Spain is probably the best thing ever! All the kids in my program are really awesome, the city is fabulous, the night life is sweet, and overall, I absolutely love it. We are right next to the beach and the city has everything we could ask for and more.
I have already started making some travel plans with other students (tentatively) and it sounds like we are going to be going on some awesome trips. One of my friends has family that live in Marseilles, France. AMAZING! So hopefully that will be awesome and I'll be able to improve my French. My friend Dan is planning on going to Germany for Oktoberfest, which I wanted to go to, so I might do that if I can find a cheap flight. Also on the list are Morocco, Italy, London (perhaps) and possibly any other place that sounds like it's worth visiting (which they all are). I also am hoping to do some traveling within Spain to really get to know the country better. I will hopefully live here one day, so I would like to get to see as much of it as possible. The people here are so nice (so far) and I absolutely LOVE the way they speak Spanish. Spain Spanish is the way to go. It's beautiful.
Currently, we are just going through a bunch of orientation stuff, meeting our host families tomorrow, and attending some lectures about the program. Next week we will take placement exams and begin our two-week intensive language course, where, hopefully, my Spanish will improve some more.
It is nice to have American friends, but hopefully when regular university classes begin, I will make friends with some Spaniards. That should be interesting and really fun and help me learn more Spanish!
Hopefully everything in the States is good, I want to hear from all of you!
¡Ciao Ciao!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Un Día Más
I only have one more day left in the states. And I'm using it to do laundry, pack, and get a few last minute things done. Exciting, eh? Oh, also playing with my puppy. He is so cute!!
Anyways, I am excited for the new adventure that awaits me... but first, I will be spending lots of time on airplanes and at the airport. Two of my favorite places! Don't ask why, I just like to travel. I know I will miss everyone a lot, but I also know that I am going to have the time of my life! Send me mail, it will make me smile!
Kellie Balu - CIEE
C/o Francisco Diez
Oficina CIEE
Aulario II
Universidad de Alicante
San Vicente del Raspeig
03690 - Alicante, Spain
Oh, and post your mailing address and I'll send you a postcard!
Anyways, I am excited for the new adventure that awaits me... but first, I will be spending lots of time on airplanes and at the airport. Two of my favorite places! Don't ask why, I just like to travel. I know I will miss everyone a lot, but I also know that I am going to have the time of my life! Send me mail, it will make me smile!Kellie Balu - CIEE
C/o Francisco Diez
Oficina CIEE
Aulario II
Universidad de Alicante
San Vicente del Raspeig
03690 - Alicante, Spain
Oh, and post your mailing address and I'll send you a postcard!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Una semana más
I only have one week left in the United States and I am so excited/nervous/anxious/sad/glad that I barely know what to do with myself. My days consist of sleeping with my puppy until about 9 or so, showering, dressing, breakfast-eating, going to the gym with my older brothers, making time to catch up with friends, movie-watching with the family, everything shopping with myself, textbook reading, Spanish cramming, piano playing, car driving, Starbuck's drinking.... oh how it will all be missed.
I was up in Boulder yesterday visiting a friend and went to see her new apartment. So cute! Just hanging out in Boulder with friends made me realize how much I really am going to miss Boulder in the fall... and everything that comes with fall semester... football games (which we will inevitably lose), sunny days where the weather is just the right amount of warm, the sun over the flatirons making them look absolutely amazing, hanging out on the hill and running into about 20 people you know.... I'm going to miss it.
I was up in Boulder yesterday visiting a friend and went to see her new apartment. So cute! Just hanging out in Boulder with friends made me realize how much I really am going to miss Boulder in the fall... and everything that comes with fall semester... football games (which we will inevitably lose), sunny days where the weather is just the right amount of warm, the sun over the flatirons making them look absolutely amazing, hanging out on the hill and running into about 20 people you know.... I'm going to miss it.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
I LOVE COLORADO!
I am back in the States and absolutely loving it!
First things first, I believe that I have a new found appreciation for everything that comes with being in America. I can go get Wendy's at 1 o'clock in the morning if I'm hungry; if I go to the grocery store, there are way too many choices of bread (which I have realized is way better than two choices: molding wheat bread or stale white bread... hmm.... decisions, decisions); I can DRIVE MY CAR (which I missed oh-so-much); cell phones (although these are starting to annoy me a bit); everything is in ENGLISH! (even though I speak Spanish pretty well, English is just so much easier); I really missed my family and my friends; Starbuck's is heaven; I love American gyms; I can (usually) walk down the street without getting solicited by every man I walk past (except there is always the occasional car that honks and yells at you); Colorado has about 0% humidity (I can FINALLY straighten my hair); I live for Vitamin Water; internet connections are everywhere, and constant; the streets do not get muddy when it rains; movies in the theatre that are in English!; bookstores; and there is more, but I will stop here.
HOWEVER, there are things that I miss about Costa Rica, namely: waking up to look out on the balcony and see the ocean; days of torrential downpours when we just watched movies; watching the French channel; speaking Spanish every day; learning new things in Spanish; watching all the surfers on the beach; my girls (and Miguel); sunsets on the beach; hanging out by our pool; practically living in a bikini; Friday nights at Monkey Bar, all you can eat sushi for only $15; desserts at Pachanga; breakfast at Nogui's; jugo mixtos; hearing people say "con gusto"; snorkeling!; long walks on the beach....
Now that I am back in the states, I feel that I have so much to do before I leave, it's insane! I am working (a little), trying to do homework (I'm taking two self-paced classed to be completed in one year) which will not be finished by the time I leave, trying to figure out what I'm going to pack and bring with me, attempting to hang out with way too many people and still spend enough time with my family, driving up to Boulder to visit friends and pick up work, playing with a Delux puppy, going to the gym between 5 and 6 days a week with Jeremy, etc... It's all a little overwhelming, and I feel like time is going way too fast for me.
I flew to LA last week to obtain my visa, which was a fiasco and after spending about three and a half hours at the Consulado General de España, I finally got it. Afterwards, I spent some time with a few of my fraternity brothers hanging out in LA, which was really fun, and a total culture shock! I tasted some of the best tea I've ever had, and had some really authentic Asian food (most of it was good, a little different though). That was definitely an experience.
I have also been camping with my family, which was really fun. I love being up in the mountains, even though my allergies were driving me crazy!
We have been doing garage sales the past two weekends, which are interesting. The first weekend, we had SO many people and all these Mexicans showed up, so that was a great opportunity for me to utilize my Spanish skills, which was fun.
Other than that, during the week, I am attempting to complete all the tasks I have listed above, while still sleeping. I'm so excited for Spain, excited to start classes (because I'm a dork like that), excited to meet all the people from my program (I've talked to a few on Facebook, for you old people that is a social website where you can make friends and keep in touch with those who live in different states), and most of all, excited to get out there and experience a new way of life! If you guys want to see me while I'm in Colorado, just shoot me an email or call me! ¡Pura Vida!
First things first, I believe that I have a new found appreciation for everything that comes with being in America. I can go get Wendy's at 1 o'clock in the morning if I'm hungry; if I go to the grocery store, there are way too many choices of bread (which I have realized is way better than two choices: molding wheat bread or stale white bread... hmm.... decisions, decisions); I can DRIVE MY CAR (which I missed oh-so-much); cell phones (although these are starting to annoy me a bit); everything is in ENGLISH! (even though I speak Spanish pretty well, English is just so much easier); I really missed my family and my friends; Starbuck's is heaven; I love American gyms; I can (usually) walk down the street without getting solicited by every man I walk past (except there is always the occasional car that honks and yells at you); Colorado has about 0% humidity (I can FINALLY straighten my hair); I live for Vitamin Water; internet connections are everywhere, and constant; the streets do not get muddy when it rains; movies in the theatre that are in English!; bookstores; and there is more, but I will stop here.
HOWEVER, there are things that I miss about Costa Rica, namely: waking up to look out on the balcony and see the ocean; days of torrential downpours when we just watched movies; watching the French channel; speaking Spanish every day; learning new things in Spanish; watching all the surfers on the beach; my girls (and Miguel); sunsets on the beach; hanging out by our pool; practically living in a bikini; Friday nights at Monkey Bar, all you can eat sushi for only $15; desserts at Pachanga; breakfast at Nogui's; jugo mixtos; hearing people say "con gusto"; snorkeling!; long walks on the beach....
Now that I am back in the states, I feel that I have so much to do before I leave, it's insane! I am working (a little), trying to do homework (I'm taking two self-paced classed to be completed in one year) which will not be finished by the time I leave, trying to figure out what I'm going to pack and bring with me, attempting to hang out with way too many people and still spend enough time with my family, driving up to Boulder to visit friends and pick up work, playing with a Delux puppy, going to the gym between 5 and 6 days a week with Jeremy, etc... It's all a little overwhelming, and I feel like time is going way too fast for me.
I flew to LA last week to obtain my visa, which was a fiasco and after spending about three and a half hours at the Consulado General de España, I finally got it. Afterwards, I spent some time with a few of my fraternity brothers hanging out in LA, which was really fun, and a total culture shock! I tasted some of the best tea I've ever had, and had some really authentic Asian food (most of it was good, a little different though). That was definitely an experience.
I have also been camping with my family, which was really fun. I love being up in the mountains, even though my allergies were driving me crazy!
We have been doing garage sales the past two weekends, which are interesting. The first weekend, we had SO many people and all these Mexicans showed up, so that was a great opportunity for me to utilize my Spanish skills, which was fun.
Other than that, during the week, I am attempting to complete all the tasks I have listed above, while still sleeping. I'm so excited for Spain, excited to start classes (because I'm a dork like that), excited to meet all the people from my program (I've talked to a few on Facebook, for you old people that is a social website where you can make friends and keep in touch with those who live in different states), and most of all, excited to get out there and experience a new way of life! If you guys want to see me while I'm in Colorado, just shoot me an email or call me! ¡Pura Vida!
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