Howdy,

I’ve been in Sevilla, Spain for about three weeks, and as I write this, it is 3:00 in the afternoon, I have just finished lunch, and my host mom is already starting to prepare merienda. What even is Spain?

In these three weeks, I have noticed several differences that remind me that I actually am in a different country.

Shoes:

America: wear shoes when you go out (or sometimes not even then) but not at home

Spain: ALWAYS wear shoes. if I get out of my bed and I’m not wearing something on my feet, my host parents warn me that I’m going to get sick.

Food:

America: now this one is very subjective because I suppose everyone eats differently, but at home I mainly eat veggies and fish and the like.

Spain: meat, bread, paella, churros, bread, bocadillos, a LOT of processed foods, bread, jamón, bread, manchego cheese, did I mention bread?

Meal Times:

America: breakfast at 7-10 but depends on the person, lunch at noon which is a medium sized meal, dinner at 7 which is a large meal. then there is snacking throughout the day.

Spain: breakfast at 7-10 but very very small (usually toast with olive oil and sugar and colacao), lunch at 2:30-3:00 and big! (usually 3 courses), merienda at 5 (aka second lunch with sweets or pastries and jamón), dinner at 10 which is a bit smaller than lunch. Spaniards eat so much more at mealtimes than Americans and the only reasons I can think of as to why they all aren’t 9000 lbs is that they walk everywhere and don’t snack between meals.

School:

America: students choose their classes and move between them. They usually receive a lot of homework that they turn in the next day.

Spain: students choose a track (sciences or humanities) and pretty much stay in the same room all day. The teachers move between classes. There is not as much homework, but many more big projects due. Tests are much more frequent, but each one is much smaller than an American test.

Attitudes:

America: generally, kids treat their parents as equals or with more respect, and give more respect to their teachers than that.

Spain: what even is respect?

Shopping:

America: oh, you want a plain white t-shirt? that’s $500

Spain: oh, you want these super high quality shoes with the perfect dress to go with it? that’s 7€

Fashion:

America: you can basically leave the house in a sports bra, yoga pants, flip flops, and your hair in a bun and no one will give you a second glance

Spain: If you want to leave the house looking anything less than ready to go to a photoshoot, you should just not leave the house at all.

Sleeping:

America: 7-9 hours at night and that’s about it

Spain: 2 hour nap at 3, 6 hours at night. Seeing as I can’t take naps for some reason, I end up sleep deprived every single day. yay.

Light Usage/Water Usage:

America: basically just leave all the lights on in every room all the time. I’m very used to taking hour long showers.

Spain: I find myself wandering the hallways of my apartment with my phone flashlight in hand because you NEVER use lights. Even if you leave a room to go grab something, you turn the lights off right away. As for the showers, the water is either -599999 degrees or like you’re about the enter the gates of hell. There is absolutely no in between, but I guess this is good as you are supposed to take really quick showers here…

Language: do I even have to list this one? Spaniards speak Spanish…

Siesta:

America: naps are for young children and old people

Spain: THANK GOD I WENT TO A COUNTRY WHERE LITERALLY EVERYONE SLEEPS. Not only did this help with dreaded jet lag, but also after a full day of trying (and failing) to understand what people are saying, I’m mentally exhausted.

Privacy:

America: your space is more or less your space and you can always retreat to your room if you need more privacy

Spain: yeah knocking isn’t really a thing here and your room is still THEIR HOUSE. Note to future students: don’t come to spain if you need a lot of alone time. you won’t get it.

However, in addition, CIEE told us that we shouldn’t close our doors and that we should only take 1 hour of alone time a day.

Flirting:

America: low key.

Spain: “I’m going to sing you a song that I wrote to proclaim my love for you.”

Greetings:

America: handshake or a hug if you’re lucky

Spain: two kisses: one on each cheek

Volume:

America: we are loud.

Spain: they are louder.

Personal Space:

America: We have about 2ft of personal space for each person and unless you are REALLY close to them, you usually keep your distance.

Spain: Everyone stands/sits/talks REALLY close to you to the point where sometimes I’m not sure if they want to talk to me or kiss me. They are also EXTREMELY touchy. Maybe this stems from saying hello with two kisses, I’m not sure.

Transportation:

America: Let’s ruin the atmosphere with carbon gases and waste all of our precious fossil fuels! Driving!

Spain: WALK! RIDE A BIKE! TAKE A BUS! WALK! WALK! WALK!

As you can see, Spain is different. Very different. But I have learned so so so much and I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this experience is. Yes, culture shock is very real. Yes, sometimes I just want to watch American tv shows and eat mac n’ cheese while texting my friends and NOT being 6 hours ahead of them. But then I just step out into the streets. Or I talk to my host family. Or I talk to my American friends. Or I talk to my friends here. Or I take photos. Or I just sing really loudly and dance like an idiot in my room. Or I write. Or I go make myself a very yummy bocadillo (sandwich with cured meats). Or I learn cursewords in Spanish. Or I go to the center of the city. Or I go out with friends. Or I eat. Or I cry. Or I laugh. Or spam everyone I know with texts. Or I make deeper connections with the people and world around me.

And then I know that I can do this. Spain is amazing I can’t wait for more. 258 more days.

Peace,

~Parker Grove

Hola!

This has probably been one of the most stressful, confusing, beautiful, full, and enriching weeks of my life. actually…it has been less than a week since I left Savannah. I never thought I’d say this, but I miss it and all of the southern accents it possesses. but above all, I miss ENGLISH. SO. MUCH.

I suppose I’d better start at the beginning.

On Thursday, September 15 at 11:51 am, my flight from Savannah to JFK took off. I will not be in Savannah again until at least June 25, 2017. I said goodbye to my family, and they made me cards, took a million photos, and made a giant poster to wish me well.

the poster before my last breakfast.

I said goodbye to my pets:

my hardest goodbye

I will always love you, Cinnamon
Loaded up my car with approximately 100lbs of luggage, and drove away.

Once at the airport, I was forced to accept the fact that I would not get to see my parents for at least 4 months, depending on whether or not they decide to visit me during Christmas.

Okay so yes, I cried. A lot. But what can I say? I’m super close with my whole family and the idea that I might not see them for such a long time hit me really hard. All the security guards noticed my tear stained face and shuddering breaths, and handed me tissues and condolences. By the time I reached my gate, the entire staff of the Savannah Hilton Head Airport had wished me well and told me that they were so excited for me to experience this.

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Taking off!!

Once at the JFK airport, I had calmed down and all I felt was excitement. I suppose at this point I had put all my fears behind me and I was just so overwhelmed with what I was actually about to do that I didn’t have time to worry about missing people.

I had started a group chat about 150 days before departure with all the other CIEE kids, so it was so comforting to know that there were actually people I knew here. Or…sort of knew.

I met all of them with screams and giant hugs and laughter, for none of us could ACTUALLY believe that we were there and that what we had been talking about for 150 days was ACTUALLY happening.

Rocking our orange shirts and terrified thoughts.

all of us on our flight about 2 hours before departure…

When we got on our (delayed) flight, we thought “well, this is it. This is the last five minutes in the USA for nine months. Whoop whoop.” But no. We were delayed on the plane for 2 hours before we actually ever took off. Ugh. Luckily we made the time up in the air, so we weren’t too far behind.

Okay, so this flight was pretty bad. Let me just give you a list of reasons:

• It was delayed
• It was completely packed, meaning that there were lines for everything
• No outlets anywhere nor was there Wi-Fi
• It smelled pretty bad and there was no air conditioning
• I just hate long flights

So then started probably one of the longest flights of my life. I couldn’t for the life of me, figure out how to fall asleep, so I just watched movies that I had downloaded on this computer all. Night.

The next morning, most of us were bright eyed and bushy tailed, but I was exhausted. And we hadn’t even started orientation yet.

It is ESSENTIAL that you sleep on the plane because the jet lag is killer (6+ hours) and what comes after this plane ride is two solid days of non-stop activity and then 9 months of confusion and new everything.

So there I was, falling asleep on my feet, and we hadn’t even started orientation yet. Yay.

We met more CIEE kids that had flown in from Chicago, and together, we all stepped out into Madrid.

the main plaza in Madrid

One of the main bull fighting arenas

The day was filled with great food, CHURROS, a walking tour of the main sites in Madrid, more food, trying to speak Spanish, failing at speaking Spanish, shopping around the city center, followed by more food and great conversation. A completely full but amazing day to say the least.

Churros with hot, dark, melted chocolate. Yummmmmm!

This is one of the main palaces in Spain. It is open to the public every day, and President Obama and First Lady Michele were here about a month before us!

This is what ALL of the streets in Madrid look like: narrow and full of life!

A rose garden for a princess

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Yum yum yum!

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The next day was filled with a bike tour through El Parque del Retiro and going through all rules and safety and important information at the CIEE study center (they warned us that Spaniards kiss upon meeting, but the amount of people who have kissed me since I got here is honestly ridiculous).

Then, the day came when we had to leave Madrid and go home with our host families. It was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. On the train ride from Madrid to Sevilla, which is approximately 2.5 hours long, my whole body was shaking and I lost the ability to breathe. Half the students were crying, taking a million selfies with their new friends and talking about everything under the sun, avoiding the idea that they were actually meeting their family, and the other half were gathered close together, practicing Spanish or looking over Spanish phrases and tenses in the hopes that this short review would make a difference (spoiler: it didn’t).

Upon arrival, no one actually wanted to get off the train. We knew that our host families were waiting right beyond the gate, and even though we had all been in contact with them for weeks or months prior, nothing could prepare us for this moment. We walked slowly, counting our breaths and saying goodbye to one another. Raquel, our coordinator, started calling us our alphabetically, and one by one we left to meet our families. My sister found me first, and we left soon after.

I have taken Spanish since I was in kindergarten. But even after 11 years of language learning, I could barely hold a conversation in Spanish class (come on USA! That’s pathetic!!). However, all my knowledge of subjunctive, imperfect, and everything else in Spanish disappeared the moment I met my family. I could not understand anything. At all. I felt like a young child, pointing and grunting at things in order to get my message across, and using one word answers that usually consisted of either “sí” or “qué.” However, they were so understanding that I wasn’t afraid to attempt to say something in Spanish, though I almost always failed.

My host sister and I on the day I arrived! Isn’t she so cute?!

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My room!

The gorgeous town of Triana, located about 15 minutes walking away from me.

FYI: Spaniards LOVE churches. They are so beautiful here and everyone is constantly walking in and out of them. It seems like there are almost as many churches as people!

That night, I walked around Sevilla with my sister, Mary Paz, her boyfriend, Jesus, and her best friend, Maria. Then we went home at about 10:00 pm, had dinner, and went to bed. The next morning, I had my first. Day. Of. School. In. over. 4. Months.

My school is in the middle of the city, and because I live in a suburb called “Los Remedios,” I have to walk 40 minutes to school every morning. This sounds like a lot, but it is honestly one of my favorite parts of the day, as it allows me to see the entire city in the early morning before the tourists get up.

I walked hurriedly from my house to school, running into another one of my fellow CIEE peers, Aryanna on the way there. Thank goodness for that because it made it so much easier to start if you have someone who understands what you are going through. Physics was first, and from the moment I stepped in that classroom, I knew I was doomed. If you thought Spanish immersion was hard enough, try going to classes taught entirely in Spanish by a teacher who doesn’t speak ANY English, has a Sevillian accent (which is 50000% more difficult to understand), and speaks at incredible speeds that make you think that they should be in the Olympics for speaking. Long story short, I had absolutely no idea what was going on in class. AT ALL. Physics is the only class that you move to another class for, so then we went into room 11A, where I stayed for the rest of the day. One of the main differences between Spanish and American schools is that teachers move in Spanish schools, and the students remain in the same class. I have heard that this makes the day feel longer, but in my experience this past week, it has seemed much shorter. That may be because I come from a very challenging private prep school in Savannah, and maybe nothing can really compare to that. I’m not really sure. I immediately made four friends: Carmen, Paula, Gema, and Carmen. Yes. There are many people here named Carmen. Yes, it is confusing. Yes, I don’t know anyone else’s name besides them.

Here are just a few of the million photos that I have of all these adorable people.

The way my school works is that I have 2 hours of classes, then a 30-minute break, then 2 hours of classes, then a 30-minute lunch, then 2 hours of classes, and then I get to go home.

Even though smoking is illegal in Spain under the age of 18, many kids go to the little stores around the school, buy cigarettes, and spend the entirety of the break smoking and speaking very quickly. I have resigned myself to the idea that I am going to smell like cigarette smoke for the rest of the year. However, besides that, these breaks are super helpful because the day seems a lot shorter with these spread intermittently throughout. By the end of the day, I am SO ready to go home and sleep. Another thing: siestas ARE actually a thing!! After school, from about 4-6, practically everyone in Sevilla is taking a nap. Which would be totally awesome if I didn’t have so much homework…

After my second day of school, I went to my first soccer (excuse me, fútbol game). It. Was. Awesome.

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Football is no joke here. And the game that I attended was a really important one between two rivals: Sevilla and Betis. I love Sevilla and so does Mary Paz’s boyfriend, but Mary Paz loves Betis…ew. She had to leave her Betis scarf at home so she wouldn’t get beaten up at the game. That’s how serious they are. In the end, Sevilla won (!!!!!) and we made the long journey home (we never drive here so it felt like forever). We got home at 1:30, and even though I went directly to bed, I had to get up 5 hours later for school. And that started the worst day here.

To all future students: please please PLEASE do yourself a favor and sleep. Sleep as much as you POSSIBLY can. Sleep constantly. Between Jet Lag, the late night, and finally coming to terms with the fact that no one can understand me, I got home on Wednesday and had a break down. I facetimed my mom for a few hours, just crying on the phone. I almost gave up because all I wanted to do was speak English. My mom convinced me to stay and my host mom took me on a walk that really helped a lot. I went to bed early that night and the rest of the week was sooooo much better.

I think I accepted the fact that I was going to fail and that I was going to fail a lot. And that made it seem okay. And GREAT NEWS! My friends told me that they can already notice my Spanish getting better, and I’m starting to understand my teachers even through the terrible accent!!

Last night was Friday, one week since I came to Spain. After school, my host family filled up their car with food and luggage and we drove 3 hours into the countryside to a teeny tiny town near Córdoba called Nova Cerrado. We had the most Spanish night ever. To commence, I met a million new people (okay only 20 because there are only 20 people in this town), kissed all of them, ate jamón, manchego cheese, and bread, and then danced the night away to a small band that sang Spanish music. I was the first American any of them had ever met (this is like seriously a tiny town) so everyone wanted to touch my hair and called me “rubia” or “la americana.” Even though my host sister was SO embarrassed, my host mom and I danced ridiculously together. We ended the night by stargazing (it is so clear that you can see the milky way!!!) and listening to the deer make mating calls. The next morning, I slept in. Today is actually the first day that I have felt awake all week…Then, I went horseback riding in the mountains and made paella! It has been so amazing here and feels exactly like what you would expect in Spain.

I’m loving it here and can’t wait for more! Signing off now for another week of adventure and I’ll talk to y’all soon!

Peace,

~Parker Grove

Howdy,

You know that feeling when you are right on the verge of a panic attack and all you feel is stressed and alone and you don’t really wanna talk to anyone because no one understands?

Yeah. i don’t feel that. What i feel is a scary nothing. my flight from savannah to jfk leaves in less than 12 hours, and all i feel is mildly annoyed that i can’t bring my bed and pets with me. but i think this is because it hasn’t really hit me yet. when it does, i know i’ll be a crying, slobbering mess, but for now, i appear to be in the eye of the hurricane: at peace. who knows how long this will last…

well my bags are packed, boarding passes printed out, checked in, and with absolutely everything in order. now i just gotta say goodbye, get on the flight, and start a new adventure! Wish me luck!

Peace,

~Parker Grove

Howdy,

As I last left y’all, my room was a mess, I was a mess, and my life was a mess. Since then, I’ve done a complete 180. It’s amazing how a clean room can really make you feel so so so much better and release so much stress. So yes. I have put my mind to it and packed up my entire life in 3 bags: a checked suitcase, a carryon, and a backpack. whew!

I started packing about a month ago, but I later realized that until I actually bought everything, there was no sense in even packing it because I kept having to take things in and out. But yesterday, I had enough. Within roughly five hours, I did what I couldn’t handle for an entire month.

Here are some before and after photos:

everything I’m bringing for an entire year in one photo

would ya look at that! and still under the weight limit!

When going about packing, it is ESSENTIAL to make a packing list. I cannot stress this enough. To any future students reading this: DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CIEE PACKING LIST! HERE IS A MUCH BETTER ONE! (you’re welcome):

DOCUMENTS (KEEP ON YOU UNTIL YOU GET TO YOUR HOST FAM’S HOUSE):

• Passport and copies
• US issued ID or driver’s licence (or permit if your state sucks and you can’t get your license until 16) and copies
• Plane/train tickets and copies
• Debit/credit card (don’t forget to alert bank to tell them that you are using international so they don’t freeze your account)
• Insurance
• €€ (at least 200)
• Student ID (if applicable)
• Copy of current US transcript
• Copy of new school schedule (if applicable)
• Passport photos
• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of social security card
• Emergency contact list
• Student visa
• CIEE program and housing details
• iNext insurance card
• Copy of medical prescriptions

CLOTHING:

• Tops:

• Crop tops/unique shirts
• Tshirts
• A few college tshirts from where you’re going (foreigners think our obsession with university sports is AWESOME)
• shirts for school
• shirts for home
• shirts for going out
• dress shirts

• Bottoms:

• Pants
• Jeans (dark/black)
• Skirts
• leggings
• tights
• dress pants
• bottoms for school

• Underwear:

• UNDERSHIRTS!!! (wear under shirts so you don’t have to wash shirts as much and can just wash undershirts)
• Underwear
• Bras
• Socks

• Shoes:

• Boots
• Running shoes
• Fashionable sneakers (converse, toms, adidas, etc.)
• Flats
• Slippers for home
• Sandals
• Flip flops for beach or pool
• Wedges (no stilettos!!)

• Overwear:

• Heavy coat
• Light coat
• Windbreakers
• Fleeces
• Sweaters
• Fashion coat
• Raincoat

• Other:

• Something conservative for Morocco trip:)
• Conservative clothes (religious use etc.)
• Hat
• Gloves
• SCARVES
• Bathing suit/cover up
• Sweatshirts and sweatpants for houses w/o heat
• Gym/workout clothes
• Belts
• nice outfits
• Formal dress
• Casual dresses
• rompers
• pajamas

TOILETRIES:

• Allergy medicine (entire year)
• Prescription medicine (entire year)
• contacts/glasses (if applicable)
• tampons/pads (if applicable) (for the whole year??)
• Birth control
• OTC drugs
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Shampoo (either travel size or nah)
• Conditioner (either travel size or nah)
• Deodorant (mini or large?)
• Soap/bodywash (mini or nah?)
• Razors
• Sunscreen
• Lotionnnnnnn
• Chapstick
• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Nail buffer
• Tweezers
• Brush
• Hairbands
• Bobby pins
• Tissues
• Acne medicine
• Melatonin to reduce jet lag
• Other products you use (i.e. hair stuff, skin stuff)

MAKEUP (i thought it needed its own category):

• Make up remover (how much of this should i bring?)
• Concealer
• Eyeliner
• Lipstick
• Chapstick
• Foundation
• Mascara

MISCELLANEOUS:

• American phone
• Sim card for spain (alt. Other phone)
• Watch
• Mini alarm clock
• Small speaker
• Camera
• Extra camera batteries
• Extra camera memory
• Tripod?
• Cables for camera?
• Laptop
• Laptop charger
• Earbuds
• Case for laptop
• Portable iphone charger
• External hardrive for laptop
• Extra phone cables/chargers
• Flashdrive
• ADAPTERS
• Flashlight?
• Pepper Spray?
• Sunglasses
• Towel
• Washcloth
• Travel pillow
• kindle/e-reader/nook
• Swiss army knife (don’t put in carry-on)
• Laundry bag
• Pens
• Pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Art supplies
• Journal!!!!!
• Money belt
• A few food items that remind you of home (e.g. peanut butter, american candy, etc.)
• A few favorite movies (either downloaded or dvds)
• A MUST DO BUCKET LIST FOR SPAIN
• Small purse (preferably with a zipper)
• Bigger purse (preferably with a zipper)
• Dictionary!!
• Folder for all paperwork
• Dictaphone (record school lectures to play back on your own time)
• Backpack (maybe use as a carry on?)
• HOST FAM GIFTS
• Nice water bottle
• Gum
• Hand sanitizer
• Wallet
• Umbrella
• Guidebook
• Small photo album
• jewelry

yes I realize that this is a lot longer than ciee’s. yes I know it seems impossible. But guess what? I packed every single thing on there and brought wayyyyy more clothes than necessary and it fits and it works and yay! Hopefully this will make your packing much easier than mine was.

Here are some tips for packing:

• roll all your clothes. no folding. at all
• rubber band your shoes together (shown below) and stuff them with socks to keep their shape
• 
• put allllll your clothes in ziplock bags, write what the content of each bag is, and then squeeze all the air out so they are flat and take up as little space as possible.
• lay out everything you need before putting it in your suitcase
• double and triple check everything.

So yes, I did it. I feel so ready to go now and I can’t wait another minute! See you soon, Spain!

Peace,

~Parker

Howdy…

it it is currently midnight and I’m in tears and 100% unable to fall asleep. my heart is racing and my head is full of what if’s.

what if I get there and can’t understand anything? what if no one likes me? what if I stand out? what if I get lost? what if my family moves on without me? what if I find friends? what if I don’t? what if school is too hard? what if I have to walk 30 minutes to school in the morning when it’s raining and I have a full backpack? what if I get mugged and lose my passport? what if I get kicked out of the program? what if kids refuse to speak to me in Spanish? what if I revert to english because it’s easier? what if I hate the food? what if I eat too much and I get fat? what if I fall behind in school? what if I wanna come home? what if I get sick? what if someone in my family gets hurt and I can’t come see them? what if I wanna go home? what if I don’t? what if what if what if what if?

I have so many questions but my family and host family has grown tired of talking about it, my friends get upset when I talk about it, my program coordinator doesn’t have all the answers, and all my fellow CIEE peers are just as confused as I am. so all I feel is very alone. we all learn that you are going to feel homesick when you leave, but I already feel homesick and I’m longing for the normality of attending Savannah Country Day School with all my friends and speaking English and NOT talking about Spain or leaving. I am trying to form into words the confusion I’m feeling right now, but I’m drawing a blank. On one hand, I’m YEARNING for this normality, and on the other, I’m counting down the minutes before departure (5463). I’ve grown so tired of the endless questions so I’ll just lay them out for you:

FAQ FOR STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS:

Q: Parker I thought you were in Spain?

A: my program leaves later than most so I leave September 15.

Q: How many more days before you go to Spain?

A: 3.

Q: Are you excited?

A: Extremely. And scared out of my mind.

Q: Do you speak Spanish?

A: Sort of? Yes I’ve been practicing, but can I keep up with the Sevillian accent and speed and complex vocab? No. (sorry to any relative who is disappointed in this. I’m really trying my best)

Q: How long are you there for?

A: 9 months: September-June

Q: Do you have any way we can follow your journey?

A: YES!! Follow me here, on Instagram: parker_grove, on Facebook: Parker Grove, and email me: parkergrove2000@gmail.com

Q: What part of Spain are you in?

A: Sevilla. Here’s my address: Avenida de la República Argentina, 46, 41011 Sevilla, España

Q: How did you find out about this?

A: My mom is the most amazing person in the world. She keeps me together and fixes everything. She found it and forced me to apply even though I was stubborn. Yes. I was wrong. (Print this out and frame it if you want, Mom)

Those are just a few of the questions that I’ve received repeatedly. At this point, I’m pretty sure every single person in the world has heard that I’m studying abroad…

So here’s where I am right now. I’m blasting music into my headphones at volumes that probably aren’t safe but they are drowning out my thoughts so I don’t even care anymore, laying in a bed that is as messy as my hair and head, surrounded by piles, no. more like MOUNTAINS of clothing and suitcases and shoes and notebooks and target bags and shoeboxes and lists upon lists upon lists. and I’m such a mess and my room is such a mess and my life is such a mess and I don’t even care. I have physically lost the ability to THINK about ANYTHING other than the fact that in a few short days and 2 plane rides and 70 lbs of luggage later I’ll be in a different county without my family and friends and I won’t see them for 10 months and I just can’t even comprehend this. I’m at a loss for words.

When people say that studying abroad was the hardest thing they’ve ever done, I never realized how true this was.  I think it’s because you KNOW you have a choice and you KNOW that you could just back down and nothing would happen. you wouldn’t be losing a scholarship or relationships or that spot on a sailing team. the fact is that you have to take a risk that just maybe, the bigger world out there is going to offer you something bigger and better than you ever could have imagined. and I am scared i am scared I am scared I am endlessly scared. but I KNOW that when this is all over, I will be be endlessly grateful for this opportunity. so I just gotta suck it up. wow.

so. here’s to the next 3 days that are going to be filled with stress, tears, a lot of driving, goodbyes, photos, stress, messes, wrapping up loose ends, stress, deep breathing, music, more tears, and hard decisions. oh. and stress. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Peace,

~Parker Grove

Howdy!!

So I don’t know if this is “speaking of the devil,” pure coincidence, or just patience, but not 5 hours after my last blog post in which I complained about not having a fam yet, I got an email from Ms. Nina Wineburgh, my coordinator, with two very valuable pieces of information.

1. here is my school schedule:
   • Spanish Literature
   • English Class
   • Philosophy
   • Creativity, Action, and Service
   • French
   • Mathematics
   • Physics
   • Chemistry
   • Biology
   • Geology
   • Anatomy
   • Cultural Science
   • Citizenship and Human Rights
2. I HAVE MY HOST FAM

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*screams for 999999999999999999999999999999999 years*

I have a mom, dad, an older sister, an older brother, and a younger sister. AHHHHHH

The brother is 23, older sister is 19, and the younger sister is 15.

They all live in an apartment right next to a beautiful park and the subway for easy transportation. They are into the same things as I am (i.e. sailing, theatre, music, etc.) and are basically the most flawless humans in existence. Long story short, I’m in love.

I know that with them, this year is going to be absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to make lasting memories. Here are a few of their photos that look model gorgeous and make me look like a potato by comparison.

AHH I’m so excited I don’t even know what to do anymore…all I can do is practice Spanish and count down the days (41 😉 ).

See you soon, fam, and ¡muchos abrazos!

~Parker Grove

p.s. Yes I will continue to write blog posts raving over them 😉

Howdy,

“Patience is a virtue” is something that every parent has probably said to their child at some point in their lives. But riddle me this: how is a child supposed to be told to be patient if they don’t have a family?

Getting one’s host family either makes or breaks their experience, as it is the foundation of their language learning, what they go home to every day, and ultimately what is their FAMILY for a year.

So imagine my dismay when I realize not only that I don’t have my family yet, but also that I am one of the VERY last exchange students to get theirs. :((((((((((

Long story short, I’m not very patient, and even less so with this. I have sent endless emails asking and prodding and begging to find out my family, but between my family, the Spanish consulate/embassy, CIEE, and my family, things are VERY slow moving.

So…I’m waiting.

and waiting.

and waiting.

and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and waiting…………………

cheers,

~Parker Grove

Crowded planes are always the perfect time to think. As strange as it sounds, the chaotic, boisterous atmosphere of the machine filled with anxious people can be quite calming. As though you are in the eye of the storm. At least for me. This setting provided the perfect opportunity for me to reflect on what I really wanted to accomplish within the next year.

There are 50 days left. 7 weeks and 1 day. 1200 hours left. 72,000 minutes left. 4,320,000 seconds left.

If you think about it, that isn’t very much time. At all.

I guess this plane ride made me have an epiphany of sorts. I need to do everything before I can’t anymore. So I made a list of a few things that I want to do in America before I leave for an entire year, and a list of things that I want to do in Spain.

America List: Pre-Departure:

• See Hamilton live with Lin-Manuel Miranda (better give up on this one because he left)
• Teach Vicky to French braid (so she doesn’t need me to do that)
• Make more connections with the other CIEE Spain kids
• Clean out my room so that I don’t have a lot of stuff there when I leave
• Get some gifts for the host fam
• GET my host fam
• Learn Spanish vocab
• Level up my Spanish game
• Get a good tan
• Dye my hair?
• Research packing tips
• Download a lot of music
• Connect with the host fam
• Eat a really good Big Mac (yeah okay I know this is disgusting but I want to do it anyways)
• GO TO TARGET
• See another Broadway musical
• Laser tag?
• Plan a going away party with Cecilia
• HAVE a going away party
• Learn some basic photography skills
• Get my visa!
• Eat an entire bag of chocolate chips
• Get a great bikini bod
• Eat a lot of mac n’ cheese and delivered pizza and Chinese food
• Sail
• Watch Graeme and Jacob in the Olympics
• Write. Every. Day.
• Continue adding to this blog 😉
• Figure out some way to contact some future Spanish chillins
• Take advantage of some uber
• Take advantage of the free wifi EVERYWHERE
• Binge watch a TV show for 24 consecutive hours
• Learn some Spanish curse words

Spain Bucket List:

• LEARN SPANISH
• Actually make friends (big goal, I know)
• Eat paella, jamón, churros, etc.
• DON’T gain 20 lbs during my exchange year
• Try flamenco dancing!
• Try a new sport
• Sign up for a musical
• get involved in school government
• plan a prommmmm
• Learn some Spanish music
• Enjoy some Spanish nightlife with friends
• Become like an actual family with my host fam
• Find some amazing Spanish fashion trends to copy
• Tapasssssss
• Get myself a Spanish boyfriend ;))))
• Spend a night in a hostel
• Become a fan of espresso
• NOT FAIL CLASSES
• Start a diversity club in Spain
• Learn how to cook some amazing Spanish food
• Take some fantastic photos
• Hang out with the locals
• Hang out with the CIEE squad
• Find some fantastic Spanish fashion
• journal
• win the best blogger award (heyo CIEE 😉 )
• Travel to different cities!
• learn about Spanish government and about what it’s like to live with a different system
• live life without regrets
• have the best year of my life (no biggie)

Well it’s late and I have an early flight tomorrow (my flight was cancelled for “weather” aka kill me) and I will update this often.

Wish me luck finishing all of these!

Peace,

~Parker Grove

howdy,

for those of you thinking about writing a blog, I implore you to either a) get all your thoughts in a post at one time, or b) save, save, save. this is my 3rd time writing this post…but I am not a very motivated or focused person, so I keep leaving this page and have to start over. *screams internally*

anyways, I have been spending my summer trying (and failing) to teach young, spoiled rich children how to sail (if y’all are reading this, I love youuuuuuuuu though) and hanging out with my episcopalian youth group in the mountains of Tennessee. fun, right?

honestly though, I love spending my summers this way, and even if I don’t fully fit in to the naïve, sweet Christian girls here in Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, I absolutely adore the people and the community that flourishes here. I suggest you check them out: http://mssa1882.net they rent and sell cottages up in the mountains with authentic old homes and streets hidden away in the trees. sorry for the commercial rant, but I simply adore Monteagle.

however. that is NOT WHY I AM HERE TODAY. noooooo today’s rant will be much much bigger. this post has been a long time coming, but I guess I’ve been too preoccupied to actually write it down. in an effort to protect my journey for posterity (or whoever happens across this blog and has made it this far through this trainwreck of a post) I should probably just come out and say:

I HAVE A CITY AND SCHOOL IN SPAIN!!!!!1!!!!1!!111!!!!!

yesiree that’s right. yo girl has a location!!!!

NEXT. YEAR. I. WILL. BE. LIVING. IN. SEVILLA.

*screams externally for the next 88 days*

for those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s in the southern part of Spain, about an hour from the coast and right above Africa.

so here are a few things I know about Sevilla:

• it is the origin of the Flamenco dance
• it has very narrow streets
• parking is hell.
• they are extremely Catholic
• they love to party. late. at. night.
• Santa Semana is basically if Disney took on Easter
• food is deliciosa
• they have a TERRIBLE accent (great.)
• there is a fast train from Sevilla to Madrid that only takes 2.5 hours
• warm climate

obviously I have a lot more to learn…

                 NEWS #2!!!!!!1!!!!!1!!:

I. WILL. BE. GOING. TO. SCHOOL. AT:

Colegio Internacional de Sevilla San                   Francisco de Paula.

website: sfpaula.com

IT. IS. IN. A. PALACE!!!!1!!1!!1!!!

here are a few things I know about this school:

• it is in an old palace
• it is a bilingual school
• it offers IB classes
• there are 1300 kids in the school
• 96 are international
• 23 American families
• 2 other CIEE kids at my school

so clearly I don’t know very much but I’ll find out more soon!!

peace,

~Parker Grove

Howdy,

Today I was forced to come to the understanding of what the word “goodbye” truly means. Sure, we’ve all said it a hundred thousand times, and even semi-permanent goodbyes, but today I had to say goodbye to people, knowing that I would likely never see them again. And that hit me hard.

I was at my pre-departure orientation with a bunch of other newbies, but it was located at the same time and location at the pre-return orientation. I had met the pre-return kids earlier (in February), and one of them actually stayed at my house for a weekend.

We have had a group chat for several months and have kept in close contact since we met. I have been up to visit Rubén on multiple occasions, but I didn’t have the good fortune of seeing the rest of them. However, today when I went on my orientation, I got to see them again. We fit right in again and it was like no time passed. When the orientation ended, I had to leave. And I had to realize that I was never going to see them again. Some of them are from South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and everywhere else under the sun. They will all see each other right before they go home, but I will not be on that orientation. So I had to say goodbye.

IMG_9494

This is just an example of how well I deal with saying goodbye…

I know that my year will be filled with happiness, challenges, laughter, joy, and a million amazing moments. But this weekend reminded me that I also have to learn to say goodbye. And that I have made an impact on their lives and that they have made an impact in mine and that in the end, whether or not we keep in touch or not doesn’t matter. Whether I am given the blessing of seeing them again or not doesn’t matter (no matter how much I want to see them). What does matter is the memories that I have made and will keep forever. So to any of you who happen to read this, know that I love you with all my heart and that I will never ever forget you. You have changed my life. I love you. Te amo.

~Parker Grove