So I’ve officially been Spanish for over a month… MIERDA (Damn/Sh*t). With every day of my knowledge of the city and the language growing, I couldn’t be happier with where I am now. The meals are still absolutely amazing and the trips I’ve taken – absolutely breathtaking. I really am truly, truly blessed to be where I am sitting right now – vacation. It really is a vacation here (sorry Mom + Dad). Sure, I wake up and go to class 4 days a week for roughly 3 hours, but I have 3-day weekends every single weekend.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to be able to go to Cadiz (beach town about a Jersey shore’s distance from Yardley) with my host parents on their sailboat and even able to bring my buddy Josh Sklar. We sat back and enjoyed the sun (and a bit of the cold air) on a boat while Juan Carlos and Paloma took care of batting down the hatches. If there is one thing that I have never really gotten any good at in my life, it’s boating. I have had two significant others with in my life, both with boats. My knowledge of boating has remained, as it was when I first stepped on the first boat. Now, imagine having to try and help prepare for departure to sail the great sea – only in Spanish. I was completely useless. Still had a blast though and Carlos and Paloma were worthy sailors with or without me.

This weekend, I just got back from my first of three trips to Granada. After arriving a wee bit late Friday morning, me and 5 of my friends departed in a BLAH BLAH Car from Seville on about a 2.5 hour car ride to Granada for only 10 Euro. It was definitely a cool experience leaving our lives up to someone that we didn’t know/didn’t speak the same language with. We then arrived in Granada and got situated in our super amazing hostel that was on a hill overlooking Alhambra which is like the 2^nd most visited monument or something in the world (don’t quote me on that please…).  10 euros a night I believe which was a steal when we got great Wi-Fi, hot water, bunk beds, and a common area that we all chilled in and got free breakfast in.

After getting situated, we departed for Alhambra for probably my first of three times and I’m definitely looking forward to going back another two. Amazing Moorish palace situated on a hillside in Granada with amazing views, architecture, monuments, etc. A 15 Euro ticket got us inside for one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to. Spent about 4 hours there, blindly exploring the site. WARNING: If you buy tickets in advance, make sure you get to your assigned palace time on time or else you won’t be admitted (happened to my buddy – Sorry Jake).

We departed Alhambra around 5…? And headed to one of the greatest parts of Granada – FREE TAPAS! When you buy a drink in Granda (beer, coke, cocktail, wine, etc.) you are also given a free tapa to go with it. It was so freaking awesome. Had these awesome mini bagel sandwiches that were absolutely delicious and that ended up being our dinner before we went back to the hostel, planning on going out, only to end up staying in. Our hostel hosts were super duper cool, teachers from Australia and the US, and when we went in there to hang before going out we were entrapped in song and spirits.

The next morning we were up at 6:30 (believe that?) and headed off for a taxi ride to the bus station and then a 40 minute bus ride to the Sierra Nevada to ski. So after only returning from the Swiss Alps about 2 weeks ago, I was in a bit of a shock at the Spanish efficiency compared to that of the Swiss. The laid-back stereotype isn’t really something I have experienced here in Spain that I was supposed to be prepared for, but I felt it for about 3 hours on Saturday morning. Got our ski gear relatively quick but when we got in line for a 40-minute wait for lift tickets, I started to get a little bit antsy. Finally after getting our tickets we headed to the main gondola to head up to the summit, another 15 minutes. Then we prepared to finally ski, right?! Wrong, waited probably the longest I have ever in my life to get on a chairlift (35 minutes). Picture a toll booth exchange and how after all of the lanes emerge from their toll booths they have to converge into way, way fewer lanes – that was my chairlift experience in the morning. Luckily, made the decision to head off to the far left and right sides in the morning and afternoon which was far less crowded and had some really awesome long runs with awesome views. After the morning it really was an amazing skiing experience, not the Swiss Alps but definitely not the Poconos either. A bit icy at times but still probably the second best ski-day I have had in my life.

Returned to the hostel around 8 and got ready to go out for some more tapas and experience more of the night life only to kind of fail, ending up in a Burger King at about 1 am. Headed out of our hostel around 9:30 am Sunday and got back into Seville in another BLAH BLAH Car (I don’t even know if its supposed to be in all caps but I kinda like it) and got to Seville around 1. Had an amazing time and can’t wait to go back in two weeks with my parents and again in about a month with my program.

Here are some pics of my trip to Cadiz Below

Captions listed as follows… (Uploading pictures here has been one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever done)

1. The boat

2. Cpt. Juan Carlos

3. 1st Mate – Curro

Location: Cadiz, Spain and Granada, Spain