a bitter sweet ending

It´s my last night here in Europe. My trip has come to its end. I spent the day traveling from Berlin to Madrid. The flight brought me to Prague and then to Madrid. Most of my day was at the airport and by the time I arrived here at my hostel, I had no energy left to spend one last night out in Madrid.
I am looking forward to returning to the United States. I have learned more in two months here in Europe than the past three years spent in college. I have also relieazed how little I know and how much more I need to learn.
There is nothing on the trip I would change if I could but next time I visit Europe I will do things a bit differently. But overall it was a great trip.
The past week in Europe I spent relaxing and seeing old friends. That was the perfect way to end my trip. I even spent a day at an indoor tropical island!
I am too tired to write anymore. I think this may be my last post. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels and I hope to see you all very soon.

A tourist no more

Well, my trip is coming to an end. I still have over a week in Europe but the traveling has settled. I am no longer changing countries every few days or getting on and off trains all day. For the rest of my journey I will be spending time in Germany. Currently I am in Essen Germany where my cousin has been staying for the past year.
Now that I have time to relax I am starting to miss home more and more. Everyone I have stayed with has made me feel at home but still I sometime find myself thinking of home.
I am no longer doing the usuaully tourists stuff but instead just spending time relaxing and hanging out. After over a month of being a tourists, its nice to get back to a somewhat normal life. Although I still can not speak the language and don't know all the customs, I feel less like a tourists.
Traveling is way more work than I thought it would be. Trying to figure out where you are going all the time and having to move every few days takes a lot out of you. I had a great trip but its nice to just relax a little. Now I am off to explore a bit of Essen and area of Germany before returning to Berlin for a few more days and then making my way back to Madrid to catch my flight home.

quotes from the east side gallery. the largest part remaining of the berlin wall that has been painted by different artists.

he who wants the world to remain as it is doesnt want it to remain at alli

many small people who in many small places do many small things that can alter the face of the world

i painted over the wall of shame so freedom is ashamed no more inferno ruled too many years until the people chose the light i put my faith in you berlin and give to you all my colors

the 4th of july in paris

I was in Rome on the 4th of July and was unable to find anything to do to celebrate but I was able to spend the day France celebrates its independence in Paris. the night before the big celebration they have firworks outside of the city and on Bastille day thaere are fireworks over the eiffel tower. i did not care to see any firework and left before the fireowkrs over the eiffel tower but i did get to see some of the celebration.

On the street that is famous for its expensive stores, a parade was held on bastille day. the parade was much different from a 4th of july parade in the united states. instead of floats decorated in red white and blue by different groups, they had a military parade. i am not sure of there all the different troops were from but each had the own outfits and spot in the parade. some of the outfits were very different from what military members wear in the united states. the men and women drove all different types of military vehicles through the parade. there were large tanks and other large weapon carrying vehicles.

after the parade there was a parade of helicopters. by this time it was down pouring and i did not feel like standing in the rain to continue watching the parade.

the celebration was very different than how the united states celebrates its independence. I saw it as a great way to honor the troops and still celebrate independence. I understand that in the united states we have other days to celebrate the troops but i feel those days have turned into just an extra day off for some people. not many people go out and celebrate memorial day but instead take the day to spend more time at a cabin or out of town.

it was interesting to observe the celebration in paris. i was only able to be part of a small part of it but it had a very different feel than the 4th of july in the united states.

also sorry for the spelling, i am using a german keyboard

Just a quick update

Traveling is a lot of work. I never have a chance to sit down and blog. Right now I am in Paris. I like Paris more than Rome but Paris is much more spread out. In other cities we have just walked from one site to the other but in Paris we have to take the metro to the next tourists stop. So far we have seen the Eiffel tower, Norte Dame, Louve (where the Mona Lisa is), Sacre Coeur, and the walked around the street that has all the designer stores. Tomorrow we are going to Versille and hopefully going back to the Eiffel tower at night. The 14th is a national Holiday, it's the independence day of France. We will not be staying for the whole day but I am sure we will be able to go to some celebrations. Next stop Berlin.

1 day and 3 countries

After returning from Rome, we spent the day trying to figure out home to get to France. About 30 hours later and 4 trains, we made it to our destination. The small town we are stay in is called Cordon and it is located in the French Alps. We are here visiting my friend Kalli from Minnesota, who has been working this past summer in France.
It is amazing here. It looks just like the ending scene of The Sound of Music. We have an amazing view of the tallest point in Europe, Mt Blanc. Today we hiked up a mountain but just a small one and after we sat next to the pool all day.
This by far has been the most relaxing part of my trip so far. Finally I am out of the city and getting some fresh air. It is also great to spend time with my friend Kalli, who I haven't seen since Christmas.
I will be here a few more days. Next stop Paris.

Security in Rome

There seems to be police on every corner here but that doesn't mean they are doing anything. They like to hang out in large groups and talk more than enforce anything. The worst has to be the Vatican.
The line to get into the Vatican museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel is blocks long. But this line is just to go through the metal detectors. Finally after waiting hours in the sun, we placed our bags on a belt to be scanned and walked through the metal detector. The person who was supposed to be watching the screen to see what was in our bags was just sitting on his phone texting away.
The guards in the Sistine Chapel were not any better. All of five or more of them were standing in the front talking. Every now and then they would "shhhh" the crowd and yell at people for taking photos (which everyone was doing). I understand they have to deal with tourists all day but that's their job but I don't think anyone told them that.

Tourists

I understand why people hate tourists. I hate tourists. Tourists have no respect for the country they are in or the importance of the sites they are looking at.
While at the Vatican museum, which costs 15 euro, is the largest museum in the world(i think) and full of priceless artifacts. Many of the Visitors to the museum were touching the artifacts or disregarding the signs that said no flash. I even saw one mother help her song up so they could get a picture of him sitting on a statue from Egypt. I mean really people have some respect. Today at the Trevi Fountain another family was crawling all over the side, until a policeman finally yelled at him. I understand why people hate tourists so much. If you refuse to try to fit into the culture you are visiting at least respect it and the sites.

When in Rome......

The second part of my trip has now began. I am traveling with another friend from San Diego State. First stop ROME. We were doing great at first, got to the airport on time, found where we could keep our bags, blah blah blah. Even when we got to Rome we were doing great. Found where we needed to go and everything right away but that's where the trouble started. The hostel we had booked was way outside of town and must have been an old school or orphanage. I think it looked like a insane asylum. It would have been so bad but it looked as if they had not cleaned for years.
I knew I was going to have a had time living out of a backpack and hostels but this was just horrible. Right away we canceled our stay but we had to at least stay three nights. Now we are staying at a little B & B really close to town. The lady who runs it seems great and it is only costing just about $8 a night.
Now that we have a good place to stay, I still am unsure how I feel about this city. In Madrid, there is a great metro system and I had expected the same here. Boy was I wrong. The metro here is made up of two or three trains that are hot and DIRTY. But the bus system is okay but still hot and dirty but very easy to use.
I know that Rome would be full of tourists but I under estimated the amount that there would be. Everyone is a tourists, there are tourists every where. I don't really like I am in Italy, I think the best way to see Rome would be to come in the off season.
Well so far I am not in love with Rome. I am enjoying myself but I miss Madrid.

Dear Madrid

Dear Madrid,
The time has come for me to leave you now. I have had an amazing time. My studies at Nebrija were short but amazing. I will miss my amazing professors and wish all the students that come after me to Nebrija get to have the same wonderful experience I did. Thank you for all the new friends I have made over a month. We will always share something special together. I hope we are all able to keep in touch when we return to San Diego.
Madrid, you have so much to offer tourists. The unique culture and history of Spain is seen through your monuments and museums. Although I did not do or see everything you have to offer, I feel like I know you well. I hope to one day return and enjoy you and your people again.
Your people are unlike any others I have met. So many kind and helpful people that put up with our broken Spanish. I do not love the food here, but you are full of Mcdonald's and Burger Kings so I was able to find something to eat.
Thanks for allowing me to stay with one of your own for an entire month. Pilar is amazing and has many stories about you from when she was young. She always made us feel at home and is nice enough to let us stay an extra day.
Madrid, I have spent one of the most amazing months of my life with you. You provided so many new experiences, new faces, and new opportunities. If sadly I never am able to return to your beautiful city, I will always remember the month I spent here with you. You have faced some hard political times in the past but I can tell you have a bright future. I am so thankful for everything that I have done over that last month. There really are no words that express my love for you, Madrid.
This month has gone by too fast but it's time for me to move on to discover a new city and a different culture. Rome will only be the start of my journy, but Madrid, you will always have a special place in my heart.
Always,
Sam

English

While in Valencia we came across two girls from London. They had the strongest accents and it was the best. I happen to love a good british accent and I try and fail many times to try to speak with one. It seems to be common, that americans try to speak with a different accent especail with a british accent. So as we talked with them I wondered Do they try to speak with an American accent? Or can they? After a few drinks and getting to know them better, it seemed okay to ask. They were shy about trying to speak with an american accent but laughed at our attempts at their accents. When they finally tried an american accent, they said the only thing they can say is "OMG." I am guessing that they were fans of MTV and the various shows about southern california, like the Hills. Even though we did not get them to speak "american" to us, we got the chance to pratice our britsh but I still am unable to do a successful british accent.

A weekend of many firsts

The other weekend we took a bus to Valencia. Valencia is right on the Mediterranean Sea. It was our first whole weekend away from Madrid since we have been here. The weekend was full of new experiences.
First time in a HOSTEL: I had never stayed in a hostel before this trip. I was a little worried about what it was going to be like after hearing horror stories about bad hostels. But it was a great experience. It was only $16 a night and had everything we needed. It was a dorm style hostel with around 12 beds in each room and bathrooms just down the hall. They provided us with lockers for our stuff, had a kitchen, computers, towels, and everything else we needed. The staff was very helpful and spoke engligh. Besides the hostel being nice it was a great experience because of all the different people we met.
People from all over came to the hostel to stay. Many people from other european countries and from canada, along with the US. We spent a lot of time talking with everyone about where they were from and there plans for travel. Some of the people were like us just there for a weekend while others had been backpacking for over a month. It was amazing to see all the different cultures come together.
First time in the Mediterranean: It was my first time swimming in the mediterranean. I have been to the atlantic, the gulf of mexico, and the pacific but this was my first time in the mediterranean. It reminded me of the gulf of mexico. No gaint waves crashed on the shore like in california, just small clam waves. The water was much warmer than the pacific and seemed to be saltier but i dont know if it really was. The first day we went to the beach we got lost and when we finally got off the bus we ended up at a beach with very few people way down the coast but I was a good mistake. The beach was amazing! We swam, collected seashells, and soaked up the sun. The next day we went to the beach we had been looking for but were disappointted because it was full of people and not the same as the day before but we enjoyed it anyway.
We were not in Valencia for very long but one of the other things we did was go to an aquarium called Oceanografic. It was amazing. There was a dolphin show that was so crazy. I have never seen that many dolphins. The aquarium was divided into different oceans, which made it easy to learn even though i couldn't read anything cause it was all in spanish. Also there was a tunnel you could crawl through and sit inside this dome. You became totally surrounded by water, it was amazing.
Next to the aquarium was different buildings with some very different architecture. These different buildings are a main atraction for tourists in Valencia.
Though it was a short weekend, it was a weekend of many firsts and great experiences.

A Trip to America

Well as my other posts have mentioned, I am not a fan of the food here in Spain. I have gone to McDonalds and Burger King more than once since I have been here. The other night a friend said she needed some American food, of course I said I would join here. We went to a mall near her house. It was just like we were in American. Not only did they have Mcdonalds and KFC, they also had a Taco Bell! After eating we joked about how it felt just like home. Although the menus are a bit different and the food isn't exactly the same, it helped us feel a bit more at home. I am not proud to say that I love McDonalds and Burger King, but right now those are my favorite places to eat.

The Food

I will admit I am a very very picky eater. I blame my parents for always feeding me meat and potatoes. But that is what they had as they were going up. I can not remember a meal at my grandmother's house that did not have some type of meat with some type of potatoes. So of course my favorite meal is mashed potatoes with chicken or turkey. I am not the type to try lots of different foods, I like to stay with what I know I like. Well, this becomes somewhat a problem when visiting another country.
Our host mom cooks us lunch every day. This usually consists of a salad with large chunks of tomatoes and lots of onions (two foods I hate). There is also a hot meal but this varies but one thing is always has is lots of meat. There will be a main course like chicken or pork. There are also always vegetables. As a kid I did not need to be forced to eat my greens but here I usually can never eat them. Many times there is more meat mixed in with the veggies, usually bacon. I may just become a vegetarian once I leave here.
My housemate, Ileana always finishes all her food and usually likes it. I thought I was the only one who didn't like the food here in Spain. But after a few tapas and drinks the majority of students told how they disliked the food. One said he would sneak whatever he couldn't eat down to the garbage without his host mom knowing. Another said she has to take a bite of bread with every bite of food to try to cover up the taste. I was so glad to hear I was not the only one who did not like the food.

The Language Barrier

The students on this trip with me have some unique stories about their experiences speaking spanish in Spain. Many of the students can speak perfect spanish, but the spanish here is different than Mexican spanish. But there are also many of us that speak very broken spanish, if we are even able to speak any spanish at all.
My friend Ileana speaks perfect spanish, well to me it seems perfect. However, many words in Spain are not the same. She understands mostly everything but uses different words for somethings but people are able to understand.
The other students, including myself that speak little spanish don't understand everything, which can lead to some crazy stories.
One student was telling me that he thought his host mom said she was a DRUNK. After more talking he figured out that she had not said she was a drunk but actually drank very little but liked a certain drink they have here. Also he had to explain to his 69 year old host mom that he was gay. At first, not sure how she would react he did not say anything. Until she asked him if he was. I can't imagine trying to explain that in spanish. But when all was said and done, he said they were laughed until they cried about the misunderstanings.
I am blessed to have the chance to learn another language and about another culture. There are so many misunderstandings in the world that could be prevented if everyone took the time to learn about each other. I am still confused most of the time but I can't believe how much I have learned in a week.

Toledo

A bus trip to Toledo was the perfect way to spend our Sunday. A city that dates back to the 14th century takes your breath away (the sites and the endless hills and steps). We made our way through the city, lost most of the time but following your own path sometimes pays off. We found a fortress that was not part of any tourist area. The climb to the top was through a smalll dark passageway and led us to an amazing view. It felt like we went back in time and were protecting the city from invaders. Of course it is not used as a fortress anymore but looked as if locals used it as a hang out. Toledo is full of old buildings and history but my favorite part of the day was the lost fortress we found. Following your own path can lead you to something amazing.

The City that never sleeps

I am unable to fall back to sleep tonight, maybe from the heat or the fact I went to bed early, that is at least early for here in Spain. The heat here is unlike any other I have felt. Everyday the temp rises to 90 degrees or above. The mornings provide some relief but by 1:00 it is impossible to be outside. It does not cool down until late in the night and that's when Madrid really comes a live.
The night life here is also unlike any other place I have known. Traditionally, only a small dinner is eaten at 9:00. After that people meet in the streets. The parks and plazas are full of people ranging from all ages. Even Small kids here stay up way past my bedtime in the United States. For young people, it is not strange to stay out until well past 4:00 in the morning. One night we left a club at 3:00 am to head for home and the line was still half way around the block just to get into the club. I think Madrid should be called the city that never sleeps.
Since school starts at 8:30 am, I find it hard to stay up much past 11:00 on a week night, the Spanish night life is just too much for me but I am still trying to take it all in. Our classes in school are very small. Today only half of my class showed up, which made the grad total of students in our class five. With small classes we are all given the chance to speak and practice our spanish.
Today, Ileana and I also started to plan our trip for after school. We bought our ticket to Rome and an eurail pass. This weekend we plan to take a day trip to Toledo. Also I would love to see other parts of Spain but the tickets are very expensive and my money seems to be disappearing even faster than I had imagined. Tomorrow we are going to go out and see some more sites. When never know exactly where we are going but our long walks have taken us to some amazing places in the city. That's all for now.

My first few days in Madrid

There seems to be no time to update my blog. Here is a quick summary of the past few days.
I arrived in Madrid safely and found Ileana, my friend from home at the airport right away. We made our way into the city via there metro. We quickly found where we would be staying for the next month but could not check in until 12:00. Tired from the long day of traveling and pulling our bags across town, we decided to just find a bench to sit until noon.
Finally, 12 o'clock came and we met our host mother. Pilar is very nice and makes us feel at home. She speaks little english so much of our conversation is in broken spanish with lots of hand motions. Many times I need to have Ileana translate for me but I am learning.
On Tuesday, we made the short trip to our school on the metro. We had an introduction and filled out some paper work. Today was the first day of actual class. Of course, I am in a beginner class but I feel it will help me remember my spanish from highschool. In no way is this the vacation I had thought I was going on. We must be at school at 8:30 and get done around 1:00. The classes are not very hard but after speak spanish all day, my mind is exhausted. We also have small homework assignments everyday.
Tomorrow is a holiday in Spain so we don't have school. A group of us from San Diego State are meeting in Plaza de Sol to explore the night life.
Well, my summary does not give justice to the past few days but I wanted to keep everyone up to date.

El Primer dia en Madrid

Hola,
Well today was my first day in Madrid. Ileana and I found each other quickly at the airport, so I did not have to venture into the city alone. After navigating our way through the metro we arrived at where we will call home for the next month. The program did not want us going to our home stays until noon so we spent a two hours just sitting on benches. People gave us some pretty interesting stares. Finally, we checked in with our host family, who is a middle aged woman who lives by herself in an apartment. She speaks mostly Spanish so when I don't know whats going on Ileana translates for me (which is most of the time).
Today we spent much of the time sleep and now are planning on exporing a bit of the city. School starts bright and early tomorrow.
I am picking up my spanish again quickly but have a long way to go.

Globalization 101

Three years of political science and international relations classes have taught me to believe we live in a global world but after spending sometime planning for my trip, I believe we are far from a global world. I assumed that globalization meant that there would be an endless amount of resources for preparing for a trip abroad, ex specially to first world countries. However I have found that not to be the case. Here are a few of the problems I have come across.
First off what's the best way to take money abroad?
Well, to me cash seems a bit unsafe. I do not want to be carrying around tons of cash. So I looked into using my credit card. My US bank card would charge me 3% on every foreign transactions 3% really? I thought we lived in a globalized world. Granted some credit card companies do not charge, I was not able to obtain a card from these companies. I ended up finding a company that only charges 1% so I guess I will have to live with that.
Now to my second problem with spending money, where to exchange my cash.
I figured the large banks in town would carry Euros, however you must place an order. Wells Fargo has designated banks that carry foreign currency but because I lack an account through them I was unable to exchange my cash. Hopefully, I will have better luck at the airport but I am sure there will be a charge for the exchange.
And for my finally problem, how to contact my family once I am there?
Of course, the Internet will be my main tool for talking with my family but for those of you that know my mother, she is a worrier. Even though multiple times each year, I make the journey from San Diego to Minneapolis on my own, she has me text her when I get to the airport, right before I take off, and when I land. When I finally land in Spain I will be unable to text her. I figured that since we are so interconnected with Europe, I may be able to upgrade my phone plan to have access to it while there. After talking to Verizon, I learned I would need to order a special global phone and then pay extra for an international plan. Not having access to my phone is not the end of the world for me, but it may seem like the end of the world for my mother who texts me goodnight every night.
So you see we do not live in a completely global world. And with a limited credit history I did not qualify for a credit card with out foreign transaction fees. In my small town in Minnesota, none of the banks carried foreign currency. However, my town is on its way. Soon, the one stop shop, where everything is made by some third world country will be complete.
Now that I am ready for my trip and have over come a few small road bumps, I still do not have a solution to ease my mother's worry. I hope to find access to the Internet soon after my arrival to send an email letting her know I arrived safely.
I had an entire class on globalization, only to learn that we are not as globalized as we would like to believe. Tom Friedman was wrong, the world is not flat. It may be flattening, but for it to be truly flat you need to spend a little bit extra money.

Intro

I am not one to get into the latest trends. I do have a facebook but I have yet to get twitter, a smart phone, or even my own ipod. So a blog was the last thing I ever thought I would be writing. I was inspired by a friend who is also writing about her many adventures abroad this summer.
Hopefully, my friends and family will be able to stay up to date with my many adventures through my blog.
For those of you that do not yet know here is a summary of my plans for Summer 2010:
First off I will be studying Spanish in Madrid during the month of June. After that, I will continue my adventure to Rome, Southern France, Paris, Germany, and where ever else my trip takes me. My trip ends July 28th when I will be flying back to Minnesota to spend the rest of my summer working to pay off my travels. Of course I am taking donations for my trip. Currently, my number one sponsors are good ol' Ma and Pa. Thanks mom and dad.
That's basically it. Follow my blog to explore Europe with me and my many adventures of trying new cuisine, experiencing new cultures, seeing the various sites of Europe, and attempting to use my Spanish.