I'd first like to tell you about my mad kiwi skills. The day before I left, my dad, John and I had a kiwi peeling contest and I may have come in last place. But due to being on my own and therefore having to peel my own kiwi, I have drastically improved my skills. So I challenge dad and John to another contest when I return. The results are sure to be different!
I have also become much more daring...trying seafood and OCTOPUS! This was not voluntary; Liz Hiz and my intercambio Jose made me. And I hated everything about it but at least now I can say I truly don't like seafood nor octopus. Liz was here visiting this weekend and it was so great to be able to see her and show her around Sevilla! Jose was our tour guide the whole weekend and showed us "the secrets of Sevilla". It has been really fun hanging out with some more locals. I am so glad I got an intercambio who wants to show me around the city and practice English/Spanish. It kinda makes up for having an older host family who can't do as much.
Our Saturday night was a bit crazy...we went to Carnival in Cádiz. We dressed up as ladybugs which later we realized means gay in Spanish...so we got some interesting shout-outs throughout the night. These are the little things you need to know but don't learn about in Spanish class! And for the Carnival, let's just say it was Mifflin on steroids and was a bit too crazy for us. There were thousands of people and no where to go! Our train home wasn't until 6AM and we were all ready to leave at 2AM, only 3 hours after our train got there. We were frozen by the end of the night but Lauren, Liz and I were able to laugh about it the next day and it will be an experience we will never forget...you always need some of those!
School has been going well. To tell you the truth, I haven't done much and these midterms are going to come around pretty quick so I have to get on my game and start reading sometime soon! It is just really hard to balance school with the study abroad experience because I came to Spain not really thinking about school!
We (Lauren, Kristen, Yessica and I) are going to Italy this weekend for 6 days! We just booked all of our train tickets and hotels. I am getting really excited because this is the first country I will go to outside of Spain! I can't wait to see more of Europe and eat Italian food!!
It is a daily struggle for me to put God as my first priority but every time I stray away, God brings me right back. It has been a blessing in disguise to feel so alone some days because those are the days I realize all I truly need is Jesus. "When we are in a situation where Jesus is all we have, we soon discover He is all we really need." -Gigi Graham Tchividjian. And I have been really feeling God calling me to go back to Uruguay sometime in my future to do mission work with Campus Crusade. I have such a heart for Spanish people and am really pursuing the language here so I can use it to bring glory to God's kingdom. It has been really cool thinking about my future while I am here because I am so removed from my day to day life that it helps me process through things and really listen for God's voice.
xoxo, Rebekah
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Summing Up Madrid
I finished my 3-Credit Spanish class on Friday and three hours later Lauren, Kristen, Katie and I were off to Madrid! We took the AVE high-speed train. It was pretty expensive to get somewhere comparable to the distance of Wisconsin and Minnesota but it was really cool to see. We got into Madrid around 10PM and checked into the hostile. Let me tell you…this was culture shock. Sharing a room with five other people and not having your own bathroom and space is quite an experience. There was an older man in our room and he was nice but I was pretty creeped out sharing a room with strangers. It was also a pain having to lock up all of our stuff whenever we went to the bathroom, let alone left the hostile. But it was cheap and what I will be staying in whenever I travel so I have to get used to it! We went to a really cute restaurant by our hostile for dinner and then checked out a couple of bars. On Saturday, we went to the Reina Sofia Museum and the Museum del Prado (one of the top attractions in Spain). We saw Guernica by Picasso, Las Meninas by Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Ribera and much more painters. Contrary to what some of you may think, I have started to gain an appreciation for art! My ticket stubs are pictured below, as proof that I was actually there Blake! :) Then at night we went to Kapital, a really famous club in Spain. There were seven levels with a ton of different bars and areas. Katie, Tico (a friend we made who is from Michigan) and I sang to the “Club Can’t Even Handle Me Right Now.” Needless to say, my voice was a little rusty but it was a lot of fun!
A couple of random tips:
- The weather is gorgeous here in Sevilla but if you plan to visit (hint hint John and mom and dad) bring WARM clothes to sleep in because it is freezing inside the houses. Now I'm guessing the hotels will be centrally heated but my house sure isn't.
- When you want hot chocolate, don't directly translate it as chocolate caliente because you will get melted chocolate, literally. You need to order Cola Cao, which is their most famous brand of hot chocolate here (equivalent to saying Kleenex instead of tissue).
Tomorrow I am going to Encuentro again..I really liked it last Wednesday! It is with other Americans and it has been awesome diving into a Christian community here. I am going to a church on Sunday that a missionary I connected with here goes to. I am excited to be immersed into a Spanish service and connect with Spaniards.
Love Life! xoxo, Rebekah
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Travel Plans!
Here is a complete list of my travel plans. Basically every weekend I am traveling somewhere. LOVING LIFE the three months I am here :)
February:
3-5 Madrid
11 Cádiz (Beach)
18 Carnaval de Cádiz (11PM-7AM Party); Liz is coming to visit!
23-28 Italy (Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Pisa)
March:
3-4 Granada
8-11 Paris
17 Córdoba
22-24 Morocco
29-31 England
April:
1-8 John is coming to visit!
13-15 Portugal
19-21 Barcelona
22-28 Mom and dad are coming to visit!
26-28 Sarah and Matt are coming to visit! They will be here when mom and dad are here :)
Elisabeth and Blake...I'm missing you guys and can't wait to see you when....
I return to the States May 11.
xoxo, Rebekah
February:
3-5 Madrid
11 Cádiz (Beach)
18 Carnaval de Cádiz (11PM-7AM Party); Liz is coming to visit!
23-28 Italy (Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Pisa)
March:
3-4 Granada
8-11 Paris
17 Córdoba
22-24 Morocco
29-31 England
April:
1-8 John is coming to visit!
13-15 Portugal
19-21 Barcelona
22-28 Mom and dad are coming to visit!
26-28 Sarah and Matt are coming to visit! They will be here when mom and dad are here :)
Elisabeth and Blake...I'm missing you guys and can't wait to see you when....
I return to the States May 11.
xoxo, Rebekah
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Churros y Chocolate
I want to start by saying sorry I haven't posted very much...I am not really the writer of the family and I have been overwhelmed with everything going on here. But I am going to start blogging more because I want to document my trip and keep you all...all of my seven followers...updated :)
On Friday, I will be done with my two week intensive Spanish class and I cannot wait for it to be over! I really enjoy the class but it is SO much work... presentations, papers and exams all squeezed into two weeks. But hey, on Friday I will be done with 3 credits so that is awesome!
Besides school, Katie, Kristen, Lauren and I have been planning a lot of trips. Our first trip is THIS weekend! We are taking the high speed train to Madrid and just reserved our hostile. I cannot wait to see what this sleeping in a room with randos is like...hopefully it won't be too bad! But I also have trips planned or in the plans to Cadiz, Italy, Paris, London, Córdoba, Granada, Morocco, Portugal and Barcelona. With only being here for four months, that pretty much takes up all the weekends, except for the two weeks John and then my parents are coming to visit! I am so excited to see them and be with them in EUROPE!
And I have been really trying to find a church or church group I can go to during the week with other Christians here in Sevilla. I am meeting up with a young woman missionary tomorrow for lunch/coffee...I am so excited to find out more info about what she does within the mission field here. I am also going to check out a Christian group called Encuentro tomorrow night with one of my friends, Alyssa. God has definitely placed people in my life already to help me desire to grow closer to Him while I am here.
I am starting to love the city so much more and feel so much more comfortable. It is hard being so far away from my family and friends and everyone, but it has been such an amazing opportunity for me to grow and I know I will continue to grow. One thing I have learned is that I can handle a lot but as soon as I get discouraged and lose all my confidence and trust, it is game over for me. I have also learned the power of prayer and have felt others prayers for me when I have been discouraged and down. There have been days where I have felt SO alone but those are the days God showed me that all I need is Him.
Anyways, today Lauren and I explored the city (El Centro, which is the center of the city and is filled with historical sites, great shopping and restaurants) and got CHURROS Y CHOCOLATE at a cute restaurant. It was delicious but I ate too much and have felt sick since but it was so worth it!
More posts to come...I promise! Please comment on them as I love to hear from you guys!
Xoxo, Rebekah
On Friday, I will be done with my two week intensive Spanish class and I cannot wait for it to be over! I really enjoy the class but it is SO much work... presentations, papers and exams all squeezed into two weeks. But hey, on Friday I will be done with 3 credits so that is awesome!
Besides school, Katie, Kristen, Lauren and I have been planning a lot of trips. Our first trip is THIS weekend! We are taking the high speed train to Madrid and just reserved our hostile. I cannot wait to see what this sleeping in a room with randos is like...hopefully it won't be too bad! But I also have trips planned or in the plans to Cadiz, Italy, Paris, London, Córdoba, Granada, Morocco, Portugal and Barcelona. With only being here for four months, that pretty much takes up all the weekends, except for the two weeks John and then my parents are coming to visit! I am so excited to see them and be with them in EUROPE!
And I have been really trying to find a church or church group I can go to during the week with other Christians here in Sevilla. I am meeting up with a young woman missionary tomorrow for lunch/coffee...I am so excited to find out more info about what she does within the mission field here. I am also going to check out a Christian group called Encuentro tomorrow night with one of my friends, Alyssa. God has definitely placed people in my life already to help me desire to grow closer to Him while I am here.
I am starting to love the city so much more and feel so much more comfortable. It is hard being so far away from my family and friends and everyone, but it has been such an amazing opportunity for me to grow and I know I will continue to grow. One thing I have learned is that I can handle a lot but as soon as I get discouraged and lose all my confidence and trust, it is game over for me. I have also learned the power of prayer and have felt others prayers for me when I have been discouraged and down. There have been days where I have felt SO alone but those are the days God showed me that all I need is Him.
Anyways, today Lauren and I explored the city (El Centro, which is the center of the city and is filled with historical sites, great shopping and restaurants) and got CHURROS Y CHOCOLATE at a cute restaurant. It was delicious but I ate too much and have felt sick since but it was so worth it!
More posts to come...I promise! Please comment on them as I love to hear from you guys!
Xoxo, Rebekah
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Escúchame
Hola Todos!
I don't even know where to start...there is so much to say!
Let's start with some major differences and where I'm feeling the most culture shock:
1. There is NO snacking here...they eat 3 meals a day and nothing really in between! Breakfast is whenever you get up, lunch is at 2 and dinner is at 8 (every family is different but these are my host family's times).
2. There is no soap and rarely toilet paper in public bathrooms.
3. They are much more conservative about electricity...water and lights, which means no long shower/hot showers :(
4. You have to weigh your fruits and vegetables before you get to the checkout line...otherwise you will make people angry in line...I may or may not have done this.
5. Everything is closed on Sunday so don't plan on getting any shopping in.
6. They stay out until morning...coming home at 5AM is too early.
I am staying with a host family and they are in their 80s. Not what I was expecting at all but they are SO nice and cute and cook delicious food! I love them already. Sevilla is absolutely gorgeous...everywhere you go there is another stunning sight to see. I already have favorite places to go in the city :)
Classes start tomorrow..I am really excited to get into a routine and start planning trips!! Also, a girl in my program and I are looking into churches and youth groups together. I am really excited to see where God leads us and meet Spaniards along the way :) He is so good!
xoxo...more posts to come soon :)
I don't even know where to start...there is so much to say!
Let's start with some major differences and where I'm feeling the most culture shock:
1. There is NO snacking here...they eat 3 meals a day and nothing really in between! Breakfast is whenever you get up, lunch is at 2 and dinner is at 8 (every family is different but these are my host family's times).
2. There is no soap and rarely toilet paper in public bathrooms.
3. They are much more conservative about electricity...water and lights, which means no long shower/hot showers :(
4. You have to weigh your fruits and vegetables before you get to the checkout line...otherwise you will make people angry in line...I may or may not have done this.
5. Everything is closed on Sunday so don't plan on getting any shopping in.
6. They stay out until morning...coming home at 5AM is too early.
I am staying with a host family and they are in their 80s. Not what I was expecting at all but they are SO nice and cute and cook delicious food! I love them already. Sevilla is absolutely gorgeous...everywhere you go there is another stunning sight to see. I already have favorite places to go in the city :)
Classes start tomorrow..I am really excited to get into a routine and start planning trips!! Also, a girl in my program and I are looking into churches and youth groups together. I am really excited to see where God leads us and meet Spaniards along the way :) He is so good!
xoxo...more posts to come soon :)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Adios Estados Unidos y Hola España!
I leave for Sevilla on Tuesday and this is my first post in an attempt to document my trip! I am extremely excited to become fluent in Spanish (fingers crossed), make friends with the natives, travel Europe, and see how God will use me in these next four months!
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