San Sebastian

The beach today was absolutely positively gorgeous. I spent most of the day walking around, trying different tapas and looking at things but I managed to get a pretty sweet sunburn/sunglass tan. Yes! haha Here are some pics. I'm super exhausted and have a bit of a migraine so I'll write more tomorrow!
There are many more pics on facebook and Myspace! Here was just a sneak peek ;)

1st day

The first day of orientation is over. I met a fun group of people, hung out with them all day and tonight we're going out! It's a girl's 21st bday and everybody is gonna cheer her up cuz she's a bit homesick. She's from Australia, so we're gonna hit the Aussie bar and then head to a disco.. Most of the international students here seem really cool. There are quite a few people from the U.S., Taiwan, Italy, and Australia.. among others.

The school is pretty cool, they're very big on security so there are metal detectors and everything at the entrance to all the buildings, which is different. Things seem to be going pretty well. Tomorrow I'm going to San Sebastian for the day, which is a beach that is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous. That's pretty much all that's going on today. I'll post more tomorrow or Monday and let you know how tonight went! Much love to you all xoxo

What does one..

need in order to feel at home? A TELEPHONE!

Guess who is now officially an interim Spaniard? Me! That's right, Yvonne Cooper now has a cell phone in Spain, complete with one very cool telephone number.

Yeah- I'm just that cool ;)

Getting ready for classes

This Saturday I have orientation for International Students. In order to prepare for what's in store I decided to look at the schedule.. They have all sorts of stuff in store for me! Here's a schedule..

Welcoming Week for International Students
29th, 30th, and 31th of August 2009

Saturday, 29th of August
Place: Edifcio de Ciencias Sociales (Main Entrance)
9:30-10:00AM Check-in
10:00AM-10:30 AM Welcoming
10:30AM-11:10 AM Coffee Break
11:10AM-12:10PM Ice breaking activities
12: 10PM-1:00PM Tour of Campus
1:00 PM-4:30 PM Free time
4:30PM- 7:30PM Tour of Pamplona (Meet in front of Larraona: PIO XII 45)
7:30PM – 10PM Pinchos in Plaza de Castillo

Sunday, 30th of August
Excursion to San Sebastian
Place: Meet in front of Larraona: PIO XII 45
Depart: 9:30AM Edificio Central
Return: 7:00PM (Arrive in Pamplona at 8:00PM)

Monday, 31st of August
Place: Room 6: Edifcio de Ciencias Sociales
9:30AM – 12:00PM: Bank Accounts and Cell Phones (Main Hall)
9:30AM-10:00AM Check-in
10:00AM-10:30AM Welcoming to Participants
10:30AM-10:50AM Group Picture
10:50AM-11:30PM Coffee Break
11:30PM-12:45PM Information Sessions
• UAS/ Service of Cultural Activities
• Residency Cards
• University Chaplain
• Presentation of the Entrepreneurs Club
• Alumni
• Introduction of International Office
1:00PM-2PM Faculty information Sessions
2:00PM-4:00PM Paella Gigante (Big Paella in the Huerto del Rector)
4:00PM Parent Sessions
Is that not the biggest pan of paella you've ever seen in your life?

I just couldn't...

.. help myself. You know the box wine that we have in the states, that big 'ol box in the stores that you can buy for like 10 bucks and it gets you and all your friends drunk? Well here in Spain they have something kinda like it... only it's individual sized.. haha.. For just .55 euros you can get yourself one of these baby's and it's party time! haha.. They come in vino rosado, vino tinto, y vino blanco (rose wine, red wine, and white whine) I haven't tasted it yet, but I'm sure it'll be fantastic. It's all class over here, all class.
P.S. On the positive side, no cork! haha

Priorities

Today I learned what the priorities are over here in Spain.

I went to go to the grocery store because I didn't want to eat anything I had bought yesterday (typical me). Well imagine my surprise when all I found open were bars, bread shops, and churches.. lol Guess you can really tell what Spanish people value! haha. . I guess i'll have to settle for pizza! Anyways, in light of everything being closed, that's about all that I have to report for today! Miss you :)

Today's feat :)

Today my main goal was to move in, get situated and maybe get a few groceries.

I left the hostel at 11am.. At first I thought about attempting to walk or take a bus to my new apartment. I quickly thought better of this when I remembered how ridiculously heavy my suitcases were! Instead I had my first foreign cab experience. It cost 8 euros to get from my hostel to the apartment. When I got there Lara (my roommate) showed me around again, and she and her mom showed me where the nearest supermarket, panaderìa (bread shop), carnicerìa (meat shop), and fruterìa (fruit store) were. Then I went back to the apartment while she went to her mom's for the night.

Here are a few pics :) This is my wall.. as you see, i'm gonna need some more photos of you guys back home! I'll give you guys my address so you can send me some love!

After unpacking I went to the grocery store to get a few goodies to stock up on. Here is what I got.
The list: 1)yogurt 2)pizza 3)coke 4)pringles 5)chicken nuggets 6)muffins 7)ketchup 8)pineapple/grape juice

This is all i got cuz they charge to use a cart here and i'm too cheap.. haha.. I only bought what i could carry! And mom, you'll be happy to know that I continued my bargain shopping as best I could. I only spent 11 euros! Anyways, this is what's up for today. I'm alone at the apt. tonight but tomorrow Lara is gonna show me around You know you love me xoxo yvonne

Things are Looking Up :)

Alright Uncle D.. I can tell you worked a bit of your bday magic today :)

Oh man- today is so much better than yesterday. I woke up early, no doubt thanks to jet lag, and started myself off with a nice shower and a piece of toast. ( Part of the free breakfast at the hostel, it's about all i'm allowing myself to eat.. haha)

Then I went exploring with this British roomate of mine named Charlie. He was very nice and knew nothing of the city, just like me! We went and saw the Plaza del Castillo, a beautiful cathedral, walked along the route for running of the bulls, and much more. Here are some pics!
There will be more pics on facebook/myspace- but there were a few to capture your interest..
Anyways at around 12:30 I parted ways with Charlie and went on my own to go check out an apartment. I made myself walk the entire way there so I could learn to navigate the city. The walk only took about 45 mins, but it was good to do it so I learned more about how to get around! Anyway, the girl I was meeting was very nice! It just so happens that their roommate is in Argentina for the semester and they only need someone until the end of December, which was perfection for me! :) I looked the place over, and I MOVE IN TOMORROW! Here are some pics of the place!

So that is where I will be living for the next 4 1/2 months! Hope you like it as much as I do! ( and if you don't, then suck it ) :)
P.S. Check out facebook/myspace for more pics.. it's too damn difficult to upload a ton of pics here!

Just checkin' in..

WEll- there's not much new to post. I'm still completely overwhelmed and have ABSOLUTELY no clue what I'm doing but there's not much I can do about that now. My hostel is pretty nice, and is in a fun part of town, but I still have nowhere to live permanently and it's starting to scare the shit outta me... not gonna lie.
I will be looking at a place tomorrow, so cross your fingers for me. Also, I'm still pretty homesick. It's something i'm struggling with but i hope/know it will get better.

Anyways, just wanted to check in.. I will post some pics/ update again soon. Miss you all!

More random pics....

This was my first European Money ( It's mostly gone now, i might add)

Me with my first money
These are both views of Barcelona from the train..

I'm here

Well, guess who FINALLY made it to Spain. You’re right, that would be me. Let me tell you, this was a long-ass trip. I had a five hour flight to Washington DC, followed by an 8 ½ hour flight to Copenhagen, Denmark, and then a 2 ½ hour flight to Barcelona. I would be lying if I failed to tell you that when I got off the plane into the Barcelona airport I had the biggest “WT-FUCK DID I GET MYSELF INTO NOW?” moment. All of a sudden a culmination of exhaustion, frustration, and nervousness collided. Just in time for me to call my mom and check in. Yay! (note the sarcasm here) The fact is that as I was talking to my mom, I realized I had absolutely no clue what I was going to do once I got my luggage from baggage claim. I knew I had to get to Barcelona Sants Train Station but I had no idea how/when that would happen. Sorry mom, as if having me leave to go live in a foreign country for 5 months isn’t difficult enough for you, having me burst into tears the first time I talk to you, probably didn’t help. I think that once I get some sleep and get settled everything will be ok. I was able to find a system ( much like the Max in Portland, the bart in San Fran, and the light rail in Seattle) that brought me to the train station. However, once I got there to buy my ticket they informed me that only first class was available. Of course I had to buy it anyway, because I really didn’t have a choice…. First Class is always nice, but not usually in the budget of a traveling college student. Whatevs, you do what you have to do , right? Only problem? I was at the train station at noon. My train didn’t leave until 4:45! Ugh- more waiting, just what I wanted. I did what any smart person would do with an extra4 hours, I wrapped my arms and legs every which way through my luggage, and I took a nap. Haha Train then boarded and I took a four and a half hour train ride to Pamplona.
Anyway, that’s pretty much most of my traveling info. Boring I’m sure, but here are some helpful hints for anyone planning to do some long- distance traveling in the future:

1. Be sure to bring a toothbrush and face wash with you. -- I’m not kidding. It’s amazing how something as small as locking myself in the Copenhagen airport restroom and washing my face/brushing my teeth made me feel 100 times more refreshed!
2. Bring a change of clothes on your carry on! -- When I got to Barcelona, I was dying in my jeans and sweatshirt because it was blistering hot. The smartest thing I did was pack a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to change into.
3. Keep your head up. -- It’s physically/mentally/emotionally exhausting. When all I wanted to do was turn around and board a plane back home, constantly reminding myself that everything would be fine was extremely helpful. Also! Sorry grandma for the emotional phone call that you also received. As I said before, exhaustion and Yvonne are NOT a good mix. I mean, I’m already cranky when I’m tired and I know what the hell I’m doing. Now we know that exhaustion and me in an unknown place = uncontrollable tears L I’m gonna have to be sure to get my beauty sleep over here. Can’t have these Spaniards calling me “La mujer que llora” (the woman who cries) LOL I miss you all! I miss the dreary seattle weather, you fun, quirky friends of mine, and of course I absolutely miss my family! You guys really mean a lot to me and it’s gonna be hard without you. But we’ll make it. That I know J I’ll close with some random pics. Be forewarned…. These were DURING/AFTER traveling, so don’t judge me ;)
Complimentary wine.. always a plus

Plane food = not so good

More to come in the next post.. I'm to tired to finish.. lol

A few tips ;)

Alright.. sorry guys, I'm terrible at updating. Honestly I have no idea what's gonna happen. I leave in 4 days and I'm starting to get nervous as hell. I'm working on packing and it will be interesting because I'm a terrible packer.

Packing tips for women: (I oddly think of Irene when I read these.. hehe)

*If you're not gonna wear it more than 3 times, don't pack it: Now this one I completely understand, but I must say, there is always that one piece that you just HAVE to have, yet will most likely never get worn. I'm really trying not to pack shit that I don't neeed.
*Shorts are uncommon throughout much of Europe: This one is difficult for me. I DON'T handle the heat well when I'm wearing pants. It will be interesting to see what I wear. Honestly, I was just getting American Style down, now I have to switch to European style??? WTF?
*When traveling keep copies of your Passport just in case: This I completely agree with! If my passport gets stolen it would be a lot easier to bring a copy to the consulate and get it replaced then to be completely SOL.
*Ensure that you have voltage converters: It's important to make sure that you can make your electronic devices work abroad. In order to do this, you probably need to get a voltage converter as well as an adaptar to make sure that you don't blow up your electronics! Imagine blowing up your computer! AGH! It'd be terrible :

-and maybe the most important of all....

***USE YOUR BRAIN***: Honestly, don't be one of those stupid travelers who acts as though they are the only person in the world. You ARE NOT invincible. You WILL be TARGETED as a tourist. and there ARE dangers out there. Not everybody has good intentions. Remember, just use some common sense and you can avoid A LOT of problems that could arise!

Hope this helps in the future, as it has certainly helped me...

Never go unprepared ;)

I'm just doin' some research on Pamplona, which is the city I'll be living in and thought I'd share it. Enjoy!


This is a photo of the Pamplona Cathedral. I may not be uber religious, but I can definitely appreciate gorgeous architecture.







This photo is the Plaza del Castillo which means "square of the castle." This is the heart and soul of Pamplona and is often referred to as the 'living room in Pamplona".







This is the Pamplona Town Hall which is apparently some of the most outstanding Baroque civil architecture.




The next few photos will be of the University of Navarra, so that we can get an idea of what's in store for me!

Alright, I hope you are as intrigued as I am! As the day comes closer and closer I find myself giddy ( yes i just used the word giddy) with anticipation! ¡Què interesante!

Hostel hunting....

I thought maybe people would like to see where I'm stayin for the first few days in Spain! I found a hostel called Hostel Hemingway. It's new, just opened July 1st of this year! All of the ratings so far have been really good. Here's a few pics if you're interested!

I will be staying in a four bedroom room. It comes with bed linen and free breakfast!

Gearing up...

Hi guys :)

So I'm pretty new at this whole blog thing but here it goes. I officially leave the country in 10 days. I can't believe it's so close. There's so much to do and so many people to see before i leave! I'm gonna try and use this blog to show you all what life is like in Spain! I hope it works hehe.. Now I must warn you, if it starts getting written in spanish, it's not my fault. You all know that I'm absolutely terrible at thinking/existing in 2 languages! haha I'm almost positive that I will come back knowing zero english.

Hope ya'll don't get too bored reading this! ( If anyone reads it! )

See ya later!