Hi from home sweeeeet home....
Made it back safely with no problems..just a few delays. I am SO happy to be home---I can't even tell you. Going abroad was by far the best thing I've done in my life as of yet...I learned so much about myself and the world we live in...I feel like I have a different place in it, if that makes sense. I feel like my vision is bigger and my boundaries are wider...I have this confidence that I can do anyyyything and go anyyywhere and be OK. It was also the hardest thing I've done as of yet...but looking back on it, it was nothing but a happy experience. This quote has been in my head for past few weeks--(some guy said it in People Magazine's Sexiest Men of the Year Issue...I know, lame, but it's so good)---"Knowledge is sexy and international travel is the best education you can get".

Here are some other things I learned....
*I love and am now addicted to olives with anchovies in them (a traditional Spanish dish)
*I will neverrr grow if I stay in a place where I am always comfortable and secure
*you gain what you risk
*you cannnn survive living in a country where you don't know the language
*In the long run, I don't want to live in a big city
*I can cook (enough to get by :))
*how to know people's nationality just by looking at them (Spanish, French, German, American)
*a tonnnn about Judaism
*I'm now functional in Spanish...wahoo.
*there is NO PLACE like home
*a relationship across an ocean is possible...with patience and understanding.
*it's good to question your beliefs
*having an open mind in evvvery aspect of life is so so important
*I know more about Spanish history than I know about American
*the currency exchange rate sucks
*friends from home who have tried to stay in touch are the ones that matter
*European fashion is gooood...and pretty much anyone can pull off skinny jeans...just remember that. haha...
*hostels aren't scary
*ryanair.com is da bomb
*how to pack for a trip using only a backpack
*there are so many things to see in the U.S. and I'm going to start taking advantage of traveling to new places in my own country
*I can do ANYTHING

John got here Thursday morning (I got a little lost in the airport and had him waiting for 30 minutes...) and it was so good to seeeee hiiiiiim. We just hung out that day and got used to actually being in the same room with eachother. We left for Paris on Friday morning...it was AMAZING...absolutely freezing (we're talking chicago in the winter time)...but a great trip overall. On Friday, we did a free walking tour throughout the city. Our guide was really cool and knew a lot of random information...For example, you know big horse statues with famous men on them? Well if the horse is standing on all 4 legs, the man died of natural causes...if the horse has one of his front legs up, he died of unnatural causes...and if the horse is on his hind legs, the man died in battle. Good to know, right? Moving on..on the walking tour we went to St. Michael's Fountain, The Louvre, Arc De Triomphe, and a bunch of cool plazas and squares. After, we met Ashley (who was also in Paris for the weekend) at the Louvre...the place is HUGE (if you looked at every painting and sculpture in the louvre for 30 seconds, it would take you a consecutive 3 months....thank you tour guide). We saw the Mona Lisa (a tiiiiny little painting) and some others we thought might be important. The three of us went to dinner after. On Saturday, the three of us went to The Eiffel Tower.....we waited for about an hour to ride the elevator to the top...it really is an amazing structure...and the view from the top was really good. The tower is just as beautiful as I thought it would be. We went to lunch after....and ate delicious French onion soup (one of France's specialties, obviously). That night, John and I went up to the Sacre Couer Cathedral (Sacred Heart)...it's on top of a hill and overlooks the entire city. It was by far our favorite thing we did. We hung out inside for a while and just took it all in...really pretty and peaceful inside. Afterwards, we walked around that area of town, it's called Montmarte....really funky and fun and young with a lot of cute restaurants and little shops. We ate at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place and it was awesome. On Sunday, John and I got omelettes (thank you again, France) and went to the Notre Dame cathedral (yes...from The Hunchback of Notre Dame). We did a tour of the inside and there was mass going on, which was cool to see, but weird to be walking around while people were trying to worship. We climed 422 steps to the top...it was a struggle, let me tell you, but the view was definitely worth it. After that, we went to the St. Chapelle....a chapel made of almost all stained-glass...it was crazy. We got crepes that afternoon (a "must" when you are there) and then flew back to Madrid that night. It really was such a fun trip...even better being with John.
*Everyone finished finals today...and we are all celebrating tonight :)
*I head home on Saturday...I can't believe this is almost done! Seriously, it flew. I'm sad...and happy. Both of those things. More to come...

pictures are up! :) see you soon! (weird)

hey heyyyy...

*So on Monday our apartment threw a Hanukkah party (led by my wonderful roomate and token jew friend, Miriam)...she cooked latkes (potato pancakes) and we ate them with sourcream and apple sauce. I know its sounds disgusting...but it was delicious. She and her Jewish friends from around the city (they always find eachother) lit the Menorah and said the traditional prayers...it was really cool to be a part of it. I've learned so much about Judaism living with her. You know how there are different degrees of a religion? Well she is like, the strictest and most traditional kind. She only eats kosher foods...and she goes to synagogue every Friday night no matter where she is (Amsterdam, Rome, Barcelona, etc.) She doesn't use any electricity during the Sabbath....so she cooks all of her food for the next 24 hours before sundown on Friday night...she doesn't take any form of transportation during the Sabbath--you can only walk...so she usually ends up walking an hour to synagogue and an hour back...she also doesn't spend any money during the Sabbath. She's like, so dedicated. It's really admirable. At home, she has a ton of Jewish friends...but here, she's often the only one and has to do all of it by herself....she's said she really misses her Jewish friends--because community and being with friends and family is such a huge part of the religion. Every single aspect of her life revolves around her faith...and it's been a really great experience living with her. I'm planning on going to visit her in New Jersey and she told me she'd show me "how the Jews do"...hahaha can't wait.

*Last night, Ashley, Miriam, Sarah and I went to see the play Beauty and the Beast! (La Bella y La Bestia). It was really good...exactly like the one in the States...(I guess thats what you'd expect, right?) But like...all of the songs were perfectly translated...and all the words fit the rhythm and everything. It was great fun and made me realize how much I miss going to the theatre.

*I got my haircut yesterday...I was scared to death because apparently, you run a high risk of getting a mullet when you get your hair cut in Spain..but I made it out alright. whew.

hiiiii!
-Barcelona (actually, its BarTHElona...don't you feel silly?) was so fun! Turns out its my favorite city in Spain..for sure. Sorry Madrid...you just got beat. It was just like, bright....if that makes any sense. A lot of young people...really funky and trendy...everyone pretty much spoke English...clean...modern. Loves it.
-Barcelona is in the north west part of Spain on the Balearic Sea coast. It has about 1.5 million people and is the 2nd largest city in the country...the official language is Catalan (which is a mix of French and Spanish) and if you can't speak Catalan, they prefer you speak English. There is a lot of tension between Barcelona and the rest of Spain---it started a long time ago (Spanish Civil War) and is still going strong....they just have a deep need for independence...and its pretty much a competition between them (the area of Catalunya) and the rest of the country...
-Ashley, Jessica, Tory, and I got there on Thursday...two of Jessica's friends, Marteen (the one from Florence..remember?) and Garrett (he's studying abroad in Germany) met us there. They were great guys...and all of us together could speak English, Spanish, German, Italian, and Chinese. Crazy, right?
-We walked around on Thursday...went down "Spain's Most Famous Street"-Las Ramblas--its this long street with little booths, flower shops, street performers...it was fun, especially at night. We did some shopping...there was a lot of really cute local jewelery stores..That night, our hostel arranged a "night out" for anyone who was interested....we went to an Italian restaurant and then to a couple of bars...it was the 6 of us, plus 2 guys from Kentucky (weird, yeah?), 2 girls from DePaul (even weirder), an Australian, and a guy and girl from Slovakia. It's so weird throwing random people from around the world together at a dinner table...really cool though. I learned some Australian slang and got to talk about my favorite things to do in Nashville with the Kentucky boys..haha!
-On Friday, we did one of those bus tours of the city...we lucked out with the weather (just a litttttle chilly..but sunny) so it was great...It was nice to just ride through the city...we saw the the Olympic Stadium, rode a cable car to the top of the city for a good view, we saw the Gothic Barrio, Pueblo Espanol, and the National Art Museum of Catalunya. We were standing outside the art museum in this huge plaza and this guy walked up to Jess and Garrett and asked them to be extras in their student film..haha...so they were pretty famous for a while. We got lunch at a cute tapas place.....and rode the bus some more. That night we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner...it was delicious.
-Saturday was my favorite day...We had a 2 day deal for the bus...and we got to see all of Gaudi's works. Antoni Gaudi was a famous Spanish architect who was based in Barcelona so all his work is there...I didn't realize how much I liked his stuff, but it was really fun and weird...all of his buildings look like they belong in candy land...colorful, bubbly, over-the-top. We saw Casa Botillo, this huge house that looks like you can eat it....we went to La Sagrada Familia- a huge cathedral that he started building in 1882. He worked on it for 40 years before he died, and they are still working on it...they expect it to be finished in 2020. We didn't wanna pay to do a guided tour or whatever, so we went to mass in it for free..which was really cool. The only parts that are really finished inside are the stained glass windows..pretty pretty. After, we went to Park Guell...a huge park with colorful statues, monuments, walls, and sculptures by Gaudi..he also built his house there, which was cool to see. The park was beautiful...a lot of people...and ladies selling funky jewelry and stuff...We saw the Barcelona futbol stadium and ate dinner at Hardrock Cafe...wahoo.
- Ashley, Jessica and I had a lot of good talks on this trip...at the airport, we talked for hours about everything...like how relationships change over the years...and how you learn throughout your life which qualities you need in someone...how big of an influence your family has on your relationships and the way you treat people/ let people treat you...They are just solid girls and we always seem to end up talking about things that matter...we get eachother thiiiinking...and I like it.
- John gets here on Thursday and I'M SO EXCITEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!! I can't believe its here already...I remember being like, "ahhhh 4 more months"...and then "we made it to october!"...haha..and now its THIS WEEK. I'm beyond excited.

pictures are up :)
hope you're doing great.

It's Christmas time in Madriiiiiid...and I love it. All the lights are up and there are actually men in the streets "roasting chessnuts over an open fire"...and little quartets singing Christmas music...Speeeeeaking of people singing....on the metro, people sing and play guitar or sing along with these kareoke machine things...and I mean, its pretty crowded in there so you have no choice but to watch them and make awkward eye contact...and then you feel guilty not giving them money because you've made eye contact..Miriam has such an issue with these people haha...she says, "WHYYY do you think I want to listen to you? Whyyy do you think you are worthy of my time??"
*Its my last weekend in Madrid (Barcelona..then Paris..then home)...and it's been really relaxing and nice not traveling for once in a while. Today, Miriam and Sarah and I went to the Reina Sofia Museum..its one of the main museums in Madrid and one of the best art museums in Europe...we saw works by Picasso, Moro, Dali...it was really cool. After...we went to Starbucks and walked around Retiro Park...Ohhh Madridddd..how i'll miss you.