Travels Galore

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!! I have been so busy lately and time has truly been FLYING by. Between papers, presentations, and all of the traveling I've been doing, I can't believe December is just around the corner!

Last weekend I went to Lisbon with the school. It was rainy on Saturday so we didn't get to see as much as we hoped to, but it was still such a fun weekend. I tried these absolutely delicious pastries and drove to the western most point of continental Europe. It was such a fun weekend and it was a nice bonding experience with my friends from school, and also a nice experience to bond with more people that I haven't spent much time with yet.

On Wednesday, my friend Kourtney and I left for IRELAND to visit and stay with Jessi! I was able to eat a turkey dinner and see her family, which was nice since I wasn't with my own. It was definitely hard being away from my own family on Thanksgiving but I was able to Skype with them for a bit so that was really nice. Kourtney and I went to Adare, a little town right outside of Limerick, which was fun and very cute. We also went to the Cliffs of Moher and they were SOOOO beautiful! And yesterday morning we were able to take a bus tour all around Dublin and explore that a little bit, also a very fun experience.

I will share more in a few weeks when I get home, but here are a few pictures! Hope you enjoy and had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! : )







Overlooking Lisbon from up above.



The trollies!! So much fun.



Me & my roommate, Cassie, in front of a castle.



Full view of the castle!



The Cliffs of Moher! Absolutely breathtaking.



One of the stops on our tour.



Poulnabrone Tomb, which was built sometime around 3800 BC.. no big deal.



Soo foggy, but that is an ancient castle!



Of course... I had to represent the fam!

a tough decision.

Hello all -

I am writing to inform you of a difficult decision that I have come to in the past few days, although I believe it has been a long time coming. Living here in Madrid has taught me so much about myself, other people, a different culture and the world. I have been so incredibly lucky to have this opportunity, and I have done my best to take advantage of everything that has been offered to me since I've been here. I have balanced out the amount of traveling and exploring around Madrid during my weekends, and I have participated in many activities in order to get to know this side of the world a little better.

But I have also had an immensely difficult time being this far away from my family, my friends and my town - basically life as I know it. I realize that college is about growing up and maturing more, and moving on to a different chapter in your life. But I think I may have opened my book to the middle, overlooking the first few chapters that are crucial to gaining that independence. For every second that I love it here, there are one or two during which I am feeling sad, lonely, and homesick. As much as I look forward to spending time with my friends or walking around and stumbling upon things in this beautiful city, I equally look forward to being able to talk to my parents and others back home.

For these reasons and a few more, I have decided that one semester in Madrid will be enough for me. This January, I am going to attend Suffolk Boston. My hope is that it will be an easier adjustment for me, and I will be able to be happy all of the time, instead of just most of it. This has been a difficult decision to make because I don't want to be disappointed in myself. But I believe that I have learned and seen so much in the past few weeks, and one semester has filled my wish to study abroad. I don't believe this is the last time I will be in Europe, but I am doing my best to soak in the last few weeks I have here. It has been a crazy ride and if time turned back to April and it was time for me to decide, I would still choose to come here, because it has been a learning experience in all aspects from day one.

In other news, I discovered an incredibly beautiful park near where I'm staying, and fall is a beautiful time, so here are some pictures I hope you will enjoy.



Fall leaves, always so beautiful.




It was so beautiful out today!




This is the park - it reminds me of an old movie screen or something.




A side view from the day I got to tour the inside - unfortunately we could not take any pictures inside. : (




I just want to eat up that sky - in front of El Palacio Real (the Royal Palace)


Hasta luego!

Happy November!!

Hi all,
Happy November! The air is getting slightly colder and the semester is picking up, as finals will be here before I know it. I have three papers due at the end of the semester, so the next few weeks will be dedicated to getting those under my belt, and not much else. I don't have much to update since my last post - just exploring the city more and more, spending way too much money at El Rastro every Sunday, and constantly hunting for book stores with English books (don't worry, I've found three already!)

November also means that I am coming home NEXT month, which I am so excited for. I do love it here and I think second semester will bring new and different adventures for me, but I can't wait for my month at home to be with my family and friends. My parents have put up with so much from me being here - constantly nagging them to talk to me, and putting up with my constant mood swings. I appreciate it sooo much and can't wait to see them next month! I have two more trips planned to Portugal and Ireland before I leave for home, so I really need to focus on school work now so I can play in a few weekends. : )

For now, here are a few pictures floating around from various events...

Enjoy! See you SOON!




Dressed up as the Spice Girls for Halloween!!



Zoomed in on the players during the Real Madrid game.



View from our nose bleed seats - but what an AMAZING experience!



Estadio Santiago Bernabeu - I live down the street from here!



The castle we saw on our hike.



Posing in front of the castle!



In town there were HUGE ostrich nests on top of the tallest buildings.



Pretty fountain in a little old town.



View from the hike - incredible.