Somehow, I have already been in Spain for two weeks. The first history class is almost over. My final paper is in progress and I've been rudely awakened by the realization that I have no idea what might be on the final.
With the end of the first class in sight, this seemed like as good a time as any to reflect upon how things have gone so far.
Here are the goals I set for myself a few days before leaving for Spain and how they've played out.
1. Start at least my first day with a long stroll through Barcelona.
This was an easy one! After a short nap in the hostel, I was up and out the door. I walked more than 5.5 miles. I cruised Las Ramblas, the side streets, and La Boqueria. The rest of my days have all included long walks around the neighborhood, to the beach, and to school and back.
2. Refuse to speak English during daylight hours for the first week.
This was not as easy as I had hoped. To start, I was painfully jet-lagged and overtired on my first day. I struggled to muster up enough Spanish to have the taxi take me to my hostel, and once there, I needed the English to check in. Then, I arrived at the apartment building with other students from my university. Turns out, I'm the only nerd who actually wants to speak Spanish in Spain. Color me shocked. I have conceded to their English-speaking in hopes of making friends.
However, I do refuse to speak English in response to Spaniards. Spaniards will pick up on your accent and respond to you in English rather than trying to speak Spanish or Catalan. But I came to Spain to improve my Spanish. If I wanted to speak English, I'd stay home or go to the UK. I need the Spanish practice.
3. Never refuse an invitation.
This should have had an asterisk. As it turns out, you sometimes have to refuse one invitation when you've already accepted another. You also sometimes have to refuse an invitation if you're bedridden with a virus. And sometimes, you're invited to do things you just don't care to. So you can turn those invites down too. So, in summary, I have managed to not turn down any invitations when I was available and interested in going. I've also planned several events of my own and had people accept my invitations. So hooray! Friendship!
4. Actually unpack.
I did this as soon as my room was available! Everything is organized and as close to homey as I think this room is going to get.
5. Write at least two posts per week.
I've succeeded in this as well! Hopefully, you've enjoyed the fruits of my labor as much as I. :)
Here are some lessons I've learned in my first couple weeks.
1. Check to see if any of your chargers have a ground (aka third prong). If one does, make sure your converter has a spot for the third prong.
2. If someone comes up to you asking for money, you can totally pretend you don't speak Spanish until they go away. It's highly successful and very simple.
3. Skyping your loved ones will probably make the separation harder. You might not feel homesick. You might not be experiencing culture shock. But hearing about the events you're missing and seeing the people who mean the most to you can sometimes spark homesickness. For me, that means it's easiest to limit skyping to once per week.
4. Don't take that plain white t-shirt out of your suitcase at the last minute, damn it. You'll want it.
5. As much as it kills me to admit, you sometimes have to buy bottled water. Uck. It's expensive and wasteful. But foreign tap water and a sensitive stomach don't mix. Trust me on this one.
6. Time is more limited than you think. You might want to blog and keep a journal and go sightseeing and do well in classes, but all the afternoon hours seem to pass so much more quickly than the morning hours spent in class. And then days are gone. And then weeks. So prioritize your wants and make sure you do what's most important (and don't be afraid to find English copies or summaries of the readings for class).
7. Rumbo.com is a great resource for finding cheap flights to other countries. We have two four-day weekends, and Rumbo was very helpful for finding cheap flights that aren't RyanAir. I'm flying roundtrip to Fez for only 65€ in a week!
8. Having your shower professionally fixed is no guarantee that it will actually work any better. The war against the shower wages on.
9. Just do it. Take your Victor/Victoria legs dancing. Buy the pants from the shady dealer in the flea market. Go out on your own when no one will go with you. Ask people to take silly pictures of you. You're the only one who cares and the faded memories will mean more in a year than the immediate embarrassment.
That's all for now! Until next time!