And that's all she wrote...

This will be my last entry from Granada.

I just have a few more hours here. Hard to believe.


Yesterday I walked around the city and took it all in, getting enough memories (and pictures!) to last me until I come back. It's a beautiful place for sure.


I am so glad that I took the risk that I did in coming here. I did one of the things that scared me the most...and it turned out awesome. I would recommend this to anyone (and I'm honestly, not just saying that, it's an amazing experience that people should have in their life, especially in college)


And so it is that 20 weeks(!) and two extremely overweight suitcases later, I'm leaving this city behind.


See you all in a little over 2 weeks when I get back. Thanks for reading!

Marisa

retrospect

so it's over and done with. exams are done, papers are turned in, we have a farewell dinner tonight in the albaycin. i wasn't expecting this day to come.


it's weird...

and i find myself getting a bit blurry eyed, a little nostalgic.


it's funny. i look at the calendar and it says it's may 18.


may 18.


no. no. that's wrong. it's january 4th. i'm just stepping off a plane, scared and nervous and excited. fresh from celebrating new year's too hard.


-----
you do a lot of retrospect these last few days. you wonder where the time went and what happened these past few months. it's like that reaction you have when you get off a roller coaster-you step onto the ground and have to think for a minute about the ride you just took, to make sure it really happened because it went by so fast.

well, my feet just hit the ground and i'm thinking about the ride--it was amazing.

it took me to parts of the world i had only read and learned about in school. places that you see on tv but never really imagine that you are going to one day be there in person seeing it with your own eyes. i learned so much, ate so much, did so much.


but it's over.


that's the thing. you wish for this day to come but then when it does, you kinda wish it wasn't here.

the bus for barcelona leaves on saturday at 15:45 and i'll be on it. i'm excited to see my aunt. then i go to rome. then i go back to barcelona. then i go home. (hey, that rhymes :)


yep. i've been thinking about this day for a while now, but somehow i didn't expect it to come.

Finals are done!

Yippee!


All I have left is a beastly paper to write but it should be cake compared to the exams that's for sure.



Rome isn't looking as questionable now. All signs are pointing to "go". :0)



Rock on.

Do I stay or do I go?

I'm getting super excited about going home! I am almost ready to throw in the towel for Rome and just go back to the States sooner...

I know that you, my dear readers and fans, are thinking that I am nuts and that I should go and see Rome, but oh man, I can't wait to get back!



In the meantime, must...concentrate...on...finals. :0)

Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Heh.

And rightly so...it's been in the upper 80´s today and it doesn't look like it's going to cool down anytime soon. They say that it's going to get warmer, in the 90's by Wednesday...yikes. I just looked up Portland though and you guys seem to be getting some warm weather yourself..."Record high temperatures expected today"...wow. I'm impressed.



In other news, I am getting so excited to come home. It must sound so silly, but you try being away from home for 132 days (as of today) and then come talk to me about how you aren't feeling excited to come home. :)

To be honest, dear readers of mine, I am considering coming back early. I know, I know, super lame-o but again, try being away for this long and then suppress your excitement about going back to your homeland. I still haven't decided but we'll see. Some french toast is sounding mighty tasty at the moment. :0) Heh.

So that's about it from here. We are currently in the middle of finals. Took my Civ and Culture one today and think it went well. Tomorrow is European Union and then Wednesday is History of America. Throw in a paper for lit and you have a magnificently exciting and fun-filled week. Nah, it's going fine and I'm actually not minding the studying too much because for the most part it's pretty interesting stuff. That European Union, man, it's a crazy system and I can tell you about it. :)

Anywho, this has been a very train of thought entry but I figured I have to mix it up a bit now and then. You know, to make it interesting. After all, my entries are coming to an end here pretty soon and I have to have some fun with this while it lasts.

T-minus ?? days and counting...

AHHH! :0)

The latest pics from Granada...

Día de la Cruz-the 3rd of May. A holiday typical of Granada where huge decorated crosses are displayed in public places (squares, plazas, etc) and people gather around them and socialize, of course with the ever present wine and beer. Nowadays it's turned into mostly a big botellon but it has roots in religion. Heh.



The first prize winner for the best cross in Granada. Check out the "mantons de manila" in the background. Very pretty.



Another cross, this time outdoors.



The crowd of people gathered around the cross pictured above. It was raining that day (reminded me of Portland!) but that didn't dampen people's spirits at all.



Another cross, a bit farther away from my house. Sadly, you can't see a lot of the decorations because of the plastic that was keeping out the rain.



The botellon forming near a cross



Last Friday, Chelsea, Diana and I went to Cafe Futbol for our last churros and chocolate of the semester.



Chelsea, ready to dive in to the plate of churros



The "after" pic :0)



After the churros, Diana and I went to see another Flamenco show at the CLM. I think I may like flamenco more now...









Then, last weekend we went on our last group trip to the little towns of Ronda and Grazalema in the western part of Andalucia...gorgeous. This is the Plaza de Toros de Ronda.



Views of Ronda






Artsy pic



Fountain at the Casa de Don Juan Bosco in Ronda



This is perhaps what Ronda is most known for, this massive bridge



While in Ronda I found Paco's long lost cousin, Pedro. :0)



Houses in Ronda...very "Andalucia"



Jeanette, Sarah, Diana, Rachel, and Chelsea



I love this pic



The view of Grazalema from our "casita". We didn't stay in a hotel this time...we stayed in little cabins that had great views of the town and of the countryside. It would be a great place to stay if you just wanted to relax for a weekend.



Diana, Katherine, Chelsea, and Colin on our impromptu hike up the side of a random mountain. Let me just say that we definitely blazed a trail...



Our goal was to make it up to this old, abandoned church on the side of this particular hill. It turned out to be quite pretty and we had some fun testing out the "self-timer" function of our cameras.



On Sunday we went on an 8k hike...check out this view



Hiking up the hill



Another great view



Who can resist swings? :)

i miss home.


now that the day to go home is getting close, it seems very far away.


they say that there is such a thing as reverse culture shock...i'm starting to believe "them" already.


i'm just feeling very confused about going home to be honest. i am excited but nervous and then i wonder why am i nervous to go home??? i don't understand. it doesn't seem to make sense to me.

it's late though and tomorrow we have this big standardized test to take. hopefully all will turn out alright. i have pics to post from the last week...so much happened. i will try to put them up here soon.


ciao.

the clock is ticking

i have 27 days until i go back to portland.


i wish that somehow i could explain how i'm feeling about this. the pros, the cons, the expectations, the worries, the excitement, the tension, the complete and total happy mess of feelings i have about going back.


but i can't.

i'm not sure even i understand it.


i was walking on the street today and i saw this one internet cafe. it was the first internet cafe that i went into in granada. i remember the emails that i wrote and who they were for, which computer i used, how i felt as i typed away...i can remember all the circumstances surrounding that evening that seems like yesterday but really was quite a long time ago. almost 5 months.


sometimes i think of home and all that is implied with that word and "going back" and i get super excited. thinking about my apartment and how i get to decorate it and all that good stuff. i think of french toast and pancakes, dried fruit that doesn't masquerade as nuts, driving, the radio, the dollar, my family, so many things to be excited about. in a few months, back to school and friends and everything will return to normal.

sometimes, i have a little regret about leaving too. i think back to the first few weeks where i was practically paralyzed with doubt, confusion, and everything in between. i wish that i had done things sooner or done more of this or that, but i can't beat myself up too much. i have seen and done so much and i am happy with that.

it is time to move on. this was an experience to have, but it has to end just like everything ends ineveitably. there are new experiences waiting in the future and it's just a matter of time before i find myself getting into something new and exciting that i will think is super cool and challenging.

in the meantime, i am left with my mixed feelings and my memories of all that has happened. i am left with 27 days in europe.

27.

27.



i can't believe it.

Sheep & chips

This past weekend we had Monday off because of May Day, so I went on a quick jaunt to Northern Ireland. I think of all the places I have been to so far, it has to be one of my favorites. For one thing, it was gorgeous. Beautiful scenery everywhere. But the best part were the people. So so friendly and kind. I already want to go back!


The welcome sign in the HUGE Derry City airport. (Sense the sarcasm? heh. This place was about as big as my house...)



When I got off the plane it was about 9am and I was thinking of just going straight into town and checking out the hostel. When I inquired about busses going into town (vs. super expensive taxis) I discovered I had to wait until 10:30 to catch the next one. I waited around for a bit and then figured I would get some info on how to get to the Giant's Causeway from the information desk at the airport. The lady told me that I could take a bus and quite providentially, one was coming at 9:30...needless to say, I hopped on and went to the Causeway.

Let me just say that the north coast of Ireland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It was so green and fertile and although it was a bit windy, the sky was blue and it was gorgeous. From my various bus rides, I got the feeling that wool is one of the main industries of N. Ireland because everywhere you looked little fluffy, white lawnmowers dotted the countryside. Cute.



Looking east along the coastline



Irish countryside (looking south from the coast)



It's a long way down...

This was looking down from the upper cliff to the Causeway. You can't really see it that well, unfortunately.



Some sheep in the distance...baa :0)



If you look closely, you can see the path that winds through the middle of the cliff. There was a place where you could walk down some steep steps and get from the upper cliff to the shoreline within a few minutes.



A close up of "the Organ"



Looking west after walking a bit along the coast. Jeez, it was beautiful.



The Causeway



The ever-present "artistic pics" of the Causeway



More b&w artistry



Looking back at "the Organ"



Who's that explorer looking off into the distance?



A picturesque path along the upper cliff



A little viewpoint on the upper cliff where I sat listening to my iPod and just was...



The streets of Derry



It was very interesting to see the religious tension that still exists here. I wasn't expecting it to be as in-your-face as it was. This part of the city is obviously very Protestant (check out the painted curb and sign post) and although there hasn't been any violence here for years, it was still a reminder of the opposing feelings the country has towards the government.


The infamous "Free Derry" sign in the Bogside of the city (the Catholic part of Derry). This was where Bloody Sunday took place in 1972.



Some Irish flags, evidence of the Irish Nationalists. It was curious to see the Palestinian flag flying in the Bogside, though I think it may be as a sign of solidarity toward the Palestinians since, in some ways, the two situations are similar. The mural shows those who died on Bloody Sunday.


Murals in the Bogside depicting various scenes from Catholic struggle against the Protestants.













A really really bad pic from the Frames show on Saturday night (the lighting was horrible). But yes, that is Glen on the left! Man, it was awesome. I was in the front row on the side and I was in heaven. :)



On Sunday I took advantage of a special Sunday bus fare and went to Belfast for the day. This large imposing building greeted me when I got there: Belfast City Hall.



A mini Big Ben?



As a special treat and because I had read so many books about the Irish and their love of fish & chips, I splurged and went to a restaurant and had authentic Irish fish & chips. Yum. Just don't ask how much it cost...the exchange rate was out of control...



Some typical Irish pubs along a typical Irish street



As I was walking around, there was a small parade going through the center of town. I tried asking what it was for but never did get a straight answer...I'm figuring it had to do with May Day.



Since it was May Day weekend and because the following day the Belfast City Marathon was going to be run, there were tons of organized street performers around the city center. This comedian from Canada was trying to juggle the umbrella, baby carrier, and Subway lunch...he didn't quite make it, though it was fun to watch him try.



As I was walking back to the bus station in the afternoon, the parade came by again. We're talking a significant number of hours later and these guys were still marching...made me think of the Energizer bunny.



Derry is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland (built back in the 1600's), so on Monday I took a walk around the walls. It was pretty cool and you got a great overview of the city that way.



One of the main streets of Derry



There was a neat exhibition in the Guildhall (building that houses the Mayor's office and other city offices) that featured various sculptures made entirely (or almost entirely) from Red Bull cans. This DeLorean was pretty snazzy.



This sax was also really impressive

Overall, it was a great trip. Had tons of fun and no snags at all...well, except for the one girl in the hostel who snored...grr. :0)