Waffles, Chocolate, and Frites, Oh My!

            This week I took my first international trip since arriving in Spain. Due to a school holiday, I was able to take a long weekend and spend four days in lovely Belgium. Last Wednesday my friend Megan (who so kindly let me borrow some of her photos) and I woke up at the crack of dawn to take the 6:30 train to Zaragoza, a city two hours to the south. From there we flew to the Brussels Charleroi Airport. I’m not a big fan of flying, but it’s a lot more tolerable when there are snow covered Pyrenees Mountains to look at out the window!

When we finally arrived, it was gray and rainy, so we headed to our hostel. This was my first time staying in a hostel dorm, so I didn’t know quite what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that our six person dorm was very much like a hotel room, but cost us considerably less. We then set out to wander around the city. Unfortunately, due to a combination of bad weather and worse directional skills, we didn’t see any major sites in Brussels that first day. What we did find was Friteland, home of the best fries in Belgium-and there are a lot of fries in Belgium. I sincerely recommend it to anyone passing through Brussels.

The next morning, we headed off to the train station to meet another girl from UNAV and to travel to Brugge. The best way I can describe Bruges is that it is like the opening village scene in Beauty and the Beast, with pretty buildings and the townspeople yelling “Bonjour!” out their windows (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx1MmY1Bb50). It’s almost as though the city has been frozen in time, with cobblestone streets, historic stone buildings, and canals running throughout. During our two days in Bruges, we walked the entire town (twice), climbed the central belfry, visited the Chocolate Story Museum (educational and delicious), and of course, sampled the local cuisine. Namely, waffles. It was admittedly difficult to return to Spanish food after being spoiled by Belgium’s masterful sweets.

Our last day in Belgium was spent in Brussels due to an early flight back to Spain. It was a much nicer day, and we got to see the Grand Palace and Market Place, which were both beautiful and extraordinarily crowded! Afterwards, we trekked a mile and a half to see the Comic Wall, which is exactly what it sounds like. It turns out that the Belgians are very proud of their comics, especially considering that Belgium is the home of comic giants the Smurfs and Tin Tin. All in all, it’s a quirky country and one I’m very glad to have had the chance to explore. Check out my tips below for traveling within Europe!

Kathleen’s Pro Tips for Affordable Euro Travel

1)    Check out discount airlines like Ryanair, trains, and buses

2)    Avoid taxis when possible- buses are cheaper and you won’t get ripped off

3)    Hostels are your friend. While bunking down with strangers can feel weird at first, its cheap and a great way to meet people. If you aren’t interested in new friends, doubles and triples are often available

4)    Plan in advance! Hostels and travel expenses are always cheaper farther out from the travel date.

5)     Look up the location of your airport and what is the most affordable way to reach your hostel or hotel

6)    Budget your money-cash runs out more quickly than you’d think and not everyone in Europe accepts credit cards

7)    Pack light! You will probably end up carrying your bag(s) around, so embrace the idea of re-wearing outfits

Bienvenidos a Pamplona

After a grand total of twenty hours of travel, including three separate flights, I arrived in Pamplona, Spain the evening of January 6^th. Unfortunately, nothing was open because the Spanish give and receive Christmas presents on this day, which is known as Día de Reyes, or Day of the Kings. So I spent my first evening in Pamplona getting the key to my flat, or piso, and moving in. My roommates weren’t back from their holidays yet, so I had the whole place to myself.  Below are highlights from the week and half since my arrival. Checkout the picture of Pamplona from the city outskirts!

Piso

My piso is about 5 minutes from campus and 15-20 from the city center in a neighborhood called Iturrama.  The location is perfect because everyone walks everywhere here. I live with two permanent UNAV students, one from Spain and one from Ecuador. The piso has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a balcony. I live right next to a supermarket called Eroski, which is very convenient for daily shopping trips rather than buying a week’s worth of groceries all at once. Both of my roommates are very nice, so it’s worked out very well so far.

Classes

I am taking 5 business classes in English and one Spanish class through UNAV’s language program, ILCE. Most of my classes are fairly small, from 10-30 people. It’s hard to tell for sure, though, because this past week was the add/drop week, during which students are allowed to attend any classes they would like to get a good idea of the course and professor. Next week classes become permanent. (Pictured below: the newly built economics building and the more traditional Edificio Central, or Central Building)

Language

One of the most interesting aspects of study abroad thus far has been the number of people who speak English and the high quality of their abilities. There are over one hundred exchange students, and every individual I’ve spoken with has had impeccable English, often in addition to one or two other languages outside of their native tongue. Some even say that they came to Spain to improve their English with the other exchange students. The term that comes to mind for me is “English Privilege”. Everyone here seems to know at least a bit of English, and the English speakers simply do not have to speak Spanish if they don’t want to. That being said, I’ve had several opportunities to practice my speaking, not just with Spaniards but with students from all over Latin America and other parts of Europe.

Social

Pamplona, though a small city, is always teeming with life. The streets are almost always full of people socializing and running errands. There are lots of pastelerías, or bakeries, as well as bars where friends gather to talk and spend time together. Socialization is clearly a very important factor in Spanish life, and something that I have greatly appreciated during my short time here so far. I have already had the opportunity to meet some native students of UNAV, including my international mentor, and many exchange students from all over the world. It’s somewhat mind-blowing to be sitting at a café with friends, and realize that out of the entire group no one is from the same country. Even though we come from different cultures and backgrounds, everyone is very friendly and I’m finding that those of our generation share many similarities despite geographic diversity.

Some of the standout events so far have been a day trip to the Basque city of San Sebastian, juevintxos, and watching the local soccer team play a game. The trip to San Sebastian was organized by the international committee and was a great opportunity to meet other exchange students as we walked around the beach and the city. juevintxos (pronounced Hue-veen-chos) occurs every Thursday and is a combination of the words pintxos (tapas) and jueves (Thursday). During juevintxos, people from all of the city go to bars to sample different pintxos and drinks which are only 2 euro apiece. During juevintxos, the streets are packed not only with college students but with adults of all ages. It’s a very popular event and many people go every week. Finally, the international committee provided tickets for the exchange students to see Osasuna, the local fútbol team play. The stadium is twenty minutes away by foot, and is home to some of the most passionate fans I’ve ever seen. Though the final score was 0-0, the fans never stopped singing and cheering for a single moment.

I’m finding that Pamplona is already starting to feel like home. It’s a very comfortable and quaint city, and I’m so happy to be able to share it with all of you! Adios for now and thanks for reading!

(Photo 1: The local soccer stadium, home of the Osasuna! 
Photo 2: A sand artist in San Sebastian
Photo 3: The bay at San Sebastian-pretty, but very cold)

 (Photo 4: The crowded streets during juevintxos
Photo 5: A typical juevintxo)

Count Down to Take Off

At roughly 35 hours from departure, I'm struck with two contrasting emotions: total excitement and overwhelming nervousness. I've known that I would spend the spring of my junior year abroad since I arrived at USC as it is a requirement of my International Business major. For the past three years I have anxiously waited to find out to which school I would be assigned and into what culture I would be immersed. Now that the time is almost upon me, I truly couldn't be more excited. I fell in love with UNAV while researching schools in Spain (Check out this video to see why! http://www.unav.es/facultad/econom/living-in-navarra ), and was ecstatic when I learned that it would be my study abroad university. Pamplona is a beautiful old Spanish city with gorgeous architecture and gardens everywhere, and from across the Atlantic seems to leave little to be desired. However, despite my excitement over my upcoming adventure, I can't deny the pre-departure jitters that are just starting to set in.

            In my opinion, it's pretty natural to be a little nervous before spending a semester abroad. After all, there are only two other USC students going to UNAV, I will have to speak primarily in Spanish, the academic system is set up very differently, and I found my flatmates on Facebook. All in all, that's a lot of change and admittedly a lot that could go wrong. That being said, I'm focusing on all of the positive aspects that come along with these challenges. I'll have the opportunity to make a lot of new friends, practice my Spanish, have a first-hand experience with the European education system, and learn if finding flatmates on Facebook is a recommendable life choice. The way I see it, everything may not go perfectly, but this semester is going to be an adventure.

            While much of my Spanish adventure remains a mystery, there is one aspect of European travel on which I now consider myself an expert: packing. I am not a “travel light” kind of girl, so I found the one checked bag limitation of British Airways a little troubling. I just can’t help but try to pack my whole closet. What can I say, I like my clothes. My saving grace turned out to be the Ziploc Airtight Space Bags. Plenty of space and not a cardigan sacrificed. I highly recommend them to all travelers with a penchant for over packing.

            Now that I have my packing done and all of my papers in order, all that’s left is to wait for the next 35 hours to go by. Next time I post it will be from Spain! Adios and thanks for reading! 

Very Sad Before Picture

Wonderful After Picture with Miracle Bags

All about me

Hello readers! I'm Kathleen Mackenzie, a New Jersey native and a junior at USC with a double major in International Business and Marketing and a minor in Spanish. At Carolina I keep myself busy in a number of organizations. I'm a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta, a member of the South Carolina Honors College, an initiate of Omicron Delta Kappa, and a contributing writer for Her Campus South Carolina.  However, I'm saying adios to all of this and hola to España because starting January 5th, I will be spending just under five months studying at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. For those who don't know, Pamplona is located in Northern Spain, approximately an hour from the French border and is most famous for hosting the Running of the Bulls every summer. While I will not be in Spain for this festival, I'm looking forward to exploring everything that this historic city has to offer. I invite you to follow along with my adventures and follies, and thank any and all readers for your support!