If you read my earlier posts, you’ll know that I’m going back to Spain in a few months. I love Spain, but man, the visa process can be very stressful. It can take months to compile all the documents, and a lot of money, especially if you want to get the documents faster, like me.
After leaving Stockholm to spend a few days with my distant Swedish relatives in Karlstad, I boarded a train for my final European stop to Oslo. Thick forests of trees surrounded the train as it passed from the Swedish countryside into the Norwegian. Our train stopped in some small town a few miles outside of the city because they were working on the tracks; so we boarded buses and were dropped off somewhere near the city center.
I did it. I packed my suit case for Tarragona! Yes, I did use my biggest suitcase, but as of right now it only weighs about 40 pounds! (I have a 50 pound limit.) I don’t know how someone packs to go abroad for four months … It’s a good thing my program is in summer so the clothing is lighter and I’m able to pack more clothes!
It’s really amazing that my trip is only two days away now. I’ve been wanting to go on this trip since my freshman year and now it’s happening. I’ll be flying out of Norfolk on Friday morning and having a seven and a half hour layover in Newark (yay me!) before I depart to Barcelona. Once we reach Barcelona, we’ll be driving an hour south to Tarragona.
Most people have never heard of Tarragona. Like I said, it’s an hour south of Barcelona. It’s a small beach city on the Mediterranean Sea (so be looking forward to a super tan Erika!). Tarragona was at one point the capitol of the Roman empire, so there are some cool Roman ruins around the city.
Now I’m not just going to Spain to vacation for a month, I’ll also be doing some learning! I’m going there to finish my minor, Medical Spanish. We’ll be attending classes at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. I’ll be taking Advanced Medical Spanish and Practical Medical Spanish, so I’ll get to spend half my time working in a medical setting. I’m really hoping to become more comfortable and more fluent with the language while I’m over there.
Some other details: I’ll be staying with a host family, although I don’t know much about them right now. Each weekend we’re there, we get to take an excursion; we are going to Barcelona, the South of France/Northeastern Spain, and one weekend is dedicated to just going to beaches in Tarragona. I’m really looking forward to being able to explore some European cities … if only I could make it out to Madrid! ¡Hala Madrid!
So keep tuned to this page where I’ll update more about my journey to Spain! As my mom says, I’m the first Downing to go to Europe since they came over to the United States, so it should be a great adventure.