When life gives you pomegranates...

As I mentioned in my last post, I am "studying" in Granada, Spain. Granada, when translated from Spanish to English, means pomegranate. Let's take a moment to consider how weird that is. I'm living in a city called Pomegranate. There would never be a Pomegranate, Kentucky or Pomegranate, Utah. Okay, maybe in Utah. It's a pretty strange place.  

Pomegranate, Spain, on the other hand, is quite beautiful.

I have been in this wonderful city for one month now. That's crazy! And in this month I have skied the Sierra Nevada's, visited cathedrals, eaten way too many tapas, run the cobblestone streets, participated in authentic Spanish food tasting, and become an adult...and by that I mean figured out how to use the post office, grocery store, public transit, medical clinic, and pharmacy. 

There is nothing worse than being sick while away from home. But don't fret, Mom, I have made friends with a very large pot of tea.

~Dear Ms. Coffee,

We have spent many good years together. When I was alone, you sat with me. When I was upset, you helped me through. When I was happy, you celebrated with me. Because of your faithfulness, I feel I owe you this explanation.

It's not you. It's me. I haven't betrayed you, and you know I would never cheat on you. Sometimes people just need a break to realize what they are missing. Even Lily and Marshall went there separate ways for a short period of time. Please have patience with me and trust that I'll return to you soon.

My deepest regrets.~

One thing that I haven't done in my month in Granada is hike the Sierra Nevada's. My study abroad group intended to go this weekend, but rain cancelled our plans. But when Granada gives you pomegranates, you make POM Wonderful. 

Europe must inspire spontaneity, because within 3 hours we had booked bus tickets and an Airbnb for 10 people to Madrid. McKinley celebrated her 21st birthday in Spain's capital! Casual.

Together we visited Palacio Real de Madrid, Parque del Retiro, and Museo Nacional del Prado (and I got way too excited about the art. It was worth paying attention in my History of Spain class last semester)! But most importantly, I drank the best coffee I've had in Europe. But for now, if you need me, I'll be in Pomegranate, Spain. 

Attempting to study while studying abroad...

The title says it all. For those of you who have kept up with my regular postings to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat (wow, I really am traveling in the 21st century), you will understand why attempting to study couldn't be truer. It'll be impressive if I ever manage to study in the normal sense of the word. I like to think of my adventures as a form of studying the culture...at least that's how I'll present it on scholarship applications ;)

Traveling in the 21st century with access to the internet in almost every cafe, makes me truly impressed by those who traveled abroad before me. My Uncle Gil backpacked through Europe when he was only 19. First: I'm about to be a senior in college, and the only recipe I have mastered is spaghetti. So props to you, Uncle Gil, for doing this. Second: With the internet readily available, it is so easy to stay connected to home...and bring these wonderful blog posts and pictures right to your handheld screen.

Today marks 51 days that I have been abroad! That number is incredible to me because it is the longest I have ever been out of the United States and will only continue to grow until May 20th. (Mark your calendars!! This dog will eventually find his way back home...only to run away to Taiwan two weeks later. They don't eat dogs in Taiwan, do they?)

I have been living in Granada, Spain for 26 days...and we watched the sun set from this view point on day 1. So basically I'm a Spaniard.

I'm studying at the University of Granada, where I am taking classes in grammar, writing and conversation, Spanish literature, Spain in the media, and volunteerism (I'm volunteering every week with students with aspergers as a part of an internship). As I said before, I'm attempting to study, but how do you expect me to do that when I'm surrounded by the Sierra Nevada's???

We went skiing in the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains the first weekend (we don't waste any time)! I'm standing in line for one of the lifts when I realize there is another to my left with fewer people and is moving much faster. So I ski down to it, glance at the "Experts Only" sign, and decide to go for it. "I'll just ski slowly and make wide turns. Dad will be so impressed by me." (That is exactly how I rationalized the situation and convinced myself to continue.) Let's just say that the ski lift took a long, long time to reach the drop off point. And that's because it crested the summit of the mountain...so high that I was above the clouds and could not see the lodge. 

~I cussed a little bit~

It took me 15 minutes to ski down to the lodge. But that includes a few minutes where I had to recollect my skis after losing them on a patch of ice and sliding down what felt like half the mountain. Nonetheless, I made it, and then continued to ski from the lodge down the rest of the mountain to the village. How many people can actually say they skied a mountain from top to bottom?

So in one week, I had enough adrenaline pumped through my veins to last me an entire month. How will I ever top that?! Sorry, Mom. 

I guess I'll fill the void with caffeine. Thank you to those who made it to this point. Have a coffee on me! Or maybe refill my cup, please. 

Continuing to run in foreign countries...

"Traveling is the only thing you pay for that makes you richer." That's at least how I'm justifying this trip's price tag. With that being said, I am very fortunate to have parents who are so willing and able to support me while I am across the pond. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you! And thank you to those who have continued to pray for my safety.

McKinley and I visited 6 countries in 18 days! If this leg of the trip were a track event, it was definitely the 100M dash. We then slowed down the pace (most would disagree) and spent a whole week in Italy visiting Venice, Florence, and Rome. Brace yourself:

 Piazza San Marco, Bridge of Sighs, gelato, pizza, Plazza Ducale, Jewish Ghetto, more gelato, Ponte di Rialto...

Piazzale Michelangelo, gelato, wine and cheese at sunset, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Cathedral, Duomo, more gelato and pizza...

 Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Mark's Cathedral, Colosseum, Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain, 

Pantheon, and even more gelato and pasta!

Oh, and we shared a hostel with a nun.

 Yup that's Italy in a nutshell.

But no travel would be complete if all went according to plan! 

McKinley and I may have spent too much time trying to make it look like we were supporting the Leaning Tower of Pisa and then had to full out run the mile back to the train station only to hop on seconds before it took off. And when leaving Florence for Rome? Yeah...our directions didn't take us to the bus stop. So there goes Max and McKinley, running around the streets frantically asking for directions in Spanish with an Italian accent to anyone we run into ;)

Although speaking Spanish in an Italian accent is fun, I'm sure they don't appreciate it. So I'm happy to finally be in a country where the people (sometimes) understand me. Stay tuned for more adventures from a dog in a foreign place. 

Where in the world...?

For those of you who may not know me but enjoy living vicariously through my posts and pictures, here is a little information about me. I am one who, for the most part, simply goes with the flow. Yes, I may plan a little bit when it comes to travel, but not extensively. It made my mom very happy to know that I would be with McKinley who knows exactly where we will eat lunch three days in advance.

For those of you who know me well, this won't come as a surprise to you. I knew we would be traveling to Prague, Czech Republic, but I didn't know the CR was considered Eastern Europe until the bus dropped us off at the station. Where had I gotten myself into? The Lonely Planet's Western Europe guide book stayed in the apartment for those three days. It's fine. Casual.

Despite my minimal (nonexistent) preparation for Eastern European culture, Prague quickly became a contender for my favorite city. Even considering the rain and gloom of a European January, the red roofs, bell tower, castle, and cheap food (I mean cheap; we made six meals for 8 euro!!) made me fall in love with this city whose culture and language was so different from anything I had ever experienced. It's still one of my favorite countries despite our final minutes in Prague.

~I don't deserve any, and I mean any, sympathy for the story that is to follow~

As college kids we try to be...frugal. In the context of this story, saying we were being "frugal" is being generous, but I'll let you choose your own words. Metros are different in Europe; you have to buy a ticket and then validate it with a time stamp. There aren't any gates between you and the metro, so if you're feeling extra gusty, you can walk right on.

McKinley and I bought a ticket the first day, and didn't validate them...fast forward three days. 

We are about to leave the metro, 100 meters from our bus which will whiz us off to Austria when we are stopped by the meanest, least sympathetic man I have ever met. He asked for our tickets (which we luckily still had) and then our passports when he saw our tickets weren't validated. "Follow me," he said through a clenched jaw. The seconds that followed passed like hours. 

He pointed to the English sign: Validate Your Ticket. Then he motioned to the fine print of the ticket. And it was at this point that I realized no amount of "playing dumb" or begging would help us. Without a single Korona in our pockets, we had to take 2000 out of the ATM to pay our fine. He then thanked us and pointed us in the right direction. The irony of his lack of sympathy juxtaposed with his kindness in showing us the way. 

The moral of the story, Europeans already hate Americans enough so go ahead and validate your metro ticket. You can bet that we validated our tickets the moment we set foot in Austria's metro...and explored an abandoned amusement park.