Celebrating with friends

I can't believe it's already here! I leave for Europe in 2 days! Wednesday morning I say goodbye to the good old U.S of A.

This past weekend I spent time with some of my best friends! Shelby and Judy drove from Brookings to attend a fun going away/faux birthday celebration for me and Shanna. (I'll be in Europe for Shanna's birthday, and we couldn't miss celebrating at least a little bit!)

 Me, Judy, Shanna, and Shelby outside Granite City

Quality chat time at Coffea with some of my favorite people

After a wonderful dinner at Granite City, we commandeered a table at Coffea and talked the night away. I'm so blessed with wonderful friends! :)

Information Overload- in the best way possible!

My final packets have been made available on my student portal through ISA!!!!!

With less than 2 weeks until I leave U.S. soil, I was getting anxious to know my housing assignment along with the details of our Madrid/Toledo excursions. Upon arrival in Madrid, ISA will pick all the program participants up from the airport during two time windows, and take us to a hotel to rest/freshen up for our evening tour of the city. We'll have a meeting our first evening to help with culture shock, and then it's off to bed because the next day is chalk full of touring! After a busy day in Madrid, the next morning we will depart for Toledo, an old city to the south. The following morning we leave for Valencia to meet our host families!!

Speaking of which, another item included in my final packet was the housing assignment list. ISA provides us with the addresses of all the participants so we can find our way to each other's homes while staying in Valencia. I've already looked up my home; 10 minutes from the University of Valencia, and 15 minutes to the beach!!!!

With my host family I'll share a room with another student from the U.S. who is also part of the Valencia program. I'm so looking forward to meeting new people, both from the U.S. and natives of Spain!

Along with all this exciting information, ISA also provided a final departure list of things we need to have on our person when arriving in Madrid. Most of this is paperwork and information, but I sure do love a good checklist :) 

Looking at the flight list, there isn't anyone from the ISA program on my flights, so I'll have to wait until I arrive in Madrid to meet any of my fellow students... Oh well! I can try and focus on sleeping so I'm not entirely jet-lagged when I arrive in Europe. On that note, I think most everything I need has either been purchased, or is on it's way (neck pillow, eye mask, adapter, etc.) Preparing for this trip has almost been as exciting as dreaming about all the wonderful places I'm about to visit! 

Excursions Announced!

I'm excited to share that ISA has announced the excursions/dates for my study abroad program! I leave the United States on June 26, and will arrive in Madrid, Spain on June 27. We will spend June 27-28 in Madrid exploring Spain's most populous city. On June 30, we will head south to the historic city of Toledo. The next day we will travel to Valencia to meet our host families and get settled into classes at the University. 

 Madrid, Spain

Toledo, Spain

After immersing myself in classes for three weeks, ISA will lead an excursion to Barcelona, Spain for a weekend (July 19-21). I'm dying to see all the beautiful architecture Barcelona is known for (the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpieces, and much more). 

The following weekend we will make a day trip to the city of Gandía and la Albufera, a freshwater lagoon located to the south of Valencia. After all the excitement of Barcelona, this short trip south will be a prime time to enjoy Valencia's beautiful beaches! 

Valencia, Spain

I'm on information-overload, and loving every minute of it!! Only 34 days left until I leave for Europe!

Valencia Orientation Handbook

Hi again! A few days ago I received my Valencia Orientation Handbook from ISA! This 45 page pdf will be my lifeline while studying abroad. The handbook is divided into three sections: Before You Leave, While You're There, and Useful Information.

The Before You Leave section includes information about passports, packing, money/budgeting, and cell phones abroad. I'll have to contact my phone provider and upgrade to international/global coverage for two months since I'll be out of the country for 7 weeks.

 I was most focused on the packing lists and tips in this section- I've been trying to slowly collect simple, yet functional clothing items that are super versatile so I can mix and match while abroad, minimizing the amount of clothes I have to bring.

It will also be important to let my bank know I will be in Europe so they don't freeze my card when I try and use it in a foreign country! It was also helpful to see what previous students' budgeted for certain items like transportation, dining, entertainment, shopping, and souvenirs.




In the next section, While You're There, I learned quite a bit about culture shock, jet lag, and important Spanish customs. This part of the handbook also went in depth about housing and food accommodations (which I appreciated since I'm gluten free), as well as public transportation. The handbook also listed the resources that will be available to be through the University of Valencia, where I will be taking two classes. This section also gave information about receiving letters and packages. Anything anyone would like to mail to me (please do!) must be sent through the ISA office. The address is as follows:

Maggie Bryant

Pasaje Doctor Bartual Moret No 6, oficina Ñ

46010 Valencia, Spain 

Directly from the handbook: "It is best to send packages, especially ones of importance, via courier services such as FedEx or UPS to avoid lost parcels. Keep descriptions simple and easy-to-understand such as, 'used clothing, value $25', and avoid complex descriptions such as, 'leather jacket, value $250'. Goods sent from outside the European Union will be subject to a customs tax, as set by Spain and European law. The local delivery agent customs representatives may also charge a handling fee in addition to the customs tax. Tax can be charged for any item of value, in general most packages with a declared value of under $50 arrive untaxed."

The last section of the Valencia Orientation Handbook focused on advice from previous students, as well as tips and tricks from the ISA staff who have ample experience with Valencia specifically. I downloaded some of the apps listed to help ease my time abroad, as well as printed off the helpful words and phrases page. This section also talked about the climate and weather to expect in Valencia. While I'm there, from June 26-August 1, the average high is 85 degrees and the average low is 68 degrees. I'm packing almost exclusively dresses, skirts, and a pair of shorts!

0. 
   

Pre-Departure Orientation

Hello friends! It's been a while since I've posted anything, but not much has happened until today. This evening the SDSU Office of International Affairs hosted a "pre-departure orientation" for all the students studying abroad this summer or this fall.

The presentation included packing tips (which I will hopefully heed!), technology information (adapters, converters, etc), and some struggles we may face and how to cope with them. Armed with the information given, I've started researching some ideas for packing. Historically, I'm always the one with way too much clothing/luggage, but I'm on a mission to change that! Since I plan on living out of a carry on and my backpack (fingers crossed!), I will need to be purposeful when deciding what to bring abroad. A wonderful list the study abroad coordinators shared with us comes from another blogger (http://voiceoftruth.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/basic-packing-list-for-study-abroad/).

In the midst of studying for finals and packing up to move back home, I haven't had as much time as I'd like to plan for my quickly-approaching trip. Thank goodness summer vacation is near! I installed a countdown app on my phone, and it currently says 55 days until Europe- I can't wait! :)