Being Here: “Life Happens”

By: Emily Ferro
Posted In: Blogs

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http://trvluk10.wordpress.com/

Well, I know it has been a while. I have a good excuse, though. Since I’ve last written, I have been to Madrid, Montpelier, Barcelona, Sussex, Cardiff, and Chepstow. It has been a crazy few weeks, I assure you.

Well, I must say that as much as I am loving traveling around Europe, traveling to three places in ten days was a challenge. For fall break, my friends and I got on a plane and went to Madrid, Montpelier, and Barcelona. It was a life experience that I would not trade, though perhaps in the future I will plan differently.

In order to advise you, the best thing I can do is to tell you what I learned and the problems I encountered.

Lesson number one: The over-night flight is not worth it. Save yourself the hassle and wake up early the next morning. My friends and I decided to leave Thursday night as soon as we got out of class to go to Madrid. It sounded good in theory, but is not as good as it sounds. Our plane landed at 2.30 in the morning and while Madrid is said to be an all-night party, the streets were reasonably empty by the time we left the airport. We got a cab and to our displeasure, after the driver took our money and drove off, we realized he had dropped us on the wrong side of Madrid. We got another cab, which dropped us off in the right place, but we still could not find the street. I would have given anything for a bit of sunlight or a friendly face, but the streets were empty. We finally found the hostel by 3.30 am, and then slept in until 11.30 the next morning. In the end, we gained no time to cite see, we were tired, and disoriented.

What other lessons were learned in Madrid? Always double-check directions to hostels, and bring a map if you can. If you’re at a hostel, DO see if they have a free tour. Every one I have stayed at has offered them, and they are excellent ways to see what you need to see in a short period of time. It is also a good way to decide what you need to go back and get a closer look at. Never over-estimate how well you know a language, either. Before you go to a foreign country, MAKE SURE YOU CAN SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE. All of the Spanish I had learned went completely out the window and I felt completely lost. Phrases to know: Where is., Excuse me, I don’t understand, and how much does this cost. I would not have survived Spain without knowing those four phrases.

The next stop was Montpelier, France. I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to cross the border from Spain to France and be able to read the street signs. It was one of the most relieving feelings I have had in a while. We had to take a plane from Madrid to Barcelona and a bus from Barcelona to Montpelier, so it was a very long day of traveling, though it seemed to work far better than traveling over-night. We arrived in France and made it to our destination without any problems. We enjoyed some lovely Brie and a a baguette with a pasta dinner and a glass of wine. This is a necessity in France. Not only is this delicious, but it is very cheap. Your wallet will thank you.

The only hiccup we experienced in France was not a fault in our planning. There was a gr