My 20th Birthday

I am a huge birthday person. I love it when my comes around. I don't necessarily like huge parties or get togethers for it but i do love all the love I receive. For me nothing beats a birthday hug from the people I love most, that to me is the greatest gift I could receive. Therefore I was a bit nervous about spending my 20th birthday 'alone' in a foreign country. I was scared i would be forgotten on that day. However I must say I was completely overwhelmed with how my day turned out. I am going to have to go on the record and say that this by far has been the best Birthday I have ever had.
From 12am to 12pm it was nothing but love from my group and host family.
At exactly midnight since I was hanging out with our SA group and they all gathered around me and sang the loudest happiest Birthday I have ever heard. That was followed by lots of hugs which I enjoyed. I then returned home to sleep since my host dad had a day trip planned for us. I was happily awakened by my loving family who I miss so much. Seeing them automatically made my day 100 times better. I have to say that while i did receive a lot of hugs on my birthday, there were four arms i really wish could have held me: Mom, Dad, Sister, and Brother.

We then began our trip. First stop Monella, Catalonia. We had breakfast here and it was such a nice little town. Out of the city, very peaceful and quiet. It was very relaxing

Our second stop:

The we went to the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Calella. Oh My God! It was love at first sight. This place was out of this world. If heaven was on Earth, this would be heaven. My roommate and I were speechless when we first saw this place. Everything from the sights, to the smells and water was perfect. It was in this moment i realized how lucky i was with my situation. On can only dream of coming to this amazing beach. Here are just a few pictures that while some are quite good don't really capture the magnificence of this place.

We then had a lovely Lunch at one of our host families friends restaurant. It was very good. I had a tuna cake followed by baked salmon all topped off with my favorite Creme Catalana.

And lastly getting home, Mamma Magda had prepared a special meal for me. It was so nice of them to go all out on my day. They truly made me feel loved and special. Magda and Enrique are already part of my family. The have done so much for me already and then they go and do this for me, i thought i was going to cry of happiness.

It was an amazing day that I will never forget. Turning 20 in Barcelona was such a blessing. As mamma Magda said "Sometimes having your birthday in another country isn't all that bad". She's right, is was not bad at all. I was probably another moment of true happiness I have been able to experience in my life.

-EA

The Day My Dream Came True

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge futbol (soccer) fan. I enjoy getting up bright and early just to watch the premier league every weekend. However every sports fan has their team and FC Barcelona is my number one. I fell in love with FCB the very first I watched them play. And then add the great Lionel Messi to the mix, I was gone. I was actually not much of a futbol fan a couple years ago. It was till the world cup that I became a huge supporter. It was watching Messi play that made me into the fan I am today. This is why September 18th 2013 will always be very special to me. It was the day I watched FCB play a Champions League match at one of the greatest stadiums of all time, the Camp Nou in Barcelona.
I am not going to lie, one of the main reasons I chose to study here in Barcelona was because of the love I have for the team. I just really wanted to live it, be close to it. However I never really actually saw myself going to a game as a real possibility. I just kept saying I would love to go while there but couldnt actually see myself there. Well it did happen and I was able to go watch my team play! It was an experience like no other. For other futbol fans like my friend who accomponied me, the game and the atmosphere fell short of expectation. But not for me. I am an FCB fan who had only ever dreamt of being at the Camp Nou. It was everything and more for me. And then to top it all off my man Lionel Messi goes on to score a hat-trick while I am there. It was PERFECTION for me! I could not believe what I was witnessing. Had I just walked by the famous La Masia? Did I really watch Messi score a free-kick goal right infront of me? Did I die and go to heaven for those 90mins? I don't even know but it was more than likely one of the few moments of true happiness I have ever experienced in my life so far. I smiled my whole way home and even now just writing about it makes me smile.
Dream do come true, now I know that and I will never forget it. Keep dreaming people because that crazy dream of yours just might come true!!!

-EA

Monseratt

This place was absolute beauty. Here are some pictures of our little day trip. 

 The Views from the train ride where very nice but motion sickness 

was keeping me from enjoying the  sites completely. 

 Luckily i was in good company with four good friends 

which made the ride very enjoyable. 

Goodbye Train......

 Hello Monseratt!!!!

 See that building there right intront....yeah I had breakfast right

 on top of there. It was pretty chill

Faced my fear of heights just to take this picture. 

AND THE HIKE TO SANT JERONI BEGINS

 Beautiful views everywhere

 Half way point pic

 At this very point I remember being very tired and wanted to just stop

but there was NO way i was about to do that

Picture while waiting for my buddy in the background to catch up 

Almost to the top. This was pretty crazy!

 And finally at the top! It was worth the 1.5 hour hike. You forget about all the pain you feel on your feet when you are sitting at the very top of the mountain. 

  

Monseratt was such a site to see. I am glad we took that day trip. Hiking to the top of 

Sant Jeroni was such a challenge but was also very satisfying. 

Meeting the Locals

I have been here for about five days now and i have met two locals: Christian and Julian. Both experiences were unique and interesting. Meeting Christian was amazing. He was such a nice and genuine guy. He works in a local clothing shop off one of the major streets in Barcelona. He was so inviting when i met him. He seemed very interested in our story and wanted to know more about me and my friend. We talked comfortably for a bit before he had to turn his attention to his other customers. He encouraged us to come back and visit him and we will take him up on his word for sure.
Meeting Julian was a completely different experience than meeting Christian.
Julian was a much MUCH older gentleman. It was very strange. I was waiting for my friend right outside the Metro station when this man just walks by and begins staring at me. By now i am used to the staring here in Barcelona, but this man stared for a second to long. Just as he was about to pass me by he stopped, stepped back and approached me. He started off by saying i was very beautiful. He then went on to repeat it a couple times after that. I was not sure what this man wanted so i got a little uncomfortable. When my friend arrived he still stayed with us for a while. It was really awkward. He ended up giving me a small gift that he had made himself. He said it was special because he only gave those to people he thought were good enough to receive it. He was a bit creepy but he ended being an okay man.
Its strange how these things happen. Its always the people you least expect to approach you and in the place and time you are not expecting it that these thing occur. Why do they happen? What difference do they make? I am not sure but I am pretty sure that each one of those moments sticks with you in a very special way. I know i will probably never run into Christian or Julian again but meeting them was a small experience from this country i will take with me.

This is the small gift Julian gave me, he said it was hand made.

-EA

Day #2: Hike and Catalan Meal

 Great hike to see a spectacular view of Barcelona. 

First Major Catalan Meal

 Appetizer: Red pepers, Olives, and Onion

Not Pictured: Dish #1: Pan con Tomate (Roasted Bread with garlic, tomato, olive oil, and salt)
Dish #2: Sausage (Grilled with olive oil)

Dish #3: Costillas 

(Very tender, just amazing)

Dish #4 Papas

 (Potatoes. I think they were slightly fried, not sure but they where very soft)

Dish #5: Dessert: Vanilla Gelato con Chocolate 

(Heaven)

Top the Meal off with un Cafe Cortado 

(Shot of expresso with little milk and for me just half a packet of sugar).  I am still feeling the effects of drinking coffee my body is just not used to drinking coffee anymore so it makes me feel a little weird. 

The view from the restaurant. Yes this was the view i had while eating my first Catalan meal!!!

Beautiful Day so far. Very tired so now it is time for a siesta before going out to explore Barcelona tonight. 

Day #1 In Barcelona

 My first breakfast in Barcelona. Cafe con Leche and a plain croissant. After almost a year of giving up coffee i gave into temptation and peer pressure. It is delicious but i will have to get used to it. 

 My little room in our apartment is very comfortable. I have my own mini library in it which is filled with hundreds of interesting books!

 The view from our apartment in amazing especially at night. We have dinner out there and it is such a treat to be able to do that.

Visited La Sagrada Familia yesterday morning. About a ten minute walk from our apartment. It was breathtaking. Its enormous, much bigger than i could have ever imagined it to be. I can't wait to be able to take a tour inside later on this semester. 

 Also took a 20 minute walk to the Beach. The water is so blue, i am just not used water and sky looking like this living in California. I will have to go back to try out the water for sure