The Spanish aren't very Irish

I celebrated Saint Patrick's Day last night and found it is not super popular here! But what would I expect? There were a few bars serving Guinness and giving away hats but not many people were wearing green or even sporting green green beads. The little amount of Irish in me isn't enough to get sad about the lack of green. And I hate Guinness anyway. In hindsight I should have gotten a plane ticket to Ireland for the weekend... could have been interesting.

Now I've only got 9 more weekends in Europe to explore and keep knocking new places off my traveling wish list. Amsterdam is a top destination, so I'm hoping it can work out in my favor. 

Props to this chic

Last week my communication professor invited all her students to her apartment for dinner and drinks. She's also doing an exchange as a teacher, as she is normally teaching at Northern Arizona State in Flagstaff. It was a kind gesture to invite all her students and cook for them as well! We ate a super good, super healthy meal with plenty of vegetables and fruits (which we happen to lack in our daily lives here).

Here I met a girl studying through another program here in Bilbao, but also taking classes through my program as well. As we got to talking I find out she's studying Chemical Engineering. I asked her if that's hard to study abroad with such a strict curriculum. I don't think I know of any UMaine Engineers who have studied abroad for this reason. However, she went on to tell me that she was able to take some of her required engineering classes here in Spain. I thought, wow that's awesome she was able to find a program with so many classes offered to her, but come to find out she's taking an engineering class taught in Spanish.

That bitch got balls to sit through a science class babbled off in Spanish. So I asked her if she was learning anything, and she replied yes because she had the English version of the textbook. Well lucky her because otherwise that sounds like a mess. I have no idea how I would take tests or ask questions about formulas or numbers if it was all in Spanish. Not like I have any clue about math and science in English either though.

Crema de cacahuete

I just got home from the store, I finally caved and bought peanut butter because I just had to have it. I thought I could live without such a simple item, but I was jonesin' for it. However, I'm not at all bothered by leaving my 4 euro jar in the kitchen cabinet because not a damn soul likes peanut butter in Europe. The kid I tutor down the street said he didn't even know what it tasted like! These kids are so deprived from the classic PB&J and the chocolate peanut butter combo for that matter!

Gorgeous day in Spain

Random abandoned structure looking out over the ocean

Just got home from a 4hr walk with my friend Lauren. We didn't intend to be out so long, but we took a metro ride to the breach and ended finding a path that led us back to where we started that ran along the entire coastline.

We saw some kites from far away,
and when we finally reached them we found
people attached to them!

No más pan, por favor

Yesterday was one of the first days in weeks that I did not consume bread. At home, this is not a normal occurrence, and in fact eating bread is quite rare for me. Not in Spain however, fresh loaves of French bread every damn day. I don't even want to pretend like getting on a scale right now would be enjoyable.

Fortunately there is a nice boardwalk that runs along the beach a few blocks from my house. I usually run or walk on nice days but as of recently, I've obtained some roller blades perfect for the biking path. Rollerblading is quite popular here and it makes me wonder why Americans faded out this sport after the 90s. It's better than walking, and less equipment than biking, so it's perfect!

Bittersweet

Probably the most amazing time I've had here in Spain was the time spent with my boyfriend Matt. Before his arrival I literally conjured up the most rediculous worst case senerios of everything that could go wrong. As usual, in the end I was just wasting all that negative energy on nothing. Everything was terrific. We ate, drank, and walked all over Bilbao. It was fun running around the city showing my boyfriend a taste of what my new life is like here, but it was also great when we discovered new things together.

It was such a crazy feeling to have two worlds meet like they did. My new life and everything I do here, from speaking Spanish to using public transportation, is nothing like my life in Maine. Yet, magically Matt was able to bring a taste of home to me.

Come to find out we were both nervous about what it would be like to be together again, and if it would be normal and natural. It was like no time had passed... except our unfamiliar surroundings. 

Today I brought him back to the airport to see him off back to Boston. It was bittersweet because it was so amazing to see him, yet my desire to go home was getting greater. This country is amazing and beautiful and I think Matt would agree but home is where my heart is.

It sucks that in reality we don't know what we have until it's gone. And this goes for anything, material things, people, memories, you name it. I always wanted to be a free spirit, traveling around the world, living in god knows where, but I've learned that I'm just not like that. Not all people have the desire to study abroad. Not all people have the desire to learn about other cultures. But because I did have those desires I thought I should pursue them. Well now that I have, I'm okay with it. I'll be checking it off my check-list and returning home, not living randomly throughout the world. It's okay to be attached to your roots. As humans, why shouldn't we be?

See you soon America!

Photos from top to bottom: two chocolate desserts at La Mary's restaurant; eating pintxos (aka tapas) in Casco Viejo; sunny day on the boardwalk in Gexto

Matt traveled to Spain!

So fortunate my boyfriend could travel all the way to Europe to visit me. The few days he's been here have been some of my best days here in Bilbao!