Eating My Way Through Paris

Bonjour my friends!
I just ate the most wonderful piece of pizza and pastry of my life.  In Paris listening to the music of a carousel in a park beneath Sacre Coeur.  Could life get any better?  Yes, actually it will, in two days when I am home with friends and family but that is neither here nor there.  Right now - Parisian food.  Delicious.  Incredible.  It started with the best baguette in France two days ago and now it is all about the amazing pizza (Italy is still Numero Uno in this department but this Parisian piece is a close second).  The pastry was so moist and soft and flaky with powdered sugar... heavenly.  It doesn't end there.  Last night I was given the generous invitation of having dinner with family friends from Florida who are currently in Paris on business.  We went to a place called the Buddha Bar just near the Louvre.  From the sound of the name you can assume it was a Japanese restaurant and you would be correct.  But we not only ate sushi but also an orray of amazing dishes.  Wonderful.  The company was the best part.  The last time I had seen Jim and Karen was over 10 years ago... at least.  We had a great time catching up and it was so nice to have something social to do, rather than be hanging out sola.  I think that is why I am as ready to come home as I am.  I like to travel by myself but it gets boring... or I get bored.  Museums and monuments and wonderful French food are not as enjoyable alone as they are with family and friends.
Speaking of museums... yesterday morning I went to the Louvre - one of the (if not THEE) most famous museum in the world.  I'm assuming it is the BIGGEST museum in the world but I have no idea - I just couldn't imagine anything bigger.  It is in a PALACE for goodness sakes.  The musuem is a museum itself.  Gorgeous.  In order to see all 35,000 pieces of art I walked at a pretty quick pace and didn't get to see it all.  At first, it was very peaceful walking through the museum with only a few other people scattered throughout.  However after 1.5-2 hours of being open, the Louvre began a Disneyworld nightmare.  People, tourists everywhere being loud even though it is a museum and taking crappy pictures of pieces of art they could just Google Image... I couldn't move freely throughout that museum which is enormous let alone breathe freely.  Needlesstosay I got the heck out of there immediately!  An experience... indeed... one that I would rather not relive... ever...
The rest of the day I wandered the streets of Paris and for a few hours enjoyed an amazing spinach and salmon quiche while reading my book and journaling in a bakery called PAUL in the Latin Quarter.  Then dinner at the Buddha Bar which lasted quite late so I got to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night - stunning!  Better from afar at night than in the day time close up, which is what I did today - the Eiffel Tower - the main attraction of Paris or most famous.  It was... steel, lots and lots of steel.  Not my favorite part of Paris but worth it.  I also went to Versailles today.  WOW!  Talk about over the top.  That King Louis XIV knows how to do it up... too bad King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette would later be beheaded as a result of living a too-fabulous lifestyle among a myriad of other things.  Although I did not go into the palace because I hear it is a let-down, the gardens were enough to keep me occupied for hours.  They stretched for miles and miles and miles and miles.  Endless.  With a canal in the middle, hundreds of fountains, thousands of statues and maze-like hedges.  Beautiful.  I ate a sack-lunch on the banks of the canal and enjoyed my book for a few hours.... Oh to be in Paris.
So that kinda sums up my Paris experience.  I have one more day in which I plan on heading back to the Montmartre District and the Latin Quarter - my favorite places.  Hopefully there will be sun tomorrow but it is doubtful.  Then I plan on taking a long shower tomorrow night before I wake up and hop on a 9 hour plan ride which will last technically only 2 hours... crazy concept I know.  Jet-lagged I will arrive in Chicago on Wednesday.... I'm ready but I'm not ready all at the same time.  I own a jumble of feelings right now.  Oh the paradox of life.  How philosophical.  Anyways, thank you all for tuning in to my adventures across Europe.  I have had the time of my life and I hope you all have enjoyed reading about my adventures every step of the way (or as close behind as possible).  And don't worry I'll be back to Europe before I know it (God willing) and will be blogging about Europe again before I know it.  In the meantime I hope you all continue to keep up with my blog as I will be trekking to Ocean City, New Jersey this summer for a missions trip and then this fall back to Chicago of course! 
Dos besos,
Sarah

The Final Stretch

Hello all.
I have 22 minutes this time so this should be a little more detailed and a little less sporatic.  I am in Paris!  But before we start with Paris, let me update you on Munich.  The Castle, like I said before, was fantastic and the countryside was beautiful as well.  The next day we went to Dachau concentration camp.  It was a very somber and serious trip but it was worth it.  I think visiting a WWII concentration camp and seeing the horror that humanity can commit against one another is very important.  We toured most of the camp including the dorms, torture rooms, crematory (spelling? sorry), and gas chambers.  It was eerie at times  especially when walking through the long corridors of the rooms used for torture and solid confinement.  It was horrible hearing about the methods of torture and the brutality that the SS guards and Nazis committed against Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and anyone else who was not blonde hair and blue-eyed.  Walking through the gas chamber with the word "shower" (in German) above the entrance was one of the worst experiences and feelings of my life.  I couldn't be in their for more than 5 minutes and I would never again want to go back.  I can't even express how I felt because I have no idea how to put it all into words and phrases.  It's indescribable but something I suggest everyone experiences if given the chance.  All in all Munich was a success.  Although I was sad to leave Jared (and his fantastic med school friends), I was ready to go to Paris.
Means of transportation to Paris?  Night train.  At first I was a little sketched out because I had heard so many creepy stories.  However, it was pleasant.  Cramped but pleasant.  After popping two sleeping pills, I was out like a light and barely woke up through the night until the train guy woke us up in the morning.  One of the best nights sleep I have had on this little adventure since leaving Spain.  Yay!  Night train was a success!  I barely got the the hostel in the Montmartre district before I left to go take a free walking tour of the city.  What an introduction! I saw a little bit of it all today:  Notre Dame in all her glory, Shakespeare's book shop where starving writers live and work, Eiffel Tower from a distance (tomorrow I'll go to the top), Napolean's tomb, the thriving and entertaining Latin Quarter, Tuileries gardens in bloom, Opera Garnier, Champs-Elysees, Place de la Concorde, the Grand and Petit Palais (didn't go inside but they were pretty on the outside), Place St. Michel and the Arc de Triomphe (with a car accident occurring every 30 seconds on average).  We walked by the Louve and tomorrow, since there is rain in the forecast, I have plans to go see the Mona Lisa, other works by DaVinci, Venus de Milo, the sculpture room and all 35,000 other works of art housed in the Louve.  I also hope to go to the Musee D'Orsay, which was the old train station and is now a museum.
Today I also visited the neighborhood I am staying in - the Montmartre District, known for its artists.  In this district is the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur (on Paris's highest hill and has a stunning view), Toulouse-Lautrec and his can-can dancers, Lapin Agile - the bar where Picasso exchanged paintings for food back in the day, the Red Light District, Paris's last surviving windmill, the Artists' Square where there are wall-to-wall artists wanting to sketch your portrait, Van Gogh's house, Picasso's studio and sooo much more.  This area has so much character and quirks.  Full of coffee shops, bakeries, cafes and food and art stands.  I hope I have time to return and explore some more but it's Paris and there is soo much to see!
And sooo much to eat!  Paris is known for its baguettes, cheeses (there are 365 different types - one for every day of the year), crepes and any other type of delicious baked goods.  Today, I had a nutella crepe made by the original crepe people from the town of Brittney (spelling?) in France.  I also bought a baguette from the man who was elected to make the best baguettes in France this year (in the Montmartre district as well).  The feeling of a warm, fresh out of the oven baguette.... indescribable.  I also bought some local Brie cheese... (honestly I wasn't that impressed but don't tell the Parisians - I plan to give it another go tomorrow).  Mmmmm delicious.
I have enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people on my journey from Vienna, Austria to Paris, France.  It has been a wonderful adventure and Paris, as a last stop, will be going out with a bang!  So much to see.  It's almost overwelming.  Traveling has also made me realize that seeing the sites is really not enough.  I wish I could live in these places and become part of them instead of just passing through.  I feel too tourist-y.  I don't like it.  I love to travel and see the places, smell the fragrances, taste the food and experience it all... but it's not the same as living in a place like I did in Spain for five months.  It has has to do with people.  Traveling alone has its perks but I miss laughing with someone in Paris, getting lost with someone else in Paris etc.  That's why I am ready to come back to the States.  I want to see my family and friends.  If I can't be in Spain, I want to be home, ya know?
Anyways, time to get going.  I'll try to update the day before I plane out of Paris to Chicago. 
Adios.
Hasta pronto.
Dos besos.
Sarah

Munich

Hello all!
I only have 8 minutes left on the computer so this is going to be short and sweet!
I am in Munich, Germany with my brother!!! (and his medical school group that are heading to Romania to do service work)  We have had a blast and its not even over yet!  The first day we took a walking tour of Munich and heard all about the history of the city.  Munich is the birthplace of Hitler's 3rd Reich and there is so much WWII knowledge to learn.  Sooo tomorrow we will be going to Dachau concentration camp.  Although I know it will be somber and depressing I feel it is an important piece of history  that I want to learn about and experience as best as I can.  However today we went to Neuschwanstein Castle in the same region as Munich - Bavaria.  BEAUTIFUL countryside.  The castle, which Disney modeled his castle after, was breathtaking.  It was so intricate and stunning.  Built only in the 1800s, it is rather young and was not completed because the King Ludwig died *suddenly*.  Very interesting storyline which I wish I had more minutes to tell you about in detail.  We also went to the original HaufbrausHaus - the famous Munich beer hall which I probably did not spell correctly.  Very cool.  We have also eaten a lot of Doner Kebaps which are fantastic and gelado.  I have finally decided that my favorite flavor is pistaccio.  It only took me 19 years and 11 months to come to that conclusion but I am satisfied now.
49 seconds... Tomorrow evening night train to Paris.
Update more then.
Dos besos
Sarah

To Be a Berliner...

Oh what I would not give to be a true Berlin-er today.  Why do you ask?  Well, today was this huge Culture Festival and Parade in Berlin and it was INSANE.  Berliners know how to through a party - although, Spain still trumps all fiestas!  Jaja.  There were thousands upon thousands of people in the streets.  Body to body.  For miles and miles.  I have never seen that many people anywhere.  Well, maybe at the Iowa State Fair.  Jaja.  Since it was a culture parade, there were many different booths with food, crafts, jewelry, scarves etc. from all over the world.  I found this adorable quilt made in India but have no way to get it home, seeing as I'm backpacking!  Bummer.  But I took a picture so maybe I can find something similar in the States although it won't be the same!  To sum up the Berlin Culture Fest in a few words or even a blog post would be impossible - definitely something that you need to truly experience and I am so glad I was able to.
The highlight of Berlin has definitely been the company.  I am staying with a girl named Katie who knows Barbara who is one of my CRU leaders.... Katie lives in Berlin and is on STINT with CRU.  Not only have I met Katie and her other fellow STINT-ers but I have also met students from Purdue and Butler University who are on Summer Project with CRU in Berlin!  Craziness!  It has been a lot of fun being able to tag along with them on a few things.  Tomorrow if it does not rain, we are doing a walking tour of Berlin! On Saturday I went to the German History Museum which was very informative especially about WWI and WWII.  I haven't done a lot of sightseeing yet because I am planning on the tour tomorrow and also it has been nice to just relax.  I needed a little breather after Vienna and Prague and definitely before Munich with Jared and then in the final stretch with Paris!
Although I am very excited to come home to the States and then go to the OC, I am still missing Spain and my friends and family from there a ton.  Last night I had a dream about my host family... and my American girls from Spain... I miss them soo much.  It's unbelievable how close I became with all of them in less than five months.  On the other hand, I am extremely excited to see my family-family in the States (Jared in Munich) and then see my friends too!!  YAY!  I am also excited to use a dryer, eat real Mexican and sushi, go to Target and simplify my life back in the States.  Yes, that's right, the first thing I am doing when I get home is to get rid of a ton of stuff and simplify my life.  Living out of two suitcases for the past five months made me realize that I don't need a lot and how much I really have.  If I don't need it now, there is someone that does need it NOW.  I am so blessed and fortunate to have so much but there is a line between having enough and having too much.  I like having a simplified life.  Less mess :)
Well I better sum this up.  The girls and I are about to watch X-men 2.  Last night we watched the first one, which I had never seen!  My first American movie in 5 months!  Wow... the transition has begun.  It will be tough with the reverse culture shock so I am glad to be starting now and to be starting slow.
Dos besos
Sarah

Prague: Czech Me Out!

Hello all from Prague, Czech Republic!
I am in LOVE with Prague; it is absolutely breathtaking.  Maybe I love it so much because Vienna was a let-down or maybe because Carly was here... whatever it was, I love Prague.  It isn't just one part of the city that is beautiful - the WHOLE city is amazing.  Cobblestone streets, adorable shops, amazing food (consisting of meat, potatos, and beer) and so much more.
In Vienna, I met two girls from Australia who were going to Prague the same day I was so we took the 5 hour train from Vienna to Prague together.  They are so much fun!  And as it turned out, we are going to Berlin at the same time too (tomorrow) so we are taking the train together again.  It is wonderful to have train buddies for those longer train rides.  They can be so boring but with two fun Aussies, we played Monopoly card game and talked the whole way.
Once we got to Prague we went our separate ways with plans to meet up in three days to catch the train to Berlin.  I headed to my hostel - adorable and clean!  I am having great luck with hostels this trip.  I only pray that Munich and Paris will be just as good.  Carly, my friend in Spain, was there with her brother and her friend in the same hostel so we hung out together, which was such a relief and a blessing.  Having Carly made everything so much better because traveling alone can be a downer especially after saying  goodbye to friends and family and SPAIN!  The first day we went to the Old Town Square, where there are two churches and the Astronomical Clock.  So much fun!  All throughout the square was little food stands where you could buy beer, hot wine, corn on the cob (which made me think of Iowa), chorizo hotdogs (which made me think of Spain) and chicken skewer sandwich things.  Delicious!  Over the next few days we saw the classic sites of Prague which includes the Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square, Municipal House, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge and St. Vitus's Cathedral.  We also tried beer brewed by the monks who live in Prague as well as huge amounts of pork.  I was in need of some protein!
The Charles Bridge is a gorgeous site that was built in 1357 and is dsitinguished by 30 statues erected down the length of it.  One of the statues is famous for either bringing you good or bad luck depending on which side of it you rub.  Some people were rubbing both but we figured that would bring you ever worse luck!  Carly and I, not wanting to jinx our travel, opted out of rubbing at all.  Just in case.  Jaja (haha).  Across the Charles Bridge and up the hill is the Prague Castle, which is about 1000 years old and I was told that it is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) castles in Europe.  It didn't really seem like a castle but was gorgeous none-the-less.  Within the castle grounds is St. Vitus's Cathedral - the most famous of all of Prague's cathedrals.  Prague is also known for its Jewish Quarter, which remains perserved even through World War II.  This is because Hitler did not destroy any of the synagogues in Prague.  He did this so after he "exterminated" the Jewish race, he could use Prague and its Jewish Quarter as a "museum" of "what was".  How terrible!  But I am glad it was preserved because it too was stunning even though we didn't go into all of the synongogues.  Within the Jewish Quarter known as Josefov is the Old Jewish Cemetery, Pinkas Synagogue that holds the names of 77.297 Jews and is about 400 years old, as well as the Old-New Synagogue which is the most important and over 700 years old.
In Prague I also ate my first bagel since leaving the States in January.  There are a few bagel places called Bohemia Bagels and I just couldn't resist.  Not as good as Big Apple Bagels that used to be in Burlington but it was sufficient to satisfy my bagel needs. :) On the subject of food, today we ate goolosh and dumplings - tasty!  Then for dessert we shared one of these hallow cinnamon roll things with Nutella in the middle.  Carly and I are suckers for Nutella - our weakness.  The amount of Nutella eaten in the past 5 months is shameful.  Jaja.
Tomorrow I leave for Berlin and am very excited.  Stop number 3 on my journey.  I will be staying with Katie who is doing a STINT with Campus Crusade and is a friend of Barbara's.  I am so blessed that she is opening her home to me.  I am not only excited to meet her and hear all about what she does but I am also excited to meet some students from Purdue University who are doing a missions trip of some-sort over in Berlin right now.  I leave for Berlin tomorrow as my brother departs from Chicago to Europe on his medical school trip to volunteer in Romania.  After Berlin, we will be meeting in Munich.  Yay!  It has been so long since I have seen my brother - highlight of my trip!
Anyways, thanks for tuning in again to my travel blog!  Hope I didn't bore you too much.  :)
Dos besos
Sarah

Socks and Sandals

Vienna without rain is much more enjoyable.
Today I saw the Town Hall, Parliament, Votiv Church, Freud's house, the Spanish Riding School with the dancing horses, Burgtheatre, the Museum Quarter and sooo much more.  I also went to the Naschmarkt which was very neat!  I had coffee there, ate olives, and stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon while people watching.  It was very entertaining.  Everyone is so different yet all the same.  Although I could not understand what they were saying, their actions and expressions said it all.  Wow.  And the food was delicious.  Tonight = the OPERA! in Vienna!  Craziness.  It actually turned out to be a ballet but was at the main opera house in Vienna.  Incredible!  I'm amazed at how flexible the male and female ballerinas are. 
Tomorrow = Prague with Carly.  Thank goodness I will be with someone else.  Because I am still a little sad since leaving Spain.  Today I am over traveling.  Tomorrow will be better, I hope.  I miss my friends and family in the States and I miss my friends and family in Spain.  Blah. 
But anyways these next 15 days will go by so quickly.  And I'll be in the States before I know it, having to deal with even MORE culture shock.  Looking forward to it, of course!  jaja
Dos Besos
Sarah

Stop Crying, Vienna, Please

As I type this, I am sitting in the most amazing little hostel in Vienna, Austria.  It is adorable.  I was a little worried at first when I could not find the place.  I walked around for 30 minutes with a huge backpack in the rain trying to remain calm.  Finally I found it.  The apartment building is a little sketch but when I finally got inside, I sighed a huge sigh of relief.  Adorable.  Home.  Clean.  Smile.  It has everything you could ever want and more.  Computers with internet.  Olive oil and other condiments.  Breakfast included.  Sheets.  Television.  Books.  Information about Vienna.  Even toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, Q-tips.  For crying out loud! 
I love the hostel in Vienna but I have yet to fall in love with the city.  The main reason being the weather.  It is rainy, cold, windy.  Not ideal weather for walking around Vienna or touring huge gardens or palaces.  And definitely not ideal for taking pictures.  However, I did hit the jackpot when I met Jake, a student from Atlanta who is studying abroad at Oxford for a semester.  He knew exactly what he wanted to see, where it was at (he was equipt with a GPS!), and he had a guidebook.  We had a fun time seeing Vienna despite the rain.
First thing we did was go see these 'steps' that are supposed to be some of the prettiest steps in all of Europe.  They were... pretty... but again, it was rainy and therefore not as magical as I had hoped these 'steps' would be.  Then we went to one of the main squares in Vienna where there is this huge fountain and also this is where many concerts are held when the weather is nice.  We went to three palaces today.  The first being the Belvedere Palace, the summer home of the Hapsburgs.  Fantastic.  Even in the rain it was gorgeous.  Second palace was the Imperial Palace in the middle of Vienna close to the Museum Quarter where I will be going tomorrow.  We also walked by the Opera House but were not able to go in because it was Sunday (again, tomorrow).  We walked through Stephansdom cathedral - enormous!  Not as cool as the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.  Nothing will ever beat that cathedral.  Close to Stephansdom is St. Peters church with a huge dome on top.  That was kinda neat although they were doing restorations... always a bummer, especially for photos.  Next we went to the Schonbrunn Palace and actually took a tour!  How interesting!  Of course, it looked as you would expect a palace to look.  High ceilings, beautiful ornate furniture, way to many rooms, gold-decorated everything!  Schonbrunn means 'beautiful spring' which was appropriate because there are so many fountains and the gardens are fantastic!  There is so much land and lush green vegetation... it is crazy!  Even in the rain and wind, we walked up this hill to get a look at the entire thing.  The view was incredible.  The history is incredible as well.  Maria Theresia of Austria, when she was crowned, had an architect re-vamp it.  It is currently this beautiful yellow color.  Emperor Franz Josef of Austria lived and died there.  Also interesting note:  Marie Antoinette is the daughter of Maria Theresa... can't wait til I go see Versailles in Paris!!  At first, I was on the fence about going because it is a whole day afair and costs a bit of money and I thought it would just be another palace but what the heck?!?! Why not.  The history behind all these monuments and palaces is amazing!  Speaking of history, we walked by the Imperial Hotel in Vienna, which is where Hitler had his headquarters in Vienna during WWII.  Crazy, right?  WWII is going to hit me like a brick when I get to Berlin!
Anyways I am hoping it will be nicer tomorrow so I can take more pictures and enjoy myself a little more.  I need to stop by the train station and get my Eurail validated and get all set up to leave Tuesday for Prague.  Tonight, after such a cold and rainy day, I am going to stay in my cozy hostel and read my book.  I'm on vacation.  It's nice.  Although I won't lie, I will definitely be ready to come home-home.  I love traveling but its exhausting.  I think things will go uphill in Prague where I'll have Carly, Berlin with Katie, Munich with Jared and Paris... well its Paris and my last stop!  I will continue to update you all as best as I can.  Hopefully I'll have luck with the other hostels being this nice as well.
Dos besos
Sarah
PS It's still tough being gone from Spain too.  Today, I ate my last tortilla espanola sandwich that Feli packed for me and almost began to cry again.  Ugh. 
PPS I dont know how I could have forgotten to mention this seeing as I love coffee a lot!  Vienna is known for its coffee and particularly coffee houses.  So this afternoon, seeking shelter, we went to one of the famous coffee houses called Central Cafe or something like that... close to the Imperial Palace.  It was absolutely beautiful inside but the coffee was honestly a let down.  Spanish coffee in Feli's little Italian coffee maker is so much better.  :)

No Goodbyes - Only Hasta Luegos

I survived the dreaded goodbyes (or aka, hasta luegos).  I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it through these past few days without throwing up.  My stomach has been in knots for days now.  Still is.  But I survived and am now in Barcelona after just meeting with Gina's former foreign exchange student who lives in Barcelona - Iris.  I am so glad that we finally got to meet up, especially after having such a tough day of goodbyes it was nice to grab a coffee with such a sweet and genuine person.
Last night after dinner with the family around 9:30ish, I went over to Morgen's apartment with the gang for the last get-together.  Triste. Triste. Triste.  I am going to miss them so much.  I am so blessed to have met such wonderful, amazing people this semester.  They made my experience what it was.  And although our time together in Spain is over, I look forward to all the USAC reunions!  Wherever they may be.  *cough cough* Cabo :) jaja  Anyways this morning I woke up and did NOT want to get out of bed because I knew this was the last morning I would wake up in my comfortable little bed in my cozy little room in Alicante, Spain.  During the usual breakfast with Feli, I was tearing up... No way could I start to cry already.  I sucked it up.  jaja  The whole morning and afternoon, there was a huge elephant in the room called This Is Sarah's Last Day in Alicante with Her Amazing Host Family.  It was obnoxious.  Finally it was that time.  I went to my room, put on my shoes, then went back to the living room where Feli and Alba were... I can't even remember if I said anything before we were all hugging and had tears in our eyes.  I couldn't stand it - seeing both Feli and Alba cry.  Madre mia.  We said how much we were going to miss each other, what a delight it had been living together, how we can't believe it went by so fast, and how I am going to return muy pronto (ASAP).  Then Feli apologized for anything that either she or Alba did over the course of the semester that might have upset me etc.  At first I thought she was kidding or that I had misunderstood because neither of them ever did a thing (not even in the slightest) that upset me even a bit.  I told Feli that she was crazy for thinking that and that they were perfect.  When I start to tear up, I can't speak or convey my feelings without bawling so before I said goodbye, I wrote them a letter - everything that I knew I wouldn't be able to say in fear of crying or just because I needed to use the translator!  jajaja  The last thing that was said was "Hasta luego" and then as I was walking down the stairs I heard Feli say "pobrecita" and that was it.  I was crying.  As much as I will miss "pobrecita", I will miss Feli calling me "carino" even more.  They will always hold a very special place in my heart as I know I will in theirs.  Needlesstosay, the walk to the train station was a little embarassing...  Spaniards were staring at me (which isn't unusual) but they were staring evenmore as I was bawling on the sidewalk with a gigantic backpack on.  I finally put on my sunglasses to conceal the tears and redness. jaja
Anyways that is enough of my sob story.  I'm sure you all are tired of hearing about that.  But overall, I could not have asked for a better Spanish experience.  I'm not sad because I know that I will see all these beautiful people again even if it is in a few years.  I am more sad because I was not ready to leave, in my opinion.  There is so much I needed to do, needed to see, needed to say, needed to learn, needed to experience and of course, there was  time that I needed to spend with these wonderful people.  But there is a time for everything - a time to plant and a time to uproot (Ecclesiastes somewhere...).  I know this is true.  But I wish it just didn't have to hurt so bad to uproot.  I am excited for the next chapters of my life but when you enjoy one chapter of your life as much as I did in Spain, turning the page is about the most unbareable thing.  I am so blessed to have had this experience and to have grown so close with my friends here and host family.  I am also incredibly lucky to have the wonderful friends and family back in the States.  I cannot wait to see you all!!!!!!
I love you all a ton.  Thank you for being here for me through the thick and the thin.  You are amazing.
Tomorrow - Vienna, Austria.
Dos Besos,
Sarah

The Final Countdown...

Oh my... less than 24 hours... like I told the girls yesterday, I have oxymorons in my stomach - bittersweet, nervous-excited, jumbo-shrimp... jaja :D  I just finished my classes.  It feels so good to be done but at the same time it makes me very sad.  The time always passes so rapidly.  Not fair!  As weird as this may sound, I'm going to miss my teachers (even Don Juan jaja).  Between Don Juan and my host family - they have taught me so much Spanish!  The other day Don Juan gave me a very nice compliment about my Spanish - he said "has aprendido español perfectamente.  es increíble."  which translates to "you have learned spanish perfectly. it is incredible."  I have come so far in the last 4 months.  I wish I could stay for longer and see how fluent I could really get!  I have had the time of my life learning Spanish and will continue to do so!
The past couple days have been full of packing and goodbyes (not so much studying jaja).  On Monday I said goodbye to Intercambio 2, Pedro.  Kinda triste.  However it was harder to say goodbye to Intercambio 1, Javier.  My friend Carly and I both have intercambios who are good friends.  So last night we all went out to dinner for a last goodbye.  We had sooo much fun!  Between English, Spanish and the language barrier - it was ALL laughs!  I even got some good videos of us being funny at dinner.  Carly and I taught the boys some good English phrases and vise-versa. :)  Both Javier and Juan Antonio promise to visit us in the States.  Can't wait for that experience!!!  Until then we will use Skype or as the Spaniards pronounce it - "skeeeepe"  Oh, how I will miss España.
After our entertaining dinner, Carly and I headed over to Morgen's apartment where the "gang" was - eating cake with "frosting" and having one of our last "hoorahs".  ¡Qué Triste!  I am going to miss everyone so much.  Its unbelievable how close we have all grown.  Pues.. there's always Cabo, right ladies? ;)  
Right now I am just thinking of all the wonderful moments I have had and how blessed I am.  When I was on my way to España in January, I never imagined it would be this amazing.  Wow.  Although its coming to an end, we will always have the memories (and the photos or videos).
Tomorrow I take off for Barcelona, where I am going to try to meet up with Gina's former foreign exchange student.  Saturday my flight takes off in the afternoon for Vienna, Austria where I will start my 18 day journey.  From Austria I will head to Prague where I will meet up with Carly and her brother.  Then Berlin where I will stay with Katie, who is doing a STINT in Berlin with Campus Crusade!!!  After Berlin is Munich with my one-and-only hermano, Jared!  I cannot wait to see him!!  We already have plans to go to a castle and a concentration camp.  If it works out we will meet up with one of our Liberty, MO neighbor's foreign exchange student who lives near Munich.  Finally, there will be a night train to Paris where I will spend four nights before flying direct from Paris to Chicago on June 2nd.  What a ride!  I will continue you to keep you posted as much as possible!
Hasta entonces!
Dos besos,
Sarah




Later that day...
So after debating back and forth over whether to bring vino and other Spanish gifts back home with me via my friend Sara who lives in Iowa City, we decided yes that we would transport vino etc. in my suitcase.  No pasa nada.  Well this afternoon I went to the Correos so they could weigh my suicase.  First thing the guy says when he picks it up is:  "¡Joder!"  and I respond naturally:  "¡Sí Señor!"  ... 28 kilos later... mi maleta ha roto.  Pues.... no más vino... oops!  I go home to Feli and Alba to tell them about the incident - "Madre mia" was all they could say.  Yo tam.  Yo tam.  So I dropped the broke suitcase off by the garbage, went to get more money to buy another China-shop suitcase, and when I came back - my broken suitcase was gone.  Literally 5 minutes.  Or less.  I kid you not.  So then I go to another China-shop and the only suitcase they had was hot pink (sorry sara!!! you are going to look fly wheeling this baby through the airports jaja).  And now, three bottles of vino less... I am praying this suitcase doesn't fail me.  ¡Fracaso!
PS I want to apologize in advance to all of my loved ones who were going to get Grade A vino from Spain as a gift.  Now you are gift-less.  Lo siento mucho.  :( 
Pues... estas cosas pasan.  Now I don't have to worry about customs getting upset.  ¡Bien!

...lots of cuddling...

Less than a week...

Writing that phrase took all the energy I had, which isn't much because it's time for a siesta anyways.  I still don't want to leave.  But it's okay.  The girls and I have decided to reunite in Cabo, Mexico sometime in the next two years or so.  (This will happen.  I promise.  We all do.)  And today when Feli asked me when they could expect me back, I said within two years, after I graduate from Loyola.  That, too, will happen.  I'm convinced.  One thing that Spain and this experience has taught me is that you never have enough time with the people you love.  Never.  So nothing should keep you from the people you love most.  Not 5,000 miles.  Not money.  Not work.  Not time/schedules.  Nothing.  Family and friends are too important and even that is an understatement.  If only everyone lived with that mindset, people would be much happier and the world would be a better place.  But that's another "tema" altogether.  I have had the time of my life in Spain these past four or five months.  I have learned and grown so much.  I don't want to leave but I know the next chapter of my life will bring joy, growth, and love as well.  I hate endings.  And I hate goodbyes.  Chicas, when we leave Spain we are not saying "Adios" - only "Hasta luego".  Wow.  The more I sit here thinking about leaving the more I cry.  This is going to be worse than heartbreak.  Pues... no pasa nada.  I am just so thankful and humbled by these opportunities but more so by the people I have met here and come to love.  You all have made this experience what it has been.  Indescribable.  I am so blessed to have met you all and we have become best friends in such a short time.  And Feli and Alba have become my second family in only four months.  Spain and everyone Spain has brought me to know and love have stolen my heart.  Through the tears, I'm smiling because I am so blessed, so incredibly blessed.

Okay.  Okay.  I need to write about something else.  So... what has been going on in Alicante lately?  Well, let's see.  Last weekend can be summed up in one word - PLAYA (beach).  Amazing weekend of beachin' it, enjoying meals with my family, and passing the nights with my friends in the barrio.  Me encanta.  Last week was full of classes which have become even more incredibly hard to sit through with only a few days left...  I made banana bread for thank you gifts yesterday.  Delicious but the middle always is a problem.  Yesterday, I had to buy a suitcase to transport stuff home in... muy triste.  Since I don't have much stuff, I am filling it with turrón, datiles, vino, digestive cookies, and paella seasoning.  As well as a lovely pair of heels, that are quite painful but I'm dedicated to practicing.  :)  Last night all of us got all dressed up and passed the time at Morgen's apartment, hanging out, talking, laughing, breaking wine glasses.... again I apologize for that one.  *embarrassed*  Then we went to Havana Lounge in the barrio for some dancing.  The dynamic was great.  Everyone was having a blast.  It was the perfect night.  Tonight, ladies, lots of cuddling??? jajaja

However, that isn't the most important part of this weekend.  The most important part is today because today is Feli's birthday!  ¡Qué bueno!  Alba and I bought pastries and flowers.  In Spain, birthdays aren't a big deal.  Loads of gifts - no.  Lots of sweets and cakes - no.  It was perfect.  We had a delicious lunchtime meal of seafood paella, caviar, brie al horno, and then a few tiny pasteles.  ¡Qué ricos!  It was fun because during lunch preparation and lunch, I had my camera and we took some fun pictures.  One of all of our slippers, which embarrassed Alba because she thinks her slippers are ugly!  jaja  They kinda are but we love them all the same.  Even though it is her birthday, Feli did everything the same, including when I tried to help clean up, she protested until I talked her into letting me wipe off the table.  Tonight, there is no way she is doing the dishes.  

Hm... time to echar una siesta.  What a life!

Dos besos

Sarah