Life Lessons from Spain

I learned so much during my time in Barcelona.  I cannot explain in words how grateful I am for this experience.  I got to experience a new culture, a new school system, got to spend time with a wonderful family and get closer to my WKU friends.  Four years ago, I would have never believed you if you told me that I would spend a month in Spain.  This experience is something I will never forget and will always hold dear in my heart.  I have another family in Barcelona and I plan to return soon.  There were definitely tears shed as I said goodbye to the people who I was so dependent on for a month.  Naroa kept giving me sad eyes and hugs! Jordi tried to get on the elevator and said he was coming to Kentucky with me! :) Ane walked me to the school the morning I left and we kept giving each other one last hug! There were tears rolling down both of our faces.  Some tears were from laughing so hard at all my heavy suitcases! ;) But I truly cannot thank Jordi, Ane, Jordi and Naroa enough for allowing me to be a part of their family.  They all mean so much to me!

With that being said, there were a lot of things that I learned while in Barcelona and the other parts of Europe that I was lucky enough to visit.  I'll share some of them with you in hopes that you can learn a little bit too :)

- If you want to get off the metro, always press the green button on the door.  Don't stand there staring at it.  The train will drive off, you will miss your stop and you will be laughed at.  (Whoops! :))

- You can never eat too much gelato. Never.

- No matter what language they speak, every kid loves a hug.

- When you travel, you find out a lot about the city you're in, cultures and traditions but also you learn a lot about yourself.

- Don't ask a Parisian if they speak English in English.  Just don't.

- But ALWAYS ask for the English menu or you might end up with raw beef!

- The Mona Lisa is actually very small. Slightly disappointing.

- The pasta really is better in Italy.  And the pizza.  And the cheese.  And the wine.  And the gelato.

- A friendship becomes stronger when you travel together.

- Knowing more than one language can be so beneficial to your life.  I truly wish I knew more than just English.

- On that note, it must be incredibly hard for people who come to America that don't know English.

-  Regardless of languages, hearts are the same.  Everyone smiles, kisses, hugs and laughs in the same language.  Bonds that you make abroad are bonds that you will have forever.

- I have left part of my heart in Barcelona with a very special family.

That ends my Barcelona blog.  It's been great and I can't wait to return to this amazing city.  I've got the travel bug and it's not going away anytime soon! I want to see as much of this world as I can. So until next time, adios!

When in Rome!

My weekend in Rome was amazing!! It is such a beautiful city and I'm so glad I could visit while I was in Europe. I wish I had more time but I definitely got to see a lot.
Our flight left from Barcelona at 6:00 am! We left for the airport at 4:00 am. When we got to Rome we first went to our hotel to drop off our luggage. Even though our flight was early and we were exhausted it was nice to have that full day in Rome. After a nice Italian lunch, we headed to the Vatican. This was something we all were very excited to see! It was breathtaking. The Sistine Chapel was my absolute favorite part.  It is absolutely incredible.  I wish I had had more time there.  There is so much to look at, that it is a little bit overwhelming.  I could have stood there craning my neck for days.  After the Vatican we went to the Christmas market and found a place to eat dinner.  I had gnocchi with mozzarella and tomato sauce.  It was heaven.

The next day we went on a tour of the city.  We saw the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain and many other sights! It was great to get to see so much in only 3 hours.  We had heard that the Pope was going to be in town on this weekend because December 8th is the day of Immaculate Conception, a holiday celebrated in the Catholic Church.  We found out that he would be in a parade near the Spanish steps, so after the tour we decided we wanted to see the Pope! After fighting through the crowds,  we managed to get a pretty close spot to the road.  We waited about 45 minutes and then he came driving by, smiling and waving! We were all so excited! The crowd was crazy.  There were so many people and everyone was cheering for the Pope.  It was an awesome feeling to see him and so many other people who love him so much.  After seeing the Pope, we went to get some gelato to let the crowds die down.  The Spanish Steps were something we really wanted to see.  So after the crowds dissipated we found the steps and relaxed there for a while.  It was nice to sit and people watch! We did such a good job at seeing all the sights that we had the whole evening to relax.  We went to the Spanish steps, the Trevi fountain and had an awesome last Italian dinner of pasta. I had such a great time in Rome and I can't wait to go back!

The Pope!!!!

Trevi Fountain

We definitely ate our fair share of gelato!!! :)

Last Day at Santa Isabel

My last day at Santa Isabel was bittersweet. The kids were all so loving and sweet! But I was so sad to leave such amazing new friends. All day the kids were giving me little drawings that said "goodbye Miss Amanda" and "we will miss you!" They were so precious. I miss them so much already. At lunch, the school had a special meal for us. They ordered pizza and had a reception for all the American teachers in the library. They thanked us for all we had done and were so kind. We were all so grateful for such an amazing experience. The school was so welcoming and did so much for us. I cannot thank my teacher, the staff and even the students enough. It was incredible. Leaving school was so sad. The girls hugged me and wouldn't let go! They all told me they want to come to Kentucky!

The next day I got to help my host family decorate for Christmas! It was a lot of fun to see how they do things a little differently than we do. :) I enjoyed just spending the day with them. They are my Barcelona family for sure. We have a bond for a lifetime!

My Weekend in Paris! Bonjour!

Paris...the city of love.  I have always dreamed about going to Paris since I was a little girl.  I love all the glitz and glamour that it has to offer.  I have read so many books about Paris during different time periods and dreamed of what it would be like.  Well this past weekend, I got to visit the city I had always dreamed about!

Sarah, Mary Bruce, Ashley, Erica, Brittany and I left for Paris on Friday night.  We had a late flight so as soon as we got there we went straight to our hotel and went to bed.  Saturday morning we woke up, ate some breakfast and headed out for the day.  Our first stop was Notre Dame.  We somehow timed it just right and went in while there was no line.  The inside of the church was beautiful.  I loved all the stain glass and old architecture.  I lit a candle inside the cathedral.  Every time I visit a church I try to light a candle. It's one of my favorite things to do when I travel :)

After Notre Dame, we were going on a tour of the city.  We met our guide at St. Michel's fountain.  The first place our guide took us was to Notre Dame! We had already been inside but it was nice to hear a little bit of history about the church. It has many famous visitors and it is definitely a magical place.  After Notre Dame, we walked for a little bit while she pointed out different sights. Then, we got to the lock bridge.  This was definitely on my list of things to see! It is a bridge that people have started putting locks on with their loved one's name.  Then they throw the key into the river.  I put a lock on for Michael and I.  It was a lot of fun! 

After visiting the lock bridge,  we went in the courtyard of the Lourve.  It is right next to the lock bridge so it was a short walk.  We were planning on going inside the Lourve on Sunday so we didn't spend too much time there.  We took a few silly pictures and then went on the the next thing!

We ate lunch at a traditional French restaurant.  I had beef bourguignon and it was delicious.  It is like a beef stew with potatoes, carrots and onions.  I loved it! After lunch, we went to the Eiffel Tower.  I was so excited to finally see it and when we got there I just stared at it for the longest time.  It is absolutely amazing.  We tried to buy tickets online to go to the top but they were sold out online for that weekend.  When we got there, we decided to wait in line to take the stairs to the second level.  It was a lot of work to climb up those stairs! But it was worth it in the end.  The view was beautiful.  I could see all of Paris.

After the Eiffel Tower we headed to Champs Elysses to do a little shopping and see the Arc de Triomphe.  The Christmas lights were out all over the city so it was beautiful.  It was nice to just walk down Champs Elysses and look at the shops and lights.  After a little while, we decided we wanted to find the Longchamp store since the bags are made in Paris.  After walking for about 30 minutes we finally found it and got out Paris bags! It was worth it :)  Then, we found a famous bakery called Laduree that sells macaroons and other yummy things.  We went inside for a bit to warm up and look at all the pastries.  The line was way too long to get anything so we just looked and sniffed! :)  After this we decided to get dinner and head back to our hotel.

The next morning we went to the Lourve very early because our flight was early in the day.  We got to the Lourve about 15 minutes before it opened and got right in.  We saw the Mona Lisa and a few of Michaelangelo's most famous statues.  The Mona Lisa was the first thing we went to see.  It is very well protected! It has glass over it with two barriers so no one can get near it.  Of course there was a huge crowd here but once we saw it for a few minutes we decided to move on.  The Lourve is huge.  I could have spent weeks in there looking at all the paintings.  We managed to see a few of the biggest things there though and I told myself that I would just have to come back! I am a huge art fan! :)

Paris was absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to go back.  I am sad I didn't get much time there but at least I got a little while! I will definitely be visiting again! :)

A Spanish Thanksgiving

When I first found out that I would be in Barcelona on Thanksgiving, I have to admit I was a little bummed.  I love spending Thanksgiving at my grandma's house and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with my family.  But my Thanksgiving in Barcelona was amazing! My host family made it so special and I will never forget this wonderful Thanksgiving. 

At school, I taught a lesson to my students about the first Thanksgiving and explained to them why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving.  The students had a lot of fun asking me questions and learning about a new tradition.  After I explained everything to the students we drew some good old hand turkeys! I remember tracing my hand to make a turkey when I was in Elementary school so I thought it would be fun to share that with the kids.  They loved it.  Later on, we made a "Thankful Tree".  I explained to the children what it meant to be thankful and then they each created a leaf and wrote what they were thankful for on the leaf.  I made a tree trunk and we attached all the leaves to the top.  So at the end, the leaves of the tree all said something the kids were thankful for.  I think they really enjoyed making something together.  

Luckily, my parents were in Barcelona for the week! So I got to spend Thanksgiving with them and my wonderful host family.  So after school, I went to meet my parents.  It was their last day in Barcelona so we did a few things that they hadn't seen yet and then headed to my host family's house.  They had offered to cook Thanksgiving dinner for us and we were all going to eat at their home.  Ane's brother in law and sister came for dinner.  And Mary Bruce got to come too! After chatting for a little while we all headed to the dining room for dinner.  I was so impressed with the dinner. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, peas, carrots and even a pumpkin pie! It was all delicious.  Ane did a great job! Thank you for making a wonderful meal for us Americans :)  After dinner we showed them a tradition that we do in our house, breaking the wishbone! Every year, we each grab a side of the wishbone and pull it apart and whoever gets the bigger piece will have their wish come true.  So once we found the wishbone in the turkey, we gave it to Jordi and Naroa.  We let them break it together.  It came out equal! So both their wishes will come true :) It was a fun night!

All of my parents! :) My mom, Ane, me, Jordi and my dad

A Typical Day at Santa Isabel

I have been trying to find a way to compare American and Spanish schools for my blog.  They are so different but it is hard to explain the differences! So I am going to show you what a typical day at Santa Isabel is like.  I took pictures of almost everything we did at school one day.  I will take you through and explain what happens in a typical day at this wonderful school!

9:00 am: Teachers and students line up outside on the playground by grade level.  When the teacher is ready, she will take the students up to the classroom.  Almost everyday we start with a different class.  Sometimes we have the boys' class (3C) and somtimes it is the girls class (3A). I am with a 3rd grade teacher at Santa Isabel.  On this day, we had girls first.  My teacher, Miss Laura, has the girls (3A) for her homeroom.  She is their main teacher.  The girls stay in one room all day and the teachers switch rooms.
9:15am: After taking the girls up to the classroom and getting settled, we start the day with a morning prayer.  Since this is a Catholic school, they pray about 3 times a day in class.  After the prayer, the girls started their English Final Exam.  This was the first day of exams.  The exams last about two weeks and there is a test in every core subject, English, Science, Spanish, Catalan and Math.  The school is trilingual so most of their classes are languages.  They learn reading and grammar through these languages.  So the girls began their test and took about an hour and a half.

The girls taking their English test.

10:30 am: Miss Laura and I go up to the teacher's room to start grading tests.  We have a break from class until 12:00.  This is something that is very different from the States! Teachers hardly ever get breaks in Kentucky.  It's nice to have a little while to clear your head and get some work done.  After grading a few tests, Miss Laura tells me that I should go get a coffee and meet her back at school on the playground at 11:30. I walked to a local cafe and got a Coca Cola Light and a croissant.  I have gotten so used to having this little morning snack that I don't know what I'll do when I go back home! Haha!

11:30 am: The 3rd and 4th grades have playground time until noon.  Miss Laura had to supervise the playground so I came to help her out and talk to some of the girls.  It's fun to see the girls playing with each other, jumping rope and just talking.  They usually have something funny to tell me or want to play with my hair.  I enjoy spending time with them outside the classroom. The boys are also on the playground at this time but they are usually playing soccer.  If one of them sees me they will usually run up and say "Miss Amanda! Miss Amanda!" and give me a hug.  I'm happy that I've been able to connect with the boys as well as the girls!  

Some of the girls jumping rope during playground time.

A few of my sweet girls.

12:00 pm: Time to go inside from the playground!  This time we have the boys' class. They are a lot of fun but very loud and crazy! They also had an English test at this time so we began that after another prayer.  The boys were a little bit louder than the girls while taking their test.  I sat and helped one student with his test during this time.  He was really struggling with the test so Miss Laura asked me to help him.  Once, I began helping him he did very well! It was just hard for him to read the test by himself.  The boys were supposed to have Science after English but because their test was taking so long we let them finish it during Science time.  

The boys during their test. 

1:30 pm: Lunch time! We have and hour and 15 minutes for lunch.  This is also very different from American schools.  We usually only get about 20 minutes in America! For lunch on this day, I went out with a few girls. There is a restaurant close to the school called the Chocolate Box that we all like to go to!  It has so many different kinds of pastries and desserts.  It was yummy.

2:45 pm:  The students line up again at the playground for afternoon classes. A lot of students go home for lunch so it is easiest for everyone to meet in a central location.  At this time, we had girls again so we went back up to the girls' classroom for Art.  The girls have been working on the color wheel and Miss Laura instructed them to color a picture using only cool colors.  The picture was a snow scene and the girls did really well with this.  They color so neatly!

Coloring with cool colors.

Having a little fun in Art! :)

3:30 pm: Art with the boys! The boys are working on perspective and Miss Laura taught them how to draw a road picture so it looks like things are far away and some things are close up. This was the first time they had done this so I was very impressed with their drawings! They worked hard for most of the class but towards the end they got a little silly.  Miss Laura said it is hard for them to concentrate after lunch.

A student working on his perspective drawing.

Being a little silly!

This happens more often than you can imagine! ;)

So proud! :)

4:15 pm: The students have to go to their weekly religion class in small groups.  I'm not sure how it works exactly but I think it is kind of like confirmation.  More on that later.  It is called Lecto on the schedule and during this time Miss Laura and I go sit with the girls who don't have religion while they read or draw.  Today we told stories.  The girls had so much fun making up stories about different things like a grandma going to a Justin Bieber concert! Haha! They know how to have fun :)

4:45 pm: We walk down to the playground with the girls.  It is time to go home.  The parents are waiting next to the playground for their children.  Most families walk to school and parents come to pick them up after so they don't have to walk alone.  Another great day at Santa Isabel is over!

A student's schedule for the week.  

A clip chart! We have these in America so I was excited to see one here! I think the biggest difference between Spanish schools and American schools is classroom management.  American schools set out all the rules for students before hand and tell them exactly what is expected.  From what I have seen, the students here are given the freedom to be kids and the teachers handle whatever situation that arises as it arises.  I think there are pros and cons to both methods.  It also depends on how much patience you have and how you like your classroom to be run.  Everybody has different methods and I think it's best to find the one that works for you!

A Barcelona Weekend

I am so late posting this but things have been so busy! So first, I will talk about last weekend, November 21-23.

First of all, my parents came to visit me in Barcelona! They got here on November 22nd and got to stay through Thanksgiving.  It was nice to have them here for a little while.  Friday night, I showed them around the city center and we ate dinner at a nice tapas restaurant.  Mary Bruce and Sarah were with us and none of us had really eaten at a tapas restaurant yet so it was nice to experience that! Tapas are appetizers or snacks that you can combine to make a full meal.  You can order as many or as few as you want.  It's really neat because you get to try so many different types of foods! We had shrimp, ham, tomato bread, calamari, fried eggs, and many other yummy things!

On Saturday morning, we had a Gaudi tour scheduled.  Gaudi is one of the most famous architects in Barcelona.  His works include La Sagrada Familia, Palau Guell, Park Guell and Casa Batllo.  Our tour gave us a history of Gaudi and allowed us to see many of these famous places.  His style is so different than many architects so it was neat to hear about each place.

Our group before the tour.

Palau Guell.  Gaudi designed this house for a family in Barcelona.

Casa Batllo.  My favorite Gaudi house!

Sagrada Familia. Absolutely breathtaking.

After the Gaudi tour on Saturday, we got lunch at a pizza place close to Sagrada Familia and then headed back to my host family's house to get ready for the soccer game! Jordi was so kind and took my parents and me to a Barcelona game!! It was absolutely amazing.  We are all huge soccer fans.  It was so cool to be at a stadium watching a game that we had seen on TV so many times! Thank you Jordi!!! We had a blast!!!! :)

On Sunday, we went to Sagrada Familia again to go inside.  I am so happy we decided to do that because it was incredible.  I can't even describe it and pictures don't do it justice.  Mary Bruce and I walked in and just stood in awe for about five minutes.  It is absolutely amazing.

The ceiling right when you walk in.  The stained glass was beautiful.

Mary Bruce and I at the top of one of the towers.  You could see for miles!

After Sagrada Familia we went to Park Guell.  This is a park that has many of Gaudi's famous designs. It is set on the mountain and has beautiful views of the city.  The park is huge so we only had time to go in the main parts but I really enjoyed getting to see it.

We ended the day by eating dinner at a restaurant on Tibidabo.  A mountain near Park Guell.  It had great views of the city as well.  The restaurant we chose had glass windows all on one side so you could look at the view while enjoying your dinner.  

It was a wonderful weekend!!