My Last Blog Post.....

In four months I have:

·     - Got to see an old friend I haven’t seen in four years

·      -Been in three different countries

·      -Walked through the Black forest in Germany

·      -Seen the largest cuckoo-clock in the world

·      -Visited all the parts of the city of arts and sciences in Valencia

·      -Visited at least four different castles in Spain

·      -Seen a few brilliant cathedrals

·      -Drank the best beer in Germany and the best Sangria in Spain

·      -Danced the nights away until 8 o’clock in the morning plenty of times

·      -Had more glasses of red wine than I any other beverage I have had

·      And overall met amazing people that will always hold a special place in my heart.

            I remember thinking that it couldn’t be true that I was coming to Europe. I remember thinking that how did I go from asking my parents for a prom dress to wear my senior year of high school to asking if I could fly out earlier and stay with my friend in Germany only a few months later.

            For my European friends, put yourself in my shoes and think how crazy it would have been if you were coming to America to study for four months while your family is six hours behind on the time.  

            I remember when the time got closer how I would feel anxiety when someone brought up Spain and how I couldn’t see my living room couches or my bedroom floor for a few weeks while packing for this adventure. Looking back I don’t know why I stressed so much about something so easy.         

            I remember how amazing it was to hug my long lost friend, Jonas and how those ten days flew by so fast. The sadness I felt leaving him and how scared I was for Valencia.

            The first day I was really sad and stressed but the next day with my host parent’s family showed that I’ll get there. Being the scared American in my class made me realize that the next time I see an international student in my class at my university that I am going to approach them and make them feel welcomed just like those who did for me and those who I wished did for me.

            I remember the first time I could hold a whole conversation on the phone with my professor and with my host dad.

            I remember all those times going out to the club and dancing the night away until the sun came up and looking at the clock thinking oh yeah I usually wake up in like an hour.

            I remember watching the students in my internship remember how to say certain English sentences that I couldn’t believe they picked up so fast and how proud of them I was. Especially when they could say my name correctly!  

            I remember standing at the top of the castle in Segovia watching that sunset go down too fast, just like the time I had left in Spain.

            I can think of all the people I have met and how between the lovely ladies and the awesome guys how my standards have been raised tremendously. Not just for having a boyfriend, but also for people I chose to keep in my life in general. I have made better friends here then I have with some people I have known all my life. It’s crazy when you know you don’t have much time together how grateful you are for everything little thing.

            My craving to see the world has nowhere near been cured, if anything it’s worse than it was before.  There is so much out there that people from my town, my college, my state, my country do not realize. Before Spain, I felt lost and insecure. I felt like I needed someone or something to hold onto. Now I feel whole. I feel that seeing so much and experiencing as much as possible has fulfilled that empty part of me I didn’t realize I even had.  I now have this urge to go on road trips across the US, maybe explore Canada some more. Maybe I’ll go back to where my craving for travel all started that I wanted to see more the world when my parents took us to South Dakota by RV. Maybe I can visit Costa Rica, the place that inspired me to learn Spanish. At the same time, I want to see so many other places I haven’t experience.

And how knows! Valencia, Spain has a student teaching program so I just might return in two years…

  The world is like a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.

Segovia and Madrid:

We had an amazing time in Segovia and Madrid! Although Alicia booked our train ride to be seven hours long.....both ways... Only twenty euros though! David's family is very nice and we had so much fun being with them. We went to Segovia which is probably my second favorite city; Valencia of course has a special place in my heart. We saw aqueducts and a castle. It is a very antique city that I could have spent the whole week exploring every inch of it. The next day we went to Madrid and while it was really cool to be in the capital, I felt like it was very crowded and squished. The city is beautiful but I definitely do not want to live there or Barcelona because of the tourist and high population. David's friends were really nice and hilarious too, though their accents were difficult to understand at first since we had adapted to the Valenciano's accents.

It's crazy to think while I'm writing this that I have 12 more days here....I am torn between Valencia and my family.

 

Studying Abroad In Valencia, Spain: As Told By Buddy The Elf

It´s Christmas time! I thought I would use my favorite Christmas movie to show some of my overall experience while studying in Valencia, Spain!

During your first week of classes, you tend to stand out a lot compared to the locals. I usually was the only blonde in my class!

Your classmates probably wonder why you´re so happy to be at their univeristy.



You try to act chill but you just can´t believe you´re in Spain!!

You know you sound so much different than everyone else when you speak!

But then you realize how much harder living here in another country is going to be as opposed to what a few others told you.

Your host family doesn´t quite understand your American customs during meals.

And you probably eat quite a bit more.

Riding the metro for the first time was a scary experience.

The city life is also a bit frightening for a school town girl.



Sometimes you have no idea how to work simple European devices.

And there are some days where you just feel like the stupid American!

Every restaurant claims to have the best paella (a delicious meal that orginated from Valencia) in all of Spain!



You feel bad when you acccidently give your host family a hard time.

Despite your effort, sometimes people don’t quite understand you.

And sometimes you say things horribly wrong on accident!



But you´re best friends are the ones who can see through your thick accent!

All around you, there’s still so much to take in.





And you really don´t want to leave Spain because of all the people and the country itself that you have fallen inlove with.

My One English Class:

I was very interested by this one class I am taking here because it is my only class in English. In this class we create lessons for ESL classes for a specific age group our assignment gives us using children's literature. I give the locals a lot of credit because I can't imagine having this class in another language. It was very interesting to hear what words/sounds they struggled with, but which came super easy. It was also interesting to hear how they spoke. It was a mixture of being super formal with some British influence. Being America, there were many times when they were grammatically correct but I would be caught off guard because we would never say that in the States. I also noticed with how we speak is our mouths are wider and our tongues are inside our mouth while the Spanish have their mouth less open but their tongue is constantly a little outside their mouth. It's actually pretty cool and I try to speak their way! I believe that the grammar of Spanish is harder to learn but the pronunciation of English is more difficult. ENglish has less rules and more ways to say speak or write one things, but Spanish is more strict and has more words. I hope I have helped my friends better their English because they have sure helped me improve my Spanish!

A Fantastic Saturday Night!

One of my best friends who lives in Valencia took me to see a soccer (football) game for the local professional team! She invited me over to her house and it was awesome to have an actual family meal and be outside the house for once. Her parents drove us to the game and unfortunately the teams tied. It was still so much fun with the excitement of the fans and we even picked our favorite player to be #21! The stadium was beautiful except the steps were pretty steep and I felt like it was rather dangerous to stand up.  

 Then after we went to a local bar and the bartender and a few others bought us our drinks. She was speaking in English while I spoke Spanish and I don't think anyone would of been able to eavesdrop on our conversation. I am forever grateful for my friend here. We both share the same passion for teaching. She reminds me of my best friend at home.

It's not where you've been, it's the people you have met.    

Terrorist Attack while in Europe: Just some thoughts to share

I can honestly say that I never for a second felt endangered being in Valencia, Spain. I had many friends and family who contacted me asking if I was okay when the terrorist attacks happened in Pairs. It was a horrible thing to see on the news and in the internet. I knew of some other Erasmus students who were from Paris who were terrified. I also knew some fellow students from my college in NY who are currently in France that were scared. I would say thankfully I did not lose anyone in the attacks but really I lost the 129+ people who died on the French cold ground.

The two biggest post-tragedy topics that have escalated throughout social media and the news are the questions/opinions of if Islam encourages terrorism and if we should allow refugees from Syria to come to the United States.

Anyone who says Islam is the same as terrorism is an ignorant and narrow-minded idiot.
It angers and saddens me to see how ignorant people are to label a group of extremist as a whole religion. Just because the terrorist identify themselves to be Muslim does not mean that the religion of Islam identifies to be of terrorism. There are those who claim there about all the evil words of the Quran and so on, but let's keep in mind that the Bible or the Torah are nowhere close to being innocent of extreme ideas.  Its unfortunate to say that there is another plague of Islam-phobia going around.

This video is probably the best argument against those who are quick to use oppression and Islam in the same breathe.

Now about the Syrian Refugees, well first let me just start off with this photo:

And second, how we can we turn our backs and let other countries deal with the horrors of Syria? Why are people once again generalizing saying that they are all going to bomb us? It's horrible and I'm ashamed to be from a country that keeps sharing ridiculous memes about how we shouldn't accept refugees because they "might be bad". Oh okay so maybe we should look at all the domestic attacks that white Christians have done out of their beliefs? Maybe we should look at how our country is still shown as an example of a lot of racism in my Society class in Spain. Sure every country has these problems but I really do think that mindsets of a lot of narrow-minded Americans are the worst I have ever seen in my time I have been in Europe. 

One of my best friends and my brother's girlfriend wrote this amazing article for her college's paper about the refugees and how we as Americans must help. 

Dear Facebook Friends: A Thought on Syrian Refugees 

A world united against evil forces like ISIS and terrorism will remain strong. But a world divided into our own nationalities and close-minded thoughts will fall apart just like the villains want us too. 

Being Nothing is Everything:

Last night I was waiting to meet up with my friend for some drinks in a bar we both like. 

I sat in the middle of this plaza that is a very open area with restaurants and shops surrounding it. 

I sat on the steps just watching the world around me.

I saw a mother pushing her baby in a stroller while her older child was riding a scooter. He was going through the crowd like they were a maze.

 I then looked to my right and I see an older couple cuddling and smiling wearing matching wedding bands.

I hear laughter and behind me are young teenagers in their group flirting and joking with one another. 

I looked across and I see a nervous looking man who couldn't be much older than my 19-year old self checking his watch and looking for someone. Then a beautiful woman greets him and they have a meal together. I think to myself that maybe it's something like a first date for them and would explain his nervous smile when he looks at his date. 

Running by their table two young toddlers catch my eyes at how much they are laughing and giggling speaking their gibberish. 

I see many others on their way to whatever plans they may have for the night and can't help but to feel so small but in a good way. 

You see, I come from a town where my last name is pretty well-known since the town is small and I am the third generation to go through the local school district. I have a job at a popular ice cream stand where I know almost everyone who comes to get their sweet treats. I go to the mall in the city knowing there's a good chance someone I know will see me. I'm known in my hometown for wanting to be a future teacher and passionate about the sport of lacrosse. I have two close groups of friends one that I graduated with and one that is a bit older. They are both wonderful groups I am so lucky to have.

In my college three hours away from my hometown, I am seen as a student in the education and Spanish departments. I am also seen as one of the younger members of the lacrosse team that is trying to work her way up to playing more. I am an employee for a wonderful program named LifePrep where I have the honor to work with students with disabilities. My college is small so I'm bound to see someone I know on campus and in the nearby town. I have my friends at work, my lacrosse team, and a few closer friendships that I spend the most time with. 

I have only dated people that lived close to me. Over the course of almost four years I have been in a relationship with a few different people. I don't regret any second of it, but I am grateful to be single at this part of my life. 

My hometown, my college, relationships, and friendships have showed me how much people may expect or label me as. They aren't wrong and I do have quite a few responsibilities such as being a teammate, a mentor, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a student and a girlfriend. It's not like they are jobs, they are a part of my life. 

However in Spain, I am nothing. I am no one. 

I am just this blonde girl who is just sitting on the steps watching the world go on. 

And I love it. 

I do have an internship and classes that I have to attend but I also have so much freedom to do what I want. If I want to take a walk in the park, I do. If I want to go shopping, I go. If I want to sit on this step in the coolness of the night, I can. 

I don't have this schedule to do so many things and be so many things. Pretty much the only people I still talk to in the US is my family and my best friend, Hope. With connection it can be tricky but it's nothing that we stress about or make super time specific. It's just when we can. I just really only have to worry about me and not many other people. It sounds a little selfish and don't get me wrong I am one to do anything for anyone of my friends. It's just a nice relaxing feeling when you aren't worried about impressing others or have the pressure of doing so many things with so many people watching you. 

My main point for all the deep thoughts above is that if you ever get the chance to live somewhere else like studying abroad, do it. 

It's scary as hell at first but then you see the beauty of having to be no one. You'll realize your priorities and you'll see that all the things you stressed about back at home were silly.

I drove myself crazy during lacrosse season last year with being new and needing to improve a lot but now I realized how I still love my sport and want to work hard, but if I don't see much of the field throughout my college career, who cares?

 If I can't get an "A" in every one of my classes to make that Dean's list, oh well.

 If I can't always make every single person happy or like me based on the things I want, who gives a shit. 

Because none of those things will matter when I start my career. I still will try my damnest to succeed in lacrosse, in school, and being a good person to everyone. 

What will matter are the things I have seen, the people I have met, and the challenges I have faced. 

I think I have focused on myself a lot here, which isn't something I have ever done. Being abroad has showed me how truly beautiful I am and all the things I am capable of. I look at photos of me and see how much brighter my smile and eyes are from my younger teenage years to my time in Spain.

I have regained this confidence that was lost when I decided subconsciously that impressing others in high school was more important. By no means was I depressed or unhappy before Spain...just a little lost.

There are so many of my thoughts I have tried to write here. The beauty of all this is that I didn't write this long observation for the world to see, but mostly for myself to see and to maybe inspire a few others. Maybe a year from now if I feel lost again I can read this and inspire myself. 

I am so excited to go home and back to my college to see everyone I have missed.

 I can't wait to play with my lacrosse stick and see my co-workers. 

 It's impossible for anyone just to be no one forever and isn't healthy. 

But to be no one for a few months is arguably one of the best things to happen to me. 

When I come home, the only person I want to be is a wonderful teacher, a loving friend, and most importantly someone my family and I will always be proud of. 

I want to be someone that is many things but also just Nancy. 

Teaching English While Learning Spanish:

I sort of got a promotion from my internship last week to work in an actual school to teach English! ...Well be the assistant to the teachers who are teaching English.

There are two classes that are I help out in. One is a half hour with the pre-school aged children who are quite the handful. We were teaching them colors the other day and they kept running around the classroom trying to find something that was "bwue" and kept grabbing at my blue shirt. To get them to sit for more than 30 seconds is a challenge. 

After, I help out older students that are around 4th-5th grade depending on the day of the week. It's tricky since it's the end of the school day and everyone is so tired that literally is the worst time to try and understand a second language. I was actually surprised at how many English words they knew! There are a few cuties who are kiss-ups and try to be all sweet! There are also other ones who I think Satan gave them a malicious heart. Well maybe not that bad...but they are the ones that understand you, but say they don't know English and attempt to run around the classroom while taking everyone's pencils...

I love this because I am able to understand more Spanish when the students have problems and ask me in Spanish. Also it is fantastic review of basic vocabulary that I really need to improve. The teachers I work with are amazing and so fun to work with. They constantly make me pronounce things for the class and correct grammar just to make sure it's right. I feel bad sometimes because they say things with a British accent and then feel like they said it wrong. My goal is that by the time I leave this school will all have American accents in English! 

I also love how the little ones try to pronounce my name and will randomly start cheering my name saying "NAN-TH! NAN-TH, NAN-TH!" It's like I have my own fan club! 

While it is an amazing experience, at the end of every day I am usually exhausted and happy that I am majoring in Secondary Education! 

I also got the chance to read/act out Little Red Ridding Hood for my one English class! While usually my accent makes kids wonder and excited, these kids were pretty scared of it at first. (That high five I am attempting in that picture got denied.) That was a wonderful experience too to see how important it is to start teaching another language at an early age. Children are smarter than you think! 

I really hope the US encourages other languages to start being taught at a younger age instead of "We speak English he'e in 'Merica". While most of the world speaks some bit of English, I think it's important to have the ability to connect at a higher level than barely climbing the language barrier. Maybe one day I'll be teaching pre-schoolers an English class in NY! (Though probably not after how tired I'll be by the end of this internship!)

 

Livin' La Vida Loca

Well not really the crazy life, but a fun one for sure! The longer I am here the less I want to leave! This morning I officially became a regular in the local diner when the owner knew exactly what my friend and I wanted to eat and drink! It was perfect! A coffee and toast with jelly is only 1.80! Then two of my friends from my class joined us and they ordered beers. I thought I was seeing things when it was only 10am. They told me it's Friday and they need to start early! Maybe on the day of my last class I'll ask for something extra in my coffee (which surprisingly a lot of people do!).

My Spanish is improving more than ever and is pretty much like a job to keep up with it. My writing is a million times better and speaking is getting there! I am starting to think thought in Spanish too! I really hope I don't lose it when I return.

The city is beautiful at night and the perfect place to study abroad. It's arguably the safest city I have ever seen and has the nicest people who are always willing to help. It's a calm little city that gives you a perfect mix of focusing on studies and the amazing nightlife!

I haven't really been up to much other than my internship and my studies. I plan on traveling a bit outside of Valencia again soon! Hope everyone back at home is doing well!

Hasta Luego!

Our Swiss roommate and us! 

Halloween:

Yes Spain has Halloween!

The day before Halloween is one of my friend´s birthdays so we all had a nice party before we went out to the club. In America, for Halloween the crazier your costume is the better. In Spain....less is more. There were some people that painted their faces but most people just wore a mask or hat of soem sort. A half hour before I went to my friend´s house I bought two flower headbands. I wore a dress and my boots and called myself some kinda of hippie. Everyone was suprised that I didn´t wear a lot because I am ¨la americana¨of our group. They thought I was going to go crazy because that´s how we are in the US. It´s pretty funny how many American sterotypes we truly do live up to in the eyes of Europeans!

We went to a club at around 1am and danced the night away. I keep meeting more and more people from my university and every weekend has been so much fun! I feel like I have made some of my best friends who aren´t even in my clases by going to social events. It´s truly the best way to practice Spanish and have the most fun!

Remember what I said about Spanish parties going super late? My friends and I didn´t get back to the house until 8am........I was so tired I had to take a quick nap on their couch before I went back to my own bed!

It was definitely one of my favorite weekends and I have all these beauitful and amazing people to thank for it!

US and España:

There are so many similarities of Spain and the US but there are definitely many differences! 

• The classes are organized differently. 

In the US, most universities supply a list of classes you must take in order to graduate. There is a few that only upperclassmen can take or specific perquisites for certain classes. However, students are able to choose when they want to take them and what times they prefer. Every schedule is different and there are different people in every class with the teacher´s usually being in the same room or building. 

Here in Spain and other European countries, depending on your major you are put into a group and a room number. You stay in that room with the same people all day and the teachers come into your classroom. It´s a college schedule already made for everyone in your major. 

• ¨Meet at 8:30¨

American timing: Anywhere between 8:00-8:15

Spanish Timing: Anywhere between 8:35-8:50

Every meeting and class I have had in Spain has usually started at least 10 minutes after the original timing. It´s not annoying here because you just count on everyone being a tad bit late. It´s almost like they are more calm than us Americans. If I am late to a class in the US, everyone stares at you and the teacher says some smart remark of why you´re a few minutes late to class. In Spain, if you´re late to class, most likely the teacher isn´t even there yet! I do think in the US we are always on the go and running but I do like how in Spain things are calmer and more relaxed. However, sometimes it can be a little too relaxed for me! 

• Much more than a handshake:

I thought it was a stereotype that Spanish kiss both cheeks when they greet each other. My first week I don´t know how many kisses I got while being introduced to people. For those who know me I am not one to hug or be all cuddlely with my friends but Spain has managed to change my ways. It almost feels weird meeting someone or saying good bye without cheek kisses. It´s even better when there´s a cute guy you are being introduced to and before you even say your name you get two kisses! When they ask what we do in America I say, we like to not touch each other if possible and tend to do a head nod. Okay..it´s not that distant but Spain is definitely more touchy feely! I actually prefer it here. It´s fun always feeling loved by your friends! 

• English Sarcasm is tricky:

For anyone going to study abroad be careful how you word things in English. It´s one thing to learn a language but another to understand the culture of it. I´ve had sarcastic comments of Spanish fly over my head but I believe there is a lot more sarcasm in English and it is much more subtle. When I speak to others in English who don´t know it as their native language, I say one thing and they take it a bit literal. I think one time when someone asked what I am going to tonight, I said ¨cry until I fall asleep¨ since I had had a long day. There were very concerned and wanted to make sure I wasn´t going to cry! I felt bad! It is a relief to meet people from a place like Ireland and just let the sarcasm flow. It´s almost stress relieving! 

• Timing of Parties:

An average party in the US usually starts at 9:30 but most people come at like 10 so they aren´t early but aren´t late either. Then you play a few games, see your friends, laugh a lot and at midnight you might go to a bar or a club or just simply stay home. Then at around 2am/3am, you head on home. 

In Spain, they eat dinner at around 9/10pm. Then they don´t meet up with their friends until midnight which is pretty early. Then at around 2am, 3am they head to club and return home to sleep at around 7am. I tried that and lasted till 4am. I do not know how they do it. They do have that siesta in the middle of the day to recover! 

Spain is an incredible country and it´s not a huge cultural shock but it´s cool to live somewhere where things are a bit different! 

There definitely aren't a lot of castles in the US!