The Local Neighborhood

My roommate and I just took a long walk around the area where we live and discovered many different types of apartments, restaurants, and stores. We stocked up on some necessities like shampoo and hair conditioner and some snacks in case we find ourselves starving during siesta time and have nowhere to go (a lot of places shut down during siesta time which is pretty unfortunate since around 4 is when we usually get a little hungry). The closest grocery store is underneath an apartment complex. When we first got here it was impossible to find, but we were able to make it there. They sell some interesting things there like white asparagus in bottles. Not to sound judgmental at all, but lets just say that it didn't exactly make me want to grab a fork and dive in. They also don't refrigerate their cheese, milk or eggs. Apparently they use some sort of pasturization where refrigeration isn't necessary until you open them or something.

The area around our dorm is pretty cool. We hadn't had much of an opportunity to really explore it since we always seem to have other things to do, but it was nice to just leisurely walk around and see the sights. We found some cute little parks and some good restaurants and the weather was really beautiful again today. I think its definitely warming up, thank god.



In the afternoon/evening we ended up going to Las Ramblas for a scavenger hunt conducted by IES where we were given a route and a list of things that we were supposed to do. It was a little chaotic since we were supposed to do this with our spanish level class and even though it was stated that it was mandatory, there were several people who didn't come. I slightly envied them. We ended up walking around Las Ramblas for about two hours and it just got to the point where my feet hurt (even though I was wearing nice supportive shoes--thanks Mom and Dad) and it was cold and the lack of sleep that I had from the night before was ebbing away at my patience. We also ended up going down some sketchy alleyways (all as directed by IES, those crazy people) and there were definitely moments when I had my purse in a death grip. The places were much less populated and there were groups of somewhat menacing-looking guys (*don't worry, I was with a group of other people and there were several boys present) but I definitely was booking it out of there when we were through with our task.

I've found myself in many situations recently where I'm so exhausted and wanting to go back to the dorm to sleep but I can't and if I had been with my parents I would have been whiny and grumpy but since I was with people I was just getting to know, I was trying my darndest to maintain a pleasant attitude. I feel like I've just had to consistently be 'on' (for both the purposes of meeting people and letting them know about EuroAdventures--the travel company that I'm marketing/interning for) that I've just been drained at the end of each day.

This whole experience does still seem pretty surreal to me. I just got off skype with one of my best friends in Paris and she is having the time of her life and even just hearing about her experiences is unreal to me. I am so used to being and seeing her in the setting of Walla Walla, Washington where people wear plaid and bike around campus that being in this cosmopolitan city full of glamour and intrigue is....surreal. There isn't quite another way to describe it.

And I'm meeting so many people left and right. If I have learned anything about myself, its that I am very outgoing and that I do seem to thrive in situations where I get to meet a bunch of new people. All of the IES students on my floor in my dorm are good friends of mine now and if anything, I'm the one who is introducing them to a bunch of other new people that I just happen to meet in passing, in the flight over to Barcelona, or even in Spanish class. But there definitely is an aspect of it just being very draining and sometimes I find myself in need of just some quiet time.

I'm still trying to decide what I want to do tonight. I might stay in or go to Kittys, this Irish pub, with some friends just to keep them company. Decisions, decisions....