Travel Plans

So I've been figuring out my schedule for what I'm going to be doing on the weekends. On a sidenote, guess what I'm going to be doing this weekend? Thats right: FC Barcelona game vs. Sevilla on Saturday night!! The games here don't start until 10pm. How crazy is that? So, none you relatives tell Eric this, but I bought him a FC Barcelona soccer jersey, except I think I might wear it to the game (he won't care, I don't think). Anywho, the next day we are going to go see the Sagrada Familia. I've been there before, but I am so excited to go again since I feel like my knowledge of Gaudi's works is a lot more thorough after taking a few art history classes. As for the next few days, I signed up for a Picasso Tour which will happen this afternoon from 4-6:30 and then a Food Tour which is tomorrow at 4. Between Spanish class and the Food Tour tomorrow, I'm probably going to go to the waterfront with a few friends to check out the sights and maybe the aquarium (the weather has gotten a lot nicer. Its beautiful and sunny out right now. I would say its around 45-50 degrees?).

This is another random point, but the cars here are tiny and zip around really fast. Its a little scary crossing the street because seriously, pedestrians are NOT given the right of way. I saw a lady almost get run over today. And there are SO many motorcycle/vespa things that these people ride around on, I think they're like the most popular mode of transportation or something. And a lot of these girls who ride them are all model-esque and tall and beautiful. I swear, I think Spaniards are the most attractive people.

And there are these tropical birds here. They look like a cross between a domestic pigeon and a parakeet and the noises that they make are definitely not as pretty as they look, but I thought it was pretty interesting since all of us were seeing these palm trees and tropical birds during 30 degree weather.

The people on this program definitely party a lot more than I expected. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't naive enough to think that no partying would happen on this trip; I was well aware of the fact that Barcelona is considered a partying city, but I didn't think that people would be going out EVERY night from bars to clubs until 6 or 7 in the morning. I just cannot live like that. I did go to a club my first night here and have gone to a few bars since, but its just not what I really do. My favorite day so far was when we went to Parc Guell, thats just the kind of girl I am, which doesn't go to say that I judge at all what others do with their time, but I also don't want to blow all my money on alcohol and cover fees for clubs. And once actual classes start I doubt its going to be like this. I'm hoping that it will be a lot more chill and laid-back. I don't mind going to an occasional bar or pub and relaxing and talking, but clubs with 7000 people (I'm not kidding. There are clubs like that here) is just way too much for me.

I think I have found the biggest vending machine known to mankind. Its in the entrance way of the metro station by my dormitory and I swear they sell everything from water and candies and normal things like that to pharmaceuticals and condoms. Its so bizarre.

I can't remember if I already said this, but our Spanish classes have started. This week we're just having Spanish class and then next week all of our classes start. We had our welcoming party thing for IES last night. It was nice, I was able to meet a lot of new people and was even able to smoothly slip in little things about Euroadventures and how people should check out their trips. I think I've been doing pretty well on marketing them, if I do say so myself. There definitely is a balance that I have to make between just carrying a normal conversation and then inserting little hints about Euroadventures. Its awkward to go up to someone I don't know and have the first thing come out of my mouth be some marketing ploy.

Okay so long story short, I am planning on these trips:
Jan 28-30: Study Trip to Tarragona
Feb 4-7: Interlaken or Florence
Feb 19-21: Paris
Feb 26-28: Euskadi (Yes, Anchordoguy clan, I am going! I will document it all, I promise!)
Mar 4-7: Florence
Mar 12-14: Costa Brava
Mar 18-21: Traveling with the parents
Mar 26-Apr 5: Spring Break (Tentatively Rome, Amsterdam and Copenhagen)
Apr 15-18: French Riviera (Tentatively)
Apr 29: Heading to Greece with friends. Will go to Prague and maybe Brussels.

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be fantastic! More later.