The first week

So I had an energizing Shabbat with my extended family in Jerusalem and I was beginning to feel really comfortable with them and the country of Israel, but then it was time to leave for Spain! I arranged for a taxi to pick me up early Sunday morning at 3am, and my Turkish airlines flight left Tel-Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport at 645am. Everything went smoothly- transfer in Istanbul and arrival in Barcelona. CEA - the study abroad program provider was there to pick me up and I hopped on a coach bus to the hotel. Once at the hotel, Avenida Palace, we checked in and had the rest of the day to relax and walk around to get a feel for the city. I met my hotel roommate Torrie, and we decided to go for a walk. It was just by chance that we ended up at Las Ramblas, one of the main touristy avenues in Barcelona. We made it all the way down to the water, walked around the Maremagnum Mall for a while. I started feeling really nauseous and sick so we decided to head back to the hotel. When we got back, I fell asleep at 7:30pm and did not wake up until the next morning at 9:30am. Wow, i was exhausted! Monday, we had orientation presentations all afternoon and then I went to dinner with some friends and walked around some more.
Tuesday- more orientation in the morning and then a bus tour of the city for about 3 hours that afternoon. It was really informative and they took us to all the major attractions, including Sagrada Familia, Montjuic, Barceloneta (my neighborhood!) and some famous Gaudi architectures.
Wednesday we checked out of the hotel and they transfered everyone to their housing throughout the day. When we got to our apartment, I was so extactic! It is right on a main street, Joan de Borbo, and our livingroom overlooks the bay with tons of sailboats and a view of the aquarium. Our neighborhood is so cute, with many shops and a fresh fish market everyday. I think we are the only CEA students living here. My roommates are great, I share a room with Kendra from United States State. Kim, from Towson, and Laurie, from United States, both have single rooms. So Wednesday night was the huge welcome party for all students studying abroad in Barcelona at Danzatoria. Its supposedly David Beckam's old mansion and it is humongous. So many different rooms and DJs, and bars and nice interior- i wanna live there.
Thursday, we had the day off to relax and get acquainted, I walked around and relaxed on the boardwalk of the Mediterranean Sea, so pretty! That night I went to a bar with Laurie and her friend from home, Karen, who has been studying in Spain since September.
Friday we had a Spanish placement test in the morning and then orientation at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in the afternoon. I will take Spanish and Contemporary Spain at the CEA Global Campus and International Business and Strategic Management of the Firm at UAB. The main UAB campus is 35 minutes outside the city, but they have this one huge building for international students in the city- so thats where our classes will be held. Friday night we went to Ovella Negra (the black sheep). Its just a beer and sangria bar where a lot of internationals hang out and a good place to meet up with friends.
Today is Saturday and so far I have been a big bum and slept in late, but hey- its technically still my winter break until classes start on Monday.
Thats all for now!
xoxo steph

Barcelona, Spain