Sipping Sangria in Spain

Last weekend I took my first mini trip to....drumroll please....BARCELONA! The city exceeded all of my expectations. Gorgeous architecture, 80 degree weather and clear skies, beautiful beaches, tall, dark and handsome men, amazinggg night life...what more could a girl want? I was only there for four days. And although I returned to Amsterdam absolutely exhausted and happy to be home, I really didn't want to leave Barcelona. Take me back please!

Our first walk through the city! On La Rambla and excited to explore.

On Thursday, we arrived in Barcelona at 8 AM after traveling by bike, train, plane and bus (We left Amersterdam at 3 in the morning). I traveled in the first group (me + 3 girls) who stayed Thursday through Sunday. The second group arrived Friday night and stayed through Monday. The four of us spent our first day exploring the neighborhood. Our hostel was located in the perfect spot - right on La Rambla, which is the main strip for shopping, bars and sightseeing as well as a 15 minute walk from the beach. It was amazing! We walked EVERYWHERE. So when we finally made it to the beach, we couldn't have been more relieved. After a few hours in the sand, one very large mug of Sangria to celebrate our first day and a WONDERFUL afternoon nap, we went out for the most delicious dinner of tapas and sangria. (starting to notice a trend yet?) Straight from dinner we went out to a club called Sutton. Even though we arrived around 1 AM, the club was deserted. Literally EMPTY!  We were warned that people in Spain went out later than people in other countries, but we didn't realize just how late! Barcelonians don't go out until around 2:30 am and stay out until 7 in the morning. We learned our lesson. But don't worry..we didn't let our first night go to waste! We swiped a free glass of champagne from the bar (our gift for being so early) and snuck down to the bathroom where we proceeded to nap, yes NAP, on the couches in the lounge for a good 30 minutes. When we woke up and returned upstairs around 2, the club was packed and we were refreshed and ready to party!!! All I can say is thank goodness for siestas...

Walking through the Gothic (Barri Gotic) district!

The sun on our first day couldn't have been more perfect!

The Cathedral!

OVERJOYED to finally make it to the beach.

Can you spot anyone topless?! We saw plenty...

Afternoon treat. Salud to Barcelona!

Reemerging from the bathroom in Sutton...

On Friday we slept in until 12 pm. (like true Spaniards!) After a late lunch we set out to visit some of the top sights in the city. It was a day of Gaudí! We spent the afternoon at La Pedrera, Casa Terrades, La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. La Sagrada Familia, designed by Antoni Gaudí, is a large Catholic church most famous for being incomplete. Gaudí died before its completion in 1926, and while the construction has slowly progressed since then, the project will not be finished until 2026! We also traveled to Park Guell, a garden complex once again designed by Gaudí. Park Guell was one of my favorite places in Barcelona! It was like a giant Dr. Seuss world situated on a hill with an incredible view of Barcelona.

Casa Terrades

La Sagrada Familia

Standard tourist shot!

Such an incredible work of art!! Can't wait to see it completed.

Welcome to Park Guell!! It was huge!

View from the top of the park.

Gaudi's house.

Another beautiful view <3

One of Gaudi's genius works of art.

My favorite spot!

That night the rest of the group arrived. It was so great to be all together again! After another superb siesta, we began to get ready for the night. Our hostel room turned into one big pregame with travelers from all over the world! Such a fun experience. Around 1 AM, the group ventured to a bar called Chupitos. It was CRAZY. Anyone ever heard of a Monica Lewinsky shot? I hope not. I'm going to refrain from putting up most of the pictures from this bar....

After Chupitos we went to a gorgeous beach club called Opium (around 2:30 am). The cover charge was supposed to be 20 Euro per person, but by some miracle Haley, Makenzie and I got in for the price of one! (Haley has serious skills...) Unfortunately, we all got separated in the club line and most of the other girls couldn't get in. The three of us inside the club didn't even realize what had happened until way later! I felt soo terrible... BUT the club was packed with attractive people and so much fun!

After a few solid hours of dancing until we could barely stand, we decided to get some fresh air in the outdoor section of the club. It was literally right on the water - so beautiful! We were all having a great time splashing in the shallow part of the sea and relaxing on the sand. While Haley was holding my camera, I got a little TOO brave and decided it would be a wonderful idea to join the British men in the sea for a picture... I'm sure you can all guess how this ends. Three hammeredddd men holding a California girl in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea? Yep. They threw me in. Club attire, shoes, bag and all. I WAS THROWN INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AT 6 AM AT A BARCELONA CLUB. Thank goodness Haley had my camera!!! When I approached the bouncer 10 minutes later ready to go back inside and keep partying (looking like a wet rat), he unfortunately refused to let me back in. Surprise surprise. So, that was the end to my night. I left in a cab with a smile from ear to ear (and turned some poor man's cab seat into a complete lake...oops!) Honestly a night to remember forever!

The Balcony of our hostel! Peter's model face...

The only picture from Chupitos that's appropriate for the public eye.

Haley galavanting through the sand at 5 AM.

My first mistake....

Still in shock...

Realization has now set in. RIP Dutch phone.

After a wild night, the group decided to spend the day relaxing at the beach. On our walk over we stopped at a highly recommended little restaurant called Bo De B. FAVORITE FOOD SPOT OF THE WEEKEND! We all got ginormous and incredibly delicious sandwiches to take to the beach (along with a few bottles of wine)...pure bliss! That night, after another siesta of course, the group went out for a late dinner of tapas and sangria. A few of the girls went clubbing after, but Anne, Tessa and I went to a crowded street and stayed up until about 3 AM laughing and people-watching while we sipped on a second round of sangria. It was a perfect way to end my wonderful weekend in Barcelona. Plus when my original travel group had to wake up at 6 AM to head back to the airport, Tessa and I were in A LOT better shape than the two who went clubbing. Poor things were miserable on that flight home...

This picture doesn't even do the sandwich justice. I will forever love Bo De B.

Celebrating our last night with a group dinner!

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better trip!! And I'm already looking forward to an opportunity to return to Barcelona. :) As always, sending my love to those at home!! xo

From Breakfast to Prostitutes

As I sit here getting ready to go to my second lecture for "The Local and Global Complexity of Prostitution" (yes it's 8:30 in the morning), I can't help but get sucked into a quick blog post. Last week this was my favorite class! I mean....can you blame me?

My professor lecturing on our first topic for discussion - "WHORE"
I quickly snuck a picture on my iPhone!

My beautiful new school!!

My two (lovely and very eccentric) professors began the first class session by showing the Nikki Minaj music video "Stupid Hoe." We then proceeded to analyze the use and meaning behind the word "hoe" for... I dont know, a good 60 minutes? Later this semester we get to hear the perspectives on prostitution from 2 special guests. The first: a prostitute herself! And the second? A male client. I can already tell I'm going to love this class!

In case you haven't seen the wonderfully eloquent and sophisticated music video for "Stupid Hoe," I've  posted it below. Enjoy!

Eating My Way Through Life (Plus a Trip to the Zoo)

These next few posts are long overdue! I just got back from a weekend in Barcelona and it was amazinggg - I can't even begin to express my love for this city! But I'm exhausted. Absolutely dead. (Also broke...sorry Dad) So this week is all about recovering, relaxing, reading (wait, am I here for school??), saving money and most importantly, CATCHING UP ON THIS BLOG! A post on Barcelona will be next. :)

About a week ago I went on a food tour of Amsterdam! A group of about 20 of the most dedicated foodies from my program met in the city center for a special Dutch eating adventure. We expected lots of yummy samples. What we didn't expect? For the tour to be on bike. While this might not seem like a big deal, trust me, it makes things wayyyy more difficult. Imagine 20 relatively inexperienced American college students attempting to ride bikes through a city of narrow one-way streets and canals packed with ignorant tourists, cars, mopeds and hundreds of other agressive bicyclists. Yep. Now you get it. It was a very chaotic 2 hours filled with numerous near-collisions, but also extremely fun and informative. I tasted my first bite of traditional Dutch pickled herring! And learned about all the best spots to get food with the locals. I can't wait to try all the restaurants on my new list!

Pickled herring. Surprisingly not bad!!

Hidden gem: a macaroon store!

The stroopwaffle macaroon. ABSOLUTE HEAVEN.

Then I tasted a real fresh stroopwaffle (the Dutch traditional dessert). And I realized
how wrong I was about the macaroon. A REAL STROOPWAFFLE is the most amazing
thing in the entire world. Never eat one. You'll end up addicted just like me.

I learned that the best place to have a delicious slice of Dutch apple pie in Amsterdam is at a little café called Winkle...so of course I had to go back to find out for myself! Anne and I skipped out on the drinks one school night and opted for a quiet night of coffee and apple pie. I had no regrets. :)

Winkle's apple pie! (and a coffee to wash it down)

A few other delicious finds with the girls:

Traditional dutch muesli with plain yogurt...one of my new favorite breakfasts!

The cutest café I've been to so far! I loved the homemade shortbread they served on the side.

YUM. The bread and cheese in Amsterdam are just incredible. I could eat this sandwich everyday.

One of our favorite cafes is conveniently right around the corner from our dorms!
Olivia loves their hot chocolate.

And this café is right on the canal! It's the perfect atmosphere for sitting outside at night.

On the same day that I went on the food tour, I took a trip to the Amsterdam zoo! I haven't been to the zoo at home in ages, but I love animals!! So of course I had a blast. I took a gajillion pictures of random furry blurs, but for your sake (and so I don't bore you even more than I probably already am) I'll just post a few of the better shots.

Baby gorilla and Papa! So cute!

With each day that I'm in Amsterdam, I fall in love with my new home more and more. It's such a beautiful and unique city. I'm so lucky! Sending lots of love to all my friends and family at home! Miss you guys!! xo

Bread, Boats and Birthdays!

Am I really already in my third week here?! Time is just flying by and I have lots to share. By the way, it is absolutely gorgeous in Amsterdam today. I just went for a walk in search of iced coffee (everyone drinks it hot here!!) and was blown away by the beautiful weather. I wish it could be like this everyday!!

A perfect day in the Jordaan!

Last week was a whirlwind of fun activities! I was lucky enough to get to celebrate the birthdays of two of my new friends, take a day trip to see a rural outskirt of the Netherlands, visit the zoo, go on a food tour of Amsterdam and attend about a gazillionnnn orientation activities, ALL IN ONE WEEK!

Mackenzie turned 21 on Tuesday, so of course we began celebrating Monday night. We tried to give her a big American birthday celebration (Smirnoff pregame and all), but as you can probably guess, turning 21 just isn't a big deal in Europe. We went bar hopping in Leidseplein, making sure to announce to just about anyone with ears that it was MACKENZIE'S 21ST!! Downside: no one seemed to care. Upside: all the bartenders heard our obnoxious shouts and brought us lots of free birthday shots and champagne!! (I'm still convinced it was nothing more than strawberry-banana juice and sparkling apple cider. Shhh don't tell Mackenzie, she couldn't tell!)

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

Ready to hit the town!

No successful 21st goes without fast food at 3 am. Welcome to...Chipsy King.
The Del Taco of Amsterdam. The only thing they serve is french fries
(with toppings of course)...ALL NIGHT. Very dangerous.

On Wednesday, we took a day trip to the outskirts of the Netherlands to visit Hoorn, Medemblik and Enkhuizen (Nope, I can't pronounce them either). We traveled by bus to Hoorn, where we boarded an old-fashioned steam train to take us to Medemblik, where we boarded an old-fashioned steamboat to take us to a historical fishing town in Enkhuizen. A very LONG day of traveling, but it was all so fun! Great picture opportunities, beautiful weather and, of course, plenty of bread... I had the best day!

Steam train!

Surprise coffee and sweet pastries for the train ride :)

SHEEP EVERYWHERE!

Windblown...love these girls!

A typical house in rural Holland...so perfect!

The girls in Medemblik!

Butterflies in the sun.

Relaxing by the water.

Beautiful Medemblik.

All aboard the steamboat!!

Lunch :)

Dutch sunbathing!? Captured this just moments before her grandfather walked
over to pour beer on her head. Hmm....can't really explain that one.

Haley <3

We made it to the fishing village!

Old windmill!

Drying the fish.

Beautiful day to be outside :)

The birthday boy casually taking a sun nap (in preparation for celebrations later that night...)

I know I've mentioned this before, but Dutch children are just too cute!! Look at these little ones in some traditional Dutch outfits...

Check out those clogs!

Little house on the prairie?

She almost started crying after I took her picture....oops!

That night, we celebrated Peter's 22nd birthday. He wanted Mexican....and actually found a Mexican restaurant in Amsterdam!! Not as good as California Mexican food of course, but still an exciting find.

Happy Birthday Peter!

With the birthday boy!

There's still so much to share!! A post on the zoo as well as my first week of classes are both coming soon! Missing everyone at home SO SO much! xo