Monday, September 3, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Day 1-3: Welcome to Barcelona.
Hola amigos!
At this point, I've been up for about 31 of the past 33 hours, since departing for Barcelona. It's been crazy. I'm surprised I can still function, let alone blog, so if it's a little incoherent, blame it on the lack of sleep. :)
Here's a summary of what's been going on:
August 28th: Woke up at 5am, although I planned on sleeping in until 6:30. The anxiousness and excitement had got to me. Mom, dad and Tucker dropped me off at the airport, for a short and sweet send off. My excitement was overwhelming until about hour number 3 of what was supposed to be my 5 hour layover in JFK. This layover ended up turing into a little over 8 hours. One and a half of which, I spent stalled on the plane. I was hoping to sit by one of the many other exchange students, but got stuck beside an elderly lady. I wasn't to excited at first, but she ended up being quite humorous and also very knowledgeable. I didn't sleep much on the flight, not because I wasn't tired, but because it was a rather uncomfortable chair. Next time, I may just collect donations so I can afford business class, anyone down? hahah ;)
August 29th: Because of our flight delay, we arrived in the airport around 9. Honestly, I was thankful for the delay, it means I had less time to entertain myself in a big, unknown city all day. This wouldn't have normally been an issue, but I knew I had luggage to maneuver and I was already slightly fatigued. Once arriving to the airport, it took me about an hour to figure everything out. I couldn't find the ATM, and once I finally did, it was in Catalan (as was EVERYTHING else). I did eventually get it working, but not after a struggle. My phone was also not working, so I had to use a pay phone, which was quite unfamiliar to me. It was pretty easy to navigate my way out of the airport and the Plaça Catalunya.
_______________________This is where I got distracted and fell asleep________________________
To summarize the rest of the day, I explored some main parts of Barcelona. I saw Las Ramblas and followed it all the way to the harbor. It was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We don't really have places like this in North Carolina. I don't think on Wednesday I could aptly appreciate it's beauty though. I'm hoping to go back soon. It's not far, or hard to get to, I just have to muster up the courage to explore.
I haven't done much since Wednesday. Yesterday, Julian, one of my roommates took me to the market and I purchased some groceries. Cheese is so cheap here, it is AWESOME. Literally, I can get a good amount of Brie for 1.40 Euros. In America, that same amount would be at least $7.00. I guess that makes up for pretty much everything else being slightly more expensive. :)
I really like my flat. It's very spacious and is in a great part of town. There are three downfalls though:
1. No A/C. Which was only a problem on the first day, because it was like 88 degrees. Yesterday and today it's been in the 70's though, so not bad.
2. I live above a fish market (Pescadería). Fortunately, I'm on the fifth floor, so it's not something that I always smell, but for some reason, maybe the piping, my bathroom smells like fish about 40% of the time. Generally, in the morning. I guess this is just one of those experiences to have in Barcelona, seeing it's a huge place for seafood...
3. My shower is about 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet. If that. It is small. It's something I'll get used to, but showers will no longer be a time to relax. hah
Other thoughts:
1. I'm really struggling with Spanish. I think a lot of it is a fear barrier.
2. My roommates seem great. Julian has been beyond helpful and Henry seems really nice (although, I've only met him for a short time).
3. I have met no one except my roommates, so that's a little intimidating. I've been using some different websites to meet up with people, so hopefully, I'll make friends this weekend.
4. If nothing else, I've met this friend named Jill. She's from the US but lives outside of Barcelona. I haven't actually met her yet, but we have skyped and we will meet this next week. She's been a huge blessing so far! It's extremely comforting to meet other people living abroad that know English and are from where you are from. I'm excited about meeting up with her and her husband this next week!
Hopefully today, I'll journey to Parc Guell and post pictures later. I really need to venture out. it's just rather daunting to do in a city where you don't know anyone and they speak a different language. If you were to compare the size of Raleigh or Greensboro to Barcelona, it would probably be about 1/25th of it's size. This is a HUGE city, and there are so many things to do and see! I want to do it all, I just have to get up the courage to explore.
At this point, I've been up for about 31 of the past 33 hours, since departing for Barcelona. It's been crazy. I'm surprised I can still function, let alone blog, so if it's a little incoherent, blame it on the lack of sleep. :)
Here's a summary of what's been going on:
August 28th: Woke up at 5am, although I planned on sleeping in until 6:30. The anxiousness and excitement had got to me. Mom, dad and Tucker dropped me off at the airport, for a short and sweet send off. My excitement was overwhelming until about hour number 3 of what was supposed to be my 5 hour layover in JFK. This layover ended up turing into a little over 8 hours. One and a half of which, I spent stalled on the plane. I was hoping to sit by one of the many other exchange students, but got stuck beside an elderly lady. I wasn't to excited at first, but she ended up being quite humorous and also very knowledgeable. I didn't sleep much on the flight, not because I wasn't tired, but because it was a rather uncomfortable chair. Next time, I may just collect donations so I can afford business class, anyone down? hahah ;)
August 29th: Because of our flight delay, we arrived in the airport around 9. Honestly, I was thankful for the delay, it means I had less time to entertain myself in a big, unknown city all day. This wouldn't have normally been an issue, but I knew I had luggage to maneuver and I was already slightly fatigued. Once arriving to the airport, it took me about an hour to figure everything out. I couldn't find the ATM, and once I finally did, it was in Catalan (as was EVERYTHING else). I did eventually get it working, but not after a struggle. My phone was also not working, so I had to use a pay phone, which was quite unfamiliar to me. It was pretty easy to navigate my way out of the airport and the Plaça Catalunya.
_______________________This is where I got distracted and fell asleep________________________
To summarize the rest of the day, I explored some main parts of Barcelona. I saw Las Ramblas and followed it all the way to the harbor. It was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We don't really have places like this in North Carolina. I don't think on Wednesday I could aptly appreciate it's beauty though. I'm hoping to go back soon. It's not far, or hard to get to, I just have to muster up the courage to explore.
I haven't done much since Wednesday. Yesterday, Julian, one of my roommates took me to the market and I purchased some groceries. Cheese is so cheap here, it is AWESOME. Literally, I can get a good amount of Brie for 1.40 Euros. In America, that same amount would be at least $7.00. I guess that makes up for pretty much everything else being slightly more expensive. :)
I really like my flat. It's very spacious and is in a great part of town. There are three downfalls though:
1. No A/C. Which was only a problem on the first day, because it was like 88 degrees. Yesterday and today it's been in the 70's though, so not bad.
2. I live above a fish market (Pescadería). Fortunately, I'm on the fifth floor, so it's not something that I always smell, but for some reason, maybe the piping, my bathroom smells like fish about 40% of the time. Generally, in the morning. I guess this is just one of those experiences to have in Barcelona, seeing it's a huge place for seafood...
3. My shower is about 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet. If that. It is small. It's something I'll get used to, but showers will no longer be a time to relax. hah
Other thoughts:
1. I'm really struggling with Spanish. I think a lot of it is a fear barrier.
2. My roommates seem great. Julian has been beyond helpful and Henry seems really nice (although, I've only met him for a short time).
3. I have met no one except my roommates, so that's a little intimidating. I've been using some different websites to meet up with people, so hopefully, I'll make friends this weekend.
4. If nothing else, I've met this friend named Jill. She's from the US but lives outside of Barcelona. I haven't actually met her yet, but we have skyped and we will meet this next week. She's been a huge blessing so far! It's extremely comforting to meet other people living abroad that know English and are from where you are from. I'm excited about meeting up with her and her husband this next week!
Hopefully today, I'll journey to Parc Guell and post pictures later. I really need to venture out. it's just rather daunting to do in a city where you don't know anyone and they speak a different language. If you were to compare the size of Raleigh or Greensboro to Barcelona, it would probably be about 1/25th of it's size. This is a HUGE city, and there are so many things to do and see! I want to do it all, I just have to get up the courage to explore.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Pre-departure Jitters
As I prepare to go abroad for this next semester, I am faced with a variety of emotions. I've found it quite difficult to convey these emotions to people that are not or have not faced the crazy, awesome, frightening adventure that will be my next four months.
For those that don't know, I'm about to depart on a journey to Barcelona, Spain. I'm super (well, mostly) excited! The program I'm apart of is called Global Work with Immigrant Kids (GWIK) and it basically takes the place of my fall Social Work internship, by providing me with an internship in another country. It's an awesome opportunity that I doubt I'll ever have again! I chose Spain because I met the Spanish language requirements and wanted to work on my language skills. Also, Spain is much warmer than the other two options (Denmark and Belgium) and I love warmth. :) So basically, while I'm abroad, I'll be interning 15-20 hours a week working, presumably, with immigrant children, taking one class at Ramon Llull University and taking two Spanish courses at the University of Barcelona. I think I'm going to stay busy. :)
While I was in high school, I had the opportunity to go to Peru a couple of times, and it was cool, but it was very touristy. I was also surrounded by 700 other people, each apart of the same missions trip as I. Unlike Peru, I'm going to Spain alone. This scares the crap out of me. I'm about to move to another country and I don't know a soul. LITERALLY. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Not only do I not know anyone, but I don't speak their language. Okay, yes, for those that have hung around me long enough, I like to insert a few Spanish words here or there, but I don't speak it fluently. I've also never had to rely solely on my Spanish speaking skills to survive. That may seem a bit dramatic, and it may be, because I think I could get by without speaking at all....but I'd prefer not to. I am very much a people person. I don't like crowded places and large groups of people, but I do need conversation. This I think is one of my biggest fears for the next semester.
I'm nervous about many of the possible things that I will experience this next semester, but also excited about several. I'm living in an awesome area of town! It's called, "Barrio de Gracia." The picture I've included in this post is actually apart of my future neighborhood. It's beautiful! Barcelona is an incredible place. The beach is only 10-15 minutes away, and the mountains are not far either. The city has so many different things to offer: good food, art, amazing architecture and so many other things. It's a huge place, much bigger than my previous residences in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro. The history of Barcelona is rich, and heavily influenced by Catalonia. I'm excited about exploring the city and getting to know the culture.
When I arrive, I'll have the first two weeks to explore and find out how to navigate the city. I'm so thankful for these two weeks. It's nice to know i'll have the time to get aquatinted with everything, before classes and internship starts. Hopefully, I'll be able to blog more once I arrive and maybe update with some photos. :)
For my own sake, and for those that want to hold me accountable, I have a few goals for this semester:
1. Work on my Spanish.
2. Invest in the lives of the children I'm working with.
3. Try a strange seafood.
4. Invest in the city, learn Catalan, do more than just "touristy" things.
5. More to come.....
Also, be praying and thinking of me this semester. I'm sure it's going to be awesome, but also extremely challenging. I won't be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I'm sure I'll miss my friends and family quite a bit. Stay updated with what I'm up to through my blog, or feel free to find me on Skype (krdaniel7)!
Thanks!
 |
| Photo of Passeig de Gracias by Moyan Brenn |
While I was in high school, I had the opportunity to go to Peru a couple of times, and it was cool, but it was very touristy. I was also surrounded by 700 other people, each apart of the same missions trip as I. Unlike Peru, I'm going to Spain alone. This scares the crap out of me. I'm about to move to another country and I don't know a soul. LITERALLY. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Not only do I not know anyone, but I don't speak their language. Okay, yes, for those that have hung around me long enough, I like to insert a few Spanish words here or there, but I don't speak it fluently. I've also never had to rely solely on my Spanish speaking skills to survive. That may seem a bit dramatic, and it may be, because I think I could get by without speaking at all....but I'd prefer not to. I am very much a people person. I don't like crowded places and large groups of people, but I do need conversation. This I think is one of my biggest fears for the next semester.
I'm nervous about many of the possible things that I will experience this next semester, but also excited about several. I'm living in an awesome area of town! It's called, "Barrio de Gracia." The picture I've included in this post is actually apart of my future neighborhood. It's beautiful! Barcelona is an incredible place. The beach is only 10-15 minutes away, and the mountains are not far either. The city has so many different things to offer: good food, art, amazing architecture and so many other things. It's a huge place, much bigger than my previous residences in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro. The history of Barcelona is rich, and heavily influenced by Catalonia. I'm excited about exploring the city and getting to know the culture.
When I arrive, I'll have the first two weeks to explore and find out how to navigate the city. I'm so thankful for these two weeks. It's nice to know i'll have the time to get aquatinted with everything, before classes and internship starts. Hopefully, I'll be able to blog more once I arrive and maybe update with some photos. :)
For my own sake, and for those that want to hold me accountable, I have a few goals for this semester:
1. Work on my Spanish.
2. Invest in the lives of the children I'm working with.
3. Try a strange seafood.
4. Invest in the city, learn Catalan, do more than just "touristy" things.
5. More to come.....
Also, be praying and thinking of me this semester. I'm sure it's going to be awesome, but also extremely challenging. I won't be home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I'm sure I'll miss my friends and family quite a bit. Stay updated with what I'm up to through my blog, or feel free to find me on Skype (krdaniel7)!
Thanks!
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