We'll it is officially Valentine’s Day here in Barcelona, and also the anniversary of the shooting at NIU last year. It is mind-boggling to think that it has been a year since the shooting happened, it seemed like it was just a couple of weeks ago. I can't help to think about my Coms class I was in right before the shooting, and also walking in front of Cole hall just minutes before the shooting happened. It's pretty crazy to think about, and I sure am happy that I am alive. I definitely wish that I could have been at NIU the last couple of weeks. I have heard that there have been numerous gatherings and prayers that I wish that I could have been a part of. Even here in Barcelona it is hard to keep my mind away from what happened last year. But I decided that I am going to take it easy this weekend and travel around some parts of Barcelona that I have yet to see.
Anyways, this week has completely flown by! Classes went pretty well, and I had my first Spanish exam today....I still am upset about the Friday classes. For the most part IES is an excellent program that thrives on their education. But they are the only program that I have heard of that makes Friday classes mandatory. Each IES student is required to attend our language class on Friday. I love my Spanish class, the students and my professor. The point is that IES really limits the amount of independent traveling we can do, without being penalized. But it is what it is!
I recently booked my flight to Switzerland at the end of March, and then Dad and I booked our flight to Rome on for my Spring Break! I came to the decision that I want to travel around Spain, instead of going all over Europe. It is the most logical decision because I will be saving a ton of money, and will also be able to enhance my Spanish fluency. I've found a couple people who kind of want to do the same thing, so hopefully I will be able to find some people to travel with! I haven't really decided where I want to go, but I will figure it out this weekend. Next weekend I will be traveling to Sevilla and Cordoba, which are both in Andalucía. I have heard that the people in Andalucía are awesome, so I might want to return if I like it out there.
I met with my intercambio, Axel on Wednesday which was fun. We went to a small cafe close to Plaza Cataluña, and talked for a couple of hours. The other two American students were unable to make it, so Axel and I talked about sports, politics, and music...just about everything. I actually found some other Spanish students through the internet who are looking for an English Intercambio. A professor recommended a website to me, and I have been in contact with a few other students. I will hopefully be meeting with them sometime next week. My goal is to have 3 or 4 different intercambios throughout the semester, which will really help my fluency. One of the guys I might study with also speaks Italian, and also Catalan, which will be interesting. I have been practicing speaking Catalan, and try to greet the locals here in Catalan, opposed to Castelleano. It's an extremely long story, but most of the people from Cataluña don't consider themselves to be Spanish. They give tremendous respect to those who attempt to speak Catalan to them. I will definitely talk about this another time.
I'm considering traveling with Couch Surfing. For those who don't know, couch surfing is basically a way to travel around for free. You literally sleep on someones couch, or bed if they have one. I know that it sounds shady, but I've done some research and it seems to be very safe. I've talked to some people who have done it, and they have made tons of friends everywhere doing it. It is a relatively difficult process to sign up, but it is completely free. Each of the individuals/families that host students have ratings online by travelers who have stayed with them previously. I will talk about this more once I found out more details, but it is completely free!
Well this weekend I hope to visit Montjüic, Tibidabo, and also Palau Güell which are three parts of Barcelona which I have yet to see. I imagine that I will have many pictures to post by Sunday!
Hasta pronto
