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G’Day Everyone!

Last week I was on spring break here in Sydney so myself and four friends decided to travel to Thailand for nine days and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. We went through a program called Thaintro and they planned everything for us. We were part of a group of forty and we had two guides who lead us around.

We flew into Bangkok and we spent three days there. Some of the highlights include going to two Buddhist temples and being blessed by a Buddhist monk. We also got to see the largest Buddha in the country which was 240m long

The next day in Bangkok we got to go to a Thai cooking class and make ourselves some Pad Thai and Curry. I’ll admit that I was nervous about screwing up the recipe because this was going to be our lunch for the day but it was actually very easy to do and it was all delicious.

We then left Bangkok that afternoon and traveled on a 12 hour overnight train to Khao Sok where we took a boat ride in their national park to our next accommodations which were floating bungalows. We were legit staying in small cabins that were floating in the middle of the lake. It was so cool. There we spent the day hanging out, swimming and jumping from some cliffs.

Our final destination on the trip was to Koh Phangan where we spent four days living on the beach. We got to go on a boat tour and go island hopping, had a day dedicated to relaxation and getting some Thai massages, and we got to do some exploring on our own. But my favorite day of all was when we got to go visit the elephant park. I had the chance to pet, feed and have a little water fight with the elephants there.

Overall it was an amazing trip and I am so lucky that I got to go and experience another culture while abroad.

I miss you all and I know that you’re training hard at home. I just looked at my countdown and I’ll be back home in 42 days which is crazy. So I guess I will be seeing you all very soon.

Allison

I can’t believe I have been here in Florence for over a month already! It’s starting to cool down and there are fewer tourists around the center of the city, which has been really nice. I can finally walk around and not have to push my way past sweaty groups of people.

2 weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to Chianti with my Mediterranean Food and Culture class. It was gorgeous and a lot of fun! The weather ended up being perfect (sunny & 75) and we ate soo much! The winery we went to showed us the process for making their wines and cheeses before we tried them. My professor taught the class about the Wine Classification System in Italy, different pairings of wine and food, and how to read a wine label.

I also went to Ravenna, a city near the east coast of Italy. There I had the opportunity to visit churches that have the most incredible mosaics I have ever seen! It was a little overwhelming thinking about how many little pieces there were and how long it must have taken to create the images. I took a few pictures of the mosaics, but they don’t do it justice. In person you can see the sunlight reflecting off of the gold pieces and how shimmery it is.

Last Sunday, Fiorentina played A.C. Milan in Florence! There was no score, unfortunately, but Fiorentina should have won. The game was super exciting and the energy of the fans was crazy! Hopefully I can get to another game while I am here.

This past weekend I went to Split, Croatia! The bus ride was super long (like going to Georgia long), but it was worth it. I went on a tour of Diocletian’s palace, white water rafting, on an island hopping boat tour, and traveled to Krka National Park. The boat tour was definitely my favorite part and the weather was perfect that day. My souvenirs include lots of pics and 3 euro worth of leftover Croatian currency. 

Hey everyone!

I finished my intensive language course last Thursday, and thank goodness, I passed! We were rewarded for a long month of work with a long weekend. My friends and I decided to take a bus-trip to Albufeira and Lagos, Portugal. We got to spend three days relaxing on the beach and seeing the little towns. We also got to go on a super fun speedboat ride on the ocean, and we also cruised around on a “pirate ship” (it was really just a big boat). From that boat, we got to jump off the side in the middle of the ocean and swim around! I feel so lucky to have these experiences.

On Monday, we started our classes that we’ll be taking for the next three months. I am taking Spanish Civilization and Culture, Political Systems of Spain and the EU, grammar, and a writing and speaking class. The political science class is especially interesting right now, because Spain doesn’t actually have a president. I’m not sure I totally understand why, but there is some blockage in the political system, and it’s been that way for a while. It’ll be cool to learn more about it!

This weekend we have Friday off again. I’ll be going with my friend Annie (who goes to school in Portland) to Barcelona. I can’t wait!

It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for almost 6 weeks! Hope you are all getting through midterms and enjoying the fall-ish weather there. (It’s still 86 degrees like every day here…) If you’re feeling down this week, remember, 8 DAYS ‘TIL HOCKEY SEASON!!!!

Besos,

Bix