i. need. a. break.


all that's left is one class tomorrow morning at 8am, an 8 page paper due sunday night about Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, and 2 spanish finals (one for intro to latin american literature and thought and the other for advanced grammatical structure).

dear god,
get me through hell and i will do whatever.
signed,
allyson

Real Life? Say WHAT?!

For real? I have an interview with the NH division of travel and tourism development on monday and I'm pretty nervous. I didn't think that I would be this nervous, it's only an internship opportunity, but still, I'm feeling those butterflies. This monday just seems like it came up really fast! I thought I would have more time to prepare, but no! I don't know what I'm going to wear, how I'll answer questions, what are my strengths and weaknesses?! I don't know! It is a marketing and communications internship, neither of those do I have any experience with, so I really need to sell myself for the qualities that I do have and the experiences that I do possess. It's quite nerve racking, this real life crap. Thankfully, my amazing friend Steph is bringing me to the interview so I won't be alone on my way there and I will be able to freak out to her and she can quiz me and things like that. I hope I get this, it's an hour away, but I really think that I can do it. I might have to switch some schedule things, and I need to keep applying to other places, but I really really hope that I get this opportunity. I know I probably shouldn't be telling the world that I have this interview, an interview isn't the job, but I am really excited about it!!

Back to undergrad problems, I have WAY too much to do in way too little time. I was stupid and procrastinated, so now I have nothing accomplished when I need to actually have EVERYTHING imaginable accomplished, good job me. facebook is just too alluring. not just facebook, but my bed. I really enjoy sleeping at night, by midnight if I'm not in bed, I'm angry. I couldn't ever be one of those people who stays up all night to do work because nothing would get done, I need to do it in either the library or my room and not have internet near me. or my bed. preferably in a room with not bed, only a desk and a bean bag. haha, I truly hope that when I have kids they aren't like me in this way.

Possibilities

I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but music totally dictates what kind of mood I am in. Overall I'm a big alternative fan, most of my music is from this genre, or something sort of similar to it. I do branch out with my deep love for folk, punk, bluegrass, and rock, but alternative just really always knows how I want to feel. I go from the folk alternative with banjos and dueling female and male vocalists, to the 3 part melodies in a somber, piano pounding, flat out sad song. I love the sad songs, they're great. The funkcity cd that Kendra made me probably 6 months ago has definitely been played at least once a week since that time. It was originally made because we came back to the United States and didn't want to, and that we came back and didn't know what was going on in the world around us. We were just so happy, but sad, but mad at the same time that we were back and that we hadn't done everything we had wanted to when we were abroad that we were both just flat out depressed. Tears. This cd made me weep...and I loved every second of it. Every now and then you need to be a little emo, and man, do I love those times when you need that feeling. Somber music is just so good! This post is so rambly it's ridiculous, but whatever. I love listening to music and then switching it up and listening to another genre, but then slipping back into that old favorite. It's like wearing your favorite jeans over and over again, but then you buy a new pair and find that they fit you great! Greater than you could have ever imagined! Then one day those new jeans get gross and you need to wash them and wear a different pair, so you go back to the old faves. That's how my music choice goes. I listen to a band or a genre for months, then I get something new, or someone sends me something or tells me to listen to something new and I listen to that until it's a little pathetic, and then I remember that I don't have to listen to the same thing over and over again, so I go back to my true loves.

Also, every now and then you just need to listen to christmas music. Not all the time, but sometimes. There is some notion that it can only be listened to around this time of year and it is so overplayed because the window of opportunity is so small! Listen a little bit all year round that way it never gets annoying, it's just another great genre to listen to!

oh my god, oh you think i'm in control

Again, Walt Whitman, you are my main man. I don't feel complete without reading a bit of 'Leaves of Grass'...I've just been out of it lately. Not necessarily sick, or feeling wierd, just off. I feel like the world, my world, isn't really lining up. UGH.

First semester is coming to a close, which is a bit on the ridiculous side, I can't wrap my head around it. Ryan is moving out, Jesse is moving in, it's a lot to happen. I'm hoping my extreme hard work will pay off. I haven't been the best at staying in touch with the fam this semester, and when I do, I feel like it's a constant challenge (or battle) everytime I try and call home and talk to my parents...mainly my mom. It's one foot in one foot out right now, but it's so hard to balance this line, I hate it. I hate that everytime I try and bring up something new it's just kind of shot down. I don't know, we used to be really close, but now I just feel like we're moving apart. I'm working on fixing that, fixing some grades, fixing some internships, jobs...who knows, i barely have time to pee these days.

21 was real easy, now i'm realizing it kind of blows.

Pioneers! O Pioneers!

Walt Whitman has become such a significant figure in my life over the last two days, and I truly hope he stays that way. I just feel that I should go forth and make a claim for myself! I need to see this America, like it was supposed to be seen...in a conastoga.

Okay, the conastoga probably won't happen...I realize this, a car however, is my modern covered wagon. I've quickly, yet bitterly, come to grips with the fact that traveling across the country 15 miles a day isn't exactly productive. My dream of a conastoga has now turned into an aimless, yet meaningful, roadtrip across our great land to see what needs to be seen! I don't want to do it quick and get it over with, I want to take my time and go routes that are out of the way, I want to see this country for all its worth. If I could do it Alexander Supertramp style, I would, but I'm not that hardcore against society. I am feeling lost at the moment, and this is the only thing that seems to be the right thing to do.

I have already committed myself to finishing college. I will get my bachelor's degree in May and I will continue to work hard for it. This trip will happen. It is the task after graduating. I do not know when it will happen, but I'm planning now. I want this to happen within the next 3 years; if it doesn't I will be sorely upset with myself. I need to find what I want, what I need to be happy. I'm not unhappy...I'm just unsettled...restless. I want to be a pioneer for my own life. I want to find things about myself and push myself to new levels. The pioneers pioneered so we could live the life we live, but that doesn't mean we can forget what they did and how they got there!

This journey is to be a trip in honor of our pioneers.

Old Man Winter

Dear Old Man Winter,

Although I realize I was not present for the better half of your fury last season, I would really appreciate if we could hold off on the snow until at least November. I really don't think that it is too much to ask for, I know you have the ability to hold off. Think about the heating bills! As a world in economic crisis we beg you, please do not snow just yet!

I hope you take these things into consideration before you start the coldest season.

Sincerely,

Allyson M. Condo

New Englander

what about Arizona? I think i'd like to check it out.

bahh

although it is not NEARLY that time of year yet, I am getting to the point where I just don't care. I don't feel so bad about it seeing as most of my fellow students feel the same way. Maybe it's the impending graduation date, perhaps we are all just sick of school a little, it could really be a number of things, the least of which could actually be that I just don't care anymore. School just seems so redundant. I understand that I keep learning new things, and clearly I am NOT the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm definitely sick of doing it. I will have to deal with my life and suck it up, buckle down now before the year gets too out of control. I WISH I COULD DO IT.

So, next year?? real life or gap year???constant question.

Back to work?

Ewwww, I dislike school when it isn't being held in Spain. Picky of me? A little, I realize I was spoiled last semester, but really! Granada was just so beautiful and warm...not so much in Durham, NH. (beautiful, yes, warm, NO) I'm not ready for this to be my last year as an undergrad!!! It's too scarey to think of!! I hate it.

However much I dislike school, I'm taking some pretty good classes, this is my line up:
Advanced Grammatical Structure of the Spanish Language
Film Theory
Intro to Latin American Literature and Thought
Intro to Tourism

I am in LOVE with my film theory class. Truly I did not believe that I would love it so much, I was pretty iffy about it for most of the summer, but the professor and the students in the class are so into the subject that I am always so excited to go to it and put in some of my thoughts and my theories. This is the second film class that I've taken and I think that this could really be something that I could make a living out of. I'm willing to take a step back, though, and take a couple more classes in the subject to really make sure. Who knows, maybe I'll be knocking on Uncle George's door for a place to stay this summer.California and NYC might be in the cards..who knows!

BOO to homework...echo de menos granada...

quiero volver por favor!

verano

Soo...I'm bored... and do NOT want to go to work. What I would like to be doing is lying in my Parque de Federico Garcia Lorca sipping some drink of sort and tanning my buns off!!! INSTEAD I'm getting ready for my first day back to work at Old Navy in about 5 months. I successfully avoided working retail for 5 months. I don't want to go back to that, who would?! UGHH I guess beggers can't be choosers because at least I have a job in these troubling times, but I have never been so happy in my life as I am right now realizing that this is my last summer I will ever have to work there. Next summer, after graduation, I can get a real job and live a real life without Gap Inc. However...for the time being....I have to go get ready to fold clothes for 5 hours.

nooo

So I know that this blog has followed me pretty closely through my semester in Spain, and I also realize that there has been a fair amount of tossing between wanting to be home and wanting to be in Spain. Well, the finale is here and I still can't figure out what I want. Here are a list of pros and cons that I have compiled throughout the semester:

Pros (+) Cons(-)

+hablo espanol mejor
-english is not doing so well :/
+ I got closer to a lot of people I had never met/ would never have met if it hadn't been for Granada
+Granada means pomegranite in spanish
+I'm basically an adult here, minus the fact that I live with a family...I'm very independent
- I hate feeling trapped and not being able to go home
-Not seeing my family at all for 4 and 1/2 months was a bit rough
+ I know my boundaries now and can safely say that moving far away wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to me
- I didn't meet nearly enough Spaniards
+I fell in love with Granada and Sevilla...I could live there, seriously
-I don't think I could deal with 112+ heat in the summer
+/- tengo programas de television que no se si puedo ver en los estados unidos :(...which means i'd just have to come back and watch them ;)
+ I hate being out of the loop...but this semester wasn't the worst thing that's ever happened to my family knowledge
- I hate being out of the loop
+I live in a city with a palace
-I need who I need
-skype is a terrible form of communication
-I still don't know what I want to do with my life
+ I want to travel WAY more in life, this has opened me up to a lot
-I spent way too much time thinking about things that could be/might be and not enough time on what was happening in the moment
+ I won't let anything stop me from coming back to Spain. I love speaking spanish too much to stop and I love Spain too much to never come back.

So basically I still have strong feelings to stay and strong feelings to go. Either way I'm leaving (which sucks) and I can't do much about that. Money is low and the 5567 is calling. Boo/Yay!
Where the hell did the last 4 and a half months go?

done

Wierd...this semester for me is done. I've been a senior since Thursday...that's cool/terrifying. Also, it's just sad in general. I have to leave Spain exactly one week from today. I have some plans for the week, but I think that for the majority of it I will just be walking around trying to remember everything about Granada. I have really fallen in love with my little spanish city. I don't know if I'd ever move back here for real, but I'd come back and visit. I think that if I came back to Spain for living I'd go Madrid, Bilbao, or Sevilla.....probably Sevilla. I love Sevilla. I could absolutely see myself there, doing something...I'm not sure what, but doing something.

I know that I was ready to go before...I still am...I'm just really going to miss speaking spanish everyday everywhere....all the time....I'm going to miss Spain.

One bottle of New Hampshire maple syrup that is not opened.














NUMBAAHHH TWOOO



















And of course, number 3.

This is our bathroom, note how you pull the curtain around you as you shower


















Also please notice how tiny and how small the shower is.














Trusty mop that i use every single time i get out of the shower to mop up all the water off of the floor

Mi Casa

This is me and my roommate Molly's room!!!!!

Kitchen, complete with breakfast and lunch

And the world's tiniest washing machine

Pais Vasco

Bilbao might be the place that I want to end up for the rest of my life. I realize that I say that about every place I get back from, but it was perfect! It had the french architecture that I LOVED in paris but people speak spanish!!!!!Its a perfect combination! I really do love everywhere we've been though, I don't have anything bad to say about any of the places we've traveled to this semester.
So the first day we got there it was pretty rainy, but it was ok. It made everything look so much greener, the amount of green here was incredible. I miss green. My impression of the city of Bilbao was immediately one of excitement. I was pumped to be on another vacation, but i was pumped to check out the Basque country. The next day we took a bus to the town of Guernica, the place that Picasso's painting was based off of. You would never know that during the civil war it was basically demolished in some parts. Its beautiful. I don't know how anyone could think to bombard such a place. It was even more beautiful with the sunny day, it was perfect. From there were drove to a tiny tiny town named Oma and climbed a mountain to find the Painted Forest. Which, was pretty cool. Theres just this section really hidden on the mountain where over 500 trees have different paintings on them. And it depends on how you view the tree too, like at what angle you look at the painting, because it could line up with other paintings on other trees to make other pitures. Like people running, or eyes, it was really really cool. After we climbed down we ate and the visited another little fishing town and then headed back to Bilbao.
The next day we went to the Guggenheim Museum...wierdest museum i've ever been to. It was cool, there was this one thing that was a HUGE hull of a ship that they dredged out of the ocean, and then broke porcelain plates all around it and in it, probably my favorite, there was also an exhibit by the same artist that made a lot of cool works with gun powder!! Very interesting. I'll remember what they all looked like perfectly, they were all just really different and awesome.
Next day we went to San Sebastien, absolutely breath taking! We climbed another mountain and could see most of the city. Then we had some free time to walk around and eat some lunch, then we all got back together to climb another mountain, but at the top there was a surprise little amusement park complete with bumper cars, flume, and haunted house. We had a really good time just chillin on the top of a mountain. It was a good way to just sort of end a great day. After that we got some pinchos and went back to Bilbao. It was nice to be able to just chill out and get on a bus to just go back and crash. It was sad the next day though, it was our last day on our last excursion.
We got back to Granada last night around 11:45ish, not too late, but then I got up for class this morning at 7:30am...boo!!

Now the next time I get on a plane is to go home in 19 days...it'll be my last time flying out of Spain for a while...I'm gonna miss it.

I don't like it

Ugh finals, why do you exist??

I don't think I have ever been more stressed about finals. Usually I have the following at my disposal : movies, good food, a family member to complain/ cry to, oh yea..and a semester's worth of going to class. Here I have the following: spanish pirated copied movies, food i mildly accept, no family, and only 1/3 of the classes that i should've gone to.

Today I will be retaking my grammar test because the first one I only achieved a 55%. Now, I wish I could just take the 55 and run, but of course, with this being our ONLY GRADE FOR THE SEMESTER 90% of everything comes from this 55%...so...I will be retaking this monster of a test again today. Last night I broke down into one of the worst anxiety attacks I've had since high school. I felt horrible for Molly because she felt my unexplainable mood, and..I finally had to look at her and say "i can't actually talk about grammar or anything that has to do with this test right now or i'm going to puke all over you" her laughter made me feel better about myself, but I was being rather serious. I studied from the time that I got this test back on friday until now. If I don't pass this class not only will my GPA go WAY down, but I'll have to make up a 600 level class in spanish and probably not finish my cinema minor. UGHH!!!!!!!!

In other news, my host mom told me the other day that there isn't friendship between men and women, only love. Only different levels of love. Really? It blows my mind when I try to think of it. I can't explain it, but I think she's right.

To Do list:
1. take said gramm test
2. finish geog presentation and present tomorrow
3. start bull fighting paper/presentation
4. read

Procrastination has many names

I'm the worst at doing work or getting work done. I get so determined and go pretty great for a while, but then...I just end up tooling around! I can't stop myself! Ok, case and point. Right now I should be finishing this art project that is due next week, that way I can do other projects that are also do in the upcoming weeks. I am ALMOST DONE this stupid power point (which I don't even have to present), but of course, I cannot complete it knowing that I have a week to pass it in. Terrible. I was hoping that my insane anxiety would kick in and say, "Allyson, you do not want to wait until the last minute, you know what you get like under pressure!" But, as luck would have it, my anxiety has been surprisingly at bay throughout this whole trip (Ry, you'd be proud). Paranoia at an all time low. Caring, unfortunately, is also at an all time low. UGHH. ok. i need to kick it up and do this. I can do it!

haha...all i can think of is that stupid song from Dumbo, and i hate Dumbo
"casey jr.'s comin' down the track, casey jr.'s back, comin' down the tracks!" i think it goes on to the "i can do i can do it..." part

shout out to courty- the power of lurve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Half of the time we're going, but we don't know where..

SPRING BREAK has come and gone, which also means that my birthday has come and gone! This is a quick run down of events, nothing too detailed, but just a little somethin'!

1. Traveled to Paris on Friday, apr 3, holiest of all holy days.
2. Turned 21 whilst underneath the Eiffel Tower.
3. Had a 7euro Corona that night at a bar Megan knew courtesy of Brett and then a birthday Blow Job shot thanks to Megan,lol! That was my night, I really just wanted to sleep because I hadn't in like 36hours.
4. Woke up and went to the Arc de Triumph and Champs- Elysees and then walked to the Concorde and back
5. Woke up and went to the Louvre and Musee D'Orsay for GRATIS because it was the first sunday of the month and all museums in Paris are freeskis..absolutely amazing
6. Walked around some more, and then took a nap in the park
7. Went back to the Eiffel Tower to go up!
8. Was basically 5years old in the Eiffel Tower, I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life!I can't even describe it!!! Bretch pretended to propose to me, it was perfect,lol!
9. Notre Dame the next day and then the gigantic cemetary with Jim Morrison's grave and Oscar Wilde, also Sarah Bernhardt and Chopin!!(i was interviewed by a german independent radio station asking me why i loved jim morrison...i said music never dies,HAHAHAHA)
10. ROME!
11. Met with Aubrey and Mike Smith after a little roman shopping
12. Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and Colesseum=my favorite parts of Rome
13. Vatican City was cool, but not as cool as I thought it would be....I wished Court and Anthony were with me to make fun of churchy things
14. Thoroughly started missing my sister after Aubrey and I hung out so much
15. Met 2 Italian boys named Francesco (who had my birthday) and Simone, they were in the army...they walked us home and invited us to a drink the next day
16. sort of stood up by the italian boys, but not really because they left their numbers and an apology at the front desk of the hostel!!!hahaaahahhaahaa
17. met with Megan's friend and roommate Katie and her friends that she was traveling with and went back to the colesseum!!
18. Took a plane back to Madrid and then a 5 hour bus back to Granada


Best spring break EVER, manos abajo! I loved everything about how the countries were so different! The next language I learn will be french, but then italian definitely! I miss my sistah!

This would be Messi. He is from Argentina. I knew this from watching the olympics this year, a.k.a. I'm awesome. Anyway, he's like the greatest player ever and we got to see him in action and score a goal!

Hohohooo Barcelona, I love you.

Que Sera Sera....

Yes, I finally got it. I went to a VERY clean and extremely awesome tatoo parlor today and got my spanish tat. Absolutely worth it! It says "Que Sera Sera" translation..."what will be will be" I love it. It's on my left foot in small cursive writing and I got it in a cool rusty brown color. It kind of looks like henna, but I can't tell really at the moment, it's still red and raised. P.S. the foot killed. For 15 minutes I made the wierdest conversation of my life with Niki and the girl doing the tatoo. Hilarious, but painful, but worth it.

So Much!

Oh man, so much to say!!

Ok, well first thing is first; Kendra came to visit me! Kendra and Maddie came about a week ago and we did some solid hang out time. Despite us going sight seeing and going to the beach, it was rather relaxing. I'm not overly sure if it was chill because I was with Kendra, or if it really was a pretty laid back weekend, none the less, we had a great time together. In about 2 weeks, we'll be back together for the spring break of our lives. I can't wait!!!!!!!!

On Saint Patrick's Day the group set out on our 3rd trip of the semester to Valencia and Barcelona. 6 hours later on the bus we were in Cullera, which is in Valencia and chilled out in our awesome apartments. I got to cook dinner. I made pasta (obviously, cheap and easy) and my own sauce!!! so satisfying! I really miss cooking, I almost cried when I thought the stove wouldn't work, but then we figured it out so all was well. The next day we went into town and participated in some festivities in the town and basically danced in the streets with the whole entire town. Thursday we went into Valencia, the city, and saw Las Fallas. Basically the 4th of July on crack. We went to this parade at around 8pm and it was just a half an hour of people dressed as devils and carrying flares and fireworks in their hands and setting them off. It was truly ridiculously amazing. Also, because it is just a HUGE botellon in the streets (a big out door party in the streets) we started our drinking at lunch, my drink of choice was my malibu/sunny d mix. delicious.

Las Fallas: HUGE paper machete sculptures painted with such detail that you think they are made of stone. The paper looks so smooth and hard, but its so light and papery, it's so bizarre. They were around 4 stories tall, easily. There were smaller ones that were maybe 6 or 7 ft tall, but the tallest were 4-6 stories tall. They were located ALL over the city, probably one or two per plaza...if you've ever been to spain you'd know the there is a plaza every 5 ft here. You pick one or two that are close that you want to see burn and chill out in a huge crowd of people singing and chanting "FUEGO" until the firworks technicians are ready to blow it up. We waited around 45 min for the one that we saw. then all of the sudden its this huge firworks display that is set off about 7ft in front of you and is right over your head and there is extreme worry about buildings burning down due to their proximity to the fire. Then in about 5 seconds the 4 story tall paper machete statue BURNS DOWN in the biggest bon fire you've ever been to. It's amazing. Probably MORE amazing is the amount of people in the streets setting off firecrackers EVERYWHERE. All ages, like kids 4 and up all the way to old people just lighting firecrackers in the streets where people are walking. Frightening.....I joined in a couple of times, but I'm no pyro.

Barcelona was BEAUTIFUL! I tried to get to the Museum of Contemporary Art to see if Uncle George still had some art there, but no dice, it closed before I got there. I really liked that city a lot. It was really different than other spanish cities, probably because they speak a lot of Catalan there, but still, it was cool to see the difference. Also, everything was stupidly expensive, but that's neither here nor there.I got to go to a Barcelona v. Malaga game on Sunday night and got to sport my Barca jersey. Got to see Xavi and Messi kick some serious ass...it was beautiful. Barca won 6-0, there just wasn't competition. I was a futbol fan before, but now i'm hooked. there's no going back. Baseball is still my number one, futbol (now) number 2 with tennis number 3.

About 10 days until I turn 21, I'm not sure if I'm pumped or bummed that I'm getting older. I mean, I'm a legit adult now...when did that happen?! Also, I'm bummed that I won't be with all my friends and Family at home for this one. I'll be with my friends here, and Kendra, so I'm WICKED excited for our trip to Paris and then to Rome, but I want everyone to be with me! SO!!! (wink wink) that would be real great if you could get here.

Do I do anything with my life?

I don nothing with my life. Not even just in Spain, but in general, I realize I do nothing productive ever. I try and think about things that I need to get done, I try to do the work that needs to get gone, but somehow I am always so easily side tracked. Two nights ago I realized that I hadn´t written in my journal at all over the last 2 weeks, so I wrote a 12page entry about the week I had spent in Galicia and Madrid. I had really wanted to keep it updated, or as updated as possible, hopefully enough to write a book!!! Maybe not though, haha, I am so unmotivated sometimes that the goals I set never actually are met. Like this book idea, will it ever be written when I get back home? Probably not, not unless someone writes it for me using my journal entries....hmm...maybe this is a whole chapter in and of itself. The unmotivation of the human race. Meh, it´ll come to me.

Spain is spainy, not much has changed in the last 8 weeks that I´ve been here other than my speaking skills improving. 11 weeks more and I´ll be home. I have some mixed feelings about this, when I add it all up its really onlike 7 weeks left, march is kind of a wash because people are coming to visit and we have another week long excursion, so by the time that spring break is over April 12th itll be like nothing. I miss home, I realize that I can live away from home and be happy and be fine, but I miss it. I miss being able to go home if I wanted. I know that I´ll miss being able to walk everywhere, and having a downtown on the street that I live on. I really love living in a city. I think that I´ll have some reverse culture shock going home, I´m going to miss the people I´ve been having a good time with here and the fact that noone speaks spanish in Hudson is kind of a let down...I have a feeling my spanish will go downhill this summer, I need to find a spanish friend! Maybe I´ll just only speak spanish to the people I know speak spanish. Hmm..whatever. It seems like its been forever, but not that long at all. I feel like last semester was a different year entirely. I feel like I love Spain, but I love the USA, something I didn´t know I loved until I wasn´t there anymore (it may actually make me a little more patriotic). I miss american chop suey. I love spanish tortilla. I love walking everywhere. I miss driving. I loved ham before I came here. I am sort of sick of it now. I am feeling rather mixed up at the moment.

"Today I finally overcame, tryin' to fit the world inside a picture frame"

Words cannot describe this past week. I took over 300 pictures, and compared to other people, that's not a lot at all. We started our week in Barona, then we went to Santiago de Compostela, then A Coruna, THEN Madrid, Salamanca, and back to Madrid. It was the most amazing vacation away from a vacation I have ever had.

So no one knew that 3 out of 4 of our hotels would overlook the ocean, we were thoroughly surprised and extremely happy to sea water. Not just water though, it was the other side of the Atlantic, so it had that Atlantic-y smell and a cooler breeze than the Mediterranean has. I wish that I had brought a bathing suit, I would've gone swimming. There wasn't a day in Galicia that was gray or cloudy, everyday was beautiful and we were outside everyday. We went hiking, and site seeing, I love every second of this part of our trip. The only part that was a little annoying was that for the first 3 nights we had a different hotel in a different location, so we'd do our thing, get our stuff, get in a bus, and move to the next hotel a couple hours away. Not a bad deal.

Madrid was just as awesome as Galicia, I hit up the Royal Palaca for a tour, got some Museo de la Reina Sofia in there, anndddd of course El Prado!!! All 3 blew my mind basically. I saw "Girl in the Window"- Salvador Dali, "Guernica"-Picasso...AMAZING!!!!!Guernica itself was gigantic, and I could've stood there for hours just looking at it.

I could go into some pretty extreme detail about this week, but I'm not going to. As a whole, this week was pretty excellent, I had a great time travelling and know for sure that I need to travel in life to be truly happy.

Never Again, salchicha..never again

Alright, yesterday was probably by far the worst day of my life. I've had some pretty crappy days in my time, but being sick and not anywhere near my comfy house in Hudson, NH, sucked. I will never eat sausage for the rest of my life, I don't even know if I could smell it to be honest with you, never again!

Preface: I was going to go to Sierra de Cazorla, Molly was going to Cadiz for Carnaval...neither of us went to our events.

What happened:

Friday night we went for tapas, a pretty casual night. We didn't really do anything overly exerting, we went to a couple of bars, ate a couple of tapas, all was great. The last bar we went to we ate some salchicha (sausage) and it was alright, not the greatest thing ever, but alright. About 3 hours later...death. We got back to our house around 11:45pm, not even late AT ALL! We woke up around 2am...enough said. I was in the bathroom first and Molls ran down the hallway and knocked on the door to see if she could come in...it was downhill from there. All day yesterday was us laying in bed, we didn't move. It sucked. I just wanted to go home, or talk to my mom or someone. BUT OF COURSE my internet worked for all of 5 minutes, so I couldn't talk to anyone or call anyone...it was the crappiest of crappy days.

Today is much better, for lack of eating anything yesterday I'm still kind of dead, but I'm just tired. UGHH I hate being sick. It is my least favorite thing in the world. I realize that probably all people feel this way, but being sick and away from home is a terrible combination.

Tomorrow we are off to Galicia, Madrid, and Salamanca, I'm hoping I can pull myself together a little more before that!!! This would happen! BOO salchicha, booooo

General Update

I've realized I have a lot of free time on my hands...I update a lot now, but I have a feeling it'll start to spread out more as I get into going on more trips and actually having homework.

Today was the most gorgeous day I've seen in Granada. There have been beautiful days, they're have been warmer days, but today was perfect. I got to wake up late because I didn't have class until 1, so I went to school a little early and chilled out until class. Grammar wasn't exactly the greatest class in the world, but I like our teacher, so I feel like I owe it to him to pay attention. He really tries to make the subject interesting, he even speaks in english a lot to get his point across, or if we don't get something he'll clarify in english. I know that the point of me being here is to speak more spanish, but if I don't know what I'm learning in class, I'm not going to know how to speak better, so I'm glad he breaks it down. After class I had lunch at home...chicken and potato salad?? That's my guess, but my guess is as good as yours! I WENT FOR A RUN!!! Yes people at home, I, Allyson Condo, went for a run outside in the streets of a city. I ran for a while and then my iPod froze?? I didn't even know what was possible, apparently it is. So because of this I walked the remainder of the way back to school in complete frustration of not being able to listen to music. Luckily, Alex was at school and he "fixed" the situation by pressing down the middle and menu button...who knew?Clearly not me. Whatever, my iPod is fixed, that's all I care about.
Today Megan and I bought our plane tickets from Madrid to Dublin for May so that we don't have to pay ridiculous amounts of fees with Ryanair. So, yay! we have a way of getting home now! I'm pretty excited, this is also our Dublin trip, so we will be in Ireland for 3 days and then we just leave from Ireland and go home from there, it should be really fun!

The following things have pysched me up in the past day or so:

-I get to live in a hotel ALL week next week...that means unlimited shower time..aka ability to shave!
-Kendra comes literally a week and a half after I return from previously posted hotel trip!!!!!!!!!
-Nice weather
-My run today...it may become an every other day occurence
-The fact that my geography class here counts as my last class for my minor!
-(at first I wasn't that happy about it, but now...)I love that my family has skype and fb. I love that I can talk to them whenever I want. I was truly concerned about this when I was coming here, I was truly concerned that I would not be as close to my family as I was before I left...not anymore
-Spain...just in general, I keep randomly remembering that this is where I live right now, and that's fucking awesome
-Baseball starts soon.
-I'm getting way more into futbol

Random throw-in: my hair is curly to the extreme lately, and there's nothing I can do about it. However, I don't think that I want to do anything about it! It's big, it's rather fluffy, but it works for me I think...check back in a couple days, I may not be so happy wth it after a few days...

I'm not excited about waking up tomorrow at 7:30am for an 8:30am class...this has already gotten old and i've only had to do it 3 times so far. I'm not gonna last

I forgot I was in Spain..

So last night I had THE wierdest dream about having a baby..and then my mom told me to suck it up...i don't know..it was so wierd, i was eating strawberry shaped vitamins...i didn't know what was going on..when i woke up i completely forgot where i was..it was bizarre, man.

Sin embargo (however), I rallied myself and got up, took my shower and went to school. While on my way I, for some reason, was in a pretty good mood, I heard this extremely european music coming from afar. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked by a boy, probably my age, playing his acordeon on the street corner with music playing behind him! I was then smiling the rest of the way to school. I LOVE that there are so many people playing music outside! ALWAYS! It's just so cool to be walking around and to have your own personal theme song playing everywhere you go...its so cute. I love Europe, I love Granada.

Hmm...

I did it. I ventured to a discoteca last night. I figured I had to do it once, and I'd rather just get it over with. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I think it was my first and only experience. I don't know how people in Spain stay out until 8am, its just ridiculous! I got home at 5am...it was terrible! And then I felt crappy when I woke up...is it even worth it? No. I didn't think so. SO! Now that I know I'm not a fan, I can say no to people and actually know that I don't want to go.
Tonight, however, me and a couple other girls are planning on maybe going and finding a Flamenco Bar to chill at and watch people flamenco dance/sing! I'm really excited! I hope we can find one that isn't too pricey, I've been spending a little too much this past week. (Tickets to Paris and Rome were purchased yesterday for Spring Break/BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!) "You can't hear it, but my credit card is crying"-Megan Kelly. sooo truee...

This summer is going to be too full of working, beware Auntie Renie, I may have to runaway to your house and chill with the babies!

Orange trees in Cordoba. This picture was so perfect, it was waiting to be taken by my camera!!

This is one of the many churches we went into, but I belive it is the Cathedral in Sevilla.

Cathedral in Sevilla from the outside. You could not beat the weather, 65 and sunny.

I cannot get enough of the orange trees, they are absolutely beautiful!! They are everywhere I turn! The line the streets, gardens, everywhere, I only wish that you could eat the oranges :(

Bienvenidos!

Bienvenidos a mi vida en Espana! I wish I could write this whole blog entry in spanish, but I don't know how to put accents on words online and I am pretty sure only few people would know what I was talking about. So, welcome to my life in Spain! It's very exciting to be here, and I can't wait to tell you all about my journies!!!!

I got to Spain about 4ish weeks ago now, I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. I know this city so well know, it will be wierd when I go home to not have to walk everywhere! I walk, on average, about 3 miles a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I am too cheap to take public transportation, so I walk everywhere! It's healthy, I don't mind. The transition into a normal life here in Spain was so easy, I feel. I never got the sensation of being overwhelmed, or extreme culture shock. Maybe it's because I have a roommate from UNH, I don't know, but I just feel like this was the normal next step to take in my life. I love walking down the street and passing people speaking in spanish, I love it when they help me with my spanish if I ask them where something is! I love everything about this place! Everything except some of the food, some of the food is a little too intensely different for me. Other things however, like tortilla espanol and paella, oh man, those are too good to be true! Also, I don't know why the U.S. doesn't have these, but Tapas make the world go round here. They are little tiny dishes that you get with a drink when you order any drink past 8pm. In Granada, for the most part, tapas are free with a drink. You basically get a sandwich for free with your drink of choice. I love them. I do not love that I haven't really eaten any vegetables since arriving here. Apparently Spain has never heard of green beans. I eat plates and plates of beige food, usually including some sort of ham. My favorite nights are "bocadillo" nights..."sandwich" nights. My host mom has this sandwich maker that grills the sides of the sandwich together and melts whatever is inside. I love these nights because I chow down. I will be eating my weight in the following things when I return in May : american chop suey, mac and cheese, hamburgers, and all the green veggies I can get my hands on.

My host family consists of the parents, Jose and Eloisa, and their three kids, Sergio who is 13, Eloisa who is 11, and Dario who is 4. I know I originally said I didn't want a family, but I love them. They are really fun to be around, and they have their own schedule, which I really like. I can do my thing, they can do theirs, nothing is interrupted because of us being here, and I really like that. They make me miss my family, but it's interesting to see how other families function.

I'm going to try and keep this blogas updated as possible, so I will probably update about once a week or so. I hope to keep you informed about the trips I plan on taking, places I've been, things I've seen, etc. I am already planning my spring break (which coincidentally starts on my 21st birthday!) and hopefully a couple more trips around europe! Last weekend we went to Cordoba and Sevilla as a group, I fell in love with Sevilla. I plan on living there one day.

This entry has gone on long enough, but I am also trying to get my pictures up on picasa so that people without facebook can see my pictures and so that I can post more scenery and not just me having fun around europe,hehe! Until next time!!