Things Come to and End, and Quickly

It’s hard to believe that classes for the semester are ending today, but it’s even more unbelievable that my time studying abroad is quickly running out. I’ve remarked every day for the past month, “I can’t believe it’s December”, “I can’t believe we’re going home soon”, “I can’t believe abroad is over!!!” to the point that I think my friends are a bit perturbed by my sentimental side. It seems fitting to sum up my abroad experience in two categories: my experiences in Spain, and those on trips outside this beautiful country.

Mallorca:

Catherdral, Palma

Cap de Formentor

Port de Soller

Valldemossa

Cuevas Azules, Cabrera

Cabrera

Cala Deia

Barcelona:

The Bunkers

Parque Guell

Madrid:

Palacio Real

Palacio de Cristal, Parque del Retiro

My final trip of the semester will be to Paris after New Year’s, after which I’ll sadly, but gratefully, reflect on my many happy and exciting trips throughout Europe.

Hasta la próxima,

Isabel

Holy Cross Basketball in… Belfast!

This past weekend, the Holy Cross basketball team had a tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Although I’m still not sure why HC and three other American colleges traveled there for a weekend, I won’t question it because it gave myself and many other students studying abroad the perfect excuse to make the trip to Ireland!

I spent Thursday traveling to Dublin, where I then reunited with some of my best friends from school who are studying at Trinity College in Dublin, and in Strasbourg, France. We toured around the city before heading to a pub, upon which approximately 40 Holy Cross descended for a fun and festive night out.

The following day, we all took a party bus together to Belfast for the game, and it was quite the time. In a lot of ways, the weekend felt almost like being back at school, as I kept running into people I knew, and of course, attended the basketball game. Unfortunately, the Crusaders didn’t win their games, but it was still incredibly fun.

Other than attending the basketball game and enjoying the merriment of being with so many friends, I took a Black Cab Tour through Belfast and learned about the conflicts in Northern Ireland over the 1900s. I also had the time to go the the Titanic Museum, which is situated on the port where the Titanic was built.

There’s only a few more weekends of the semester, so I am very excited to take advantage of the time I have left here in Palma!

Hasta la próxima,
Isabel

Weekend in Madrid

This past weekend, we were lucky enough to travel to Madrid as a group on a trip organized by our University here in Mallorca. Prior to this, the only parts of Madrid that I’d seen were the insides of the airport and train station– needless to say, I was excited to get around Spain’s capital and see some of the sights. We flew in on Friday and by the time our taxi pulled up to the hotel, I could already tell that I would love Madrid. The city is much larger than I had expected, especially in contrast with Palma.

On the Friday we arrived, we walked through the city to the Parque del Retiro, where we rowed some boats in the lake there.

The second day, we went to the Palacio Real and the Plaza Mayor. 

Up next is a trip to Florence, Italy!

First Weeks in Palma

Greetings from Palma!

The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. From trying to adjust to a different university, moving in with my host family, and traveling around Mallorca, I have been very busy!

Some highlights so far:

The first weekend after arriving in Palma, there was a city-wide squirt gun fight by the cathedral. People from one side of the city-center dressed in yellow, while the other half of the city dressed in red. There were thousands of people very excitedly participating in this battle. It was absolute chaos, but so so fun.

Of course, one of the most amazing things about Mallorca is the beaches. I live on the North Shore of Massachusetts and have always felt lucky to be so close to the beach, but the Mediterranean is a whole new world. The water is so incredibly blue and beautiful. My host family took me to a beach nearby called Illetes on my first day here, and since then I have returned back at least twice a week.

We took a bus ride to a village called Valldemossa, which is about an hour away, and then went to an incredible beach cove called Cala Deia. The beach there was rocky and surrounded by cliffs, and we spent the whole day climbing on the large overhangs and swimming in the water. We had hoped to find a cliff to jump off, but the water was unfortunately too shallow. Don’t worry Mom, I’m making good choices!

And finally, one of my favorite days so far was celebrating my birthday here! I turned 21 one week after we arrived, and while it was certainly different than a typical American 21st celebration, it was so fun. My host family invited my friends from school over for dinner, and in typical Spanish fashion, the meal lasted for hours. It was awesome for all of us to have the opportunity to speak so much Spanish, and I was so grateful to my host family for all they did to make my day special!

Hasta la próxima,

Isabel

Loyola and Bilbao

I did not expect yesterday to be nearly as amazing as it was. When I got on the bus at 8 a.m. after a less than ideal night’s sleep, I was anticipating a fun, but long and tiring day. However, one of my favorite things about travel is they myriad of views outside of the window on a road trip, so while most of the group spent the morning snoozing, I enjoyed the expansive mountain ranges and pueblitos we drove through. By the time we stopped at our first location, my excitement for the day had risen to its usual giddy level.

Our first stop was in Loyola, the home of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. I was awestruck throughout the entirety of the tour of the Santa Casa, where Ignatius recovered from an injury from battle, and where he encountered God. Being in this place made my heart feel so incredibly full. The inside of the buildings were beautiful, as were the views outside.

After the tour we attended a mass at the basilica. Exiting the cathedral after having learned so much about Ignatius and seeing a clear blue sky and endless mountains was a genuinely overwhelming a spiritual experience for me, and certainly a highlight of my time in Spain thus far.

After this, we hopped back on the bus to head to Bilbao and the Museo Guggenheim. Bilbao is a gorgeous city, and the Guggenheim has found itself at the top of my list of art museums.

Outside the Museo Guggenheim

And after all of this, we returned to Pamplona to write essays and study for an exam!

Hasta la próxima,

Isabel

Well, I made it! After 18 hours of flights and layovers and trains and taxis, I’m happily in Spain! From now until September 1st, myself and 17 other Holy Cross students are taking Spanish classes at The University of Navarra in the mornings and exploring Pamplona in the afternoons and evenings. It has been fun trying to acclimate to the Spanish way of life- late nights made possible by an afternoon siesta!

Here’s a few of the spot we’ve been to thus far to give you a sense of the city-

Outside the old city of Pamplona

Plaza de Torros

Old City of Pamplona

Plaza de los Caballos

While I’m excited to get to Palma, I’m already having such a great time in Pamplona I know it will be hard to leave!

Hasta la próxima,

Isabel

Countdown to Spain

In a little over a week, I will be flying from Boston to Madrid for my year studying abroad in Spain. While my ultimate destination is Palma, I will be spending the first few weeks in Spain in Pamplona at a language-intensive program with the Holy Cross students from all three programs in Spain- Palma, Leon, and Coruña. I am grateful for this orientation program because I certainly need a chance to practice my Spanish before moving in with my host family in Palma!

Since the countdown is in full-swing, I spend half my time incredibly excited and the other half overwhelmed by nerves. Here’s what I’ve been thinking about:

Why I’m nervous:

Will I experience culture-shock? What if my Spanish is horrible? Who will my friends be? How will it be living with my host family? What if I just really, really, really miss peanut butter?

Why I’m excited:

Seeing new countries and cultures and exploring new cities, improving my Spanish, meeting new people and getting to know my host family, trying new foods and drinks, and having the adventure of a lifetime!

So, when it comes down to it, what makes me nervous is why I’m so excited, and I can’t wait to start my year abroad!

Hasta la próxima,

Isabel