This week consisted of family time, studying, and a trip to Madrid. It was a busy and fun few days!
- Monday, October 18th
-
Today began in Lisbon and ended in Barcelona. We started the day with our tour guide, who took us to the cafe where the Pastel de Nata originated and ate breakfast there, which was delicious. Then, we went to see landmarks, such as the Padrão dos Descobrimentos and the Almada, and took a tour of a castle. We also went to an abandoned restaurant that is now just a building of concrete walls with graffiti on them, and it was pretty cool! I haven’t seen anything quite like it before. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to my family (only for a few days, I will see them in Madrid on Thursday night.) I was a little bit sad, but I am looking forward to seeing them again very soon! I went to the airport, boarded my flight, landed in Barcelona, and took the metro to my apartment. When I got back, I had to watch a video for one of my classes and I also started a load of laundry. I unpacked, took a shower, and went to sleep.
- Tuesday, October 19th
-
It felt so good to be back at the gym this morning. I only had a few days off, but it was much-needed for me to clear my head while exercising. After the gym, I went to my favorite cafe and bought coffee and a pastry, and then I went to my first class. I finally had my presentation and it went well, but mostly I’m just happy that it’s finally over. I went to the grocery store after class to buy a couple of things that I will eat before going to Madrid, which included chicken nuggets and apples. I got back to the apartment, ate said chicken nuggets, and worked. I also started writing an 800-word paper that I have due tomorrow. Then, it was time for class, after which I went to my favorite cafe for the second time today to finish my paper and to start studying for the three midterms that I have next week. I spent about an hour and a half at the cafe, and then I went to dinner with one of my roommates, watched a little bit of “Sex Education”, and went to sleep.
- Wednesday, October 20th
-
I was having so many bodily issues this morning but somehow I made it to the gym in time for my 9 a.m. reservation. Then I came home and my roommate and I went to a different cafe to get iced coffees and croissants, and we went to class. In case you were wondering about the internet situation at school, the hackers are requesting seven million euros and the wifi isn’t expected to be fixed until December, so that’s lovely. Anyway, after class, I ate the remainder of my chicken nuggets from yesterday, worked for CU, and studied more for my midterms. When I entered my Mediterranean Politics class, my professor was handing out an open-note “exam”, about which he said nothing, and since I didn’t go to class on Monday I was really confused. At the end of class he announced that it was a practice midterm, but boy, do I have to study. I talked to my friends in the school courtyard since I had some time between classes, and then I finally went to my last class of the day. The professor let us leave considerably early, so I went home and started packing for Madrid, unsuccessfully. I was just in one of those moods where I hated every single item of clothing that I own, so packing was a problem for later. At around 8 p.m., my roommates and I went to the pizza place downstairs and ate dinner, and I even have some left over for lunch tomorrow! I tried packing again, and then I went to sleep.
- Thursday, October 21st
-
Today I decided not to go to the gym and to sleep in instead. When I did get up, I made oatmeal and got ready to go to class, but not without stopping by my favorite cafe for coffee first. After class, I came home and worked, and then I tried to study some more, but it was not a super successful attempt. It was time for my second class, which went fine, and then I had a train to catch to Madrid. I grabbed my bags from my apartment and got on the metro which took me to the train station. I bought a sandwich for dinner before getting on the train, and after a two-and-a-half-hour journey, I was in Madrid. I took the metro from that train station to the apartment that we were staying at and I met up with my family. My parents and I went on a walk before coming back, showering, and going to sleep.
- Friday, October 22nd
-
This morning my family and I woke up early, got ready for the day, and went to a nearby cafe to eat breakfast before our tour guide picked us up. Then, we went on a four-hour-long tour of Madrid where we saw all the important landmarks and monuments that the city has to offer. After the tour, my mom and I went shopping for a few hours, and then we came home to rest and I studied for midterms. At 7 p.m., we had dinner reservations at a Brazilian restaurant. My grandpa who lives in Ukraine came to Madrid to spend time with us, so he joined us for dinner. It was great to see him! After dinner, we walked him to his hotel and came back to our apartment, and went to bed.
- Saturday, October 23rd
-
We woke up early again this morning and went to a different cafe than yesterday for breakfast. At 10 a.m., our tour guide picked us up and drove us to Toledo, the former capital of Spain. We spent about three hours walking around and learning about its history. When we got back to Madrid, I studied for my midterms and hung out with my brother for a little, and at 7 p.m. we had reservations at an Argentinian restaurant. The food was very good, but we ordered way too much. We accompanied my grandpa on the walk back to his hotel again and on our way back to our apartment, I stopped by Zara to buy a pair of pants I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about. They only had one pair left in my size so I snatched it, and I am so happy that I did. After a successful purchase, I had a lovely sleep.
- Sunday, October 24th
-
Today we got to sleep in, so I slept until almost 10 a.m. We got dressed and went to breakfast, and then we went to the Prado Museum to look at art. After two hours at Prado, my brother and my dad went to lunch with my grandpa while my mom and I went shopping again (big surprise). It was semi-successful because I bought a new purse (my other one was having some serious issues with the lock), but I couldn’t find a pair of shoes that looked good on me. While shopping, my SIM card decided that it was going to become invalid, so I went to my service provider store to get it fixed. However, I needed my passport, which I didn’t have with me, so I went back to the apartment, grabbed my passport, and went back to the store where, luckily, they were able to replace my SIM card. After that chaos, my mom and I went to dinner at a tapas bar where we had lots of tuna and a delicious fried goat cheese dish. When we came back from dinner, I packed my things since I’m going back to Barcelona tomorrow morning. I needed to pack an extra bag as I didn’t have room for the number of clothes that I purchased this weekend. After packing, I took a shower and went to bed.
And just like that, I am halfway through my study abroad experience. It’s going by so fast, but I am, as always, so grateful for the experiences I am getting. Come back next week for week nine!