I was reminiscing with some friends who were in Madrid with me, Julia and Laura, and we were talking about how we are not the same people we were before the semester abroad. Madrid has changed us. And I think generally for the better. We were saying that we all are a lot more laid back/chill now, and more secure and confident. Living and studying in a foreign country, especially one that speaks a foreign language, really makes you step outside of your comfort zone. It's a little scary at first, but when you become accustomed to it, you feel so accomplished and proud. Also, travelling with different groups of people to various different countries forces you to deal with different problems and challenges. These experiences made me more understanding of people, and more care-free in a way. If something goes wrong or not as planned, you kind of just have to laugh it off and see the upside of things. (I now truly believe that there's always an upside... I guess kind of like the "glass is half-full" kind of thing). I also feel that I really "lived in the moment" during my time abroad. They say that Americans "live to work," while Spaniards "work to live" and enjoy their lives more. From the time we (Americans) are young, we are enouraged to think about what we want to be (what job/profession/career we want to pursue) when we grow up. There is so much pressure, and so much of who we are is based on what we do. I know I have been stressing out about what exactly I want/am going to be able to do with my life after college while earning enough money to live and make my student loan payments. But in Spain, it doesn't seem like they worry as much about these things. I know for a fact that salaries are a lot lower in Madrid. It seems like Spaniards earn just enough to get by, and they enjoy (Spanish verb= disfrutar) their lives more in the present. And they take their time. They spend lots of quality time with family and friends, especially over meals/drinks/coffee. One thing I really miss are the restaurants there compared to here in the U.S. Over there, you can literally sit at your table for 3 hours and they don't care. They don't give you the check until you ask for it ("la cuenta, por favor"). In Vegas, I was having lunch wih a friend at Mimi's Cafe and the waitress put our check on the table when we hadn't even finished half of our food yet! It's like they just want to rush you along. This past semester, I didn't really think/stress about the future. I lived in the present, and truly enjoyed and took everything in. In a sense, it was a nice little escape from reality. I mean, I travelled to different countries on the weekends! Julia was also saying that now she doesn't care about getting coffee or food at school by herself because we were alone in many situations in Madrid. We had to be more independent and secure on our own, and hope to remain that way.
All of this may seem a little too serious or sentimental, but I wanted to convey how meaningful my experience in Madrid really was. And now that my time there has been long over and my new semester has already begun, I will close this blog. I am very happy that I followed through with my goal of blogging throughout my semester there. I did it so family & friends could check out what I was up to, but also for myself. I am really happy that I have recorded so many awesome memories and details of my travels and time in Madrid that I can look back on forever. I really treasured every moment there and realized how blessed I was. I knew that my time in Europe was precious and limited, so I tried to live each day to the fullest and reflect on what I was going through, differences between what I was used to and what I experienced, and the overall meaning of it all and how it was making me a better, more well-rounded person. I blogged and wrote about details because I wanted to highlight and remember things about my days there. It was so special because it was a chunk of my college experience that I will always remember and value. But it also made me realize that I can and should value the rest of the days of my time in college/even just days of my life back in my normal situations just as much... because we obviously only have so much time here. I will try to journal, or even blog, about experiences, differences, changes, challenges, and highlights as I continue my journey. I am closing this blog, but my appreciation and love of everything I went through over the semester will stay with me. As I move forward, my time in Madrid will move farther and farther away from me, but it will always have a piece of my heart.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
trying out Concha's recipes at home
my first tries making Concha's tarta de manzana (an apple pie dessert) and bizcocho (like banana bread coffee cake with chocolate chips) recipes.
They actually came out really good, especially the bizcocho. I plan on making that often!
They actually came out really good, especially the bizcocho. I plan on making that often!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
superlatives
I thought a fun way to end my blog about my semester abroad would be to write a superlatives column with my favorites. These opinions are based on my personal experience throughout my time living in Madrid and travelling to other countries.
best Spanish phrase: "No pasa nada." It literally means "nothing happens" but everyone uses it to say "no worries/no problem/don't worry about it."
best sightseeing: Rome. There is SO much to see here! The Vatican museum and St. Peter's Basilica meant a lot to me since I'm Catholic, but even if that doesn't impress you, there are so many other cool sights like the Colesseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Castle Saint Angelo, and the Plaza Navona.
best view: Tibidabo Mountain, Barcelona. I thought that the view of Rome from the top of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica would win this one, but it falls just short of this Barcelona view. From the (very high) top of this mountain, you can the whole city, including the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. It was especially pretty when we were up there at sunset time. The sky looked pink/purpleish.
best hostel: Kabul Backpacker's, Barcelona. Other than the freezing cold showers, this hostel had it all. Good location, friendly staff, group activities, big lobby/hang-out area, Internet, and free breakfast.
best Christmas market: Paris. This Christmas market consisted of booths and booths on both sides of a very long street called... At the very far end of the street is the Arc de Triumph and at the other far end is the ferris wheel. During Christmastime they have very pretty lights all down the middle of the street. This market provides a beautiful atmosphere and tons of gifts, food, and sweets!
best theatrical experience: Les Miserables, London. This musical that tells the entire story through songs was moving and simply incredible.
coolest museum: The Louvre, Paris. As much as I wanted to support the Prado, the Louvre is just incredible. There are so many kinds of works to see, and even though I was only in there for about 45 minutes, I still really appreciated it. Even the actual architecture of the museum building itself, the pyramid and fountain outdoors, and the beautiful night atmosphere are amazing. The Vatican comes in a close second for actual "awe factor" of the works inside.
favorite bridge: Bridge of Angels, Rome. There are big angel statues all along this bridge, which is next to the Castle Saint Angelo. You can see the Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica from afar, and it's just really peaceful.
favorite palace: Palacio Real, Madrid. This is one of the major tourist attractions in Madrid, and it is in a great location near the Opera Real and restaurants, and right next to the big cathedral. There is a fountain in the plaza in front of it and the atmosphere outside is pretty. Inside, the interior decoration in each room is a little different and very elegant.
favorite church/cathedral: I can't really answer this one but think it's an important category. The one that I was most in awe of when I saw it was the Gothic Cathedral in Toledo. But this was the first of many big cathedrals I saw. The Gothic Cathedral in Sevilla is very similar and probably just as impressive. Templo Expiatorio de España in Barcelona was probably the most unique church I saw because it was so colorful/artsy and more modern. St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican also made a big impression on me, especially since I climbed to the top of it and went to mass there. I thought the Sacre Coeur in Paris was very pretty as well, and it's in a great location because you can see the whole city from its hill. St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Notre Dame in Paris were also very impressive!
best metro: Madrid. After trying out the Tube in London, and metros in Lisboa, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, and Prague, I have to say Madrid's system is superior. It is very easy to understand, efficient, on time, and clean for the most part, and there are so many stops all around the city. If you are lost in the city, you can just keep walking a little more and will eventually run into a metro station. I was fascinated by metro systems in general and it was one of my favorite things about living in Madrid.
fastest escalator: Prague inside the Florenc metro station. When Angelica and I arrived in Prague, we couldn't believe the speed of the big escalators inside this station! Thus, 'fastest escalator' became a category in this column.
coolest McDonald’s restroom: Prague near the Florenc metro station. This restroom seriously had a blacklight/neon light ambiance. Kind of glamorous for a McDonald's bathroom, but it was interesting.
best meal out in a European restaurant: Divinis, Barcelona. I got a good piece of steak, french fries, Chardonnay, and café con leche. And best believe that we lingered over the meal and coffee for at least 2 hours.
best cookies: Ben's Cookies, Oxford/London. Ali took me here in Oxford and these cookies are amazing! They are big, soft, and warm out of the oven. I got 3 different variations of chocolate chip. Yum!
best gelato: Giolitti, Rome. Cleary very popular, this gelato place near the Pantheon has tons of flavors. You can get 3 different ones in a cone for only 2.20 Euro!
favorite Spanish drink: tinto de verano. It's red wine mixed with lemonade/spritzer. The best I had was in Sevilla!
best city for free tapas: Granada. They give you free, delicious tapas when you order just one drink at pretty much any bar. La Riviera was a really good place.
best cheap meal place: Cien Montaditos. I went here many times with roommates and friends for a cheap meal. "Cien Montaditos" lierally means "100 little sandwiches." They have 100 kinds of combinations on the menu, like chorizo (Spanish sausage), ham, brie cheese, Caesar salad, and (my personal favorite) pollo asado with ali oli. You should probably order at least 3 if you want to feel satisfied, but they're really cheap.. ranging in between 1-2 Euros. And Wednesdays are "Euromania!" with almost everything on the menu costing only a Euro, including drinks! They have nice big glasses of tinto de verano, and another drink I came to like, "cerveza clara," which is beer and lemonade. There are tons of locations all around Madrid, but the one I went to the most is the one near the Opera metro stop by Palacio Real.
best tapas and sangria in Madrid: La Llama. We went here one of the first weeks with Conchi, Cris, and some of her friends, and then near the end of our time to celebrate my birthday :) We got chicken, patatas bravas/fries, calamari, sepia (cuttlefish?), chorizo, bread, and lots of sangria. They also gave us free alcohol-free watermelon shots.
best nightclubs: Kapital in Madrid and Mae West in Granada. Kapital (as I've discussed before) is a 7-story club that alternates dance floor, bar, dance floor, bar, etc. They have techno/house, pop, hip-hop, and salsa/Latin. Mae West in Granada was just really cool! I think it was two stories but a little different set up. It seemed huge and there was a big bar in the center of the dance floor. They also had music video screens that went with the music!
most frequented metro stop in Madrid (other than school and home): Sol. Off lines 1, 2, and 3, this stop leaves you right in the middle of the famous Plaza de Sol, surrounded by lots of different restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, and street performers. It's also walking distance from Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Gran Via, and the Tirso de Molina area.
best study abroad city: Madrid. Don't know if that's a fair category for me to judge since Madrid is the only place I have studied abroad, but every time I went somewhere, I became more glad that I chose to study in Madrid. Not to hate on the other awesome places and choices, but I think Madrid just has it all. You get the full culture immersion by living with a host family, speaking the language, and eating the food every night for dinner. Madrid's location is perfect because you can visit other parts of Spain easily, as well as most of Europe, for pretty cheap! You get the big city feel, but it really doesn't seem so big when you get to know your way around. And.. the nightlife is awesome.
best Spanish phrase: "No pasa nada." It literally means "nothing happens" but everyone uses it to say "no worries/no problem/don't worry about it."
best sightseeing: Rome. There is SO much to see here! The Vatican museum and St. Peter's Basilica meant a lot to me since I'm Catholic, but even if that doesn't impress you, there are so many other cool sights like the Colesseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Castle Saint Angelo, and the Plaza Navona.
best view: Tibidabo Mountain, Barcelona. I thought that the view of Rome from the top of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica would win this one, but it falls just short of this Barcelona view. From the (very high) top of this mountain, you can the whole city, including the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. It was especially pretty when we were up there at sunset time. The sky looked pink/purpleish.
best travel deal: Portugal trip. Lexi found a deal for the 4 of us on expedia.com when the semester started for 2 nights in a Holiday Inn and airfare for only about $95 a person.
cheapest flight: Madrid to Paris round-trip for $30. But we had to buy round-trip bus tickets to the city center from the airport that cost more than the flight.
best hostel: Kabul Backpacker's, Barcelona. Other than the freezing cold showers, this hostel had it all. Good location, friendly staff, group activities, big lobby/hang-out area, Internet, and free breakfast.
best Christmas market: Paris. This Christmas market consisted of booths and booths on both sides of a very long street called... At the very far end of the street is the Arc de Triumph and at the other far end is the ferris wheel. During Christmastime they have very pretty lights all down the middle of the street. This market provides a beautiful atmosphere and tons of gifts, food, and sweets!
best theatrical experience: Les Miserables, London. This musical that tells the entire story through songs was moving and simply incredible.
coolest museum: The Louvre, Paris. As much as I wanted to support the Prado, the Louvre is just incredible. There are so many kinds of works to see, and even though I was only in there for about 45 minutes, I still really appreciated it. Even the actual architecture of the museum building itself, the pyramid and fountain outdoors, and the beautiful night atmosphere are amazing. The Vatican comes in a close second for actual "awe factor" of the works inside.
favorite bridge: Bridge of Angels, Rome. There are big angel statues all along this bridge, which is next to the Castle Saint Angelo. You can see the Vatican/St. Peter's Basilica from afar, and it's just really peaceful.
favorite palace: Palacio Real, Madrid. This is one of the major tourist attractions in Madrid, and it is in a great location near the Opera Real and restaurants, and right next to the big cathedral. There is a fountain in the plaza in front of it and the atmosphere outside is pretty. Inside, the interior decoration in each room is a little different and very elegant.
favorite church/cathedral: I can't really answer this one but think it's an important category. The one that I was most in awe of when I saw it was the Gothic Cathedral in Toledo. But this was the first of many big cathedrals I saw. The Gothic Cathedral in Sevilla is very similar and probably just as impressive. Templo Expiatorio de España in Barcelona was probably the most unique church I saw because it was so colorful/artsy and more modern. St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican also made a big impression on me, especially since I climbed to the top of it and went to mass there. I thought the Sacre Coeur in Paris was very pretty as well, and it's in a great location because you can see the whole city from its hill. St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Notre Dame in Paris were also very impressive!
best metro: Madrid. After trying out the Tube in London, and metros in Lisboa, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, and Prague, I have to say Madrid's system is superior. It is very easy to understand, efficient, on time, and clean for the most part, and there are so many stops all around the city. If you are lost in the city, you can just keep walking a little more and will eventually run into a metro station. I was fascinated by metro systems in general and it was one of my favorite things about living in Madrid.
fastest escalator: Prague inside the Florenc metro station. When Angelica and I arrived in Prague, we couldn't believe the speed of the big escalators inside this station! Thus, 'fastest escalator' became a category in this column.
coolest McDonald’s restroom: Prague near the Florenc metro station. This restroom seriously had a blacklight/neon light ambiance. Kind of glamorous for a McDonald's bathroom, but it was interesting.
best meal out in a European restaurant: Divinis, Barcelona. I got a good piece of steak, french fries, Chardonnay, and café con leche. And best believe that we lingered over the meal and coffee for at least 2 hours.
best cookies: Ben's Cookies, Oxford/London. Ali took me here in Oxford and these cookies are amazing! They are big, soft, and warm out of the oven. I got 3 different variations of chocolate chip. Yum!
best gelato: Giolitti, Rome. Cleary very popular, this gelato place near the Pantheon has tons of flavors. You can get 3 different ones in a cone for only 2.20 Euro!
favorite Spanish drink: tinto de verano. It's red wine mixed with lemonade/spritzer. The best I had was in Sevilla!
best city for free tapas: Granada. They give you free, delicious tapas when you order just one drink at pretty much any bar. La Riviera was a really good place.
best cheap meal place: Cien Montaditos. I went here many times with roommates and friends for a cheap meal. "Cien Montaditos" lierally means "100 little sandwiches." They have 100 kinds of combinations on the menu, like chorizo (Spanish sausage), ham, brie cheese, Caesar salad, and (my personal favorite) pollo asado with ali oli. You should probably order at least 3 if you want to feel satisfied, but they're really cheap.. ranging in between 1-2 Euros. And Wednesdays are "Euromania!" with almost everything on the menu costing only a Euro, including drinks! They have nice big glasses of tinto de verano, and another drink I came to like, "cerveza clara," which is beer and lemonade. There are tons of locations all around Madrid, but the one I went to the most is the one near the Opera metro stop by Palacio Real.
best tapas and sangria in Madrid: La Llama. We went here one of the first weeks with Conchi, Cris, and some of her friends, and then near the end of our time to celebrate my birthday :) We got chicken, patatas bravas/fries, calamari, sepia (cuttlefish?), chorizo, bread, and lots of sangria. They also gave us free alcohol-free watermelon shots.
best nightclubs: Kapital in Madrid and Mae West in Granada. Kapital (as I've discussed before) is a 7-story club that alternates dance floor, bar, dance floor, bar, etc. They have techno/house, pop, hip-hop, and salsa/Latin. Mae West in Granada was just really cool! I think it was two stories but a little different set up. It seemed huge and there was a big bar in the center of the dance floor. They also had music video screens that went with the music!
most frequented metro stop in Madrid (other than school and home): Sol. Off lines 1, 2, and 3, this stop leaves you right in the middle of the famous Plaza de Sol, surrounded by lots of different restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, and street performers. It's also walking distance from Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Gran Via, and the Tirso de Molina area.
best study abroad city: Madrid. Don't know if that's a fair category for me to judge since Madrid is the only place I have studied abroad, but every time I went somewhere, I became more glad that I chose to study in Madrid. Not to hate on the other awesome places and choices, but I think Madrid just has it all. You get the full culture immersion by living with a host family, speaking the language, and eating the food every night for dinner. Madrid's location is perfect because you can visit other parts of Spain easily, as well as most of Europe, for pretty cheap! You get the big city feel, but it really doesn't seem so big when you get to know your way around. And.. the nightlife is awesome.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mi familia española
I was really sad the last week in Madrid, and a major reason why is because I loved my Spanish family so much and it is sad that I won’t get to live with them or see them as often ever again. They have taught me so much and greatly enhanced my Madrid experience. I know a lot of students had mixed feelings about their Señoras/home stays, and I am so thankful that we were placed with the Barahonas. They are so kind, welcoming, and fun. Not to mention, Concha’s amazing cooking! Since I had an amazing host family and they had a big impact on my experience, I thought that living in a homestay was amazing. I feel like living in a homestay during the study abroad experience gives you a chance to really learn about the different culture and practice the language. It is a major reason that I think USD’s Madrid program is incredible and I would recommend it to anyone. To give those of you who understand Spanish an idea of how much my Spanish family meant to me, I am copying and pasting the letter I wrote to Concha. (Conchi and Cris’ letter have very similar sentiments).
Estimada Concha:
Mil gracias por todo que has hecho para mí este semestre. Tuve mucha suerte para tener vosotros como mi familia española y estoy muy agradecida. Contribuisteis MUCHO a mi experiencia en Madrid y fue una gran razón que fue tan triste cuando tuve que despedirme. ¡Gracias por ser tanta simpática, divertida, amable y comprensiva, la mejor cocinera.. y por tu amor!
No sé si sabes el impacto que has tenido en mi vida. He aprendido mucho de ti. Me encantó hablar y practicar español contigo y hablar de diferencias entre nuestras culturas. Siempre tenía muchas ganas de verte después de escuela y estuve muy feliz cuando pudimos pasar tiempo juntos. Me encantó hablar y tomar un café con leche contigo, y verte preparar la comida. Me has inspirado a cocinar más… voy a tratar de hacer tarta de manzana y biscocho muy pronto. También siempre tenía muchas ganas de cenar porque la comida fue muy rica y me gustó hablar con la familia maravillosa.
¡Lo he pasado muy bien en Madrid y fue la mejor experiencia de mi vida! He aprendido mucho y ojala que haya mejorado mucho mi español. Tenemos que quedar en contacto para siempre y hablar por Skype pronto, ¿vale? Ojalá que podáis visitarnos en los Estados Unidos pronto. También dígale a Santiago gracias por todo. Adjunto le remito fotos de nosotros y algunas de tus platos ricos. ¡Disfrútalas!
Te quiero. Besitos y abrazos muy fuertes,Nicole
my very last days in Madrid
Thursday, December 17, 2009 was my last full day in Madrid. (The next day I basically stayed at home during the day packing and crying).
I think it is worth remembering what I did:
• Took my last final at the fundación (conversation with Estrella)
• Went to visit Conchi at the Pharmacy and brought her a smiley face cookie from the pastelería by the fundación
• Did some souvenir shopping in Sol
• Read my book on a bench by Palacio Real for a little before meeting Erinn and Rachel at Cien Montaditos for lunch.
• When I started walking to Cien, an older couple asked me (in Spanish, of course) about how to enter the palace. I tried my best explaining it to them in Spanish and thought that I was kind of struggling, but the lady said “De dónde eres? Hablas bien espanol.” That made me feel so good. I felt happy, a little accomplished, and better about leaving Madrid.
• Met up with Devin to do some more souvenir shopping. We talked a lot about our semesters and summed up our experiences. We got chocolate croissants/napolitanas at this amazing bakery called La Mallorquina Pastelería! They cost only one Euro, and my only regret I had about my time in Madrid quickly became that I hadn’t found out about that bakery sooner and gone often.
• Went out with EVERYONE in the fundación program, including Miriam and Nacho, to La Via Lactica bar and had a great time. We really had such a great group!
Friday, December 18, 2009:
• The day before my flight back to the United States, I was finally forced to start (and finish) packing. So that is what I spent most of the day doing, in between talking/drinking cofee with Concha, and crying. (When I was getting sad she was like "Ven aquí cariño, y toma un cafetito conmigo").
• Later in the evening, the roommates and I went to Sol to walk around and see the Christmas lights. Of course I had to get a chocolate napolitana again from that bakery since it was my last chance.
• Then we had our last dinner together-"La última cena." I can't remember exactly what we ate, but I think empanadas (my favorite!) were a part of the meal. :) Then Concha came over and Lexi, Rachel, Erinn, and I each took a picture with the whole Barahona familia (Santiago, Concha, Conchi y Cris). We took some other pictures and had to say goodbye to Santiago. (The rest of the family would be there in the morning to bid us farewell before our flight).
• To go out "big" on my last night in Madrid, I went to the 7-story club Kapital with my friends Brittany, Delia, and Kelsey. And yes, we stayed out all night (till 6am) and took the metro home (last metro ride) even though we had to wake up only a couple hours later to go to the airport. "Go big or go home!," right? I like to say I went big and then went home. haha
I think it is worth remembering what I did:
• Took my last final at the fundación (conversation with Estrella)
• Went to visit Conchi at the Pharmacy and brought her a smiley face cookie from the pastelería by the fundación
• Did some souvenir shopping in Sol
• Read my book on a bench by Palacio Real for a little before meeting Erinn and Rachel at Cien Montaditos for lunch.
• When I started walking to Cien, an older couple asked me (in Spanish, of course) about how to enter the palace. I tried my best explaining it to them in Spanish and thought that I was kind of struggling, but the lady said “De dónde eres? Hablas bien espanol.” That made me feel so good. I felt happy, a little accomplished, and better about leaving Madrid.
• Met up with Devin to do some more souvenir shopping. We talked a lot about our semesters and summed up our experiences. We got chocolate croissants/napolitanas at this amazing bakery called La Mallorquina Pastelería! They cost only one Euro, and my only regret I had about my time in Madrid quickly became that I hadn’t found out about that bakery sooner and gone often.
• Went out with EVERYONE in the fundación program, including Miriam and Nacho, to La Via Lactica bar and had a great time. We really had such a great group!
Friday, December 18, 2009:
• The day before my flight back to the United States, I was finally forced to start (and finish) packing. So that is what I spent most of the day doing, in between talking/drinking cofee with Concha, and crying. (When I was getting sad she was like "Ven aquí cariño, y toma un cafetito conmigo").
• Later in the evening, the roommates and I went to Sol to walk around and see the Christmas lights. Of course I had to get a chocolate napolitana again from that bakery since it was my last chance.
• Then we had our last dinner together-"La última cena." I can't remember exactly what we ate, but I think empanadas (my favorite!) were a part of the meal. :) Then Concha came over and Lexi, Rachel, Erinn, and I each took a picture with the whole Barahona familia (Santiago, Concha, Conchi y Cris). We took some other pictures and had to say goodbye to Santiago. (The rest of the family would be there in the morning to bid us farewell before our flight).
• To go out "big" on my last night in Madrid, I went to the 7-story club Kapital with my friends Brittany, Delia, and Kelsey. And yes, we stayed out all night (till 6am) and took the metro home (last metro ride) even though we had to wake up only a couple hours later to go to the airport. "Go big or go home!," right? I like to say I went big and then went home. haha
El grupo de los estudiantes y nuestras últimas fiestas juntos
On our last two weekends in Madrid, some of the students organized group get-togethers/fiestas at bars. (We basically took over). On Thursday, December 10th, it was at a bar called La Fábrica de la Yaya that was pretty close to our house. Almost everyone was there, and it was so fun! We were all wondering why we didn't start going out as a huge group sooner and more often. 
And then the last final hoorah was at La Via Lactica bar on the last day of finals- Thursday, December 17th. EVERYONE was there, including Miriam and Nacho. I think everyone had a blast and it was a nice way to end the semester. It was great meeting new people and making new friends through the program. I know a lot more USD students now and it sounds corny, but I think all of us who were in Madrid together this semester will always have a special bond/love for each other. I saw a lot of Madrid kids the other night at the USD-Gonzaga basketball game and it was really cool. Whenever I see one of them around, I'll always smile and be reminded of the great times we had in Madrid. Wednesday, January 20, 2010
La fundación de José Ortega y Gasset
La fundación was what we called our small school. The school has graduate programs for Spanish students and a program for international students (us). The international program only consisted of students from USD and SMU- a total of about 90 students- so it was a close-knit group. The teachers were great.. and treated us like family. We called our professors by their first names, and some of them even took us out to restaurants after our last class with them!
Miriam, my Imagen de España professor, and Nacho, our program director, even came out to the bar with all of the students on the last weekend in Madrid! How often does that happen among professors and students?
The week before finals, we had an end-of-semester party with drinks and tapas. It was kind of emotional, because we were all reminded of orientation in Toledo and how fast the semester went since then, and how much we have learned and gotten to experience. A few students spoke in front of everyone and it was very nice. I personally had already been feeling sad and emotional earlier that day, so I was tearing up during that part. But I don’t think I was the only one…
It is crazy to know that most of us will never see those professors again.
Pictures from the party: 
-group picture of the USD students with professors
-Devin and I with Miriam
-group picture of the USD students with professors-Devin and I with Miriam
-with Estrella, my Conversation teacher
-with Nacho
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