Farewell Dinner and Last Days

In September I didn't know what to expect of Spain. The extent of my previous European travels consisted of visiting family in remote areas of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Instead of going to Disney Land, I went to County Cork. I certainly held romantic notions of Spain; I knew of its history of art and war, its festivals and night-life, and its culture and traditions. However, no travel guide or Hemingway story could prepare me for the culture shock I felt as I took my first steps into Barajas
Aeropuerto.

"Spain Is Different!" has long been the tourist slogan. When I arrived I immediately started to categorize things as familiar or strange. Familiar: driving on the right-side of the road; strange: flushing spanish toilets. In Madrid I had no safety-net, just whatever facebook or email correspondence I was able to keep up with.

I am 100% more interested in European Politics, because living in Spain you are very much affected by the decisions being made by local and international politics. With the reconstruction of a new Europe under way I have observed the campaigns for austerity plans, elections, and strikes.

This year has not been an easy ride, coasting through classes as some study-abroad experiences can be. I spent this year nourishing my appetite for travel and learning. I picked up new hobbies and made new friends, but I also took challenging classes that prepared me "for the real world".

This has been an amazing opportunity for myself and my classmates, to learn another language and experience another culture. My experiences in Madrid have made me a more independent person. I can't wait to return to Madrid, but for now it is good to be home.

Here are a few photos from the Farewell Dinner :)

Prof. Greenan and Dana Marquis 

Chris and Sally Thomas 

Natalia and Sarah outside CEU 

Dancing at the Farewell Dinner

Dana and Professor Oscar Martínez 

Goodbye for now Madrid, I will see you soon! 

Hasta pronto!! :) Adios

Florence and Finals

Hello,
After a lazy weekend spent finishing up final papers and projects I am ready for the busy week ahead.
I have one term paper to finish and then my work is done, well except for taking my exams. It is hard to believe I am in the home stretch! So much has happened this year and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had. I wrote my first blog this year, Vagabunda en Madrid, and I really enjoyed sharing my outlook on studying abroad. I am so happy I am coming back next semester to Madrid, I could not imagine being any where else. The weather in Madrid has provided me with many rainy day afternoons filled with sluggish activity and minimal interactions. After Easter break I received a massive package from my sister Emma, with two giant tubs of peanut butter. I think I will be set for protein for the next 2 semesters. Easter away from home and regular traditions was hard but the package cheered me up. I will be home soon, but I am enjoying my time away and not dwelling on homesickness.

I have recently started reading the works of Jack Kerouac which has inspired me to travel more in the United States. I have never seen the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. I have never been to the mid-west of the United States. When I look at a map, I can really only point to 5 states I have visited, which is admittedly about the same as any tourist can say who is not a citizen of the U.S.A. I'm not going to hitch-hike like Kerouac's protagonists, but this summer I intend on visiting more of my home country.

That's all for now,
Jenny

P.S. I'm going to Italy this weekend! Florence to be specific, I am so excited!

Lithuania! and Spring Break!

Hello,
It feels like I just came back from Lithuania and already Spring Break has started. Today I returned from Brussels, Belgium; a trip I took with two friends from school. My favorite trip of course was Lithuania. I can't think of a time I didn't wonder about Lithuania and my heritage. Lithuania seemed to me to be the least tangible part of my background. My Lithuanian grandfather had lost all contact with his relatives and knew only of a dead brother. Before the second World War my great-grandmother (Bubsha) came to The United States and kept in touch with her brother, Stasys Trakimas. During the war, Stasys told her not to write him and she obliged. His dying wish was to find out what happened to his sister in America. Stasys' family hired an investigator to locate their long-lost relatives. The investigator contacted my uncle Stanely Usovicz, named after Stasys coincidentally, and informed him of his relations. This was a great shock to my uncle, and to the rest of the family, because we thought all of our Lithuanian relatives to be deceased. A family tree was drafted which demonstrated the various relations to extended family members. Thanks to Facebook, I am now friends with most of my "cousins".
When I landed in Lithuania I was nervous I wouldn't recognize my cousin Ausra (and vice versa) but we spotted each other immediately and embraced. We left Vilnius airport for Kaunas, the city Ausra lives in, which was about an hour away. While in Lithuania I saw the two big cities (Kaunas and Vilnius) and Trakai, where Trakai Castle resides. I took plenty of photos, mainly for my father, who is in constant contact with my Lithuanian relatives. Having a British mother I always felt I was missing something by growing up in The United States; that there was part of me waiting in England. I used to imagine what growing up in England would have been like and how different my life might be. My Dad talks with pride about his Lithuanian heritage and speaks fondly of his grandmother, Bubsha. Growing up, I am sure he felt the same disenfranchisement. He tried to get his father to teach him to speak Lithuanian, to which my grandfather replied, "Who the hell would you talk to?" If my grandfather only knew how many Lithuanians my father would talk to.
Here are a few photos to summarize my experiences:

Rasa and I with an old fashioned phone booth

Easter eggs designed according to pagan ritual

Trakai Castle

Family

Above Vilnius city

Have a great day and Happy Easter!

Beautiful Madrid

What a wonderful weekend. The weather in Madrid has been amazing lately, in the 50's and 60's all week. I am content to be in Madrid and no longer feel that restless need to travel. Yesterday I walked around Banco de España metro and the surrounding areas. I didn't exactly know where I was going most of the time, but it was so beautiful outside it didn't bother me. I went to the Kodak store and got some film developed from a camera I had taken to Lisbon and Sevilla. 

Here are a few photos from around Spain:

Sevilla

After meal treats

Lisbon, Portugal

Madrid

I hope you have a great weekend

~Jenny

Frankfurt and other experiences

            Last weekend Sierra, Erika, and myself went to Frankfurt, Germany. It was a big thing for Erika who admitted she had only ever been on planes destined for Miami, Florida (her hometown) or Madrid, Spain (the place of her birth). I was very excited because I had never been to Germany and I had built it up in my mind as an ideal destination.
        When we arrived it was much colder than we anticipated. When we finally got internet access we were bombarded by the out cries of our classmates describing the perfect weather in Madrid! We made the best of the cold weather and bundled up to explore the city.
        One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Frankfurt Zoo. I had never seen a hippopotamus in person until that day at the Zoo. It is no exaggeration how gigantic they are! They had to be kept in an enclosure with powerful mist that fogged up our camera lenses. I could not get a clear picture of the hippo, but I got plenty of photos of the reptiles, fish, and monkeys.
       We stayed in a really lovely hostel for two nights where were able to rent movies and had access to tea and coffee all day and night. Erika and I watched "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" directed by Woody Allen. The film made me miss Barcelona and Spain.
        Our last day in Frankfurt we all admitted we were homesick for Madrid. I think the chill in Frankfurt was getting to us. As far as my new years resolutions: I have visited three counties this semester, I have read at least a book a week, and I have figured out the features of my fisheye camera.

The Bat House

Goofing around in the Hostel

Reptile Room

Have a lovely weekend readers! And Happy belated Woman's Day!!

~Jenny

Reporting from Cardiff, Wales

Hello! I'm writing from Cardiff, Wales! I spent the day yesterday with my grandad and his wife Eunice, who were celebrating twenty-five years of marriage! Today I am at my aunt Nicola and Uncle Craig's home (also in Cardiff). The flight here was only a few hours and suddenly I am reunited with my brother James and my Mom. I was shocked to hear Jimmy's voice has gotten deeper now that he's thirteen and he is only a few inches shorter than me now! It is so nice to relax after mid-terms stress by walking along the misty beach and exploring a medieval castle. When I return to Madrid I can show you all some of the photos I have taken on my journeying about Wales. I still have one last midterm on Wednesday, so in all honesty I am not completely free from studying. Can't wait to be back in Madrid! ~Jenny

Lisbon, Portugal

Hello again!
         This weekend I went on a school trip to Lisbon, Portugal. I am so glad I went on the trip because I don't think I would have gone on my own. Lisbon was so different than I ever anticipated it being. Initially, I thought that it would be very similar to Spain, but upon arrival I realized how wrong I had been. The languages, customs, and traditions are totally unique.
      While in Portugal, we visited: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Palácio Nacional da Pena; and the surrounding town Sintra, Cabo de Roca (the Western-most point of continental Europe), and el Museo Gulbenkian. 
My favorite place to visit was the museum, because the collection included many impressionist painters (including Monet), exotic ceramics from China, and Baroque period furniture. 
      I was sad to leave Portugal because although it was quite cold, the sun was always shining on us. Portugal is definitely a destination I would recommend and a place I hope to revisit shortly! 

The view out my hotel window

Raspberry and Chocolate ice cream!! 

The Castle

My favorite, very simple but elegant

Happy Valentines everyone! (p.s. hope for a safe flight for my brother James and my mom to the U.K. today!)