Adios, Cádiz

See you next year :)

A Few Last Shots

Packing Up

This was Manuel's method to keep me from leaving. It definitely made the depressing job of packing more fun/difficult.

Just Something I Liked...

...meaning, "Just one race, the human race. A movement against intolerance."

Cool, right?

Pasión Vega

Tonight we went to the theatre to see Pasión Vega in concert. It was fantastic. I went with my host mother, Bea, Gloria's sister-in-law and an aunt. Earlier in the evening, I walked in the door after an afternoon out and about. I hadn't even made it to my bedroom before I learned we'd be leaving...in about 10 minutes. And we made it just in time. I basically forgot about my literature exam scheduled for the following morning, telling Bea that "these things are much more important."

Fútbol

Olé! In Cádiz...

Fútbol is a MUST. It was crazy and fun, even though the game ended in a 0 - 0 tie.

Todo Navideño

Since the 8th, every street and plaza in this city has been decked out for the holidays. Espero que tengais una feliz Navidad, un prospero Año Nuevo y un buen Día de los Reyes Magos.

La Noche de Despedida

No puedo creer que este semestre haya llegado a su fin. Es triste que tengamos que irnos de Cádiz y dejar a nuestras familias y amigos aquí, pero el fin del programa también puede ser un momento alegre. Podemos ver el progreso que hemos hecho, las aventuras que hemos vivido, todo lo que hemos aprendido y las relaciones que hemos entrañado. Puedo decir, y creo que muchos compañeros míos estarán de acuerdo, que he aprendido mucho durante estos cuatro meses. No solo vocabulario español, gramática y costumbres españolas…no solo como pedir la cuenta y entender el sistema de autobús de Cádiz. He aprendido algunas cosas más importantes de la gente que he conocido aquí. Me he dado cuenta de que los gaditanos son muy simpáticos y optimistas, y espero llevarme ese cariño y optimismo cuando vuelva. He aprendido que una buena familia es buena en cualquier sitio, y que es algo para celebrar y apreciar. Una parte del semestre fue dura para mi, por razones familiares, pero también me ha enseñado mucho. Quiero expresar mi profundo cariño a mi familia gaditana por su apoyo en todo. Gracias a mi madre por siempre estar allí para hablar, ofrecer un abrazo y hacerme sentir una parte de la familia. Aunque tengo que volver a los EEUU por ahora, veré a mi familia gaditana y Cádiz de nuevo en el futuro. Gracias por todo.

I really can’t believe that this semester is coming to an end. While it’s sad to have to leave Cadiz and our families and friends here, the end of the semester is also a happy time. It allows us to stand back and look at the progress we’ve made, the adventures we’ve had, the things we’ve learned and the relationships we’ve nurtured. I can say, and I think many of my classmates would agree with me, that I have learned a lot over the past four months. Not just Spanish vocabulary and grammar…not just how to ask for the bill and understand the bus system in Cadiz. I’ve learned some more significant things from the people I’ve spent time with. I learned that Gaditanos are very optimistic, and I hope to take some of that optimism with me. I learned that a good family is a good family anywhere, and that it is something to appreciate and cherish. I learned that after the storm comes the calm and that nothing should break your spirit. The semester has been difficult for me, for personal family reasons. It has also taught me a lot. I want to express my deepest appreciation for my Gaditana family for supporting me through everything. Thanks to my mother for always being there to talk, to offer a hug and to make me feel like part of the family. While I have to return to the states for now, I will be seeing Cadiz and my host family again in the future. Thank you for everything.

The Luck of the Irish. (Part 2)

Absolutely. Just a day into our trip, I had already fallen in love with Ireland. Despite the cold and the rain, I loved the friendliness of the people, the live music (everywhere), and the endless green pastures (nature!). Here are a few more highlights:

• We take a tour to the Cliffs of Moher. Our tour guide (Desmond) was a hilarious little old man who sang horrendous versions of traditional Irish songs, told jokes and had interesting driving skills. The Cliffs of Moher were beautiful and impressive and frightening. We arrived just as a storm was passing. The light that came through the dark clouds was gorgeous; a vibrant rainbow (and its subtle shadow) soon appeared (in Ireland!). The wind was insane and the views even more so. I love the photos from that day.
• Could I be any more obsessed with accents? I absolutely loved listening and imitating the Irish take on English. It’s perfect.
• Pubs are great. While going out in Spain can be fun, I found the nightlife in Ireland more enjoyable in some aspects. It is much more casual and less intense. People of all ages hang out in pubs (and families, too!). And live music of any kind makes me unbelievably happy. My favorite was the last evening in Galway. The two guys sang old classics (The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, etc.) and drank Guinness while we all sang along. Yay.
  

So sad to leave. I’d go back any day.

The Luck of the Irish? (Part 1)

Debatable. We had an interesting travel day to Ireland, which took approximately 16 hours and felt much longer. Here are some highlights:

• Lauren misses/makes the train. Waking up at 5:40 to catch a 5:40 train tends not to work so well. Lauren described to us a range of emotions that she had when she looked at her clock on Friday morning. Rolling out of bed, she ran to the next train station and beat the train by approximately 2 seconds. She says that she had set her alarm for 2:00 am and then got back in bed to “rest” for another hour or so (without a second alarm). The rest of us were unsure of the logic in that plan, but were all so very thankful when we found her. This also provided great entertainment for the rest of the trip, during which we were sure to set multiple alarms.
• Checking in takes forever and the plane is delayed by 1.5 hours. We were disappointed by the delayed flight, but were fortunate in the end. The check-in line was endless and we would’ve missed it otherwise.
• Spanish visas expire before we return to Spain. Well…that wasn’t about to stop us from leaving the country. We decided to deal with those consequences later.
• The car rental website lies. Apparently, you must be 25 to rent a car in Ireland. The site said 21. Our 22-year-old couldn’t rent our car. This threw off our entire plan, since we had to get to our previously-booked hostel (on the other side of the country) that evening. Luckily, we found a bus to take us. Personally, I wasn’t too upset about this inconvenience because I had secretly been nervous about our 19-year-old illegally driving on the wrong side of the road in the dark through countless unfamiliar cities.
• The hostel has no heat. We came from Spain (still hot) to Ireland (very cold) and froze.
• I ruin my Uggs. On our first walk through Galway, the gray skies of Ireland poured end-of-the-world type rain on the five of us. Needless to say, my Uggs were completely flooded by the time we returned to the hostel and have yet to dry. On the upside, singing/screaming Christmas carols, Disney melodies and strange Spanglish versions of contemporary songs in the pouring rain was quite fun.