Counting down

Hi friends,

I’m getting down to the final hours in Spain.  Wow, crazy to think about it.  I wanted to send you all a quick update before I get on the plane tomorrow morning.

Since I finished finals, I’ve been hanging out with my friends, relaxing, and attempting to pack.  On Saturday, we all met up and went to an awesome tapas bar called El Tigre.  I had never been there before, but a lot of other people had.  We all ordered drinks and then got a ton of food (tapas) along with the drinks.  I really liked the food, and I wish I had gone to that place more than just once, although it’s probably good that I didn’t because it’s a bit expensive.  After El Tigre, I went to Sol with a few people to take some pictures, and then went home.  Saturday night, a big group of us went to the Egyptian temple that is in Madrid (Templo de Debod).  We just hung out and chatted.  It was a great chill night, and I had fun with everyone.

On Sunday, my friends Brittany and Maddy arrived in Madrid from Omaha.  They are spending a month here in Spain for a summer study abroad program.  Mary Kate and I met up with them at Retiro that afternoon, and we had a nice Creighton reunion.  We took them to Sol and went to Cien Montaditos (the bar with the 100 little sandwiches).  It was great to see them, even though they were a bit jet lagged.

Monday was another chill day.  I met some friends on campus in the afternoon, and then Megan, Victoria, and I went to the park to sunbathe and relax.  Those girls are my best new friends, and I’m so grateful to have met them.  We all go to different schools, but I know we’ll keep in touch, and hopefully get together this summer :)

Last night, a group of us girls went out on the town.  Those of us who were finished with finals went out and met up with Brittany and Maddy.  We first went to a sangria bar and then to some other bar where we were offered free drinks.  It was a great night out with just the girls.

Today, I spent the whole day packing.  Many of you probably know how much I detest packing.  I thought it would be easier this time because I know what I need to pack… it’s not as bad as when I’m at home and have tons of options.  But this was still hard.  I don’t have room for all my stuff, so I’m leaving some clothes and other things to donate.  Tonight is our last night out in Madrid.  I won’t be out too late, but I can’t miss the last big event with my friends in Madrid!

Tomorrow morning, I am taking a shuttle to the airport with Victoria, her host mom, and her roommate Maya.  I’m really looking forward to getting home!  Not very excited about the long flight, but I guess you gotta take the bad with the good.

All right, hasta pronto everyone!  Madrid, I’m gonna miss you, but U.S., I can’t wait to see you!

Much love,

Elizabeth

Adios Sophomore Year

Hi everyone!

This post is coming to you from a dreary Saturday morning in Madrid.  And it’s dreary not only because it’s raining, but also because this is my last Saturday in Madrid.  I can’t believe the semester is already coming to a close.  But, you know, time is a weird thing.  Sometimes it feels as though I’ve been here for only a few weeks, but other times, I feel as if I’ve been away for years.  Overall, however, I’m ready to be going home and getting back to “normal” life.  It’s a little sad to leave all the friends I’ve made here because most of us don’t go to the same school, but I’m excited to see everyone back home.  Bittersweet ending.

On a positive note, I am officially done with my sophomore year of college!  I had my last final yesterday, so now I am a junior and have a few free days in Madrid.  Sweet!  My last three finals went pretty well.  Philosophy was easy—took me 45 minutes to write the two essays.  Art History was kind of obnoxious because it was long (I wrote 6 full pages, and remember, the paper here is longer than at home haha).  There was also some confusion with another professor (who doesn’t speak English) and her class.  They came into our room and said that it was their time for the exam, even though it was our normal time and classroom, and our class was on the schedule posted on the door.  But whatever, she’s the professor, so clearly, she’s correct.  Anyway, our prof was late, and it wasn’t really the best way to start a final exam, but whatever.  Then our professor left about half an hour in and said the other lady would proctor the rest.  But this other professor had to show slides to her students and they spent the second half of the exam talking about every slide that she showed.  Seriously?  This is my time to take a final, and you and your class are talking through it.  Geez.  If I had any problems taking tests, this would have been a disaster.  As it was, the final took me longer than it should have, but it’s over and done with now.

After our finals on Thursday, my friends and I went to Sangria Thursday for the last time.  It’s amazing to see what a transformation can occur in the span of four months—people who didn’t know each other at all have become really close, good friends.  Humans are pretty cool like that.  :)

Yesterday, I had my final final :) which was positive psychology.  I didn’t really study much for it because I didn’t have the motivation, but it went well.  Psychology is so interesting to me that things tend to stick with me, and I usually don’t have to study much.  Convenient.  I really enjoyed that class and am looking forward to reading the positive psychology books that I ordered for myself when I get home!

Last night was Maggie’s prom, so I Skyped the family before things got crazy and all the kids got there for pictures.  Maggie looked beautiful!  I can’t wait to hear about what a good time she had.

Today, it is unfortunately raining, but my friends and I are going to get some food this afternoon and then who know what after that.  I’m free as a bird since I don’t need to study anymore!  And then my Creighton friends arrive tomorrow, so I’m very excited to meet them here in Madrid!

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.  Get ready for my return to the U.S.A.!!

Love,

Elizabeth

Approaching the end

Hey there!

It’s official, finals have begun.  I had my first one (Spanish) this morning at 9 AM.  I think it went well, but we’ll see.  Some of those grammar questions can be tricky!  My second final (philosophy) is in 2 hours, so I’m going to review a bit and then head back to campus.

I realized a few days ago that I never wrote about my most recent meeting with Sonja.  She and Henry came to Madrid last week for a few days, and I had dinner with them on Thursday.  We ate at a restaurant that I went to with Dad, Maggie, and Michael.  It was so nice to see Sonja again and catch up with her.  And Henry is absolutely wonderful—adorable and very well behaved.  He doesn’t know much English yet, so he read a book during dinner.  Cute!  This past Sunday/Monday, Sonja had a flight to Chicago, so she got to stop in L-ville for a few hours to see Mom, Dad, and Emma.  It’s great to reconnect with friends!

Yesterday was my last day of classes.  And I didn’t even go to both of them… In Positive Psych, our professor, Eduardo, was leading a meditation for the final class.  To be quite honest, I have no interest in meditation, so I skipped class and spent that hour and fifteen minutes productively by studying for philosophy.  I think it was a good choice.  I did go to school after that though.  Before I left the apartment, I checked the weather, and, even though it wasn’t supposed to rain until 6 PM, I grabbed my umbrella.  Good thing too, because when I was about halfway to campus, it started raining cats and dogs.  I literally was caught in a deluge of rain.  But somehow, I was in a really good mood and smiled through it.  The storm (complete with thunder and lightning) only lasted about half an hour and then it was partly sunny again.  Weird weather.  Anyway, I had my last art history class, which was just a review for the final.  Then I walked home with Victoria and started my studying.

I suppose that’s all for today.  I am officially down to less than a week until I leave to go home.  I can’t wait to see everyone when I get back!

All my love,

Elizabeth

In These Shoes

Hola amigos!

Today is the Fiesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, which means very little to me, except that I don’t have class!  Yay for Madrid!  Unfortunately, finals are rapidly approaching, which is much less exciting.

Before I get into all that stuff, I want to explain the title of this post.  I realized when I was traipsing through the Roman Forum that the boots I was wearing (see below) have traveled through 5 different countries with me—the U.S., Spain, France, Ireland, and Italy.  Pretty cool.  I really love these boots, and they have a lot of great memories associated with them now.  Plus they’re in a ton of my pictures!  I think it’s also interesting to ponder of the concept of walking in someone else’s shoes.  I have to say I don’t always do that, but can become easily offended by people who don’t step into mine automatically.  I think that’s something I should work on.  As I’ve traveled around Europe and learned about different people and cultures, I think it has become a little bit easier for me to see new/different perspectives, but there’s always room for improvement, right?!

Anyway, the past few days have been filled mostly with studying… pretty boring.  I also finished the Millennium Trilogy (which starts with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  It was fantastic—couldn’t put it down!  If you haven’t read it, or started it but never got into it/finished it, I highly recommend that you give it a try.  The books are intense, but definitely worth the time.  Enjoy!

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet for me.  Some of my friends were in Barcelona this weekend, and I didn’t really feel like “going out,” so I mostly stayed at home and hung out with Maria.  I am really going to miss her.  She came in my room the other day and said that she knows how stressful finals can be, and that people get very nervous, so if there is anything I want (tea, coffee so I can study late, apples, oranges, anything) she would get it for me.  How sweet is she?!  I got really lucky with her as my señora.

Well, I think that’s it for now.  Tomorrow is my last day of class, and then I have finals on Wednesday through Friday.  Wish me luck!

Much love,

Elizabeth

P.S.  Good luck to all of my stateside friends who are studying and taking their finals, especially at Creighton!

The Eternal City

Hi everyone!

Rome is absolutely fantastic, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

We got to Rome on Friday evening around 8.  Our flight was delayed a little bit, and before we boarded the gate was changed twice, so we had to keep moving around the airport, but once we got on the plane, it was all good.  From the airport in Rome, we took a mini-bus to Termini, which is the main train/metro station in Rome.  It is also a three-minute walk from our hostel, so it was very convenient for us.  We checked in to our hostel successfully and dropped off our stuff.  I had heard that we shouldn’t expect anything good from hostels and hotels in Rome, but ours is actually very nice for a hostel.  We were supposed to be in an 8-bed dorm, but our room is only a 6-bed, which is nice—cuts down on the snoring roommates.  The room is pretty large, with two tables, 6 chairs, 6 lockers, and a window/balcony.  The bathroom is nice as well—four showers, toilets, sinks, and even hairdryers!  It’s the first hostel that I’ve been to that has free hairdryers in the bathroom.  :)

comfy (not) hostel beds

We were hungry when we got in on Friday night, so after we dropped off our bags, we got a recommendation for dinner.  We ended up at a restaurant about 5 minutes away from the hostel, and we had pizza margarita and the house wine.  It was delicious and filling—just what we needed after a travel day.

On Saturday, we got up around 9 and went to breakfast.  Our hostel has free breakfast consisting of cornflakes, bread, milk, juice, and coffee.  Not much selection, but it’s free, so we’re not picky.  After breakfast, we got ready for a day of exploring.  On our way to the Colosseum, we stopped in a few churches that were pretty cool.  It seems as if every block in Rome has a church, which gets a little overwhelming for me.  At this point in my European adventures, most churches and cathedrals are the same to me.  But that’s okay.  Finally, we got to Palatine Hills and the Roman Forum, where we got in line to buy tickets for those two things, as well as the Colosseum.  Luckily for us, the past week (until the 17th) was “culture week,” so it was all free!  Yay for saving money—money that would later be spent on gelato!!  :)  Anyway, once we got our tickets (we still needed tickets, even though it was free), we went to the Colosseum.  The outside is cool, and looks just like you would picture it from all the movies, drawings, and pictures you’ve seen.  The inside is cool too, but there were a lot of people in there, which always makes things less enjoyable for me.  We had a good view of the Arc of Constantine from the Colosseum though, so that was great.  We walked around on both levels for about half an hour and then made our way over to the Roman Forum.

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

First view of the Colosseum

Roman Forum

in front of the Colosseum!

inside

At Palatine Hills and the Roman Forum, we just walked around and took pictures of everything.  It’s all ruins, so it takes a lot of imagination to think about what it would have looked like 2,000 years ago, but it was still cool.  I loved the first part of Palatine Hills because it was a great, green, grassy area with beautiful views—very peaceful and pleasant.  The rest of the area was more crowded and rocky—cool but not as serene.

awesome tree in Palatine Hill

perfect day!

Circus Maximus and the stadium

After the Roman Forum, we saw the Trajan column, and then got lunch to go and sat by the Victor Emmanuel II Monument (which is called “the wedding cake” because it’s a huge white building) to eat.  From there, we walked to Trevi Fountain, which was awesome.  I didn’t really know what to expect from the fountain (I just knew that it was famous).  It is a huge fountain built on the side of a building.  There were tons of people surrounding the fountain, taking pictures, and throwing coins in.  We eventually managed to get a seat near the fountain, and we rested for a while.  When it got too crowded for comfort, we left to find some gelato.  I had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of mixed berry.  It was delicious!  My first combination was a success.  :)

Fontana di Trevi

Gelato!

After that, we headed back to the hostel.  We were still pretty full from our late lunch and the gelato, so we just stopped in a supermarket to pick up some fruit and wine that we ate for a snack before bed.  When we got back to the hostel, we watched a movie and ate our food—it’s nice to be able to take things slowly on this trip instead of trying to cram everything in two or three days.

Sunday was Palm Sunday, so we got up early (6:45) to get ready and go to the Vatican for mass at 9:30.  We took the metro to the Vatican and got there around 8.  Mass was outside in St. Peter’s Square, and there were already a ton of people lined up to go into the square.  We didn’t have reserved tickets, which allowed you to sit in chairs instead of stand for mass, so I really wasn’t looking forward to the next 4+ hours of my life.  On the bright side, my friend Katie found us in the crowd, and we got to chat for a few minutes (she was at mass with people from Loyola University, where she is goes and is studying abroad).  But walking into the square was amazing.  Just looking around and seeing the basilica and everything set up for mass was really cool.  After taking the regular touristy pictures, we picked out a great spot by the wooden barricades and set up shop.  However, as we were standing there, jealously watching people with pink “reserved” tickets go in, the guard let some people without tickets go in saying “no problem.”  So, we got to go in and have seats!  It was wonderful—nice surprise for the long mass.  We also ended up sitting by a brother named Joe who is from the quad cities (western Illinois) and a girl who goes to Marquette and is studying at John Cabot University in Rome.  Joe told us that we had the best seats in the house because we saw the Holy Father as he processed to the obelisk in the middle of St. Peter’s Square.  A long procession ended when Pope Benedict XVI came down the aisle in his pope-mobile.  It’s a Mercedes, in case you were wondering.  Pretty legit.  Anyway, mass was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.  Joe sat right behind us and offered to translate everything for us.  The different parts of mass were said in several different languages (the first reading was in English, so I didn’t need help with that!) but the whole gospel was in Italian.  It was great to have Joe translating because it helped me to pay attention and not get lost in my thoughts.  Being in the square with so many people and celebrating mass was a really cool experience for me, and I will never forget it.  Even though it was a 3-hour long mass, it didn’t feel that long, surprisingly.

St. Peter's Basilica

Pope Benedict XVI in his car :)

After mass, we found a restaurant and had lunch.  Delicious pasta for lunch was just what I needed.  Then we tried to go to the Vatican museum, but it was closed, so we found some gelato instead.  After that, we went back to the hostel and rested for a few hours.  For dinner, we stopped at the grocery store, picked up some bread, meat, and cheese, and walked to the Colosseum for a picnic.  Pretty classy, huh?

Picnic in front of the Colosseum!

On Monday, we explored the western section of Rome, including the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the river, and Il Gesú, which is a Jesuit church.  Everything was pretty crowded, but it was cool to see famous sites in Rome, even when I didn’t know much about them.  Victoria is taking ancient art history this semester, so she taught me a little about the buildings and architecture we saw—thanks buddy!  We tried to go in Il Gesú, but it was closed for some reason, but that was okay because we went back on Friday and got in.  After exploring all day, we went back to our hostel for free pasta dinner, which was mediocre at best, but again, free so we dealt.  We also met two new roommates, guys who are studying in Paris for the semester.  After chatting a bit, we all went out and explored the Roman sites at night, which was pretty cool.  We walked the exact same route as that morning, which was a bit tiring, but it’s great to see things in daylight and at night!

Pantheon

fountain in Piazza Navona

I love this balcony with the beautiful flowers

River

After a few days of exploring and being ultra-tourists, we were ready for a little break, so on Tuesday we took the train to a town called Anzio, which is an hour away from Rome.  We brought some fruit, crackers, and water and lied out on the beach all day long.  It was wonderful.  There were only a few other people on the beach and the weather was perfect.  Relaxing was a good change to the busy go-go-go of exploring a new city.

our private beach haha :)

Mediterranean Sea!

I see Spain!  ;)

Wednesday was our Vatican day—we spent the whole day exploring the Vatican’s vast museums.  I didn’t know what to expect at the museum exactly, but they had a little of everything—ancient Roman statues, Vatican post stamps, and even an area dedicated to the indigenous people of Australia.  It was very interesting to see all of the artwork, statues, and artifacts that have been collected over the years.  My favorite part was an exhibit of Fabergé eggs.  I always thought those were English, but they actually started in Russia.  Very interesting information about them, and they were all so beautiful.

Fabergé eggs

this was my favorite

After the museum, we saw the Sistine Chapel.  It was cool to see the iconic paintings by Michelangelo, but the chapel was very small and packed with people, so we didn’t spend too much time in there.  Then we went into St. Peter’s Basilica, which was awesome.  It was so much bigger than I was expecting.  Very impressive, but again, full of people, which detracts from the ambiance.  After the basilica, we visited the tombs of the popes.  There were a lot of people praying in front of the tomb of JPII.  It amazing to see what a huge influence one man can have over so many people.

ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

St. Peter's Basilica with sunlight streaming in

Michelangelo's Pieta

When we left the Vatican, we got gelato at a place called Old Bridge, which is apparently one of the most popular gelato places in Rome.  It was good, but in my opinion, pretty much all gelato is the same.  It just depends on the combination of flavors that you choose. 

On Thursday, we went back to Anzio to sit on the beach again.  We thought about going to Naples for the day, but it was a lot more expensive and a longer train ride, so we did what we knew and hung out on the beach.  There were significantly more people out on Thursday, but it was still fun.

Friday was our last full day in Rome.  We met up with Katie since she doesn’t have class on Fridays.  First, we met at the Spanish Steps, which is literally just some steps that lead to the Spanish embassy (I think…).  Nice for pictures, but way too many people around.  Then we walked around Villa Borghese, which is a giant park, with an art gallery that we skipped.  Finally, we made it back to Il Gesú, the Jesuit church, and it was open, so we went in and enjoyed it for a bit.  Afterwards, we headed to the Trevi Fountain again, and Victoria and I threw American pennies in.  Just our little contribution to the money fountain.  Then we had dinner at Katie’s favorite restaurant L’Archetto.  Delicious pasta and really good conversation—so nice to be with friends.

Il Gesú

Inside Il Gesú

After dinner, we met up with a group of people from Loyola University and went to the Colosseum for Stations of the Cross with the pope.  We got there early to get a good spot, but once it started, it was amazing.  Everyone had candles that we lit and held as the stations were read.  Everything was in Italian, but I felt that I understood a lot of it.  Definitely can’t translate it, but I got the gist.  It was another fantastic experience that I will never forget.

Katie, Victoria, and me at the Colosseum for the Stations of the Cross

Saturday was our last day in Rome, and we had a late flight.  So, we walked around Rome in some areas that we hadn’t seen before.  We stopped at Hard Rock Café so I could get a shirt, and then we wandered around.  We found a few bookstores that we explored, which was fun.  I really miss spending time in bookstores—can’t wait to do that when I get home!  We went back to L’Archetto for lunch because we wanted to have something substantial before our late flight. Then we took a bus to the airport and went back to Madrid.

After a week in Rome, it was really nice to get back to Madrid.  There’s something to be said for the comfort of a familiar city.  Such a radical change from how I felt when I first arrived in Madrid and was scared out of my mind.  I wonder how I will feel when I get home in two weeks… I have heard about reverse culture shock, and I do think I will experience that to some degree, but probably not too much.  I guess we’ll see in 2 weeks!

Unfortunately, one of my souvenirs from Rome was a bad cough that started on Saturday.  I felt pretty awful when I got to the apartment, so Maria made me some tea and then I went to bed.  I had to get up a little early though to get ready for Easter Sunday mass.  Victoria found an English-speaking parish here in Madrid, so a group of us met for mass.  It was so nice to have a familiar mass where I understood everything.  After mass, we all went out for lunch at a Chinese restaurant.  It was a way different Easter than I’m used to, but it was still good.

The rest of Sunday, I rested and tried to catch up on some of my work.  On Monday, I went to my classes but felt terrible the whole day, so I went straight to bed when I got home.  Yesterday I felt much better, but had to write a Spanish essay, so I didn’t have time to update this blog.  So I’m finally doing it now.  I’m not feeling great again today, but I’m hoping in a few days I’ll be back to normal.  Say a prayer please!  I would definitely appreciate being healthy for finals…

Okay, well that’s it for now.  I hope everyone enjoys reading about my Roman adventure.  Have a great week!

Much love,

Elizabeth

Positive Institutions

Hola!

I think this will be my last update until I get home from holidays in Rome!  I may try to post something during the week, but Victoria and I are going to be busy, so we’ll see if that happens or not…

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day.  For Positive Psychology, we went on a field trip to a place called Hub Madrid.  Before getting there, I didn’t know anything about it, but we had a tour from one of Eduardo’s previous positive psych students who now works there.  It’s a really cool office/work space for social entrepreneurs.  Basically, it’s a community office where people who are running businesses that have a social aspect (meaning improving life or helping people in some way) can work, network, and share ideas and contacts.  The office itself isn’t too large, but it is very open and inviting.  It is such a cool idea too.  Hub Madrid is an excellent example of what we call a “positive institution”—an institution that encourages positivity in people.  Eduardo told us that he has several projects/companies that he works on there; he is such a humble person, but I can tell that he has done a lot of great things in his life.  It’s nice to learn from such an accomplished person!

Here is the website for Hub Madrid, if you would like to check it out: http://madrid.the-hub.net/public/

In art history, we had a slide quiz yesterday.  I actually don’t mind those because they’re pure memorization (of paintings, artists, dates, and movements), and I’m pretty sure I got everything right.  After class, I went home and started getting organized for Rome.  I am almost done packing now and will leave for the airport with Victoria soon.  It’s going to be such a fun trip!

Have a wonderful weekend, Holy Week, and Easter everyone!

Ciao,

Elizabeth

Values and Museo Sorolla

Hola friends!

Before I get too far behind, here’s another update!

On Sunday, I did my homework and relaxed at home—good alone time and homework time.  Monday was class again.  Weird how that comes around every week, huh…  Spanish was a normal class, as was philosophy.  I don’t remember anything specific about Monday, so I guess it was just an ordinary day.

On Tuesday, I had Positive Psychology, which was good.  We’ve been talking about values, which is pretty interesting.  Apparently, most people have the same values; the difference is in how people prioritize their values.  For example, most people value both freedom and security, but one may be more important at a certain time than the other (a good example would be the time right after 9/11—people cared a lot more about security than freedom for awhile).  I think it is fascinating to think about and try to organize values to see what is most important to you.

For art history, we had a field trip to the Museo Sorolla.  It was one of my favorite trips so far.  Joaquin Sorolla was a famous Spanish painter born in 1863.  He was influenced by the Realists, Impressionists, and Post-Impressionists, and all of his paintings are awesome.  He was quite skilled at all styles and genres of art, so the museum was filled with a great variety of pieces.  The museum building is actually Sorolla’s house, which his wife donated to the state after his death.  The house has amazing courtyards and gardens, and the house itself is beautiful.  It is quaint and peaceful, and Sorolla had a happy life—finally an artist with a good life story!  I’m including some pictures that I took at the museum.

Pretty courtyard

After the museum, I went straight home and made it there at 5, which is a good 45 minutes earlier than I usually get home.  So, I did my Spanish homework right away (I had to prepare a dumb portfolio of everything I’ve done this semester… ugh).  And then I worked on some job applications for this summer.  It was a productive evening, and I got to Skype with Mom, Maggie, and Emma for almost 2 hours!  It’s nice to talk to my family, and I’ll get to do that in person in 28 days!

Today is another gorgeous sunny day in Madrid.  I came to school a little early this morning to finish my portfolio, and then I went to Spanish.  After that I had lunch and then enjoyed the weather and did some work.  Then I went to philosophy, which was ordinary.  It’s very hot in that classroom though, which just makes me want to take a nap.  Now I’m home and about to start my homework.

Well that’s all for now, so talk to you all later!

Love,

Elizabeth