Hola! I am finally here in my Spanish host city of Salamanca, where I will be staying for the next 9 weeks or so. The past five days have passed in a blur of airports, hotels, tours, and siestas! I left the United States on Friday at 5:30 pm out of Chicago. From there I flew to London, and then on to Madrid, Spain. I was definitely not prepared for the 7 hours time difference between Spain and Iowa! I was on my flight to London getting sleepy around midnight central time, but when I looked out my window as we were preparing to land I was shocked to see the sun coming up! It was around 6:30 am when I landed in London (12:30 am central time), and I was having a hard time comprehending how I just lost so many hours of my life while sitting on that plane!
Needless to say, by the time I arrived in Madrid at 2:00 pm, my body didn't know what it was supposed to do. That first night in the hotel, I'm fairly certain all of the students in my group who had traveled from the U.S. were all asleep by 9 pm (2pm Iowa time). It has taken me a good 3 or 4 days to adjust to the time change and not need a 'siesta', but I'm happy to say that I no longer feel so confused about whether I should be awake or asleep.
So far Spain has seemed similar to the U.S. in many ways. There are Starbucks and McDonalds in the cities, the roads are paved, and cars yield to pedestrians. There are also quite a few differences that will take some time getting used to. Two major ones that I can think of right now are meal times and the prevalence of smoking.
Meal times are a lot later than is common in the U.S., but quite similar to what I experienced in Ecuador. Breakfast will be before my 9 am class; lunch is at 2:30 and is the biggest meal of the day, and dinner is a light meal at 9 pm. So far it really hasn't been difficult to eat around these times. With the sun out for so long it is easy to lose track of time and not realize how late it is until my tummy starts rumblin'!
Worse than dealing with later meal times and tummy rumbles is adjusting to all of the smokers! Smoking is very popular and accepted in Spain. Many people smoke while they are walking down the streets, conversing, or after eating a meal. It seems as though dead cigarettes are all over the ground and just walking by the entrance of a bar or restaurant can overwhelm you with smoke. I realize now how much I take for granted the fact that smoking is outlawed in public places in Iowa. I will have to breathe in deeply when I return!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Half Way There...Livin' On A Prayer
Wow! After one more days of finals I will officially be half way done with my college career. SCARY! In some respects it seems like just the other day that I was moving onto campus for the first time and anxious about being on my own. Yet on the other hand, I feel like I've been at Luther for so long that it feels like home, the place where I belong.
Contrary to what all freshmen want to hear, sophomore year proved to be tougher and busier than freshman year. As my classes got more specialized I definitely had to put in more time studying and completing assignments. I can recall nights of reading and re-reading my physiology textbook wishing that instead I could be spending time with friends. Not only were classes tough enough in themselves, but I was also working multiple days a week and running more miles in practice, all of which left me "Living' on a Prayer" often enough.
But now that I've managed to sound like sophomore year was a bust, let me note a few of the good things that came with it:
1. Maturity. Being involved in activities and having multiple responsibilities to fulfill helped me mature. I became fully aware that I was the one who decided how busy to be and also how stressed I would let myself get. I became mature enough to realize when enough was enough, and how I needn't let trivial things stress me out so much. Despite what often gets portrayed, there is much more to life than grades and athletics.
2. World Traveling! As a sophomore, junior, or senior, Luther students are allowed to travel abroad for a J-term or semester. I took the opportunity to go to Ecuador over J-term and had a wonderful time. It was great to try out my Spanish-speaking skills and to experience a different culture. That was definitely one of the highlights of the year and I would highly recommend traveling abroad to anyone who hasn't yet.
3. Stronger relationships. Freshman year is a beginning for many great relationships, but unfortunately it takes the majority of the year to identify who you might want to be friends with and start getting to know them. When you come back as sophomores, though, you get to build on those relationships you had started. You get to live with who you want to, have more meaningful conversations, and actually make friends instead of just acquaintances.
Sophomore year can be a tough, but very valuable, part of the college experience. I am happy to say that I survived (well, I guess we'll see after tomorrow's exams) and that I have many lessons to take with me. Starting this coming Friday I will be in Spain for 10 weeks, taking classes and finishing my time abroad that's required for a Spanish major. Keep tuning in to my blog because I plan on keeping you all updated on my adventures in that part of the world!
Contrary to what all freshmen want to hear, sophomore year proved to be tougher and busier than freshman year. As my classes got more specialized I definitely had to put in more time studying and completing assignments. I can recall nights of reading and re-reading my physiology textbook wishing that instead I could be spending time with friends. Not only were classes tough enough in themselves, but I was also working multiple days a week and running more miles in practice, all of which left me "Living' on a Prayer" often enough.
But now that I've managed to sound like sophomore year was a bust, let me note a few of the good things that came with it:
1. Maturity. Being involved in activities and having multiple responsibilities to fulfill helped me mature. I became fully aware that I was the one who decided how busy to be and also how stressed I would let myself get. I became mature enough to realize when enough was enough, and how I needn't let trivial things stress me out so much. Despite what often gets portrayed, there is much more to life than grades and athletics.
2. World Traveling! As a sophomore, junior, or senior, Luther students are allowed to travel abroad for a J-term or semester. I took the opportunity to go to Ecuador over J-term and had a wonderful time. It was great to try out my Spanish-speaking skills and to experience a different culture. That was definitely one of the highlights of the year and I would highly recommend traveling abroad to anyone who hasn't yet.
3. Stronger relationships. Freshman year is a beginning for many great relationships, but unfortunately it takes the majority of the year to identify who you might want to be friends with and start getting to know them. When you come back as sophomores, though, you get to build on those relationships you had started. You get to live with who you want to, have more meaningful conversations, and actually make friends instead of just acquaintances.
Sophomore year can be a tough, but very valuable, part of the college experience. I am happy to say that I survived (well, I guess we'll see after tomorrow's exams) and that I have many lessons to take with me. Starting this coming Friday I will be in Spain for 10 weeks, taking classes and finishing my time abroad that's required for a Spanish major. Keep tuning in to my blog because I plan on keeping you all updated on my adventures in that part of the world!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Conference Camp Out
Oh man, what have I gotten myself into? That was the thought that kept replaying in my mind Friday afternoon as we were driving 3.5 hours away to Pella, IA for the Conference Track and Field Meet. This year I wasn't actually racing, so I was able to relax a bit and cheer my heart out. Most of us who weren't competing drove down on Friday afternoon to catch the evening events. The plan was to camp out on the Central College cross country course since Pella was having their annual Tulip Festival and no hotel rooms were available within a reasonable distance. Plus we're adventurous people without much money, so who needs a hotel, right?
Well, our plan was in jeopardy as the rain started pouring about 5:00. The sky was dark and ominous and lightning kept flashing off in the distance. Great. It would be a soggy cold night sleeping on the XC course at the rate we were going. Ideas kept popping into my head about people I knew who lived in Pella and wouldn't mind me showing up at their doorstep without any notice. But that was me; what would the other 12 non-competitors do?
The track meet was delayed for an hour due to the storms passing through, but conditions did improve. The rain left the area and but the strong winds stayed. At about 11:00 Friday night a group of us pitched 2 tents on the XC course, making sure we were in the most protected and driest spot we could find. The boys in the group didn't even bother sleeping in the tents. They wanted the luxury of sleeping under the stars and the almost-full moon. Go for it, I encouraged! I'd take all the room I could get!
Around 3 AM the clouds rolled in again and the rain came. But we survived. I slept through it and I guess the guys just pulled a tarp over themselves while the rain shower lasted. The next morning most of us were awake shortly after 7:00. We were packed up by 9 AM and got an early start at the Tulip Festival. The rest of the day we spent outdoors cheering our women on to a 3rd place team finish and our men 5th. It was an awesome weekend even though I didn't get to race. Being with my teammates and making new memories was special in itself.
Well, our plan was in jeopardy as the rain started pouring about 5:00. The sky was dark and ominous and lightning kept flashing off in the distance. Great. It would be a soggy cold night sleeping on the XC course at the rate we were going. Ideas kept popping into my head about people I knew who lived in Pella and wouldn't mind me showing up at their doorstep without any notice. But that was me; what would the other 12 non-competitors do?
The track meet was delayed for an hour due to the storms passing through, but conditions did improve. The rain left the area and but the strong winds stayed. At about 11:00 Friday night a group of us pitched 2 tents on the XC course, making sure we were in the most protected and driest spot we could find. The boys in the group didn't even bother sleeping in the tents. They wanted the luxury of sleeping under the stars and the almost-full moon. Go for it, I encouraged! I'd take all the room I could get!
Around 3 AM the clouds rolled in again and the rain came. But we survived. I slept through it and I guess the guys just pulled a tarp over themselves while the rain shower lasted. The next morning most of us were awake shortly after 7:00. We were packed up by 9 AM and got an early start at the Tulip Festival. The rest of the day we spent outdoors cheering our women on to a 3rd place team finish and our men 5th. It was an awesome weekend even though I didn't get to race. Being with my teammates and making new memories was special in itself.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Cleaning for a Cause
Rubber gloves + Buckets + Rags + Vacuums= Thank you. This past Tuesday the Luther student-athletes had the opportunity to thank our custodians that maintain our locker rooms and workout facilities by giving them the day off. That meant that we got to don the rubber gloves and get down to business.
I must not clean very often because I had a great time vacuuming, scrubbing down handrails, and wiping the fingerprints off of the glass doors in Regents! I worked for an hour and a half, but the time flew by much faster than I ever expected it would. Plus I felt like I had accomplished a lot more than I often do when I do homework for that long! I won't lie,though, I was really glad that I didn't get toilet duty.
Most of the custodians actually didn't take the day off, but came to work to do other tasks that don't get done frequently. Even though they were still working, they were very appreciative of our efforts to give them a hand. I have come to realize how great of a job the custodians do at keeping our facilities in tip-top shape. It's amazing the transformation that takes place in our locker room after a weekend of track meets, softball games, and golf practice. On Sunday night there might be a trail of mud leading into the showers and paper towels overflowing from the trash can. But come Monday morning everything is clean and refilled. Our custodians not only do great work, but they do it in a very friendly and caring way. They'll vacuum around you and stop their work of cleaning the showers if you need to get in. I really appreciate their flexible and friendliness whenever I run into them in Regents.
With only 9 days of classes left and stress levels rising before finals, maybe we should all take some time to clean. Maybe the feeling of accomplishment will run over into finishing the lingering projects...or maybe not. At least the lemony-fresh smell might keep us awake enough to actually turn in the project that finally got done!
I must not clean very often because I had a great time vacuuming, scrubbing down handrails, and wiping the fingerprints off of the glass doors in Regents! I worked for an hour and a half, but the time flew by much faster than I ever expected it would. Plus I felt like I had accomplished a lot more than I often do when I do homework for that long! I won't lie,though, I was really glad that I didn't get toilet duty.
Most of the custodians actually didn't take the day off, but came to work to do other tasks that don't get done frequently. Even though they were still working, they were very appreciative of our efforts to give them a hand. I have come to realize how great of a job the custodians do at keeping our facilities in tip-top shape. It's amazing the transformation that takes place in our locker room after a weekend of track meets, softball games, and golf practice. On Sunday night there might be a trail of mud leading into the showers and paper towels overflowing from the trash can. But come Monday morning everything is clean and refilled. Our custodians not only do great work, but they do it in a very friendly and caring way. They'll vacuum around you and stop their work of cleaning the showers if you need to get in. I really appreciate their flexible and friendliness whenever I run into them in Regents.
With only 9 days of classes left and stress levels rising before finals, maybe we should all take some time to clean. Maybe the feeling of accomplishment will run over into finishing the lingering projects...or maybe not. At least the lemony-fresh smell might keep us awake enough to actually turn in the project that finally got done!
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