I am alive! After running my first half marathon EVER, Mitja Marat� de Barcelona (Barcelona’s annual half marathon), I must admit, the feeling of satisfaction is well worth the amount of pain that the race put me through. I am convinced that there is something about the city of Barcelona (maybe the brilliant architecture, the beautiful weather or the mediterranean on the side) that gave me this kind of motivation, because I never would have lasted in the states, let along signed up for this.  I thought I was going to collapse at the 19K mark, as I started to convince myself that there was no way it was a ‘half’ marathon, but rather a whole one.  By some miracle, I was able to pull through. Oh, and I am still a little bit bitter about missing THON last weekend. I live-streamed the event and was able to watch those of you who were involved in THON raise $12 + MILLION FTK! Congratulations to you all. What an amazing and rewarding accomplishment. After the race, another Penn Stater and I decided to ‘put up’ the diamonds symbol FTK in front of the Arc de Triomphe.^^^ I even managed to snap a shot of the race before it began, as more than 14,300 runners participated:

This past week was midterms, so unfortunately I was busy focusing on my studies and working.  Since I didn’t travel this weekend, it gave me time to explore Barcelona. My friends and I went to Bo de B, the BEST (arguably) and CHEAPest salad and sandwich joint in Barcelona. The only downside to it being deliciously cheap is that it is a small restaurant and always busy. If you ever visit the city of Barcelona, Bo de B is a must-try.

We also visited the Picasso Museum— Take note: FREE on Sundays. It is located in the trendy neighborhood of El Born, and five medieval palaces link together to form the awe-inspiring museum. The picture on the left is a ceiling in a room of the Picasso Museum. 

Today we tried to go on a bike tour, but on Sundays almost every store is closed. The only street that is really busy (as always) is Las Ramblas.  We went there, but to our surprise there were no bikes out.  Hmph…There’s always next time! Along the way, I decided to spend some quality time with the pigeons in La Plaza de Catalu�a…–>

This coming weekend I will be going to Amsterdam, the following weekend I will be going to Brussels, and then to Portugal the weekend of the 15th. I could not be more excited to travel, and to show-and-tell of all the places I’ve been to! 

Location: Barcelona, Spain