Friday Fun

Friday, June 28, 2013

In the morning mom and dad went to a farmer’s market to explore and look around.

After class they picked me up and brought me to the hotel to spend some time together for the last day   :(  We went to the pool and enjoyed to sun and each other’s company.  It was so nice and fun!

After relaxing mom and dad took me back to my hotel.  It was so hard and sad to say goodbye to them.  It was so amazing to have the three of them here that I can’t believe they are leaving.

At 9:00 we went to the lobby and about 30 of us went to an Argentinean restaurant.  It was so delicious.  A few of us shared a sausage that was so great and I got a beef skewer.  It was so yummy and fun.  After, we got gelato and went to bed.

I had such a great week with my family.  Even when I wasn’t with them knowing that they were in the same country as me was awesome!  I just want to say thank you so much to mom, dad and Erik for giving me such an amazing opportunity.  I am so glad that we got to share part of it together.  I love you guys with all of my heart.  Safe travels home.  XOXO

Nerja

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Today after class I had a meeting at 1:00 where we learned about coming to Spain to teach for a year.  It was very interesting.

After the meeting my family came and picked me up.  We drove about an hour to Nerja.  Nerja is beautiful and so clean.  The houses are magnificent.  First we went to a lookout point over the water and it was beautiful.  The sound of the waves was so relaxing.

We then drove about ten minutes to Cuevas de Nerja.  It is a series of huge caverns.  The cave was absolutely beautiful.  As we descended down into the cave it got colder and colder.  Some parts of the cave had stalagmites that looked like a frozen waterfall.  It was awesome.

After the caves we went to El Capistrano Playa.  The walk to the beach was down this huge hill.  It was so great to relax on the beach after a long week.  I took a siesta.

After the beach we went back to the hotel and had dinner on the deck.  We did laundry in the room and relaxed.  It was such a great day spent with the family.  I am so happy that we got to go to Nerja.

Mijas

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

After class we met in the lobby at 2:00 to take a public bus to Mijas.  When we first got there we took about 20 minutes to take pictures under the Mijas sign because it was so pretty and colorful.

Next we walked a short way to El Compas View Point and Shrine of the Virgin of the Rock.  We took pictures and enjoyed the view.

After taking pictures some of us got caramel nuts that were so delicious.  We then walked to the Parish Church.  The Church was finished in 1631.  We then walked to a different area to enjoy the view some more.

Next we started walking through the town to get to the bottom of the Mountain Sierra Mijas to start our journey up.  The houses and buildings were absolutely beautiful and the town was spotless.  The blue pots with red flowers hung everywhere.  I have never seen anything like this and it was absolutely amazing.

Next we started our hike up one of the trails on the Sierra Mijas Mountain.  The trail was a dirt and rocky path that was straight uphill.  It was hard to climb up because it was steep.  We walked up the mountain for about 45 minutes and at that point a lot of us were very tired and over it.  We already had seen a gorgeous view from high up there and decided to head down the mountain.  While we waited for the rest of the group we got Tapas and cold drinks.  Later we called the others who were still on the mountain and they got lost twice and were still climbing.  The last bus to leave Mijas was at 8:05 and some of the group wasn't back yet.  We were all getting nervous but finally they came down just in time.  Once back in Torremolinos a few of us grabbed pizza and ate it in the room so we could relax.

Today the family also went to Sevilla.  They spent the day touring around. Some places they went to were Plaza de Espana, Jewish Quarters, Sevilla Catherdral, and Barrio Santa Cruz.

Two Slow and Relaxing Days

Monday, June 24, 2013

Today was a relaxing day.  We watched a movie in class and I had to stand up the entire time so I didn’t fall asleep.  Half the class was asleep and missed the entire movie.  After class I took a much-needed siesta.

My family tried a few different beaches and ended up at the beach in my town.  When Laura and I woke up we were starving and went to find food.  We shared lunch, which is fun because we get to try different things.  I then met with my partner to work on our presentation.  After, my parents and Erik stopped by to say hi and give me a big hug and kiss :).  I was feeling very tired and out of it so I called it a night early.  A lot of people here are sick or feeling home sick so a lot of people stayed in.  We are all beginning to feel the effects of going to bed late, always being on the move and waking up early.

P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gab!!  I love and miss you and hope you had a fantastic birthday! XOXO

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Today was another slow but definitely needed day.  My family went to Ronda and took some amazing pictures of and on the bridge.  I came back to the room and studied and relaxed for a few hours.  Around 5:00 my family came and picked me up.  We relaxed by the pool and caught up on our each other’s day.  We then went to eat at a Chinese food restaurant.  It was okay.  I just enjoyed spending time with my family.  After dinner they drove me back so I could study some more.  Alejandro has some things planned for the next few days so it was nice to just relax.

Week at a Glance

Thursday June 20, 2013

The day was pretty laid back so at night we decided to go and get Sangria and Tapas at Chopp.  It was so delicious.  We ended up not eating until midnight which is normal here.  It was a great experience being surrounded by the locals.

Friday June 21, 2013

After class we took an hour salsa class and an hour merengue class.  They were so much fun!  For the salsa class we did line salsa and learned a short routine.  For the merengue class we had partners and would switch.  We learned a routine and got to practice it with different partners.  I was the guy.  The music and the dancing were so much fun.  It was a great way to connect with the group.  After that I did some homework and studying.

At 11:30 we met in the lobby to go to Boal’s ICEBAR.  We all decided to dress up which was so much fun.  We took a cab and it was about 10 minutes away.  We paid and included were 2 free shots and 2 free mixed drinks.  First we had to put on these huge, furry jackets.  We entered the ice room and it was freezing.  I was wearing sandals and my feet were so cold.  It was a square room and the walls and ceiling were covered in ice with a bar on the side.  It was so cool and we were all taking so many pictures!  Next we walked to the club.  Here there was a lounge outside as well as a room just for dancing.  Laura and I got hungry so we ran next door and shared a sandwich.  After we got drinks and went dancing!  It was SO much fun!  At first the DJ was playing Spanish music, which I enjoyed but then when we took over the dance room he started playing more and more American music.  We were all dancing and having a blast!  We left around 2:30 to head back to the hotel.  It was such a fun and exciting day!  I loved it because it was a new experience.

Saturday June 22, 2013

 Today I met Erik in the lobby at 9:30.  The timing was perfect and I only waited 10 minutes.  I took him to the beach right by our hotel.  I was so proud of myself that I was able to get us down to the beach without getting lost!  We put our feet in the water and took in the rays for a little bit.  Next we walked back to the main street by our hotel and grabbed breakfast.  The orange juice was fresh squeezed and so yummy.  We then took a taxi to the airport to surprise mom and dad.  We figured that dad would be tired and stressed trying to find my hotel so we went to get them.  It was so exciting when they saw us!  After we hugged we went to find our car, which took about 30 minutes.  We finally found where to pick it up and waited on a line that took about and hour and a half.  It was so frustrating.  We finally got our car, which is a White Audi.  We drove to my hotel first to pick up an over night bag and to get Erik’s bag.  From there we went to Mijas Golf Hotel which is about 20 minutes away from my hotel.  The hotel is so beautiful.  We are on the top floor, which means we have our own private roof deck.  The view is also incredible.  We can see the pool and the golf course.

View from the room

 After mom, dad and Erik went to the grocery store and I stayed in the hotel to study.  When they got back we went to the pool.  It was so quiet and relaxing.  After the pool we went upstairs.  We saw the sun set while drinking wine and eating snacks on the deck,  The end to a perfect first day with the family.

Sunday June 23, 2013

Today we woke up at 6:00 am to go to Granada.  This morning it was quiet chilly.  It took us about an hour and fifty minutes to get there.  They only sell 2,000 tickets a day so that is why we got there so early.  Once in Granada we went to Fort Alhambra.  It took us about 4 hours to walk around most of the fort.  It was absolutely beautiful.  The architecture was so intricate and one of a kind.  At 11 we went into Palacios Nazaries.  Each room was so grand and amazing.  The brick kept the rooms nice and cool.  The stone laid on the floor was even done in an intricate patter.  It was exquisite.  The weather was perfect which made the day even better. 

Next we took a taxi to go across town where we got to see the fort from a distance.  The Sierra Nevada Mountains were in the background covered in snow at the top.  It was a beautiful lookout point.

Next we walked down to Centro Nuevo to grab some food.  We had tapas that were so delishious.  We had paella, cured ham and cruquetta.  It was all to die for and so fresh.

We went back to the Fort to get the car and drove home.  We cooled off by the pool and enjoyed the sun.  The sun doesn’t set here until around 9:30 so we really get to enjoy being outside.

Around 6:30 we went to the supermarket and grabbed some food and snacks and then they took me back to my hotel.

I still can’t believe that my family is here and that we pulled it off.  It was an incredible day and everything was so beautiful.

At 11:30 we walked to a beach for San Juan festival.  Alejandro told us it would take 20 minutes to walk there.  We should have learned by now thats Spanish time and it really took 1 hour.  This is a festival to kick off the summer.  At midnight you go into the water for good luck.  I just put my legs in to my knees.  The bonfire was huge and super hot.  The beach was packed for miles.  It was so much fun!!  We walked back to the hotel and stopped for gelato.

Today was a very fun filled day with lots of exciting thing that I experienced!  I am feeling very happy and blessed.

Beach Day

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

After class we went into town and got towels, food, water and money.  I ended up getting a cheap towel that is a 500 euro bill :)

Next some of us went to the beach.  It is about a half-mile walk.  The beach was so beautiful but very windy.   The sun was shinning and it was so nice to relax.  I brought my textbook because I had a quiz but studying on a beach in Spain is hard when there is so much to do and see.  

After we went to get churros and chocolate.  You sprinkle sugar on top and dip it in what looks like hot chocolate but its cold.  They were amazing.

The time different and constant walking and exploring was catching up to us so we got pizza and ate it in the room.  The pizza was pretty good.  We tried to get WIFI but it is hard to get here.  They also call is we-fee here its so funny.  After I studied and passed out.

It is so great to be here!!  The group is so nice and we are all enjoying ourselves.  The Europeans are also for the most part friendly.  I am getting into the swing of things and getting settled in.  I love Malaga!

Trip to Malaga

Monday, June 17, 2013

I am finally here and starting to settle in!!  Hotel Natali is nice and right in the middle of town.  It is perfect walking distance to get into town and to the beach!

There are a lot of middle school soccer teams here that are constantly running around the lobby.  Our room number is 1119.  The room is nice.  There are two single beds that are hard.  It is also extremely hot because there is no AC.  The view is absolutely gorgeous though.  We have an ocean view :)  The shower here is awful.  It goes from extreme heat to freezing cold in one second.

My roommate’s name is Laura.  She is really nice and funny!  I am lucky to have been paired with someone that I get along with!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

We started off the day with breakfast at 8:15.  The breakfast is very different here.  There are a lot of pastries and cold cuts and there are rarely scrambled eggs.  I had a ham and cheese sandwich on toast.

Today was the first day of classes.  Class is from 9-1 everyday.  I am taking a conversation class.  Our classroom is in a conference room.  There are about 20 of us.  I really like the group of people in my class.

After class anyone who wanted too met in the lobby and our director who is also my teacher took us to Malaga.  We took the train to Malaga Centro that took about 15 minutes.

To get to our first stop we walked all around the town.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  The architecture is so beautiful.

This was one of the streets we walked down

Second we went to the Catderal de Malaga where we saw one of the biggest churches.  There was beautiful stain glass and paintings.

Next we walked to La Fortaleza Alcazaba de Malaga.  It is built on a hill in the center of the city.  Next to it is the Roman Theatre.  Here we walked up a steep hill to get to the top of the fort.  There was the Mediterranean on one side and mountains on the other.

Then we walked a short way to see a bullfight.  Here in Malaga it is still legal to kill the bull so when we got to the arena there were protesters outside.  The arena was packed with people.  It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences because while it was upsetting watching the bull die it was something that we had to experience.  The show the matador put on was very elaborate.

After we walked what seemed like 2 miles up this very steep hill - Gibralfaro.  Every corner we passed we thought we were at the top but boy were we wrong.  The view was nothing I have ever seen.  It felt like we were with the clouds.  Pictures don’t even come close to capturing how high we were.  We got to see all of Malaga up there.  It was so breathtaking!

We walked down the hill trying not to slip on the cobblestone.  We went to see were Pablo Picasso lived.  It was a quant corner with lovely stores.  We kept walking and came across a Christian Parade and there were horses, many people carrying larger crosses and fabric and a band.  After we walked back to the metro and went back to our Hotel.  We were so tired and starving that some of us stopped at the first restaurant we saw which happened to be a gyro place.  The food was very good and cheap!

Today was a very long day but I can’t believe how much we fit in.  All of these places were really cheap to get into.  Nothing was more than 1 euro.  I loved seeing Malaga and can’t wait take the metro back.  It is absolutely beautiful and full of culture.  The views are incredible as well!  What a great day! :)

Night Before I Leave

This photo was taken Fall Semester Freshman Year in my first Education class.  It is called a dream board.  Who would have thought that I would be sitting here typing my first blog the night before I leave for Spain.  I remember sitting on my bed freshman year reading peoples blogs dreaming of when I would write my very own.  The time has finally arrived.  My dream has finally arrived.

This journey will take me 6 weeks in Spain.  I will be taking a Conversational class for 2 weeks in Malaga.  Then I will go to Madrid for 4 weeks and take Historia de España (History of Spain) and Hispanic Film.

I have packed my bags and weighed them about 10 times with my dad and am crossing my fingers I am not over in weight.  Knowing my luck I will be moving around clothes in the middle of the airport :).  

Before I sign off I just want to thank my parents for this amazing opportunity.  I also want to thank Erik for being my biggest fan and support system.  I am sure I won't sleep well tonight between my anxious and nervous self but isn't that part of the excitement the unknown.  I can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks have to offer!!
XOXO,
Nik