September 30

I skipped my run this morning because 1. it called for rain and 2. I was super tired and you can't run when your body isn't rested...or hydrated. I'll go tomorrow, no worries, I know everyone reading this was worried. So, I slept in and by slept in I mean 8:30, but it was nice. I got to run to the Chino store to get water and a bucket for my food before class. There's not enough storage space in our kitchen for shelf-items...but because my closet is so huge I just made a little space and through everything into a box! My room is right next tot he kitchen so it's super convenient to walk back and forth and I'm not fighting for space.

I also made myself a burger, in the oven, and it was delicious. It's been a while since I've had a good burger and I bought lettuce yesterday, so I could have a crunch. It was a very exciting day for me. The fun doesn't end either. I made cookie bars! However, Spain doesn't have brown sugar, they have cane sugar, which is basically brown sugar but with a lot less molasses, therefore not as pack-able. Also, vanilla extract is something that seems to be nonexistent so I used maple syrup instead (which cost 7 Euros!). Chocolate chips here are sold in bags, enough for half a batch of cookies, in my opinion, and they're super expensive, so instead I bought a chocolate bar and chopped half of it up! Lastly, measuring cups, nowhere to be found. We have one that is in milliliters, so it's a lot of guesstimating. But they came out great! They were only about half an inch think and in a 24 cm x 24 cm pan...so I decided I could probably eat them all. I did. They were crumbly, so i ended up putting them in a bowl and eating it with a spoon...every now and then they tasted like the ones from home.

After that I felt guilty for not running and eating most of them (I'm finishing it now) so I went for a small walk and now I'm eating some nasty popcorn for dinner along with my cookie thing and hot chocolate. It's been a super eventful day. :)

*Sidenote* My roommate's first language is Spanish and she's taking a 3000 grammar class and she's getting super frustrated. "I've been Spanishing wrong my entire life!" She's told me multiple times that she can't understand how we're learning it. From a native speaker herself even she thinks it's awful.

September 29

Early morning class today. It's algebra...I really shouldn't be in that class, the amount of knowledge that some of these people lack...eugh. I almost fell asleep again. I didn't. I did other homework instead because I was 5 problems (out of 6) ahead on the practice exam we were supposed to being doing. His exam is comparable to a Radabaugh quiz. How sad.

Then I was rushed to Spanish because we have to take a tram between the UPV and FSU with only a half an hour to do so. I grabbed a bag of chips for lunch. Eating right is totally working for me here. After Spanish I went to the supermarket and I stocked up. Before we left for Jaca and Paris I tried to eat/use everything I could so nothing spoiled...I did, and once I got back I had nothing.

I went all out at the supermarket. I got items I need for baking cookie bars, chicken paprikash, burger, toast etc. I was disappointed in my lack of bread this morning, how am I supposed to have Nutella on toast, to go, without bread? I didn't, therefore, it was a sad morning.

Once I got back, around 4, my friends and I were messaging about our fall break. We decided it was better for those of us not there planning to go over and help. We were there for 4 hours. This planning thing is ridiculous and it's so much harder with 5 different opinions and budgets. So much harder. The plan is, for me, to spend a day in Barcelona with Jacqueline and her parents, fly into Amsterdam, spend a few days there, take an overnight bus to Berlin, spend a few days there, day a bus to Auschwitz, then another to Munich and fly out of there. It seems like a lot, but we've got the time. I'm excited. I'm with a good group of people and we have a great time together.

September 28th

My roommate's alarm went off at 7:45 this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep. Instead I just laid in bed thinking about how I had homework I could do or I could go ask about my passport photo...but I didn't, until about 9.

At 10 I went to have my photo taken for my residency card. We left for the consulate at 11 and we had to wait for each person to go in with their forms, passports, and photos. We were fingerprinted and everything. Only 20 of us went today, so it didn't take too long, but it's getting chilly in Valencia so we were all kinda cold...

I got back in time to finish some Spanish homework before I left for English. In class we traveled to the Fallas Museum. Fallas is a big festival in March celebrated in Valencia. Professional artists work to create large float/sculptures that will be burned March 19th. It started way back when families would throw out old furniture and burn it in the town center, "spring cleaning," and now it's become a monumental week for Valencians. We have to pick a winner from the past, the winners have a piece of their artwork saved from the fire and placed in the museum, and write about it.

After we got back I went back to take a super quick nap. I have been getting very little sleep and for a normal college student, that always happens, but I'm not normal. I'm too tired. Tomorrow I have my 9am, which requires me to get on a tram at 8:30, and I have to get food, and then I'm coming back here to sleep.

Anyways, I went to dinner at the #4 Gold Apartment (Dara, Brittany, and Jacqueline's). A group of 12 donated money and they made us dinner. We had pork chops, rice, vegetables, macaroni and cheese and brownies. It was spectacular. It's been quite awhile since I've had a "home cooked" meal, I mean, I haven't been home in a week. Even then, my meals are normally quick and less thought out.

Paris 09/24-09/27

Thursday

We woke up bright and early at 5:30 in the morning to catch our 6:30 bus to Zaragoza. We walked through the streets of the small town, Jaca, because there was nobody out that early in the morning. We got to the bus station early and we were worried it wasn't actually going to show up. The station itself didn't open until 8am, but all was good. I've learned that in Spain the buses show up 5 minutes before departure time and one only has those 5 minutes to get on the bus. Most of us slept, Dara conversed, and asked about half a dozen different people which stop we needed to get off at.

Once at the bus station we took two cabs to the airport, and we were early for the airport! The gates didn't open for an hour, so we ate breakfast in the cafeteria, made sure our luggage could be shoved into those containers and that the weren't overweight. Everything was good.

Zaragoza is a super small airport so we got to walk onto the plane. I was super, super excited. We walked out of the doors and over the tarmac and right up onto the steps. Videos and photos being taken the entire time, of course. The plane took us to an airport outside of Paris (becuase Ryanair sucks like that) so we had to buy a bus ticket to get into Paris.

We arrived at the bus stop in Paris and debated over taking a taxi, walking, or taking the metro to the hostel. We figured the metro made more sense, and off we went. I was the navigator, put in charge of the metro and city map at all times on this trip--it was very exciting. We threw our stuff down and took off for Montmarte and Sacre-Coeur. While the girls walked through the basilica, I "attended" mass. We showed up as the priest was setting the alter for communion so I stayed and compared American, Spanish, and French masses. The French was much slower and easier to understand than when I attend mass at the Valencian Cathedral. We got dinner afterwards and decided against going to the Eiffel Tower because it started to rain, instead we headed back to the hostel to get much needed sleep.

Friday

We took the metro to Versailles and spent the majority of the day there. We walked through Versailles and then we went back to Marie Antoinette's private apartments. I had never been there before, so it was nice to have something different to do. Also, I got hot chocolate from the Angelina's they have there (where Kathy and I got our melted pudding chocolate) and I let the girls try some. That day it was decided we had to get to Angelina's before we left. After Versailles we took the metro, after an hour long wait, back into Paris. There was a train stuck on the tracks so ours could not move, it was super packed, but we made it. The plan had been to get to Notre Dame before it closed at 6. That plan was thrown out the window when the metro didn't leave until well after 4:30. Instead we went to the Louvre (the outside only) to take pictures and watch the sunset. On the way we stopped at the Lock Bridge, in which we placed our own "BFFs" lock and the keys went into the river.

After the Louvre we went to dinner and watched to Eiffel Tower light up. Jacquiline and Brittany had to use the bathroom so I took them to the public toilet. Of course there was a line...we waited 45 minutes and they ended up going in together because the process of opening the door, shutting the door, doing your thing, walking out, shutting the door, the restroom washing itself down, then letting the next person go after about 5 minutes took waaaaaaaaaaaay too long. The next stop was for crepes and because the bathroom line took so long, we got to watch the Eiffel Tower light up twice.

Saturday

Jacqueline and I were up until after 2 in the morning planning our last day so we could get everything in that we needed/wanted. The first stop was the Eiffel Tower in daylight so photos could be taken. Then, as we headed towards the Arc de Triumph we took a detour through the fresh market that lined the pathway. Dara and I split a muffin, Lia had just eaten a sandwich and Brittany and Jacqueline got bread and brie to try. Madison, Sabrina, and I did that our first time in France...it was disgusting, I was not making that poor decision twice. Once at the Arc, Dara went to the top and I basically took a nap while the others explored. After that I lead everyone towards Notre Dame and I FINALLY got to go inside. We didn't go up to the top, but maybe I'll save that for next time.

The Shakespeare and Company bookstore is right across the street from Notre Dame, so we stopped in there for Jacqueline. I ended up buying a poetry book, that was far too expensive, but I got the stamp and a book mark so it was worth it. Then onto an overly priced candy store before taking the metro to Angelina's. We made it by 7:30 and they closed at 8 so the plan to eat dinner there was put to an end, but they got their hot chocolate and Brittany got her macaroons, so it was alright. We walked around where Angelina's was to find dinner and we ended up going to this amazing place. I got wine and steak and it was one of the best dinners I've ever had in France. The conversations were great, the atmosphere was perfect and our last dinner in Paris was a success.

Before heading back to the hostel Dara wanted to check out The Moulin Rouge. So we did. That part of town at night is very...eccentric. We were all very loud and excited and we fit right in. We stopped for dessert, chocolate fondue, at a place along the strip and sat and chatted quite a while. We made it back to hostel a little before 1 am.

Sunday

Dara, Brittany, Jacqueline and myself all decided to walk to a bakery for breakfast this morning. Not that the free hostel breakfast wasn't fantastic, but...it wasn't. We all got two things because none of us could decide and it was amazing. I was ecstatic that I could understand what the people were asking/telling me. I miss that so much now that I'm back in Spain...

Anyways, we went back to the hostel to eat and back up and off we went to the airport. We took the metro to a bus that took us to the airport and because of me, no one got off at the wrong airport terminal. We got separated at the airport because some had to print off tickets, the others just had to check-in and I just had to pee. However, we all made it through security and to the gate before boarding. Once back we were back in Valencia we took another metro to a stop near us, but we walked to Tako Away for food, first. That might become a travel ritual with us. The first stop after returning to Valencia, bags and all, is Tako Away. It's like a Chipotle and Taco Bell mixed. It takes cheques. After that everyone was in for the night and we were all super excited for our own beds.

Pyrenees Trip 09/21-09/24

Monday: There was a 6.5 hour bus ride from Valencia to Jaca, pronounced Haca, where we were staying. Due to a scheduling conflict my friends were all on the other bus. I sat with Emily, a senior who is studying Spanish, I traveled with her for most of our day excursions in the Pyrenees. 

The first night we were given a tour of a castle that was close to our hotel. The castle had a moat surrounding it, but it has never been filled with water and currently it is the home to about 20 deer. There were rocks and ruins and whatnot...very history based, gross. Afterwards we were given time to explore. This was the first real place that reminded me of home. It was much cooler than Valencia, about 63 degrees Fahrenheit, so I had to wear jeans and a jacket all week. There were less people than in Valencia, it had parks and grass and the leaves on the trees were already changing colors.

Tuesday: This day we hiked 1% of the Camino de Santiago. This path is a 800 km journey from the border of France and Spain and ends at the Cathedral of Santiago. We went from the border to the next town over, about 10 km. We walked on stones, over rocks, on dirt, through water...it was definitely a hike and not some convenient path hundreds of miles long. It was gorgeous. We headed back to Jaca for a quick lunch. Then we went to a monastery that was carved into a boulder. A very, very large boulder. Again, I was not very impressed. I couldn't hear or understand the tour guide, as there were 50 of us and other people walking around. We did get to go to the observation point of the Pyrenees though, which made for some amazing photos.

I got back to the hotel before my friends and I set out in search of food...dessert. I passed this bakery with an elderly woman working behind the counter. I got a pastry that was filled with chocolate but had candied almonds thrown on top. It was one of the best tasting desserts I've had in Spain.

Wednesday: First activity Wednesday was white water rafting on the river that runs through the mountains. I never fell in. I didn't have a camera or go-pro with me, but I wish I had. I closed my eyes going through most of the rapids and I have only my memory from the views and sounds of the birds and the streaming water. We wore wet suits so it wasn't too cold and my shoes were only completely soaked by the end.

We ate lunch together then split into groups again. The afternoon was spent at another castle, but this one was up in the mountains and was much cooler. 

My friends and I went to dinner at the hotel's restaurant, because it took our cheques and it was well worth it. I got a huge salad and pizza. We then went into the "retirement home" of the hotel to start planning for our Paris trip. Printing off tickets, finding out how to get place to place, we did it all and I was super tired. It was an interesting night.

September 20

Did a lot of econ today, got a nice walk in, ate a lot of cake...that was my day. Dara, Jacqueline and I went to Tako Away to get food, my flatmates told us it was like Chipotle, it was more like Taco Bell, but a very good Taco Bell. We walked around a bit, visited a German Club, it wasn't that exciting. Now we're in their apartment planning last minute Paris ticket buying before we leave for the Pyrenees tomorrow morning.

September 19

Today I got to sleep in, which was 9 am, but I didn't have an alarm set or anywhere to go, so it was great. Dara and Jacqueline invited me to go with them to the fresh market around 11 so we did that and went to the supermarket for brown sugar, for me. We also went to the Silk Museum. I have no idea what it is or why it's so important. Nor could I figure out why people would pay/plan to visit it. Dara had heard about it, and we were there, and it was only a Euro with our student discounts...so, whatever.

I had chocolate cake for breakfast, so once it hit 3pm I was starving. I walked to get pizza because I've been craving pizza. It was well worth the walk. Half the options for pizza flavors here include barbecue sauce poured over it, that doesn't appeal to me, I don't know why they enjoy it. Gross. Once I got back I started to organize myself for my Pyrenees/Paris trip coming up next week. I did laundry and finished an online FSU required freshman course. Then I made apple crisp, from scratch! Legit scratch too, I had to find a way to caramelize my own apples and everything. The kitchen smelled delicious, which brought the girls across the hall over. One, a senior, asked me how I knew how to "do that."  Very entertaining.

Once all my laundry was done and dried and folded I went out for chicken nuggets and fries, very Spanish, I know, but it's still my birthday weekend. It's also dark out now, there's no food here because we're leaving Monday morning, and it's close. The man that owns the place is from Turkey. He likes to chat. He was born in Canada, but his brothers were born in Turkey, and he lived there while her was young. Turkish is his first language but he only knows a little Spanish. Conversational Spanish, it's enough for him, but it doesn't make me feel bad because we can speak English to each other and all is good. He asked what weather in Ohio was like and how cold it got and he could've passed out when I guesstimated it got as cold as -30 degrees Celsius some days. It was a guesstimate, but I wasn't far off once I checked. Last time we talked about where I was from and how long I was here but today he wanted to know what I was studying. I've learned, from experiences at home, to tell people, especially those not from America that I am studying mathematics. It's much easier to explain. He thinks that's awesome because most people don't expect women to be interested or do well in "technical studies." He was explaining to me how fascinating he think math is because you can know all of the equations and numbers, but knowing the why and how is in depth and exciting. He also told me it was too early for me to look tired, and that I wasn't getting enough sleep.

I got back home and tried to get the OSU game, because it's at a time where I can view some, if not all, of it. Dad and I were struggling, so I just bought a 24 hour pass for 10 Euros. Not bad considering the next time I'll be able to/will want to watch a game will be the OSU v. UM game and that's not till November.

Also, my roommate has been gone all weekend and I've learned I very much miss having a room to myself. No one waking me up, I don't have to sneak in at night or in the morning, my underwear can hang everywhere  to dry and no one will mind...it has been a great day.

September 18

After getting about, a solid, 4 hours of sleep I was up at 10 and ready for our bus ride to Albufera. Albufera is the largest wetlands in Spain. We took a tour in a boat and sailed through the stream until we got to one of the oldest houses in Valencia. There we watched a video about the wetlands and explored a little before we had an hour of free time. We ended up at this gorgeous beach for most of the time. The sand wasn't rough and there were pebbles and stones around the shore and in the water. The water wasn't freezing, but in my opinion it was definitely cold.

We made our way back from the beach to eat paella, of course, at a restaurant in the town. It was this huge, huge pan of paella and it was delicious. They were scooping so much onto our plates, it was too much to finish. Once lunch was done we got back on the bus and headed home.

I took a nap and met Jacqueline and Dara at their apartment around 7pm. I made chocolate banana bread, we only added the chocolate because we didn't have vanilla, but it was great banana bread. We finished the loaf in one sitting. They attempted to make quiche to get rid of food because we'll be gone all next week. It was, eh, not, it was kind of bad...but the bread was good! The quiche was grey and tasted similar to fish sticks, as Jacqueline said. There was no fish in the quiche. I ate banana bread. After dinner I just stayed at their apartment for a while. I Skyped Becca, well, I attempted to Skype Becca...we were having difficulties I could barely hear her, but she could hear everything going on around me. It was rough. Then the topic of traveling to Berlin came up and that sounds like it will take place sometime in November. We've got another trip to plan!

September 17

Dara made me get up at 9 to go run with her, which I am extreme grateful for, due to the amount of dessert I would consume later.  She took me towards the bio-park, which is at the other end of the riverbed. She was telling me about this place and about how nasty the water was but how there were turtles living in it and she couldn't understand how. I was highly entertained when we finally arrived because it's Maumee Bay picked up and moved to Spain. She was worried about the wildlife living in this water...compared to the green Lake Erie I saw, and smelled before I left, I knew the turtles here were much better off. We walked through the playground, across the boardwalk, through the beachy area. I'm not kidding, if I ever feel super homesick I could go there and feel like I was back in Northwest Ohio.







I was surprised with a birthday cake from my parents. My friend knocked on my door and started singing to me, I had a candle and everything. It was great. My flatmate, Sam, and her friends were over and helped us eat cake, which was helpful due to the size of it and it was also very entertaining. They're fun to chill with.

Later that night we went out to dinner on Mom and Dad's dime. I made all my friends dress up, because Lia was wearing her black dress and I changed into mine and so on so forth, everyone had to look nice. We do anything for the birthday girl in our group, that's something I learned the first few times around. We went to Cafe and Tapas in one of the plazas here. It was delicious. Lia went into the Burger King next door and got be a crown to wear around the town. From there we walked and walked and walked through the streets for about two hours, kind of getting lost, but not really. We blasted music and danced in the streets, it was a great, great birthday night.


At 1 in the morning I Skyped my family and at 6am I Skyped Jacob. I was sung to both times. It was an unforgettable night.

September 16th

Wednesday is run day. I woke up bright and early, got my run in got breakfast, avoided doing work, went to Spanish, took a nap...my average Wednesday. But at 7pm is when the entertainment really started.

FSU had a movie night planned (with free pizza) that my friends and I went to. Alright, so the movie is called "Vicky Christina Barcelona," it's insane. Okay, so, long story semi-short. Christina and Vicky are best friends. Vicky's engaged to be married. Juan Carlos likes both Vicky and Christina. He hooks up with Vicky but Christina doesn't know. Juan Carlos then has Christina move in with him and they hook up. Maria Elena, Juan Carlos's ex-wife, then comes back into the picture and moves in with him and Christina. In the meantime Vicky has gotten married, but he doesn't know about Juan Carlos and neither does Christina. Somewhere along the way Juan Carlos, his ex, and Christina are all in some weird twisted relationship, until Christina decides it's not for her and leaves. After she left, Juan Carlos and Maria Elena no longer get along (again) and they break up. Juan Carlos then contacts Vicky and tries to get with her again, even though she's married now. When this happens the ex-wife walks in with a gun and starts shooting at them. And Vicky decides this is not for her either. And then the film doesn't end. It was narrated by, what sounded like, an essay some 7th grader wrote. "Christina did not go to dinner because she needed more rest," and "The restaurant was lovely," it was so, so, so, so entertaining. Dara, Lia, and I were the only ones, of my friends, to stay, but I ma glad we did. It was hilarious. It's not meant to be hilarious, I'm sure, but it was.

Paris planning will happen later tonight. Not much will actually get planned, but we'll have fun with the attempt.

My first night/day in the new apartment was much better. I could make actual food because the dishes I needed were clean and there weren't 7 or 8 people  sitting in the way ignoring me. My roommate came in late and I didn't even hear her and I didn't wake her up when I left at 8 this morning. We actually talk to each other and all is good right now.

Also: I bought a can of pop and when I got back to my friends, "Rebecca, what did you just buy?" They were taking bets on if I would call it a pop or soda...Jacqueline was correct, I bought a pop.

Day 1874573593475349: September 15th

Today I moved into my new apartment the "Princess Suite," as it's known by FSU Staff and Students. I moved with Crisol, who was also having issues with those in my apartment. The two of us, along with 2 of our PA's are living in the giant loft style apartment. There is enough space for about 12/15 people, but it's just us.

My closet has doubled in size and I'm no longer cursed with bunk beds. We're not as cramped in the bedroom or the kitchen here either, which is great. Although the circumstances for moving were not the greatest, it was obviously just meant to be.

We also signed up for groups for our Pyrenees trip today. The rooming assignments got a little worrying for me, but Lia and Brittany helped me out. I'm not in the same group as any of the friends I've made here, though, so I guess we'll see how that goes. I could look at this as an opportunity to branch out and meet new people, but I also understand that by now most people already have their cliques. It's only a 7 hour bus ride, and 2 days though, I'll be fine. I think.

This has definitely been an interesting week. I think everything seems harder because I'm much farther away from home than most. I don't think any of the problems I'm having are strange for freshman, it's just a little different when classes are 15 people and there are about 80 FSA/FYA students total.

We leave for Paris in nine days. We're leaving from the FSU Pyrenees trip and taking a bus to another city to catch a flight from there. We'll have about 3 and half days in Paris so I'm excited about that.

I also got mail from my parents and Aunt Phyllis today and mail is always exciting...especially when it comes with "Airmail" and "International" stamped everywhere.

I ran into Dara and Jacqueline on my way to dinner. We went to the Kepab place right outside of the study center. They serve greasy, American food to go, it's amazing when all one wants is a burger and fries and no need to dress up. They don't open until 8/8:30 at night and stay open super late. They invited me over to chill on the floor, the floor is my choice, of their apartment for a while. Currently, I'm Skyping Jake, even though it's Tuesday, so it's been a pretty good night of a not so awesome day.

Day 19

I got a nice run in, finished my math homework, and solved my roommate issues today. I don't know if solved is necessarily the correct terms, but I'm moving tomorrow so that's a plus for me. My flatmates have very different opinions on how civil, respectable humans should act. Regardless, I'm leaving, yay for me!

Day 17 Part 2

We went out to dinner, at the Asian restaurant Lia and I found, for Jacqueline's birthday. On the walk back we had to find the only Ben and Jerry's in Valencia, because that's what Jacqueline wanted, but they were closed. That was all okay with us though, because we got her ice cream cakes...but she didn't know. We went back to Lia's apartment and busted out the cake and candles. We sang very badly and ate both cakes. It was a great night but we all were up super early so we're all going to crash super early. It definitely feels like we've been friends for more than two weeks.

Day 16 and 17 Part One

I skipped out on the FSU Water Sports outing, but that was okay with me. I instead finished quite a lot of ECON homework I had been putting off and I went shopping. I took a walk to find a rain jacket  (which was super helpful for Saturday) and then lunch was take-away paella. I am very attached to paella now. Nothing super exciting happened until around 1 am...

Here's the scoop: we were planning on taking a bus to the hot springs in Montanejos, Spain and surprising Jacqueline for her birthday. The bus that would get us there, or so we thought, stops at Barracas, about a half an hour from the springs. This is a problem because the town of Barracas has a population of, like, 12. Not really, it's about 150, but is that really much of a difference? Anyways, because it is such a small town there are no taxis. This resulted in a last minute planning session with Dara, who was adamant on going, and ended with us going to be around 2:30/3 in the morning. We talked with the receptionists, and they couldn't find much to help us, so we decided the tickets were paid for and we were going on an adventure.

The only thing we could really find to do in Barracas was hike so we hiked. We met up at 7:15 am for the 8 am bus and we were on our way. Dara started talking with some of the more local people as to what we should do and hiking seemed to be our only option. When we got there it was super foggy so we waited in a pub. The man working there was named Igor, we talked with him for a while and I had some delicious hot chocolate. We hiked on a mostly stone/dirth pathway, there were lots of ants and bees, and we didn't really get lost...not really. It was most definitely an adventure. We got back to the town 3 hours before our bus left but we found Guadalupe, someone Dara was talking to on the bus, and she told us a bus was leaving in 15 minutes.

As we waited she showed us the mushrooms, eggplant, and squash she picked from the fields there and then...she gave them to us! Once the bus got there she explained to the driver our situation, and then she paid the extra euro for us all to take the earlier bus! Pay it forward, that's our goal. She talked to Dara on the way to her town and explained how to cook everything she gave us. She owns a restaurant 6 km away from Baraccas and told us to visit next time. Mmm, next time...

Day 15

Thursday consisted of figuring out how to work the postal system, homework, and magic shows. After Spanish class I attempted to do more of my online ECON because the quizzes for chapter 1 "expire" on Sunday night. I had to download a free trial of the book...I should have gotten the book, so I could work on the study guides. Nothing on the study guides are on his power points which is stupid.

Glass ceiling in Post Office

Then I got Dara to come to the post office with me and we met Brittnay and Lia along the way. So we all trekked through the Valencian Post Office utterly confused how everything was supposed to work. We figured out that there are machines, right when you walk through the doors, where you choose if you're there to receive a package, send a parcel, need information and something else. You have to choose the one you're there for and it gives you a receipt with a number and a letter. There were about 8 people working and numbers like H088 and G378 flashed on the screens above the person working. You have to watch very carefully or they might skip over you. Luckily, I got a little old lady who was singing when we got up to her and all I had to do was point and say something along the lines of, "uno sellos, Estados Unidos." She took what I had told me "uno euro," I paid her and that was that. 

I went back to the study center library to work on more of my homework after Dara and I got lunch then I decided that I needed a break and went for a walk. I was trying to get the majority of my homework done that night because we had plans later that evening, Friday, and Saturday. I got most done before we took taxis to the City of Arts and Sciences where someone was putting on a magic show. It was very creepy and in the last hour it was all "hypnoses" and this guy just kept throwing these people around like rag dolls, and it just made me uncomfortable. It went from 10:15pm to 12:15am and, of course, midnight is too early for the club. 

Sitting in what I think look like giant urinals in
front of the Art and Science Center

Me and Dara at the show

They went out and found food and we made it to the club around 1, had to wait in a line until 1:30 and Jacqueline and I decided at 2 we would be done. This club is called Mya and it was much better than the last one we went to, however, it was just too much for one night. I was half asleep by the time intermission at the magic show came around, because it's really difficult to be interested in something when you have no idea what he is saying. Once it hit 2 we were headed out, 4 of us ended leaving and we got back to the apartments around 2:30am, before the Spaniards had even begun to think about going out for the night.

There was this water sports activity planned for Friday that I decided not to attend. FSU was taking 2 buses filled with about 50 people each at 10 in the morning. I needed a break from people and activities and whatnot. I woke up at 6am to Skype with Jake, after falling asleep only after 3am, then I went back to sleep until 11:30 and I feel much better. 

Saturday we're taking an 8am bus somewhere (that I can't disclose yet in case Jacqueline somehow finds this) and it's a surprise for Jacqueline's 18th birthday. In my "group" of 5, 3 of us have September birthdays. Oooh! And Lia's roommate, Aleesia shares a birthday with me...but she's a baby, she'll only be 18. 

Days 12-14

Monday

Drying clothes...

Well, Monday my roommate has a 9am class. She was running late and left the door open as she was scurrying around to get ready. I could hear every other person that was awake trampling out the door, right passed me, very loudly. I was up. I figured out that Monday at 8:45 in the morning is the best time to do laundry in this apartment because just about everyone has classes. My first class is at 2:30pm on Mondays. 

I went out looking for dinner around 6pm because I hadn't eaten much of anything "real" all day and I was hungry. The Spaniards, however, don't normally eat dinner until 8/9 at night and most everywhere was closed. I happened to run into the girls, who were going to a culture exchange, and I just tagged along with them. When we got the exchange the bartender informed us it didn't start until later in September. As we were trying to figure out what we should do or where we should go we met this Spanish couple who was also there for the exchange. Carlos is 17 speaks English pretty well and his (not) girlfriend is Valentina who is 19 and working on her English. She's spent her life in Bulgaria and Spain so she speaks Spanish, Bulgarian, English, and she's trying to learn Italian. 

We left that place to go to McDonalds, because "It's cheaper," according to Carlos. After looking at the prices I am not too sure, anyways we talked some more with them. The girls practicing their Spanish and me just listening...

Before we separated we exchanged contact information and we'll see where that leads us.

Tuesday

Tuesday there was a "concert" for us in our study center. Caitlin Mahoney was an FSU Study Abroad student in 2010 and she' touring Europe with her new album. She sang, and chatted, and gave us advice.

This is one of her videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76DqBtkeJvc

Afterwards everyone was going out to this International Student Dinner, which was free food, but as we started walking and someone mentioned how we had to take a cab or bus Lia and I decided against it and went off to find our own food. It was after 10pm and many places were closed. We turned down a side street and found this cute Asian restaurant. We ended up having a 4 course meal for less that 7 Euros each, that's pretty impressive.

Walking back from dinner Tuesday

Once we got back one of my flatmates was upset and we had like a heart to heart thing going on with her, and another one of my flatmates that had walked in, about our living situation and friends and whatnot. That was nice, then Lia and I had a little talk before she went back up to her suite. She's pretty great. I'm glad that she's one of my friends and that our group is full of awesome people.

The wifi was out last night from about 10pm to 9am the next morning. It was rough. It's very difficult to do online work when there is no internet. It's also super difficult to have contact with anyone because we all use wifi to communicate with each other and everyone abroad.

Wednesday

It's Wednesday so today started with a run and a trip to a Patisserie, or whatever they call it in Spain, and today I got an Ensaimada and it was delicious. I only had Spanish class today and then I went shopping and I should be set for the next two weeks, hopefully. Now I'm back, not doing homework and instead writing this post. There's a tapas tour tonight that we're doing so we'll see how that goes. (They gave us one tapas, but free wine. We decided to go out to dinner instead. We found a great place that takes our cheques! We'll be back, I'm sure.)