed everything that we were able to see, but I’d be lying if I said that it was easy! ;)

I left Valladolid early on Thursday morning (the 21^st) to go to Madrid, where I met up with the group from East. I really enjoyed seeing them and spending the day with them, and I also enjoyed my first little taste of true independence—traveling alone. It was also my first taste of Madrid, as I had only seen it’s bus station and airport before. It was a gorgeous day and I appreciated the opportunity to see a little bit of Madrid with a group of cool people.

On Saturday morning I met Katie at the airport for our 7 a.m. flight to Rome, and when we arrived at the Rome Ciampino airport, it was raining. Little did we know, we would be in Rome for only about 5 hours when it was NOT raining! We checked into our hostel and headed to Vatican City in hopes of seeing St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, but unfortunately both closed early due to the preparations for Easter. We were fortunate, however, to find some cool ponchos that we sported for most of our time sightseeing! We looked like tourists, but we were pretty dry! ;)

After the Vatican, we went to the Colosseum, which was pretty amazing. I found it sort of funny that all of the ruins and famous sights in Rome were in the middle of modern-day society, in between apartment buildings and stores, or in the case of the Colosseum, immediately outside a metro stop. We stood in line for a while and finally made it inside, and while it was still raining cats and dogs, it was a really cool experience. The first of many on this trip that just seemed sort of surreal—standing inside of something that is, first of all, so old and has stood the true test of time, and second of all, so famous and known around the world. We took a bunch of cool pictures, and walked around inside of it for a while, and then decided that it was time to call it a day. Thankfully our room in our hostel had a radiator that we could use to dry our wet clothes and shoes!

On Sunday morning we were back to the Vatican before 8 a.m., and to our GREAT surprise, we got seats in real chairs really quite close to the altar. It didn’t rain for the first hour or so that we were there, but of course, as we sat waiting, it started storming about 45 minutes before mass started. Everything went on as scheduled, but it was quite cold and VERY wet, and the view through the umbrellas wasn’t quite what we had planned for! We were happy that even though we didn’t get to see St. Peter’s Basilica or the Sistine Chapel, that we did attend Easter mass given by the Pope!

Thankfully shortly after that rainy ordeal, the rain ceased for a few hours and we were able to see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. We were on a really good streak until we were at our last sight of the day—the Roman Forum—and we were caught in a relatively violent hail storm. By the time it was done, there were broken umbrellas EVERYWHERE, and we were ready to go back to the hostel and be warm and dry! Unfortunately we didn’t see hardly any of the Roman Forum, but the storm was an experience in itself.

On Monday we traveled to Florence, where the weather wasn’t any nicer to us. We stayed in a Camping hostel, meaning that we slept in a tent. That wasn’t really a great idea, although if the weather would have been nicer it would have been absolutely perfect. We again braved a storm to go see the Duomo, and then on Tuesday morning we woke up and went to see Michelangelo’s David, which was incredible. We had good luck getting in to see that, as well, we hardly had to wait in line, and then for some reason there was no admission fee! We definitely didn’t complain! ;)

On Tuesday afternoon we took the train to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which was yet another surreal experience. It was the first time we saw the sun, so we laid on the lawn next to the tower for a while, and then strolled back to the train station and ate delicious gelato. Tuesday night was much more comfortable back at the camping hostel—the temperature was a little bit higher, we took a long walk and then nice hot showers before bed, and we asked for more blankets! Although the first night in the hostel was less than ideal, the hostel was in an amazing location—on a hill very close to Piazza Michelangelo, which is famous for having the best view over Florence. Very, VERY pretty, especially at night!

Wednesday was a day of travel—we took the train to Milan, and then I took a bus to the airport, flew to Barcelona, took a bus from the airport into the train station, and then the metro to the hotel where I again met up with the group from East. It was a long day and I was very glad, once again, to be safe and sound and warm (with people I knew) at the end of the day! I spent most Thursday on my own walking around Barcelona, and then ate dinner and spent the evening with the group. I think that day was probably my favorite of the whole week! Katie flew in late Thursday night, and we were both pretty exhausted.

We really enjoyed Barcelona—we had a very nice hostel, we went to the Picasso Museum, La Boqueria (a really cool market), the Chocolate Museum, the Olympic Stadium (which was probably our favorite part of Barcelona, even though the Olympics were there a good 16 years ago!), the Sagrada Familia (a church designed my Gaudi) and other Gaudi Houses, Parc Guell (also designed by Gaudi and very cool), and the FC Barcelona stadium (soccer, for those who don’t know!), where we saw Ronaldinho, a very famous soccer player in Spain. He was working with a trainer on the team’s practice field, and he smiled at us and we got pictures, so we were pretty darm excited.

Although we loved Barcelona we were very glad to head back to Valladolid—we took a 10 hour night bus on Saturday night and got home around 9:30 yesterday morning. It was a loooong and uncomfortable ride, and I was mighty glad to see the bus station!

I started classes again—and I only have NINETEEN days of them left! I have only 48 days left in Spain—19 days of class (no classes on Mondays, how nice), 13 days of traveling, 2 school excursions, a big paper to write, and a week of exams. Incredible, really, how fast it has all gone. And there’s still so much left to do! Unfortunately there is no longer internet in my house—I’m not sure if it will return or not, but at the moment it’s looking unlikely. I will get pictures (at least SOME pictures) up as soon as I can, but it might take a little while. I leave for Ireland on Thursday, so there will definitely be another update and even more pictures to share after that.

I hope that everyone had a great Spring Break and a very Happy Easter! Hasta Luego!

What? It's already March 20th?

Apparently so! But it's so hard to believe!

We have now been with our host family for almost three weeks, and we have quickly settled in and come to feel, once again, like we are at home. It was easy to love right away--we have our own bathroom, we are a lot closer to the center of town, and there is internet! But even after our great first impressions, we've come to realize the other great things about living here--the excellent cooking, watching the news during dinner and discussing important topics, and Edita and Julio's wonderful sense of humor and the genuine interest they take in our conversations with them. We decided pretty quickly that we were content staying here for the rest of the semester!

Nicar had his surgery two weeks ago, a week later than originally scheduled, and is now recovering at home. We visited them about a week ago and he was still in a fair amount of pain, but was at least finally out of a hospital bed. They had a doctor's appointment yesterday in order to find out what type of therapy or rehabilitation he will be having. We are very glad that he's finally at home and that the whole ordeal is close to being over with for them! We will be staying here with Edita and Julio for the rest of the semester, as it was a lot of work to move only one time! Plus, we will both be traveling every single weekend between now and the second week of May! We will continue to visit them, of course, and will miss them just as we'll miss this family when we go back to the US.

My spring break started last Friday, and while all of my friends took off right away, I have been in Valladolid all week. I went to some Holy Week processions with my host parents, slept a lot, walked around the city and explored, and really just relaxed and took it easy.

Today is a day of packing and cleaning, as tomorrow morning at 6:30 I will get on a bus and head to Madrid, and from there, to Italy! In Madrid I will be meeting Jody Krieg and a group of students from Wausau East--I am SO excited to see some familiar faces! I will spend the day with them and spend the night in Madrid, and then meet my friend Katie at the airport to catch our flight to Rome early Saturday morning. We will be in Rome until Monday when we will go to Florence, and then to Pisa and Cinque Terre, and then to Milan. From Milan we will fly to Barcelona where we will finish out our trip, returning to Valladolid via a 10 hour bus ride on the 30th. Ay! It will be busy, but hopefully, HOPEFULLY everything goes as planned and we will arrive back in 9 days with awesome pictures and all of our belongings still with us!

I will go to school for three days the week after that, and then on Thursday the 3rd I will be on a plane once more with my friend Ashley, on our way to Ireland! My host mom just laughed and rolled her eyes when I told her how soon I'd be leaving again! ;) But I can't wait.

Well, I have a lot of packing to do, but I thought I'd update after much too long to let everyone know what I'm up to.

Hasta luego! And Happy Easter! ;)