Beach Time: May 29

Ahh… Today was such a good day, we went to the beach in Luanco and it was so great.  It is the cutest little city with a great beach!  The beach was small compared to the ones I’ve been to in California but I never felt cramped; it was very cozy.  We did not have classes today because it is a holiday in Oviedo, “Martes de Campo."

The story behind this holiday is this rich lady (who I don’t remember the name) decided one day to give all the poor people a free sandwich and it became a tradition.  Now people just go to the parks, country or mountains and drink sidra and have the traditional sandwich. 

So instead of doing that a group of us went up to Luanco and spend the day at the beach!  A lot of the old women there were topless, which I expected, but it was still a little weird.  Everyone is Spain is so open and relaxed.   It is so different from Utah; we definitely are so sheltered there!

We laid out for most of the day but we ate at this cute authentic seafood place and it had such good shrimp and I usually don’t like seafood!  It was fun ordering because it was all in Spanish and we didn’t really know any of the terms for seafood so we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into.  After we ate we got some ice cream and it was some good stuff.  I swear everything in Europe tastes better than in the states.  One girl we were with got rice pudding favored ice cream, which was disgusting haha but she liked it. 

The bus ride there was only six euros so we will definitely be returning here because we didn’t have time to cliff dive!  I have some gnarly tan lines but I freaking love tan lines (except on my feet and legs).  It was very nice to have a day just to relax and enjoy the sun.

Of course, we have to have a high school musical picture.

Love this lady

May 30 : Acuario



Today we went to the Aquarium in Gijón and it was a good time.  We went with our group of the U and it was fun to have everyone there.  There is only so much you can say about an aquarium so... I will just post some pictures of it! 

Mi clase



Jelly Fish

La Playa de Gijón

Sting Ray

Hacer Compras (Ir de Compras): Segunda Semana

En Oviedo hay muchas tiendas lindas.  La semana pasada fui de compras casi todos los días porque me encanta hacer compras.  Ya compré dos faldas, una camiseta, un suéter, una bolsa, un traje de baño, los zapatos y tres bufandas.   ¡En comparación con los Estados Unidos,  todo es más barato aquí, entonces yo compro mucho!  En Oviedo hay unas tiendas de los zapatos en cada calle.  Yo prefiero los centros comerciales fuera de los centros comerciales en el interior.  A mi me gusta ir de compras porque me ayuda practicar mi español.  Sé los números mucho mejor ahora.

En España puedo pagar con una tarjeta de crédito pero yo pensaba que yo sólo podría pagar con efectivo.  Los trabajadores en la tienda son muy agradables y amables.  Ellos son muy paciente con mi cuando yo no los entiendo.  Me ayudan entender las tallas.  Las tallas son muy diferentes en comparación con los Estados Unidos.  En España llevo una talla treinta y siete en zapatos, pero en los Estados Unidos llevo una talla seis.  También con los pantalones y las camisetas.   

Yo voy a las tiendas con mis amigos Summer, Heather y Andrea.  Nos gusta las mismas cosas entonces nosotros compramos la misma ropa.  Heather, Summer y yo tenemos el mismo suéter pero, no me molesta.

Excursion 1: May 26

León and Astorga

Each week we have a different excursion on Saturdays, this week we went to the city of León and Astorga.  It was not the best excursion though, unfortunately it was bad weather so they had to change our excursion last minute.  We were suppose to go on a hike and the lake but it was raining so we took a bus to these cities where it was sunny.

In Astorga we saw the cathedral and just explored the city.  It was a very small city but it has many interesting sites.  They have a chocolate museum but we didn't go there because we heard it wasn't worth paying for. 

Cathedral

Castle

In León we arrived right at siesta so we just had some lunch at this place and it was DISGUSTING. I just had a coke because my mama prepared me a lunch but the coke was so yummy, way better than in America.  In León there was a wedding so it was quite busy and a lot of random guys there dressed up weird! They were having a bachelor party.  This town had a different feel to it; it was dirty but the buildings were so unique. 

Catedral de Santa Maria


This cathedral was beautiful, by far the best one we have seen yet! There was a wedding going on there so we didn't have a long time there but I got quite a few good pictures. I love the stain glass windows so much, I want one in my house when I am older, its decided. This cathedral was one of the favorite buildings of the builder of the Salt Lake Temple so he took some ideas from it. 



First Week

So I have officially been in Oviedo for one week now! It is so weird to think about, sometimes I feel like I have been here forever but other times I feel like I just got here!  This week went by so fast though because I have had so much to do. 

My host mom is Maria, she is a tiny lady.  She is about five inches shorter than me and that's saying something!  She is a little pushy but she is a good lady.  My dad is Generoso and he hardly talks and I cannot understand him at all because he doesn't open his mouth wide enough! My mom talks to me a lot and I am actually to the point where I pretty much understand everything she says.  I can understand a lot but I have a harder time actually speaking the language.

The days here are  so different.  Here is a typical day in Spain for me

8:30  - I wake up and get ready for school.
9:00  - I have my breakfast
*Breakfast is typically some cookies/crackers with this nutella spread, hot chocolate and homemade orange juice
9:30 - 2:00  - Spanish Classes
2:00 - 4:00  - SIESTA
*Siesta is nap time pretty much haha.  All the stores close down from 2:00 until 4:30.  That is when we have lunch and lunch is the largest meal of the day.  Its a three course meal.
After siesta typically I go shopping or hang out with friends.
10:00 -  Dinner and then bed

On Wednesday (May 23) we went on a tour of the city and it was beautiful! I honestly love this city so much.  The tour was fun because we were able to see places that weren't very common but way cool.  The Cathedral is a big meeting spot here and eventually I want to go to Mass there.  On Thursday (May 24) they had a big party, Espicha, for all the students in this program and it was so much fun.  There is group here from New York too, who we have been doing activities with.   It has been so fun to meet so many new people and I already have made so many new friends.  

  

Oviedo Catedral

Oviedo Catedral

Go utes!  Everyone from Utah in the program.

                           This is the street I live on.                                    The University 

                      

This is my cute little apartment I live in. Another girl that is in my program lives on the floor below me and so I always have a walking buddy which is nice.  I live on the third floor so I have been getting a good workout everyday here(:  The apartment has three rooms and one bathroom.  The shower and bathroom are pretty tiny.  Well compared to my house everything in this house is small haha.

My cute little room.

                    

The culture here is so different from the U.S. Everyone is much more laid back. In classes the teachers use drinking as examples, which is so weird! It has been quite an experience but I love it.  My Spanish Classes have been so awesome, I love going to them!  My teacher's name is Concha and she is so funny.  She doesn't speak any english so she has to act out a lot of things but I enjoy it!

Fotos: La Clase de Español

Primera Foto

Catedral de Oviedo



Ayer los estudiantes de Utah fuimos en el interior de la catedral para una gira.   El área cerca de la catedral es bonita también es muy limpio.  La gira fue muy interesante.   El guía de turismo nos dio un poco historia de la catedral.  La catedral es muy vieja.  El interior de la catedral es muy bonito porque a las detalles.    

Segunda Foto

Medusas

 

Ayer fui al Acuario de Gijón con todos los estudiantes de la Universidad de Utah; fue muy divertido.  El acuario fue muy grande y tuve peces de todo el mundo.  Medusas me da miedo, pero creo quen son muy intersantes. 



La Primera: ¡Finalmente!

¡Estoy en Oviedo, finalmente!  Estoy viviendo con una familia local de España.  Mis padres se llaman María y Generoso.  María es muy baja y habla mucho conmigo.  Generoso también es bajo pero no habla mucho.  Ellos son muy viejos.  En el primer día no puedo entender mucho a mis padres.  Ellos hablan muy rápido y también no puedo oírles. 

Muy comico: 

Mi mama explicó las reglas de la casa a mí y en mi dormitorio tengo dos basuras. Un para la ropa y un para los papeles pero no entiendo mi mama cuando me dije.  Yo no entiendo una basura para la ropa. ¡No uso las basuras en mi dormitorio porque yo no se!  Luego, mi mama repita, “un basura para la ropa y un basura para los papeles.”  ¡Finalmente, yo entendí! Necesito poner mi ropa sucia en la basura porque es un cesto da la ropa. Es muy diferente poner la ropa en una basura.   

Hay muchas tiendas en Oviedo, a mi me gustan.   Las tiendas son muy lindas.  Yo compré zapatos nuevos y también un suéter.  En Oviedo, ando todo el tiempo entonces me duelen mis pies, pero me gusta explorar la cuidad. 

Host Family: May 20-21

I don’t even know where to begin… On Sunday night we met our host families for the first time and it’s been quite the adventure since! The first day was definitely over whelming.  I kept thinking to myself I should have studied more; however, I feel like nothing could have prepared me for this.  The first day with my family was rough, I didn’t understand anything.  My mother and father are very old and it’s hard to understand them even if they did speak English.  They are both good people and very nice.  My mother is a little pushy but that’s okay, she feeds me well (:  The apartment I am living in so adorable but it is so TINY compared to the states.  The washer is in the bathroom and we do not have a dryer.  The kitchen and fridge are so small too.  I love my room though, it is so nice to have a place to escape too and unwind. 

I was unpacking my things and realized that I left my new glasses in the hostel in Madrid and I’m so sad.  With my luck though, it did not surprise me at all!  I contacted them so hopefully they find them and I can get them back.

The first day of classes was really good.  We had a brief introduction about what to expect and our schedule for the next few weeks, but lets be honest, I couldn’t understand that much of it haha.  After the introduction we had classes and it was amazing.  I have two professors and they are both so awesome.  The best part was I could actually understand them!  It made me excited to be in school and be learning this great language.  I have classes Monday through Friday 9:30-2:00 and a half hour break.

Everything here is in Spanish and I mean everything.  My host family and professors only speak Spanish.  I’ve watched a few tv shows in Spanish and they have been very weird so far.  My mom likes to watch Spanish soap operas and it’s amusing to me.  My dad used to be a policeman but they are both so old they are retired.  They both watch a lot of tv.  Paying for things in Spanish has been interesting as well! I will master my numbers though because the shops here are AMAZING.  Honestly, I have never seen cuter clothes or shoes anywhere.  I have to shield my eyes when I go down the street because there are so many cute boutiques; its killing me!

In the two days that I have been here I already feel like I have learned so much!  I am actually having good conversations with my mom instead of looking at her and smiling and having no clue what she just said to me! 

I love Oviedo so much; it is the cutest little town in the world!  I have been exploring it the past few days and it is so easy to get around.  I walk everywhere so at night my body is so exhausted, but I love it because I need to get back into shape. 

Even though I have had some rough times I am so grateful for this experience and I cannot wait to see what the next five weeks brings! (Hopefully something good).

Madrid, España: Rough Start

May 19th

So I don’t even know where to begin to describe this day.  It has by far been the worst day of the trip.  We left London early this morning and flew to Madrid.  Flying was a little overwhelming because everything was in Spanish and they talk so fast.  I felt like I had never heard any Spanish before.  When we arrived at the Madrid Airport we each had three bags that we were carrying and we honestly walked two miles to get to the metro station.  We were all so exhausted because we had only gotten two hours of sleep the night before.  We stopped at an ATM to get some cash and I was going to wait but I decided to grab some now instead.

The metro station is so different from London.  We had to transfer three different times to get to our hostel.  On the second train we were a little separated but not far from each other.  I was in the middle, Summer was on my right and Andrea was on my left.  The train was so packed that we couldn’t see each other well.  I was standing by this pole and this guy came and stood right next to me and was extremely close to me.  My purse was on top of my luggage and when the guy stood next to me, I couldn’t get to my purse; it was held down.  I didn’t think anything of it because we were so squished in there anyway.  I was looking around the train and this guy a few feet from me was snapping at me.  I had no idea what he was trying to communicate to me.  I looked away but he kept snapping.  Finally, I looked back at him and he was pointing at my purse.  I looked down and I could actually get to my purse now so I go through it making sure I had everything.  To my horror I didn’t have my wallet; honestly, this was the worst feeling in the world.  I started shaking and I looked up at the guy who was snapping at me and he pointed to the guy who stood so close to me.  I told Summer my wallet was gone and she didn’t know what to do (Andrea was farther away from us).  We couldn’t even think of the word wallet in Spanish.  I looked at this guy and the first Spanish that came to my mind was “yo necesito mi dinero,” which is I need my money.  I started yelling at him in English and Spanish and he just acted like he couldn’t understand me.  This is when the panic really hit me; I looked back at the snapping guy and he made the telephone sign which I assumed all I could do was call the police and cancel all my cards. 

I started to cry and all of a sudden my wallet fell to the ground and I grabbed it so quick.  At this point I was bailing and shaking so bad.  We got off at the next stop to transfer trains and I tried to tie my purse up and the string broke!  I was going to kill someone.  Finally, after the next train and walking through the rain we arrived at our hostel.  This hostel is soooo much nicer than the one in London.  It is so cute.  Spain and England are so different.  I feel like London had more of a tourist feel and when we arrived in Madrid it was the classic European feel that I imagined.  Spain is beautiful though.  The people are different too.  I would say people are nicer here in Spain (besides that guy who took my money). 

Later that night I checked my wallet after my dad asked me if he took money and I realized he took all my cash I had, which makes sense.  That is why he dropped my wallet because he took all he wanted already.  I felt so violated and just stupid.  I should have been more careful.  I don’t even know what I was thinking; I think I trust people too much.

We went out for food and it was around 6:00, which is during siesta so nothing was open!  We ended up at this place and he asked us for drinks and we all just got water.  (People don’t eat around this time so we didn’t know if we had to ask for food or not).  After 20 minutes of deciding what to do and feeling stupid I got the waiters attention and we asked if they have food right now, haha.  We ordered and it was quite an experience! 

Our hostel

May 20th

So right now I am on a train heading to Oviedo from Madrid and it is freaking five hours long!  It’s okay though because I actually enjoy train rides like this.  I have missed music so much and I cannot wait to just listen to it for five hours haha.

This morning was another interesting ride to the train station.  Nothing crazy happened on the metro, thank goodness.  I still haven’t gotten a new purse because everything was closed yesterday but I put my wallet into my zipper pocket and my passport.  When we got to the train station this guy was helping us and showing us to our gate.  When we got the stair that led to up to Platform 17, he offered to take my bag up for me.  I felt weird but he just grabbed it and headed up.  Andrea and Summer were ahead of me and he kept stopping to talk to me and so they were about six steps ahead.  The guy went to shake my hand and I saw his other hand got into my purse!  I definitely pushed him away and started to walk faster.  He didn’t get anything in my bag because I put it in my zipper pocket.  When we got up to the Platform, he was telling me how I was “good looking” (guapa).  He gave me my bag and introduced himself and I told him my name and he kissed my cheeks.  I definitely was creeped out by this and bothered.  I just don’t understand, am I doing something wrong?  Why does this weird stuff keep happening to me?  I am being careful, I swear!

I am feeling the culture shock here and I think it’s because everything is in Spanish. I’m having a hard time adjusting to Spain and the people here.  I’m really nervous and don’t trust them now.   I miss the comforts of home.  I cannot wait to arrive in Oviedo tonight and meet my family.  I actually will have my own room to sleep in and a normal pillow!  I know things will get better in Oviedo so I can’t wait for the new adventures. 

It just keeps on going..

Thursday, May 17

Today has been so much better than yesterday!  First of all I slept like a rock because I was so exhausted from the night before.  It was a little strange sharing a room with 12 other people but only three more nights of it.. Thank goodness.  And the pillow sucks; I might as well not even have one.  Hostel life is a little crazy, but you do meet a lot of people and find out their stories!  I cannot wait to get to Spain though so I can just unpack and have my own bed and own shower.  We took an awesome tour of the city, which was free so that is always nice and it was such a good experience.  It was awesome to see all the famous sights and meet new people.  Today we met a Brazilian/Frenchman, two Germans, and an Australian and we pretty much spend the day with them!



We learned a lot of different words in German and French today.  I feel so inadequate compared to these Europeans who speak 2-3 different languages usually.  I taught my Germans friends my saying "suck a duck" and it was hilarious to hear them use it!  We had to try the traditional fish and chips today and it was pretty tasty.  We also learned that in Germany when they take a picture they say "spaghetti" (pronounced sssshvagettti.)

                                        

Our friends.

It is so strange that they charge for water here!  And I definitely almost peed my pants because I had to pay to use a public restroom! 

The tube here is so amazing! I mean it is so efficient and so fast, we can get anywhere we want to go! Buying a week pass was definitely a good investment.  Its amazing how much I have walked here; everyone here just walks everywhere.  It is so strange compared to the U.S. and I better have freaking nice legs after this!

Mind the gap.

So pretty much no Europeans know where Utah is located so we describe it as "close to California."  I have noticed here that this place is so much more diverse than Utah!  They are so many different people here and they look different too.  

Buckingham Palace.

I know I am a tourist.

Big Ben.

Westminster Abbey

Funny Story:  When we were catching the tube the doors were beeping (which means the doors are closing) and Summer and I ran to get in and it cut Andrea off!!  She had to take it by herself and we waited for her at the next stop. 

That night we had plans to see Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater.  Can I just tell you it was AMAZING. I loved it so much.  It was a little stressful to get there because we were running late and we had to arrive at least a half an hour early to the show to receive our tickets.  I would definitely go see this again if I had the opportunity.  After Phantom we went to this cute sushi place with a conveyor belt and you just picked anything you wanted from the belt!  Westminster is such a beautiful city. 

Friday, May 18.

So today was our last day for going around London since we leave for Madrid in the morning!  We definitely started our day off right by sleeping through our alarm until 11:00.  Haha it was great.   So we went straight to lunch and had some yummy pizza.  After we went to Covent Garden and looked at the shops there.  I found the Betsey Johnson Store and was sooooo happy.  I love all of her stuff and am so sad that her stores are closing.  After this we went to the Harley Davidson Store for Andrea's padre. 

Today has been an adventure but it is a little hard to write about!  We tried to do all the little things that we wanted to do.  We walked a lot and wandered the city.  We ate at this cute place for dinner with a great view of the streets below.  I love these two girls that I am traveling with so much.  They are great and I am lucky to be with them even though sometimes we want to kill each other. 

Day two.

If London did not have this we would be screwed!  It is very helpful.  The roads here are so confusing, not because they drive on the wrong side of the road but the intersections are so weird!  It would be so easy to be hit by a car if you aren't paying attention.  I am really butthurt that the random lady is in this picture too but I guess it adds character. 

Well tomorrow we are off to Madrid and we will stay there a night and then on Sunday we will head to Oviedo where we will spend the next five weeks!  I am so excited to be in Spain and have my own house to stay in with my family.  Plus, I cannot wait to do my hair because it looked like death today (even Andrea said something haha).  I do miss my family and friends.  It is so strange not having my phone.  I am fine without texting but it sucks not being able to google everything!

P.S. 
They sell SO MUCH mustache stuff and I am loving it.

First Day..

Well holy cow, this has been quite the first day. Yesterday we departed from the Salt Lake Airport and headed to Dallas. On my way to Dallas I sat by this family who is moving to Utah and are from Virginia. They had the cutest accents! I sat by this little boy, William who was 8 and his sister Claudia who is 11. They definitely kept me entertained for the next two hours. They kept asking me about the mormon church and temples. It was very interesting to me and at some points I was at a loss of words.

Once we arrived in Dallas we had a four hour layover so we just relaxed and ate some food. I had no idea what to expect for the 9 hour flight ahead of us. I was absolutely dreading it! We left Texas at 9:05 and arrived in London at 12:05 the next day. I am still confusing myself with the time difference, all I want to do is sleep! I tried to sleep during the flight last night but it was very uncomfortable. I dozed on and off the whole night but it dragged on. I just wanted to land in London already. The guy next to me on this flight was going to India for work and he had another 9 hour flight ahead of him, poor guy!

P.S. - On the flight the guy next to me was watching his tv series and lets just say there was a very intense sex scene and it was awkward.

Finally, after going through customs and getting our bags we were off... except we had no idea where to go. We headed towards the train station and I don't think I realized how many different trains they have! We had to ask at the ticket office how to get to our hostel and we paid with our "American Credit Cards." We transferred to three trains and finally arrived at our station, London Bridge. Again, we had no idea where to go and we find out we are still 10 minutes away from our hostel. So from there we just took a taxi because we couldn't get back into the train station with our ticket. The taxi driver was very helpful and kind. He taught us how to flag down a taxi and gave us some advice.

Our hostel is pretty unique! There is a cute little pub downstairs where you can just hang out. In our room there are 12 beds in our room (which kinda freaks me out). We decided to go exploring after putting our stuff in our room and brushing up a bit.

Our hallway in our hostel

The exchange rate is horrible here, it is very depressing.

I exchanged 96 dollars and got 45 pounds back :(

Everything here is so different from the states. It is very obvious that we are beginners at traveling aboard, but by the end of this trip we will be experts(: The people here are extremely different. The people aren't super friendly and everyone is fast pace.

We ended up at the London Eye and looked at the shops in the area. We had not eaten since this morning on the plane! So of course we go to this chinese buffet called Chopstix. Lets just say, it was pretty disguisting! At dinner we were so exhausted because of the lack of sleep on the plane; we just started to laugh and couldn't stop!

London Eye

Time in London: 7:55. Time in Utah: 12:55.

We are so jet lagged, it is insane.

Funny Story: While Summer was getting cash, Andrea and I had the wonderful opportunity to show how American we truly are. We had a discussion about frozen potato chips with the two employees and an elderly lady. Little did we know, we were not literally talking about potato chips, but instead we were talking about french fries.

This day has been a little crazy, stressful but I'm glad that I get to have this experience with these two wonderful girls! I cannot wait to sleep tonight and start over fresh tomorrow. We have so much planned for tomorrow... #YOLO (:

Pre departure jitters.

Four days left. 

In only four days I will be on a flight for 13 hours heading to London.  Have I ever been to Europe? No. Have I ever flown internationally? No. Do I dislike flying? Yes.  So many emotions have been running through me this past week.  Stress, excitement, nervousness and panic.  Of course, most of these are negative feelings but I am just a worrisome person.  I hate the anticipation of the trip, I just want to be there already enjoying myself! London will be exciting and care free.  While we are there we are seeing Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theater.  I cannot wait to experience the different cultures in Europe.  Spain will be completely different from anything I've ever been around.  The thing I am most nervous about is definitely the language.  I feel like my Spanish has been suffering lately and I need to buckle down and get it together.  I hope I will become close with my host family and form long life friendships. 

I cannot wait to meet her!

I am so excited for this life changing experience and I know I am so lucky to have this opportunity.  The only thing I can do is pray that everything goes smoothly with our four flights (:  I have high expectations for this trip; however, I feel like it will exceed my expectations.  I want to come home and be able to keep up a good conversation with someone in Spanish.  I want to have new memories made with great friends.  I want to come home and know that I did everything I could to make this trip the best it can be.

Hasta pronto.