13: Prepare for Bug Bites

Gross picture, I know. That big bite made the inside of my ankle swell up! At first I thought my ankle was inflamed because I was walking too much. But, alas, I've realized that I just react really badly to bug bites.

Every time I'm out late (participating in night life, going to the beach, getting back from the bus station late) or early (out for morning runs, or getting back from the bus station... early, I guess!), I get one or two bug bites. This picture is just one of them. Right now I have a huge swollen red patch on the back of my left thigh from a particularly brutal one.

Everyone reacts to bug bites differently (the locals don't seem to have any!), but it's a good idea to bring some cortizone cream with you. Or, get some ice from the Pencion's freezer, put it in a bag, and ice those itchy spots. Just, whatever you do, do not itch. Way easier said than done, I know.

An alternative to bringing cortizone cream (or spending a lot of money on a tube while in Europe) is to use home remedies, which take advantage of products that are cheaper to buy or that you might already have. I have to credit my mom with these treatments--after I told her about my bug bites, she sent me a link to an awesome website with many, many ways to make a big bite stop itching! Here's the website: Over 40 mosquito bite itch relief tips.

Read more

12: Bring Snacks to Studio

Cacahuetes bañados en chocolate

Studio is from 10AM-2PM. Lunch/siesta is from 2PM-5PM. Studio happens again from 5PM-8PM. Lately, though, we've been ending around 8:30-9PM. The sun is still out at 9PM so it doesn't feel like the day is over, and since we've been in studio for so long, we just want to keep going...

Meal timing to ensure I don't starve has been a challenge but I think I've got it down now. I wake up early--6AM to be exact--and run to the beach at 6:30AM (I'll write a post about exercise later!). At 6AM I eat a couple crackers so I have some energy for running. I eat breakfast around 7:30AM. By 11AM, I need a snack, because lunch is still a few hours away! At 2PM I eat lunch at the Pencion. By 6PM though, I need another snack. At 8 or 9PM, I eat dinner, which is usually a salad with leftovers from lunch.

Notice that both my snack times fall during studio hours (and are around meal times that I am used to!). So what do I bring? The building in which we hold studio is two blocks away from the Mercadona, the supermarket, so if I forget to bring snacks I can hop on over, but I usually bring my own. I fill a little Tupperware container with a combination of fruit from the market (lately it's been apricots, peaches, or plums), nuts (I'm addicted to peanuts), hard-boiled egg (pre-peeled), crackers (the same ones I eat before running), spreadable cheese (similar to Laughing Cow), and/or candy (today I had a honey hard candy that was yummy!). The yummiest snack ever are peanuts bathed in chocolate, as pictured above. I also drink a lot of water and hope to stay not-too-hungry until I can eat again back at the Pension.

There's also a cafe across the street that lets us bring our coffee cups to the studio. Another cafe around the corner has tostadas with cheese for .80 euro. Lots of options, but I like to bring my own snacks.

Read more

11: Internet Ain't Free

FRIENDS Cafe in Torrevieja. Free wifi with purchase!

There's wireless internet at the Pencion, but it's totally, completely, utterly random. I think it has something to do with both how many people are connected at one time and how close you are to where the router is, but truthfully... I have no idea. On some days, I'll be able to connect on both my iPhone and my laptop with no problems. Otherwise it's spotty on both. Most of the time, I get a spotty connection on either my phone or my laptop. On really bad days, I can't get a connection on either. Sometimes, moving down to the bar area ensures a good connection, but today that didn't work.

There are a few other options. I have an account set up with a nearby internet cafe (4.74 euros for 5 hours) where I use their computers on a timer. The library has wifi for free, but it is only open certain hours and is really slow. I've been able to connect sometimes to an unsecured wifi network from next door. The most reliable and expensive option is to purchase a personal wifi hotspot creator-thing (it looks like a flash drive and connects through USB) from any of the mobile phone vendors.

Right now, I've been sitting in Cafe Eligeme for five hours straight after ordering a cafe Americano. Good thing they don't kick people out of cafes in Spain. It's such a luxury to have stable, fast internet! I'm pretty sure I know the melodies to all of the popular soft rock/pop songs in Spain now too, because that's what radio station they're tuned into.

Read more

Toyo Ito Relaxation Spa Ruins in Torrevieja

Torrevieja is a city larger than Guardamar and about a 20-minute bus ride away. It's along the coast as well but it lacks a beach. There's a boardwalk instead.

But we weren't interested in the boardwalk. We walked and walked and walked in the 5PM sun, scurrying from shady spot to shady spot, navigating roundabouts, and zigzagging our way from the city center to the edge of town. We passed so many Chinese restaurants. We walked through a neighborhood built for the British, which had no shady spots on the sidewalk because the British love the sun (that's why they vacation in Spain). I'm pretty sure we made it to the edge of town.

We come to a field overgrown with wild plants and see a black mass off in the distance. It's the ruins of a relaxation spa that Toyo Ito designed (here is more information). The mayor of Torrevieja a few years back commissioned several famous architects to build in the city. The relaxation spa was hated by the locals, and when the financial crisis hit and the project was more heavily scrutinized, it was found that the spa was being built on land protected as a nature preserve by the Valencian government (similar to a state government). Construction was halted and what was already built was abandoned.

We climbed into the foundation of the spa and found it eerie. We could tell that it had been burned and the glass had been shattered. This is a photo of me inside of the ruins. The twisting wood formed a shell shape that sat on a concrete foundation. I am standing on a steel floor deck. It was massive and humbling to be inside. It made me realize that even if I become a famous architects, it's still the luck of the draw that determines whether or not your projects will be realized in the end.

Read more

10: Take a Cab

Looking back on my spontaneous weekend trip to Madrid, I feel lucky that it was such a walkable city. Everything we wanted to see was in the city center and we could walk there in 20 minutes or less.

Since then, though, I've taken cabs and buses. I'd have to say that sometimes taking a cab is worth it! I used to think that busing or walking was always the best option, but there are many factors to consider.

In Granada, getting to the Alhambra looked like a relatively short walk... but most of it was a steep uphill climb and it was still hot out. The bus didn't take you up to the entrance of the palaces. Two other girls and I took a cab (seats 4 passengers max) and arrived 15 minutes earlier than everyone else. We were sweat-free too! We paid less than the bus fare to get straight to the entrance twice as quickly. Good deal!

The bus back from Alicante only runs at certain times. The last bus from Alicante back to Guardamar on weekdays is at 9PM, but festivities such as bonfires and parades usually don't start until after the last bus leaves. The earliest bus in the morning is at 7AM. In this case, it's probably worth the 50 euro cab ride back to the Pencion to sleep and be fresh and ready for the next day. Splitting the cost of a hotel room and then riding the bus for 45 minutes in the morning is also an option, but may add up to cost the same (or more) as a cab ride home.

But your mileage--and price--may vary. In Alicante, our class split up into groups to take cabs to the Centro de Tecnificacion (a sports center) designed by Miralles. This was also an uphill climb, but the meter seemed to be running fast! My cab got away with splitting 6.25 euro, but the other cabs that arrived after us paid 7 euro and up. Your cab luck depends on how well your driver can navigate roads, run yellow lights, and avoid obstacles.

Another option is to ask the driver if there is a flat rate to your destination, but that may not exist, or may be greater than what your actual fare ends up being.

I'm always down to walk everywhere to save a few euros. It adds up! But when I need a cab, I'll call one because it's worth it.

Read more

Mascleta Fireworks

During the first week of the San Juan Festival in Alicante, fireworks are set off every day at 2PM in a public square. The sun is bright at that time of day so it's not about the lights--it's about the thunderous noise, the strength of sound. They are called the Mascleta fireworks, which translates to masculine fireworks. (During the second week, fireworks set off at night on the beach are all about the lights, and are called the feminine fireworks.)

We were about one block away from the fireworks. Every day is a different show and there is a competition on which show is the best. I could feel the sound in my chest--it was awesome.

Read more

9: Buses Are Never Comfortable

It's deceiving. The seats on these buses look so much more comfortable than the ones on the 51B, so the ride will be much more comfortable and smooth, right?

But factor in the fact that you'll be on this bus for more than five hours, it will make multiple stops, there's no bathroom on board, your backpack won't fit in the overhead bins, and the bus seems to have no shock absorbers, and you will change your mind.

On the bus back to Alicante from Madrid, the seats reclined in a very odd way. At one point, the man in front of me reclined his seat, and was able to look up and back a little and make eye contact with me. Awkward.

Leg room is always limited. Overnight buses are no better. You've got to twist and turn to avoid smashing your legs into the seat in front of you (or your backpack), and then you've got to somehow lean against the armrest or window, or risk falling into your seatmate's lap when you fall asleep.

It's definitely cheaper to travel by bus, and the bus network is really extensive. Buses are always on time. Book online or buy the ticket at the bus station and you're ready to go, even if you haven't printed out the ticket, as long as you have your Passport. It's easy to knock out within 10 minutes of getting on the bus because there isn't much to do, though there is often a movie playing on the little screens. On more expensive buses (called Supra, versus economy), you will find a bag with a snack and a water bottle on your seat.

But definitely be prepared for a bumpy ride and uncomfortable positions!

Read more

The Mezquita in Cordoba

Again, actually being in the dark, cool forest of arches within the Mezquita--a mosque-turned-cathedral--versus the 40 degrees Celsius outside was an experience that cannot be captured in images and text. Here's me, leaning on a column and looking cool! It was surreal being within the forest of arches that I had only seen in textbooks and slideshows. 

Read more

Granada: The Alhambra and more

Words and pictures cannot describe the experience of being in The Alhambra. We only had time for the Nasrid Palaces, but it was mind-blowing. I almost couldn't take it--I was freaking out!

Panorama within the Palaces, in a courtyard

Alex said that the whole project was about water. Historically, water had to be channeled from extremely far away to the Palace grounds, and the ruler wanted to show how powerful he was by building a grand Palace complex that is centered around water. Not only did he have enough water to survive, but he had enough water to show it off in beautiful courtyards and lush gardens with fountains and pools.

I think the project was, partly, a lot about making beautiful art and architecture. And making architecture students swoon (and have minor panic attacks) when they walk into the next room or courtyard.

Close-up shot of intricate detail

I really think this project was about light and shade, though--how to control light to make cool, dark spaces that feel constricted, or spaces that have light peeking through, or brightly lit spaces that feel open. It's about how to control the environment--as well as the user's path--so as to create specific experiences. How to use different degrees of enclosure to make different spaces.

Many times I found myself stepping from one dim room into a tight, cold corridor that twisted about itself--and then seeing the light hitting the wall at the end of the hallway. Then I would step out into an amazing courtyard, flooded with light, but still with enough shade to enjoy being outside. Something new and breathtaking was always around the corner, and it always alternated between light and dark.

It was beautiful.

Light coming in through a shade

Of course, water was everywhere. It was an undeniable force. I could hear it before I saw it, and I could feel it cooling me down. The project takes advantage of gravity to bring water down from the mountains into the Palace. The gutter system is ingenious as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Water flowing through the gutter system

After visiting the Alhambra, I was tired out--emotionally and physically. Good thing Alex treated us to tapas and tinto de verano, which translates to "red wine of the summer"--a mix of one part red wine and one part Fanta. And, of course, ice cubes (which is kind of a luxury in Spain)!

Tinto de verano, so refreshing

Read more

8: Get Used to Siesta

View from the 2nd floor

The famous 3-hour midday break known as siesta is sometimes everything you want it to be, and sometimes not. It really depends.

Studio ends at 14:00 (2PM) and lunch at the Pension is served. Lunch is a one- to two-hour affair, though, depending on the speed of the kitchen.* You get a first course (popular dishes are paella, cold meats with potato salad, vegetable omelette, tomato and grilled cheese, pasta) and a second course (I ate a lot of roast chicken, grilled salmon, Spanish kebab, and pork chops)--not to mention the salad, bread, garlic alioli before the first course. And the dessert or coffee afterwards (or dessert coffee in the form of cafe bombon, which is a shot of espresso poured over condensed milk). Don't eat all of it, though, because you might burst, and you need to save food for dinner! Everyone has Tupperware containers.

So by the time lunch is over, you have anywhere from two full hours to only an hour left to chill because studio resumes at 17:00 (5PM). You have to decide--should I drink this coffee now? Will it get cold in this Spanish midday heat? Do I have enough time to take a nap and not wake up groggy? If I don't take a nap, do I have enough time to do work? Or what? Or what?!

Yeah, that's the big important decision I've been making every day lately.

And it's true. It gets so hot here that it's absolutely exhausting. When I run in the morning at 6:30AM, it's already 25 degrees Celsius, which is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Back in Berkeley, it hits 77F around midday, and you would not catch me trying to run down College Avenue. In Guardamar, it hits 98F around midday and the heat lasts well past 18:00 (6PM). So that is why the siesta exists here. Most shops close and no one is walking in the streets. It's best to just lie down, don't move, and let the ceiling fan blow air over you for a few hours.

*Edit August 27, 2012: Looking back, we went through so many different ways of ordering food! We went from everyone writing a tick mark next to their desired dishes, to family style (think large pans of 15 roast chicken legs and a huge pan of paella for everyone to share), to trying to number the tables and ordering by table... oh man.


- lunch at the Pension (pacing yourself, what to take to go)
- taking a break
- the heat!

Read more

The Studio

We are finally in the studio! It's not like studio at Berkeley, though it is getting as dirty, which is normal for any space with a high concentration of architecture students. 

The studio space used to be a grocery store, so there are a lot of outlets for our laptops. There's little air circulation so we rely on lots of fans. Our work surfaces are large slabs of plywood on legs and some of our chairs are broken.

It works though. We are two blocks away from the Mercadona, so we will never starve! There's a cafe right across the street to feed our coffee addictions. The beach is also a mere four blocks to the east. 

What are we working on? We've diagrammed the weekly mercadillo, which is a traditional event in Guardamar. Most (older) people get their fresh produce from the market Wednesday mornings. The market sets up starting at 4AM and then is gone by 3PM. Our diagrams aren't infographics or anything that looks familiar--they're more "artsy" and based on our own experience of the mercadillo (keeping in mind personal feelings and historical references). We've also diagrammed our experiences climbing two different castles, one in Guardamar and one in Alicante. 

Our diagrams are on the mylar, which feels smooth to the touch and is a wonder to draw on with pencil. I was a little nerve-wracking the first time to just draw with our intuition, and we are just learning how to create diagrams in this new style, but we are all getting the hang of it. 

Diagrams on the first mylar

Read more

7: Food While Traveling

Tuna in sunflower oil

When traveling, it's not the best idea for your wallet or your health to eat out for every meal. And when you're walking around all day and constantly freaking out about beautiful architecture, three meals a day isn't enough.

I try to stick by what my former fitness teacher used to preach: eat complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats at every meal or snack. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. You'll be limited by how much space you'll have in your bag or backpack, as well as lack of refrigeration. And you'll want to try the local cuisine too!

So here's my strategy: keep it cheap, easy, filling, and nutrient dense. Make use of all resources.

Because most hostels will have a kitchen with a stove, water, pots, a microwave, and a fridge, I make a stop at the local grocery store at my destination to buy food for breakfast. I stick to my wheat bran (for fiber) and yogurt with muesli, sometimes hard boiled eggs as well. For snacks, I am addicted to peanuts. For lunch or dinner, it's always cheap to get a loaf of bread or a baguette and eat it with tuna, cheese, or ham.

Where are the vegetables? Yeah, I'd like to know too!

Read more

The Mad City

Alex decided to make this weekend a 3-day weekend to accommodate travel, so Naomi and I spontaneously planned a trip to Madrid!

After climbing to the castle in Alicante, we took a bus to Madrid. We arrived in the evening and took the metro to our hostel, No Name Hostel right on Calle Atocha, one of the main streets in the heart of Madrid. We explored some of the city the first night, but we mostly planned out what to do for the next two days.

Saturday morning, we set out in the morning after a hostel breakfast (cornflakes, milk, and toast). We saw so much and everything was walkable! We saw everything on the Western side of Madrid. The Gran Via is the largest street in the city with multiple lanes; it is lined with shops like H&M, Nike, and McDonald's. Puerta del Sol is a large plaza, a very open public space, with a lot of history. Plaza Mayor is a closed square with many, many restaurants on its border (the photo is the plaza at night). We saw many palaces and churches that had amazing detail on the outside. I had a smoothie for lunch because I ended up not being able to decide which of the countless restaurants to dine at. Mercado San Miguel is an indoor marketplace of gourmet tapas; the building is intricately constructed with glass and steel. We had tapas in the La Latina neighborhood at a restaurant where the bartender did not speak English--but it was delicious! I love little foods with a glass of wine.

After tapas for dinner, we stopped by the supermarket to buy some snacks for Sunday to save some money (and to use the internet!). At night, we went out again. I found a bar that Hemingway used to frequent and had a hefeweizen there! Then we went to a chocolate and churros place--the hot chocolate is super thick so it's perfect to dip the churros into it. I ended up letting a chunk of churros marinate in the chocolate until it was infused with flavor.. yum! We slept well that night.

Sunday was museum day. It was amazing to see famous works of art up close and with succinct explanations. Most of the museums were East of our hostel. Our first stop of the morning, though, was a flea market called El Rastro. It's like the market in Guardamar, but much larger! It was on our way to the Reina Sofia, a huge museum that's free on Sundays in the morning. I got to see Guernica, my favorite painting by Picasso (and probably of all time). It was amazing to see the process and the sheer size of the painting. We were kicked out at 2:30pm so we didn't have time to see the entire museum. We then went to the Caixa Forum, which is another museum, but we mostly marveled at the green wall next to it. Then we went to a huge park near the Prado--it was really hot and there wasn't much shade, but a lot of people were there enjoying the weekend. It reminded me of a more planned version of Golden Gate Park. We went to the Prado Museum when it was free--it's filled with classical paintings with Christian themes. It was interesting to contrast all the modern art in the Reina Sofia with the realist and romantic paintings in the Prado.

For dinner, we went to Plaza Mayor to catch the sunset while eating tapas. We got to people-watch, which is always a treat! Some street performers were just setting up. After dinner, we went off in search of gelato, which I had never had before! I ended up getting the yogurt flavor, and it was super intense. Naomi got lemon and chocolate, and both were also very intense in flavor.

Tomorrow, we have a lot of time before our 3PM bus back home. Madrid has been awesome. We've walked so much in just two days... but it was worth it!

Read more

Castillo de Santa Barbara in Alicante

Climbing to the top! Yes, that's The Hulk on my back. It's full of stuff for going to Madrid for the weekend. And those are my Tevas!

Read more

6: Buy Things Abroad

One of the things I worried about before getting here was that I would run out of the things I need every day, like lotion, shampoo, deodorant, and so on. I had to remind myself that I wasn't going to a third world country, but I was still anxious.

Today was the first time we experienced the weekly market. It has been in existence for a very long time. Stalls began to set up at 4AM, and by 11:30AM, the several streets near the church, library, and ayuntamiento (city hall) are full of people! Here were peddlers of all the things that you need, y mas (and more). (As you can see, I've picked up a little bit of Spanish!)

Here are just a few of the many stalls (and there are multiple vendors for each product): dried fruits, fresh produce, nuts, ham, wallets, handbags, shoes, clothes, toiletries, candy, seat cushions, art, olives, fish, toys... I walked through the market five times to get a sense of the range of products and to compare prices. The cheapest produce (4 heads of lettuce for 1 euro, as well as 1 euro for a kilo of peaches) was a booth set up along the street that leads to the bus station. The booth with the most varied array of candy was set up by the library. And the nuts and dried fruits is right around the corner from the library!

So if I ever need anything, I'm going to check the market first because of its rich cultural history and its selection.

There are other stores as well. The perfumeria is like a drugstore, but only with personal hygiene and make-up products like shampoo, body spray, soap, et cetera. The pharmacies here have all health products and all have neon green + signs. I happened to find a health food store with everything from chia seeds, medicinal herbs, protein powder, gluten free foods, and unsalted nuts (it felt a little like Berkeley Bowl in there!). Every couple of blocks, there's a "Chino" store, which is usually a huge bazaar of goods (probably made in China)--I think of them as the Walmarts of Guardamar. I've purchased trace paper, tupperware, and a beach towel from such shops. The "no more than two euro" store is analogous to the Dollar Tree. Of course, the supermarket also stocks a lot of common household items like laundry detergent, ziplock bags, and so forth.

So I've learned that I didn't need to worry about finding the products I'm used to using in the States. The only thing is that it's slightly more expensive to buy common products here, and some things are a lot more expensive--a small bottle of sunscreen is about 8 euro, which is $10!

Read more

5: Bring Comfy Shoes

It's hard to only pack two pairs of shoes for a two and a half month trip to Europe. But it's even harder to deal with bloody ankles and extra weight.

Our studio course finally met today for the first time. We were going on a walk, Alex said, so wear comfy shoes.

We hiked up to Guardamar's old castle, which is now in ruins; the old church behind it is now used as a water reservoir. The views of the sea to the East and the jagged mountains to the West were breathtaking and we welcomed the strong breeze. It was quite a hike just to the castle up steep streets and rocky paths. The worst was over, it seemed, once we got back down to street level.

...But the journey had only just begun!

The next couple of hours were spent trekking across the urban parts of town to the dunes by the sea. These huge sand dunes are now massive and unmovable, but just a century ago, they threatened to bury Guardamar's streets. Native pine trees and other flora were planted (and replanted annually) to prevent dune erosion and movement. After what seems like miles and miles of walking, we finally break out of the pine forest and head out to the mouth of the river. Rio Segura meets the Mediterranean sea on the Northern side of Guardamar. At this point, I am dreading the walk back.

We decide that following the beach would be the fastest way to get home. Our shoes come off as we begin to walk in the sand. I notice that a lot of people's ankles are bloody and several people complained of blisters.

I looked down at my feet--tired but unscathed--which already have tan lines on them... they're more like tan strips, actually. The sandals I brought are Tevas that I bought just for this trip after much research. Every step feels padded and the sandals stay secure on my feet. They have a lot of grip so that I don't slip on the shiny tiled sidewalks. The only other pair of shoes I brought are my running shoes--essential, and also comfortable. Truthfully, I envy everyone else's cute sandals, but at the end of the day, my feet are a thousand times better off in a pair of utilitarian Tevas. I'm glad I did my research and tried on several different pairs of sandals before finally buying Tevas.

Read more

Home versus Feeling Homey

A lot has happened in the last few days. I’ve already spent a night in Guardamar del Segura! It’s been pretty easy to settle into the 3rd floor room that I share with Naomi, probably the smallest room in the Pencion—but we have a bathroom and a window that opens to a vacant space in the building. The low hum of the fan above lulled me to sleep last night even as our fellow studio-mates returned from bar-hopping and late-night beach-going.

It’s been so easy, in fact, to fall asleep here, that I wonder if my previous aversions to new places was because of some kind of fear that I’ve let go of, or if this place just feels like home. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a place home, versus what makes a place feel homey. There’s a difference.

I began my trip to Spain with a BART ride from Union City to San Francisco International Airport. BART feels like home simply because I've been taking trains around the Bay Area for as long as I can remember. Airport terminals, however, definitely do not feel homey. Every step I take is filled with consumerism--every corridor, every walkway has an ad, a duty-free store, an endless rack of magazines, ten different brands of gum... and all the items are marked up simply because I'm in an airport terminal. Home does not equate to everyone trying to sell me something every second that I'm there.

At Dusseldorf, we had to go through Passport Control--our passports were stamped with our arrival date and we were questioned about our travel plans. I thought that saying that I was studying abroad would be enough--and there was a language barrier, because I wasn't really sure what he was asking--but I ended up searching frantically for the Pencion's address before Naomi saved my ass! I can't help but think that I would have been allowed to go through the checkpoint with no problem if I weren't an Asian girl with weird hair and lots of moles on her face... but of course I'm more sensitive to these things than most people. That exchange with Passport Control gave me the impression that Germany was not a friendly place to be. (We did get to stay overnight at the airport Sheraton, though, because a delay on our Air Berlin flight into DUS caused us to miss our connecting flight. Score!)

Guardamar has proven itself to feel homey because of the residences atop the restaurants and stores that line the narrow streets, the slow pace of the people who reside here, and the generally happy and generous temperament of the people we have met so far (and will be in close contact with for the next couple of months). The culture here is completely different--the long hours dedicated to eating meals with other people (usually family) really shows that they care about taking it slow, keeping it personal, building relationships. I'm so used to eating lunch within 15 minutes that it felt a little weird sitting at a table for two hours... but with a glass of wine and (almost) endless amounts of food, I soon felt like I was eating with family.
My run this morning showed me a beach town asleep in the wee hours of the morning. Alex says that the population in Guardamar grows almost exponentially within the next month because so many people come here on holiday. It will be interesting to see the urban dynamics change and to compare them to my first impressions (as well as the first impressions I got of other cities in Europe).

My first impressions of Dusseldorf, Zurich, Alicante, and Guardamar color the way that I see them. But when does the period end for first impressions? If I come back to Guardamar every year or retire to little house near the beach (as Alex’s in-laws have), then my first impressions may span the first few years that I am here. If I’m only here for two months (which is much more likely), then my memories of Guardamar will always be affected by how I felt by the things I experience in my first week or so. Maybe it’s different for everyone, for every situation.

I wonder if Guardamar del Segura will become a home for me.

(That's a photo while flying into Alicante. Notice the Air Berlin wing and the beach down below.)

Read more

I'm Here!

After a layover in a Sheraton in Dusseldorf, flying into Zurich, meeting the professor by chance in Alicante, eating a meal at the Pencion, wrangling with my outlet adapter, and seeting up an internet cafe account, I'm glad to say I'm now in Spain.

Checking out the beach later tonight!

Read more

Taking off soon!

Hoping for the best!

Read more