Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Syd and I were talking the other day, and she said to me, “the more I travel, and sit in cafés or go through airports or walk through parks, the more I realize we’re all just people. We’re all a little bit weird, and we’re all just people.”

It’s true. No matter where you go, you will always find people holding hands, there will always be moms pushing strollers and kids playing tag, there will always be guys hitting on girls in bars, or vice versa. There will always be people eating, old couples sitting down on a bench simply happy to be alive.

So often, I hear Americans say, “Oh my god, the French are so rude,” or “Italian men are so aggressive!” But my first thought is, “Have you been to New York?” or “Have you been to a frat party?” There will always be some cities where people are harder around the edges, where smiles don’t flow as easily as they do in places like the American South. I grew up in New England – when people smile at you on the street you run away. And yes, maybe in some terms Italian men get very excited about American girls, but I’ve never felt as accosted as by a fraternity brother after one too many rounds on the ruit table.

There’s nothing like a language barrier to help emphasize the fact that we are all just in this life together.  When you have to struggle to communicate, to act things out with your hands or even your whole body, when you are able to laugh at yourself in your foolishness and celebrate with the other person when you both finally get your point across – it’s one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment. And nothing unites different people like laughter.

The point is, the more that I interact with different cultures, and the more that I learn new differences, the more I realize that there really aren’t any.  I think that living abroad has really given me a gift in helping me realize this.  We’re all just people trying to live from one day to the next, and there’s no room for fear or ignorance.

Southern Spain, I just can't quit you

 So I’ve been hating on Spanish cuisine a little bit. After spending a summer eating some of the best cuisine France had to offer, adjusting to a diet with staples such as fried potatoes with mayonnaise and ham was slightly depressing. I was beginning to think that I was doomed a palate of bland fried food for the rest of my time here, and then this weekend I went to Southern Spain.

There is definitely a reason why Sevilla is known for its tapas (besides being the origin of the dish). I didn’t eat a bad thing while I was there. From the smoked salmon, avocado and tomato salad for lunch, the unreal quail and ratatouille tapa at Panduro, or even just the best Spanish tortilla I’ve ever consumed as a small snack, this food left me at a loss for words.

Taberna el Panduro has won the award in Sevilla for the best tapas for a couple years running now, and it wasn’t hard to taste why. With a green “creamy” risotto, the best Tuna Tataki in the world, and the most wonderfully juicy swordfish, this place is as much of a must-see as the Plaza de Espana. 

Add in the largest cathedral in the world, Las Setas, and one of the largest "old towns" in Europe, Sevilla is the most beautifully delicious city in Spain.

Combine this with Granada, where it is a law that if you order a drink in a restaurant, they have to give you free tapas, and Southern Spain is my new favorite place in the world. Leaving this morning was a conscious mental strain, and I will be dreaming about The Land of the Tapas until my next visit.

Pinterest is the best worst thing that’s ever happened to me

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I’m not sure if you’ve discovered the magical wonderland that is Pinterest yet, but I must strongly advise against it. Restrain yourself. Don’t go down that road. You’ll never come back.

You want to travel? Well Pinterest has that covered. Even I have a Wanderlust board full of photos of places that I have been, and many more that I have yet to tackle. But looking at those pictures doesn’t come close to actually going. Browsing through someone else’s boards with captions like #50thingsbeforeIdie doesn’t help you book that ticket. It just makes your eyes glaze over and five hours later you realize that you’re still sitting at a desk and not on a plane.

Oh, do you want to lose weight? Well Pinterest just became your new personal trainer. There are countless ab exercises, squats you’ve never even heard of, all attached to amazing, rock hard bodied models who have 5% body fat, do yoga every morning after their 13 mile run and only eat kale and quinoa, unless they’re juicing. Oh, and don’t worry, there are quotes times a bajillion for any moment of weakness (just pain leaving the body) to help you stay motivated. Don’t even think about eating that cookie, because a moment on the lips isn’t worth the 6 hours of interval sprints on the treadmill that you’d need to burn if off. Don’t go near that pumpkin spice donut with buttermilk spiced glaze…

And OMG did you see those Pumpkin flavored rice krispy treats? Right next to the autumn white wine sangria, the flourless chocolate cake with raspberry whipped Chantilly and the chicken potpie that you can make in less than 23 minutes? And yeah those Red Velvet Crepes might not be the healthiest but if you eat them as a dessert after that super healthy BUT WAIT GRILLED CHEESE MAKEOVERS? And after that killer workout this morning you can definitely afford to eat all the perfect crockpot mac and cheese that you want and still fit into those amazing…

Chanel tweed pants and Tory Burch flats. Oh, you don’t make a million dollars a year? You can’t afford to buy out the top floor of Barneys? Don’t worry, after you’ve searched through every Vogue Fashion week pin, Etsy will show you how to sew your own peppermint buttons and pin them on your own handcrafted wooden corkboard to go on the whitewashed walls of your dream kitchen overlaid with fur rugs and decorated with the best art possible while your five puppies and commercial ready small children walk hand in hand through flower filled gardens.

I give up.  

An ode to Barcelona

I know I’ve written about the fact that I like being a tourist, but this weekend really nailed that sentiment shut. Being able to guide the trip to Barcelona was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

There is nothing like going around a city in which you live with someone new. Someone who hasn’t seen the mosaic tiles of Casa Batlló. Someone who hasn’t had their breath taken away when walking into Catedral de Santa Maria del Mar. Someone who has never tasted patatas bravas.

There’s something magical about the small winding streets of the Gotico and El Borne. There’s something exhilarating about the wind in your hair while biking through the Parc of the Citadel. Something youthful about the candy land that is Parc Guell.

When you show someone around your city, and you see their amazement, their excitement, when you experience their physical response, it affects you as well. Maybe subconsciously, maybe blatantly, but all I know is I fell in love with Barcelona all over again this weekend. 

Hindsight

Being in Barcelona as a college graduate is undoubtedly much different than being here as a student studying abroad. Hanging around with college kids will definitely throw waves of nostalgia at you, and also make you rethink your time abroad. I hear all of these plans and new questions, and can’t help but to think of things that I would have done differently.

1. I would have spent my time traveling to those places I will probably never go again. Not to say in any way that I didn’t love the traveling that I did in Europe – there wasn’t a city I didn’t like or an experience that I regret. But I wish I had been a little more adventurous, and chosen the places like Istanbul, Morocco, Hungary. Those are all places that I will most likely never go with my family later on in life, and even with the best job in the world some of them may not work out.

2.     I would have spent more time exploring Paris and less time being hungover. Granted, most Barcelona kids go out during the week so they’re just hungover during class, but I had my fair share of Fridays and Saturdays that were spent watching tv online instead of out and about learning the city in which I was living. I am so lucky that I have gotten to go back to Paris, but if I could say anything to my study abroad self, it would be “the whole bottle isn’t worth it."

3.     I would have sent more postcards. My boyfriend at the time’s Granny lived in the south of England, and had an entire wall of postcards from all of her family and friends and the places they’d been. I actually did send her a postcard from every place that I went, but I wish I had sent them to my family, to my friends, etc. How cool would it be for my 10 yr old sister to have a postcard timeline from my travels abroad? I’m definitely trying to make an effort now, but it won’t be the same.

4.     I would have done a homestay. Now, for anyone already abroad, this is moot, but for those of you considering it – there is nothing like the challenge of living with another family and their culture to really allow you to understand a new city. Living in France this summer was one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had, and not only am I now fluent in French, but I feel like I can relate to the French people as a whole.

I’m sure there are more, but this isn’t meant to sound like a wave of regrets. I absolutely loved being abroad, which is why I came back to Europe this year - I couldn’t get it out of my system. It’s just a reminder to appreciate every single small detail and to see the bigger picture at the same time. This opportunity really is just once in a lifetime, and as Ferris tells us, don’t miss it.

A Foodie's Food Frustrations in Europe

A. Ketchup that isn't Heines. This might seem like a minor detail, but organic/knockoff ketchup is the bane of my existence.

B. Breakfast as we know and love it does not exist in the Schengen States. The UK comes decently close, but there is nothing worse than toast when all you want is an eggwhite omelette with mushrooms, fines herbs and goat cheese. Or huevos rancheros. Or home fries. Or french toast with a side of sausage. The worst part is, you would think opening up an amazing breakfast place would be the jackpot of all jackpots. But the only people who would go to it would be Americans if the faces my French family gave me this summer when I ate eggs at breakfast instead of dinner are any indication.

C. Speaking of huevos rancheros - how is Mexican cuisine the most challenging thing to come out of America? There are "tex mex" restaurants scattered throughout Spain, mostly to attract homesick and hungover American students but they just can't quite get to that level of flavor that I would describe as "simple" to accomplish.

D. Caesar salads. Have you ever ordered a Caesar salad in Italy? It comes with balsamic and olive oil. Just...no.

E. Sandwiches. England actually has a couple decent ones, and France has Pret-a-Manger, but typical, build your own sandwich places just don't exist. Neither do bagels. BAGELS.


All of this being said, there are definitely things that Europe has that the U.S. does not. Like French bread and pastry, Spanish Iberico ham, and just anything Italian in Italy. But that's for another post.

Love the one you're with

A girl I met studying in Ireland told me that she didn’t want to travel anywhere else but within her country during her semester abroad. I was dumbfounded – I couldn’t imagine not taking advantage of the opportunity to explore Europe as much as possible.

Upon discussing it with my Bus2alps roommates, however, who are all extensively well traveled and have all had their own European adventures, Grace said, “Well, technically that is the way you’re supposed to do it. Really just stay in one new place and get to know it the best you can.”

I in no way have any regrets about my study abroad experience, but Grace and this student have a point. I was so excited to be in Europe that when I studied in Paris, I was barely in Paris. I went to so many places on the weekends that by the end of the semester, I scarcely knew the city I was living in. My program offered day trips throughout France as well, but I only went on one of the two I was allowed to go on and didn’t even think to try and explore within the same country. It wasn’t until this summer that I saw the south of France – which is an entirely different place and absolutely amazing. I am obsessed with every inch of the French Riviera and cannot wait until I get the chance to explore Auvergne.

This is why if I could do it over again, I would take advantage of the Bus2alps day trips as much as possible. The day trips that we have leaving out of Barcelona are IN-CRED-IBLE, and I really can’t justify not going on them. I know this might seem like a shameless plug, but our trip to Montserrat & Cava tasting is probably going to be my favorite day this semester. I’m also counting down the days until our trip to Southern Spain – Barcelona is so different from the rest of the country, and the chance to experience that difference is an opportunity I refuse to let pass by.

This is not to say don’t go to the rest of Europe. Do. Go everywhere. Go to Prague and Croatia and Paris and Morocco. Fall in love with every city that you can. Just remember that you are here to live here too, and some of the best travels can be found just half an hour outside of your door.