Hasta Luego

So I've decided that I need a proper capstone for my experience in Alicante, and I'm going to give it a shot with this blog post. Because I love alliteration and this all seemed to work out, I'm going to write about some of my favorite P's from my experience. Hope you enjoy!

PASSION-- Living in Alicante has sparked a fire in me that will surely last for the rest of my life. I have fallen in love with the Spanish language, and I'm excited to continue studying it in the fall because I still have so much to discover. Learning Spanish has been a challenge unlike anything else in my life, especially since I was constantly surrounded by it, but it has also been the source of immense happiness when I can carry on a conversation with a person in a language other than my native tongue. Talking-- whether in English or in Spanish-- will never be the same to me (and that's saying a lot coming from the queen of verbosity!) I have learned to appreciate the importance of communication and language, and it's been truly humbling.

I've also been inspired by the passion of the Spanish people. From those whom I've encountered, the Spaniards are incredibly passionate people in whatever they are pursuing. They don't always worry about being politically correct or too forward-- they speak their mind. And I like that. Sure, there is a limit and I can't clump this rich culture into one generality, but I really appreciate some of the passion that I've witnessed while in Spain (Even including the passionate make-out sessions that I've seen on the street, on the beach, or anywhere really. Ha!)

PEACE AND PLEASURE-- My time in Spain has also changed my perspective on productivity (I'm on a roll with the p-words today!) I can't express how much I've loved my walks along the beach, my reading times near my favorite fountain, my numerous glasses of wine shared with friends, and my late-night fiesta-ing. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and sometimes the rush of trying to be productive all the time can really get a person down. Spain has taught me the importance of peace and of pleasure-- leaving time for loved ones even when work is sitting on your desk, stopping for a moment to take a look around and perhaps re-walking the same path in the opposite direction just to see it from a different view, and keeping your mind open to new people and new experiences. I recognize that work has to get done, and I know that part of me is also motivated by accomplishments and by goals, but I think it's also important to take some time to remember what you love to do and to enjoy the beauty you have around you.

PEOPLE-- Over the past four months, I've met some incredible people. I've made great friends, and I've even had some meaningful one-time meetings of acquaintances. From my professor, to my host family, or even to an old couple on a bench, I've made connections with people that have surely shaped my worldview. (But don't worry- I still remember how important everyone is at home. In fact, studying abroad has really highlighted who is important and how blessed I truly am to have so many amazing people in my life!) My time here has also solidified the fact for me that people are often more important than the place you are visiting or whatever you are doing. My afternoon coffee sessions and exploratory walks with some of my best friends wouldn't have been the same without them. And having spring break with my parents was especially wonderful. It's not always about checking things off a list-- the time shared with others is what I always cherish.


So even if I come home a few pounds heavier and a few dollars poorer, living in Alicante has been worth it all. Although it hasn't always been easy, it's been exactly what I needed, and it's strange to see my time here drawing to a close. When I come back to the States, I'll try not to annoy you all by starting every sentence with "This one time in Spain..." but I can't make any promises at this point. It's been an amazing semester, one that I'm sure not to forget anytime soon. So thanks, Alicante, for some of the best months of my life. Hasta luego.

The Grand Finale (Spring Break Part 4)

Walking on the beach...
Feeling the symbolism: Our grand adventure!

So it's taken me over a month to recount all of my spring break, but I'm finally going to finish up my story. I'm going to do things a little differently for this post: I'm going to make a list of our experiences from Barcelona and from Alicante and let you all put them together stream-of-consciousness style, or something like that. Let's see how this goes!

My favorite picture from Barcelona!

BARCELONA: The pinkest hotel room you've ever seen, ice cream and beer on tap, lion rides, the miracle of a random run-in with my friend Katie in a crowded park, walking from the Sagrada Familia to the park (believe me-this is impressive), the view from the top of Park Guell, changing hotel rooms every night, a delicious sea-food dinner, gorgeous train rides, walking along the beach, quenching strawberry cravings in the market, celebrating my HSA presidency with a rose and a Nutella crepe, a lit candle for Pili, and of course, lots of laughs.

ALICANTE: Sharing paradise with my parents and going to all of my favorite spots, getting a kebab right after the train ride, meals at the best places in Alicante, becoming regulars at the restaurant Sale & Pepe, a long and peaceful walk along the empty San Juan beach, the classic castle climb, watching my mom jump on the little kid trampoline, the return trip to San Juan-- complete with hundreds of drunk 15 year-olds, an unexpected rainstorm, the host family meeting my original family, a visit to the University, walking, walking, and more walking, but eating and drinking like kings, a family siesta before goodbyes and the night bus, and the best end to our trip that we could have asked for.

The families meet!

This was the trip of a lifetime, and I'm so thankful that I got to experience it with my parents. We made so many memories, and I know that we will be talking about it for years!

Love you both!

As for me, I'm just trying to enjoy my last few weeks here before I head back to the US. The summer weather conditions have been perfect for beach trips and  pleasant night fiesta-ing.  Not going to lie, it's going to be really hard to leave Alicante-- I'm hoping that I don't cry on the entire plane ride home.  I'm excited to see the ones I love, but it's sad to see my study abroad experience come to a close. Luckily, I feel like this is just the beginning of my adventure: I will be back for sure!

The Many Adventures of Pili (Spring Break Part 3)

Hey y'all. I'm back. It's time to talk about the amazing Pili now! I already talked about meeting her, but the story doesn't end there. We met up with her the following day because she generously offered to drive us to Osses (the Lekumberry family has relatives there), and we were planning on meeting them and spending a night there before heading to Barcelona. Well, we didn't end up making it to Osses, but that didn't make our adventure any less enjoyable.

On our Pili Adventure!

Pili picked us up from the hotel, and that's when the real fun began. Our trip wasn't about efficiency; it was about leisure and fun, thanks to Pili. After a few hilarious traffic light mishaps, we stopped at a gorgeous castle near the Spain/France border with incredible views of the ocean and of the surrounding towns. But we couldn't just walk around it once. Pili insisted that we walk around it one way and then around it the other way-- you always see things differently from a new viewpoint she said. And she was right. This is a lesson that will be dear to my heart from this trip because taking time to enjoy and to really take in all of the sights made our time spent together even more special.

We then ventured to St. Jean de Luz, which is a small French port town. The sun had finally overpowered the rainclouds that seemed to have been following us, and we spent a pleasant afternoon wandering the streets of this little town. Another great Pili lesson: light a candle and make a wish in every church you come across. This is another one of my favorite Pili moments because although I can't do it justice with words, it was magical. Just do it someday- you'll know what I mean.

Yummmm!

At this point, we found out that the Osses trip wasn't going to work out due to logistics one way or another, so we headed back to San Sebastian. After Pili helped us find a new hotel, we called it a night and planned to meet up again the next day. Winging it at it's finest. Surprise, surprise: the next day brought rain, but once again, we didn't let this dampen our spirit for adventure. Pili invited us to share a lunch at her gastronomic club, which is basically a really nice kitchen to use at the disposal of a club member. And oh my, this lunch ended up being some of the best food that we ate on our trip. Pili treated us to some local delicacies, and I'm pretty sure that my dad was in heaven with all of the cooking power available at his fingertips. When we emerged from the club, contented and full once again, the weather had cleared up, and we were well-equipped (we thought) for another Pili adventure.

Somehow we ened up walking all the way to the other side of the bay, and then we took this cute little tram thingy called the Funicular up to Mount Igueldo, which is the area on the peak of the other side of the bay. After numerous photo opportunities, a round of bumper cars, and the realization that everything else was closed, we made our descent on foot all the way to the other side of the bay. Even though this was a really long walk, it went by super fast as we shared in great conversations. Pili's daughters asked me all about American high schools since they have seen images in movies and hope that maybe one day they will attend a high school in the US. So of course we talked about the hot topic with high school-aged girls: prom. It was a kick!

One of my favorites:
The group looking at the view from the top of Mount Igueldo.

Then, after a few more rounds of tapas and drinks, it came time for the bittersweet goodbye. We had shared a few phenomenal days together, and it was sad to realize that it was coming to a close. But the good news: Pili was already planning to visit Gardnerville in August. So even though it was goodbye for now, it wasn't goodbye for an indefinite amount of time. I honestly can't imagine what our time in San Sebastian would have been like without Pili, our guide and now good friend.

Rain and Shine (Spring Break Part 2)

So where did I leave off? Oh yeah, time to talk about San Sebastian! Our time there was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, thanks to friends old and new. We ended up staying there for four days, which was two more days than we had originally planned. Even the relentless rain couldn't dampen our spirits (at least not figuratively).

We arrived to San Sebastian by bus, and of course, it started raining about the time that we had to walk to the hotel. But no worries, we made it to our fabulous hotel despite the less-than-reliable weather pattern. The view from our room was gorgeous! This was our 'splurge' place, and it couldn't have had better timing. The rest of the day was spent walking, eating, and drinking, but a few crucial connections and plans were made for the following day: one with my parents' friend Carlos from Gardnerville and one with Pili, a mutual friend of the Lekumberry family in Gardnerville. These two played a vital role in helping us dive into the culture of San Sebastian and of the surrounding area.

One of our best ideas in San Sebastian:
Hotel room snacks break with local cheese!

So the next day we met up with Carlos in the morning, and he took us for a scenic walk around one part of the bay in San Sebastian. Then the real adventure began! We hopped in his car and headed for his hometown, San Esteban. Along the way, we made stops at my mom's old stomping grounds from 30 years ago, which was so interesting for us all to experience. I was awestruck by the beautiful countryside, and I was fascinated by the memories that my mom recounted from the summer she spent there during her teenage years. We finally ended up in San Esteban, and after a little walk and a quick drink, Carlos brought us to one of the local restaurants for lunch. SO DELICIOUS! Following the Spanish and Basque meal traditions, lunch was not just some small bite to eat, it was a full-on event. We ate a tasty fish soup as the first course, and then it was meat-to-your-liking for the second course, all the while drinking red wine and the traditional cider of the Basque Country. And naturally, we finished off with dessert and coffee. Fat and happy, we headed back to San Sebastian. We drove to France first, which sounds cool, but in reality it wasn't far out of our way. Once again, the views were break-taking, and hey, why not drive through part of France if you get the chance?

Carlos and Dad during our little adventure.

But this was not the end of our day, we ended up meeting with Pili, our new best friend, in the afternoon/evening. What a kick she was! So full of life and energy! The communication was difficult at times, but all in all, we hit it off almost instantly. She took us through the Old Town of San Sebastian, we met her daughters, we saw where she lived and where she worked, and most of all, we had an incredibly enjoyable time. It was great to get the tips about eating pinchos (that's the name for tapas in the north of Spain) from an inside source. Plans were made for the following day, and my bed was calling my name after an exhaustingly wonderful day. (SPOILER ALERT: I'm realizing that I pretty much need to devote an entire post to our adventures with Pili, so I think I'll take a break and leave off here for now. But believe me, there are great things to come! I'm going to leave some suspense... Haha.)

In other news, it's starting to feel a little bittersweet that I'll be leaving Spain so soon. Even though I haven't left yet, I'm already trying to figure out when I can come back. I love the Spanish culture, and I don't want my adventure to stop here. So if there is a will, there's a way, and I'm going to make it happen! Today my professor was talking about the Camino de Santiago, so maybe I'll come back to make that pilgrimage someday. Time will tell. But for now, I'm going to take advantage of the time I have left and keep engaging in the Spanish lifestyle. I'm really starting to embrace the life of a Spaniard-- I even went topless on the beach the other day. (Don't worry, my parents already know. Ha.) Time goes so fast, and I don't want to miss out on any experience here!

After our first pincho night with Pili and the girls.

Tres Americanos (Spring Break Part 1)

Whoa. It's been a big couple of weeks, and what fun they've been! It's taken me forever to write this post- I intended to get it done sooner- but better late than never, right? I'm actually so excited to write about my spring break trips with my parents, and I'm thinking it will take me several posts before I recount it all. So let's get started...

Buen Retiro

It all begins with me taking the night bus to meet my parents in Madrid on the morning of April 7th. (I can't believe that was almost a month ago now!) Anyway, the bus trip went smoothly despite the interesting characters that choose to take a night bus, and before I knew it, I had arrived in Madrid. Then came the most joyous reunion I've probably ever had with my parents. They were relieved to have made a successful journey, and I was so happy to have them with me at last. Because of their jet-lag and my prior knowledge of Madrid, I became the leader of our pack, so of course, I had us taking the wrong bus to the city center. Luckily, I can speak Spanish now and I somehow seem to be blessed by happy traveling accidents, so after a quick conversation with the bus driver and a new plan with the metro, we made it to our hotel and then to a coffee shop nearby, where we ordered three americano coffee drinks-- so fitting.  The funny thing about Spanish cities: they are almost completely dead before 9am, especially during holidays. My parents didn't quite understand my love of Madrid at this point because it seemed almost like a ghost town. Spoiler alert: this would change.

Anyway, we decided to head to the Prado Museum because it seemed manageable for our first morning together in Spain. Although I had already been there, it was great to re-experience the awe of the incredible artwork there. We wandered around for a few hours (swimming through the crowds that finally showed up), and then it was time for lunch-- a delicious calamari sandwich. No good lunch goes without a nap, and as my friends and I have come to know, "no siesta, no fiesta." So naturally, we took a nice 4-hour nap before heading out for tapas and drinks for our first night in Spain. It was a wonderful night filled with good company, classic Spanish cuisine, and of course, some red wine. 

Dad enjoying Menu del Dia!

The next day was spent walking all over in the beautiful Madrid sunshine. My favorite park in the world, Buen Retiro, was a hit with my parents, and the other highlight of the day was definitely the Menu del Dia lunch in Plaza Mayor.  After some drinks and tapas, it was time to go to bed so that we could wake-up early for our flight to Bilbao. Overall, Madrid was a great kick-off to our trip. I'm basically in love with Madrid (my favorite city I've visited so far), so it was a lot of fun to share it with my parents.

Now here comes the early morning wake-up that seems to happen at least once during all of my trips (I guess that's what I get for buying the cheapest flights), but everything went really well.  We arrived in Bilbao with very little difficulty. The only catch: nothing, literally nothing, is open in Bilbao on a Monday. Plus, this wasn't just any Monday-- this was the Monday after Easter, so it was a national bank holiday in Spain. But in the true Lundergreen travelling spirit, we made the best of what we had.

The funniest part of the day: my mom's hilarious conversation with a nice, Spaniard man on the bus who wanted to help us out. In Spanish, he asked my mom where we were going, but she thought he asked her where we were from. So when my mom said we were going to the United States, I think the man realized how much help we needed. When we got of the bus, he made sure that we had people to follow to our hotel. So there we were, packing our backpacks in silence through the empty streets of Bilbao behind a few men who were leading us to where we needed to be. What a wonderful/hilarious act of kindness!

Sitting in front of Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum.

Anyway, we pretty much spent the day walking around Bilbao, standing outside of cool places that weren't open, and of course, eating and drinking a lot. Bilbao was also good for another thing: siesta time-- my mom's favorite part. (Haha just kidding, Mom!) We were all rested up for the next leg of our trip thanks to a peaceful day in Bilbao.

Well, I'm going to stop myself there for now because I have a ton of homework to do (see, I do go to school!). Other things of interest lately: my host family moved!! I'm currently writing this post in my new room, looking out of my sunshiney window onto my own personal terraza. Needless to say, I love the new place. It was a little stressful to move while still trying to enjoy some of my last month here, but now all is well. It was also hilarious to pack all of our things down a few blocks with my host brothers. One night we didn't have internet for a while (which seemed like a catastrophe to us), so we played games and made some trips back to the old house. This has been another good bonding experience with my host family. I'm really going to miss them. My host mom bought some new things for my room, and it's decorated with pink. She's the best! I also made a whole day trip to Calpe (a nearby, BEAUTIFUL coastal town) yesterday, but that's for another post.

I'll be a blogging fool when I get a chance so that I can get this updated!

Mi Vida Española

Where has the time gone?! I just had the final for the third class in my course series, which means that I'm 75 percent of the way through my semester. I can't believe it. I'm excited, though, because it's time for spring break. In just a few days, I'll be meeting up with my parents in Madrid so that we can travel around northern Spain before we head back to Alicante. I can't wait!!! I'm looking forward to a little taste of home and a new set of adventures with some of my favorite people on earth.

That said, it's going to be a little strange to leave Alicante because I've really been getting attached to it over the last few weeks. I've had moments where it hits me how long I've been living here and how accustomed I've become to my Spanish lifestyle. Sure, there have been days of missing home, but for the most part, I've been feeling very connected to the people I've met and to the life I've made in Alicante. Here are a few of my most recent joys:

Playing board games with my host brothers. The weather has been threatening to bring rain, so this brought the perfect opportunity for us to play Monopoly. What a great time! Even if I was the first to lose in Monopoly-- I had the worst luck ever!-- it was still a lot of fun. My host mom made us popcorn as we battled it out to buy streets of Madrid, and there was never a dull moment. After eating dinner, I taught them how to play Farkle, and since then, we've started a new tradition of playing it after dinner almost every night. Unlike Monopoly, I've been the Farkle champion of Spain. (Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself!) Regardless, I really feel like part of the family now, and I cherish these times when I get to joke around and to play games with my new little brothers. We are going to move to a new apartment at the end of April, so my family here isn't that much different from my family in the states-- always on the move! Ha. But I'm sure the move will be another great family bonding experience, and it's rumored that our new place has a nice terraza for dinners outside.

Tapas. So it's taken me almost three months, but I've finally got this whole tapas thing under control. Last Friday night I went out for tapas with friends, and we had a great time. Not only did we eat some delicious food and drink some great wine, but we also got some of it for free. Night well spent.

Semana Santa a.k.a. Holy Week. Semana Santa is an important time in Spain because of the Catholic traditions of the country. Every day this week there are extravagant processions with images of Jesus being carried by masses of people. On Palm Sunday, I went to a nearby town called Elche with my friend Katie to witness a popular procession there. Everyone (literally everyone) was carrying palms and marching through the streets. The community really comes out for the celebrations, and they come prepared: dressed to a tee with strollers/carts/babies in tow. The day passed very nicely, despite the fact that I mixed up the train schedule so I had a moment of panic followed by a call to my host mom telling her that I was going go miss lunch. Her reassuring "no te preocupes" (don't worry) was just what I needed to calm down.

Local Adventures. Of late, I've also been exploring different parts of Alicante and of the surrounding areas, and this has led to days of great fun. Katie and I took a veryyyy long impromptu walk from San Juan probably halfway back to Alicante (take my word for it-- it's a long way). We then had to search desperately for a tram, and this involved asking for directions. But it's a small world. Sometimes too small. Of course, there's only one creeper in all of Alicante that we've been somewhat trying to avoid, so where else would he be except in this random street miles and miles outside of the city at the same exact time as us. Luckily, he does have a sense of direction, and we were able to make it to the tram stop safely. No harm, no foul.

Well, the sun is shining, and it's time for me to head to one of my final rowing classes. I love mi vida española.

The Elements of Spain

Earth and Air. Last Saturday I took a beautiful hike in some mountains not far outside of Alicante. The mountain that we traversed had spanning views of quaint Spanish pueblos nestled between the hills and the sea. It was gorgeous. Thanks to good friends, a sack lunch, and 50 SPF sunscreen (the Spanish sun has done a number on me lately), the day passed very pleasantly. We saw fort ruins, vineyards, and natural springs. Some of the scenery even made me feel pangs of homesickness because the desert spans weren't too dissimilar to Nevada. The highlight was definitely the moment when we had to crawl through a little tunnel to get to the other side of the mountain, and it happened to pop out into a cave-type area with breathtaking views of the sea. Apparently it's even famous in guide books like Lonely Planet.

The famous cave scene.

Fire and Water. After recovering from the hike, it was time to start part two of the weekend on Monday. It was El Dia De Papa (Father's Day), so there wasn't any school-- I can really get used to these Spanish holidays. Anyway, there was also a huge festival happening in Valencia during the weekend called Las Fallas. Las Fallas is one of the most famous festivals in Spain, and it's a very traditional celebration for the Valencian community. In fact, there is a similar celebration in Alicante that takes place at the end of June. In a nutshell, huge satirical figures are constructed out of flammable materials, and after a few days of fireworks, fiestas, and traditions, the figures are ceremonially burned. People come from all over the world just to be in Valencia for Las Fallas, so the city triples in population. It's that good.

My friend Katie and I waiting for the mascleta.
Note the giant figure in the background.

Needless to say, I was itching to go to Las Fallas, so I signed up for a group trip that was offered through the university. I embarked at 8:30am on Monday morning for a day of fun that wouldn't end until almost 24-hours later. Upon first arriving in Valencia, we took a walking tour of the major hotspots in the heart of the city. Giant figures can be found on almost every corner, and each is accompanied by a smaller figure with a similar theme. Lights line the tops of the streets, giving it a truly magical feel. It was almost reminiscent of a theme park at times. After swimming through the crowds, we huddled into city hall for one of the biggest traditions: the mascleta. The mascleta is a fireworks show that takes place at 2pm. Right now you are probably thinking, "But you can't see them?..." That's the unique thing about the mascleta; it's not about sight, it's about the sound. The combination of the ear-shaking explosions and the sardine-packed crowds make for quite a profound experience. After the mascleta, I spent the rest of the afternoon in limbo between modernity and tradition.... Paella. Starbucks. And bunuelos de calabaza (pumpkin doughnuts- a Las Fallas specialty). Let's just say my love handles are truly loving Spain. Ha.

As night began to approach, we began to embrace the spirit of the fiesta by getting a few drinks. Drinking in the streets is common during Spanish festivals, so people go around selling beers out of ice chests. It's almost easier-- and almost always cheaper-- to find a beer than it is to find a water. No joke. Time continued to fly by as we walked around during the early evening: scoping out more figures and watching the enthusiastic street performers. And finally, it was time for the main event: the burnings. First, the little figures were burned at 10pm. Crowds gathered in each neighborhood to watch the fires that were just a small teaser of what was to come later. Around midnight, almost all of the bigger figures are burned, except for the first prize one and the one in city hall. So around 11pm, my friends and I huddled close to a large figure, which we would later see set ablaze.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Spanish time schedule is anything but prompt, so come 12:30am it was finally time for the big show.  The kindling and fireworks were set. The firefighters were ready. The crowd was antsy. The lights were dimmed. It was almost eerie seeing a dim figure awaiting its fiery death, but I think that's what makes Las Fallas such a powerful tradition. Talk about the most intense five minutes of my life! Once the fire was lit, the flames engulfed the towering figure. To protect the surrounding buildings and the onlookers, firefighters squirt a lot of water around the perimeter of the area. So while watching the biggest fire of my entire life, I was simultaneously being drenched by the water from the hoses. I can't quite explain how profound and symbolic this experience was for me. Truly elemental. Absolutely humbling. It left me speechless (which is a hard thing to do since I love to talk so much). I still can't get the image out of my head of this giant burning hand that appeared to be climbing out of the fire.

The eerie hand.....

We then made our way to the city hall, where the final burning took place. With the combination of the masses and the safety precautions, we couldn't really see much. But there was a pretty good fireworks show accompanying the burning. At that point it was about 1:15am, and we had to wait until 3:30am until the bus would bring us home. What to do? Well, we ended up at Burger King (Seriously, I never go to this many fast food chains in the US, but desperate times call for desperate measures.) Anyway, Burger King provided us with a bathroom, even if the wait was long, hot, and miserable. I tried to use the men's bathroom-- no one was in there!-- but I got kicked out. Which put me at the back of the longgggggg ladies' room line yet again. Good thing I had time to kill. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I was greeted by a rainstorm. So incredible! Just hours earlier I had witnessed the biggest fires I'd ever seen and now I was watching an absolute downpour. Elements in the extreme. Luckily I had a good friend who had advised me to bring my raincoat so I was prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw my way.

Fast forward to 5:30am: I arrived home in Alicante as my host mom was waking up for work. The tricky reality: I had to get up for school at 7:30am. I wasn't the most attentive student on Tuesday, but I made it through class and lunch before snuggling up for a siesta while listening the the rain patter on the patio. The rainstorm continued all day, which provided the perfect excuse for me to stay in and to lounge around.

Earth. Air. Water. Fire. The elements of Spain that may not bring a lot of rest but they sure do bring a lot of fun.