No Pasa Nada

      A frequent saying here in Madrid is "no pasa nada," which means "don't worry about it." I have found a large cultural difference in the mentality of Spaniards versus Americans. While Americans feel the need to be diplomatic, politically correct, and avoid offending others at all costs; Spaniards are unbelievably open, honest, and say what's on their mind. At the same time, Spaniards are not easily offended. You can tell someone that you didn't like the meal they cooked without any explanation, and the answer will always be, "no pasa nada."
       This week I explored an interesting neighborhood in Madrid, called Chueca, which attracts a large gay community. The neighborhood is flamboyant and unique with some really classy restaurants. I stumbled upon a rooftop bar at the Oscar Hotel in Chueca with some friends. It has a pretty view of Madrid and was a fun place to get a glass of wine between classes this past Thursday. I also experienced my first gay club in Madrid, which was a really wild scene!

         
        On Thursday, Isabel (the mom of the house) had a dinner party for her co-workers. Since she works for the state department, the guests included diplomats and ambassadors, making it an interesting crowd. Isabel served tapas and lots of wine. She seemed so proud to introduce Fiona and I as her American daughters. Isabel also insisted that her friend bring her nephew, Alex. She keeps telling us that the only way we will become fluent in Spanish is if we get Spanish boyfriends (novios). She relentlessly asks how our search is coming along. It's very cute and rather funny. She insisted that we invite Alex to come out with us that night. Isabel also introduced me to her friend who is a stylist at the magazine, Marie Claire, which was obviously a great acquaintance for me to make. Her friend was impressed that I am interning at Glamour and told me to tell her friend who is a stylist there hello for her. It just so happens that I sit right next to the stylist at Glamour that she knows and shared plantain chips with her last Monday...small world!
        On Friday I went on a field trip with the BU program to Toledo, which used to be the capital of Spain. We spent the day seeing some historical cathedrals and synagogues, and of course our entire tour was in Spanish.

         I also went to an Indian restaurant in a neighborhood called Lavapiés. A Indian girl on my program was really craving her mom's home cooking and recommended a restaurant to the group after getting back from an exhausting day in Toledo. We all went straight home to go to bed because we were so exhausted from the trip. It was the first weekend night of the trip that I have not gone out! Everyone on the program is very adventurous and willing to try new things, which has allowed me to get along with so many of them. I takes a certain type of person to choose a rather challenging program, where we are living with families and immersing ourselves in a foreign language.
          On Saturday I went on a cable car ride that went all the way to outskirts of Madrid, giving us a good view of the city. It was a bit touristy, but still a fun activity.

            That night, Fiona (my new friend who goes to BU and is staying in the same host family) invited me out to dinner to meet her dad, who came to Madrid to visit he on his way back home to Ireland. We went to a trendy restaurant in Chueca and had some great, and very interesting food. We shared appetizers of tortilla española (egg omelet with potatoes), jamón ibérico (similar to prosciutto), and cheese. We then each got our own pasta dishes and plenty of wine! Fiona's dad is ridiculously intelligent and a world traveler. He knows many foreign languages, including Spanish, and is well-versed in economics, especially in the EU (European Union). It was interesting to learn from him and of course enjoy a great meal!
       Today was a wonderful lazy Sunday at home. Fiona, Elsa, and I were home alone all day long because Marta goes to church on Sundays and Isabel went to Paris to visit her sister. Today was Elsa's 14th birthday so we baked a cake together for her. The three of us had such a great time cracking up and dancing to both Spanish and American songs, including the most popular song at the moment in Spain called "Asi Se Eu Te Pego." Elsa loves to bake and took complete control in the kitchen giving orders to Fiona (who she calls "Rubia," meaning "Blondie") and to me (who she calls "Cookies"...because I like cookies).
        With the help of one of the family members, Marta, I have signed up to take an art class once a week for the month of February. I asked her to call to sign me up because it's really hard for me to understand people over the phone. I am going to the place tomorrow so that they can decide which class level to place me into, and the first class starts next Monday. I am so excited to do art again and challenge my mind creatively.

Hablamos Pronto,
Evie

Settling In..(Rome 1)

I have been here almost one full week in Italia! It has been difficult and very hard to adjust to say the least. Although everything is SO exciting, I forget that it takes time to settle into a new place. I thought that automatically, I would be able to just start having the most perfect abroad experience! I clearly forgot about my first week of freshman year..(see past post)

I came abroad on this program by myself. Although I do have friends in the city, I did not realize what an under taking this really was. I am proud of myself for knowing not one single person on my program, but it takes a lot of reliance on yourself and confidence to know that you will be able to connect with others soon. I don't think I have been put in that kind of a social situation in a very long time!

I live in an apartment with five other girls, and each apartment is furnished with wifi, living room, kitchen and bedding. Although, Italians only have heat during the day, not at night (beats me) so it gets much colder then expected. I have to go buy a comforter at a local Italian store soon. (Keep forgetting!!)

This week the program organized a ton of tours and other activities for us to do. We went to the pantheon, the coliseum and a TON of churchs. We did this all by foot, so I am definitely not gaining weight from the pasta...YET. It was good to see everything while walking, because I got to get a little more familiar with the area and my surroundings.

We also had orientation for school. I am studying at the American University of Rome. When I heard where I was studying at first, I imagined rolling hills and other "campus" thoughts, since I have been used to a city school for so long. Although, it is kind of like BU. There are a couple of buildings and it is situated right on city blocks. Even though that might be different for a lot of people, it is almost comforting to me!

My classes have been the most exciting part of my adventures so far. They don't officially start until monday, but I got a kind of taste for them this week. Photography, Art of Rome, Food and Wine..what could I possibly not love?! I think this is the first time where I want to get to my classes!

I have started to plan some trips already, since I want to get good deals and good prices, of course! I am pretty sure I am going to Prague with my friends on another program next week, and have thought of some dates to visit other friends abroad soon! It gets me very excited, and traveling is a huge part of why I wanted to go abroad in the first place.

I am hoping that with time, routine and progress, everything here will settle in more, and I can feel very at home and completely comfortable. I know that will take a few weeks, so it feels good to talk to my friends and family at home until then.

I want to thank everyone who has supported me these last few days while I am trying to fit in with the culture, language barrier, and simply directions of this new foreign city! I love Rome, I love its history and I love its streets and scenes. I cannot wait to see what the next few months have in store for me!

All my love,

Ali

New Friends and Old Friends

Life in Boston officially feels back to normal. Even though I have been here for two weeks, my days have certainly have been everything but typical! This past weekend was a very exciting few days for me!

The end of last week marked the end of my term as VP Recruitment for my sorority. I absolutely loved this position, and truly feel that I have grown tremendously within the past year. A short few months ago I would have gotten butterflies calling to order Chinese food over the phone (used to make me very nervous) and now I have no qualms about addressing issues over the phone or in person. I have gained so much confidence and trust in myself and I really feel it will affect me positively in so many areas of my life.

Ashley, the past VP Recruitment (who taught me so much!!)
me, and Jackie, the next VP recruitment! 

ANYWAY (enough about me)… we now have 51 beautiful new members!! We gave out bids last Wednesday, and the girls are beautiful and funny and already feel like an amazing addition to AEPhi. And to add to the excitement, we gave a bid to my actual sister Suzanne!! I feel so happy and lucky to be able to share my amazing experiences with her!

The Alpha Xi class! Aren't they beautiful??

Besides the wonderful new additions to AEPhi, this weekend was special for another reason; my best friend from high school came to visit me!! Erica and I have been friends since elementary school, and have remained best friends all through high school and college! I have an amazing group of friends from high school and I am so lucky that we all keep in touch and see each other as much as possible! Erica goes to Michigan so we have never been able to visit each other (although I am DYING to go to a Michigan football game). Since she is studying abroad in Tel Aviv for the semester and hasn’t left yet, she decided to spend a weekend in Boston with me before she leaves!!

Erica and me at a football game in high school!

Erica took Amtrak up to Boston as per my instructions (I have become quite the Amtrak travel agent in my time at school) and got into Boston mid-afternoon. We went out to dinner with a few of my friends, went to a High School Stereotype themed social with my sorority (I dressed up as a bully- ironic?) and went to a club during the DAY on Saturday. I normally would not do something like this (kills all productivity for the rest of the day) but we wanted to try something new and have fun! Of course we were exhausted when we got home (at 7pm!!!) so we attempted to watch a movie and fell asleep!

Sunday Erica and I spent the day walking around Boston and Cambridge! She had never been to Harvard so we took the T to Harvard Square and walked around and got lunch. I wanted to show Erica Beacon Hill (my favorite part of Boston) and we ended up walking from Beacon Hill, down to Newbury St, and all the way down Comm Ave back to school! We calculated our walk and it was close to 5 miles! We were just so busy talking and looking at everything that we didn’t notice how much we walked!

It was such a great day, and so fantastic to be able to show my best friend everything that I love about Boston and BU. I was definitely not surprised to see how well Erica blended in with my friends at school, especially Marissa, my little, and one of my best friends at BU. I obviously am going to miss her SO much this semester (as I do every semester- the distance is hard) but my fingers are crossed that I will be able to visit her in Israel in May on a Birthright trip!!

Marissa, me and Erica!! 

XOX
Jenna

SOS: Save Our Saldo

      Another fabulous week has been here in Madrid, and I have lots to report on! First, to explain the title of this post, "saldo" refers to how much credit you have left on your cell phone. As I become more familiar with the ins and out of Madrid, I have learned that you do not get charged if the person you call does not answer the phone. As a result, people often call you and hang up before you answer to let you know that they have arrived where you planned to meet (called "toque-ing" or poking). Being a frugal study abroad student who wants to travel, I have mastered the art of saving my saldo.
       This week I started classes and my internship at Glamour. The building is incredible, and I can't help but feel really cool for having a notebook that says "Glamour" on the top of each page. I am working for the Chief Editor of the style section of the magazine. I am excited to see what's to come and of course am dying to go on a photo shoot. There are two other interns there who are from Madrid. They are 24 and 26 and are getting their masters in fashion. It is so nice to have them to chat with even though I have to ask them to clarify or speak slower often. I got a necklace that was an extra and gave it to my hermana (sister) here, and she has been wearing it, which is very cute.
        This Wednesday was a very important soccer game between Real Madrid and Barcelona (similar to the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees). I went with friends to go watch at a sports bar, and it was quite the experience. The Spaniards are SO into soccer, and everyone was glued to the big screen TV, screaming whenever one team scored a goal. Unfortunately, Madrid lost.
        This weekend I enjoyed the nightlife once again. My favorite club so far was one called Kapital. It is 7 stories high and is literally unreal. I've never seen a more ornate place, with a different theme and feel on each floor. Smoke shoots out of the floor every 30 minutes, and it was complete with drag queens and giant robots on stilts.
        This weekend I did some cultural learning as well. I hung out in the Parque del Retiro, like a true Madrileña (native) and enjoyed the 57 degree sunny, gorgeous weather. I had tapas out with friends and went on a walking tour of Madrid. The tour guide was animated and told us lots of interesting stories behind the statues and monuments throughout the city. We also saw the Palacio Real (where the king and queen live). I am learning that, like New York, Madrid has a lot of different neighborhoods, each with a different character and charm. Sunday morning I woke up early and went to El Rastro (flea market) in La Latina (a neighborhood in Madrid). It was a giant open-air market full of crafts, scarves, clothes, tapestries, and all for very cheap!

Hablamos Pronto,
Evie

Jerusalem: and I will go far away like a bohemian

Hello blogging world,

5th girl, 5th city here. First off, I have to apologize for my absence on this blog thus far. All I can tell you really is that I was in complete denial of the fact that I was leaving to go live in Jerusalem for five months and couldn't bring myself to face the reality by blogging about it. But after being here for seven days, I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have a new home in the most beautiful city in the world.

I have been looking forward to my study abroad experience ever since I lived in Argentina for the Summer in high school. I went on a community service program there and didn't know anyone on the program until the day I met them in the airport. During my time traveling solo, I learned the value of the ultimate freedom of my journey and came out with a new found confidence. My experience in Argentina instigated my decision to travel solo to a completely new place for my semester abroad.

I've been living in Jerusalem, Israel for about seven days now and I can't begin to describe how incredible this place is. I'm studying at Hebrew University and I live in an apartment with four other girls. I am currently taking an intensive Hebrew Language class for four hours every week day (Sunday-Thursday) and have Friday and Saturday off for Shabbat. This class ends in a month, which is when I will begin my academic classes and continue until June. Hebrew University is a beautiful university on a mountain which overlooks the entire city. I am so lucky to walk to class every day amongst the remarkable skyline of the city. My classes are in the Rothberg International School so I have students from all over the world in my Hebrew class. I wasn't expecting to like learning Hebrew, but I actually love learning the language as well as learning from the people in my class who are from all different backgrounds.

My first weekend in Jerusalem was so exciting, I went out in downtown Jerusalem on Thursday night, celebrated Shabbat with wonderful new friends on Friday and Saturday, explored the old city with my new room mates, and took a trip to the Shook, which is basically like an enormous farmers market that happens every day in Jerusalem. I really love the night life here, and had so much fun dancing with friends. The old city is absolutely beautiful and I loved exploring the tiny shops and had to refrain from buying everything in every store. The Shook was definitely my favorite part of the week, as my life revolves around food. It didn't quite feel like home yet here until my refrigerator was equipped with bread, fruits, vegetables, spices, and snacks to experiment with in the kitchen this week.

Well that's about all I can tell you for now, I promise not to let as much time go between posts next time...

Much love from Jerusalem
-Hil

First Language Mistake

Buenos tardes,

So Buenos Aires has been so amazing thus far I can't even describe it in one post. I have been really behind on posting pictures and blog posts, but I swear this story/adventure will make up for it.

So I am with a group of 10 others (8 of us live together... 4 guys and 4 girls) it's like the real world... and I don't hate it one bit.

I took spanish for 6 years from middle school to senior year of high school then stopped after that. Needless to say, after 3 years of not taking classes/never talking or thinking about spanish.. it has been interesting coming to a country that speaks only spanish. I surprised myself with my ability and am able to communicate with everyone (well i get like 70% of what they're saying). My favorite thing to do is ask for directions I feel so accomplished when I understand someone... even better is giving directions. Oh and I met a little girl on the subte (subway) today named Josafina that was the cutest thing ever. (side note.. she fanned me the entire subte ride. I had a little betch for a very sweaty 30 minute ride). Little spanish accents are to die for.

The best "lost in translation" story that I have encountered thus far happened last Thursday. We decided to hit the town and try out a great club we heard about, Niceto which is called Club 69 on Thursdays. Sounds sexual and like a typical club, right!?!

Well after the girls and guys paid the same cover (which girls is ALWAYS at least 20 pesos cheaper here) we were in for quite the surprise!

Where did we walk into but.... a transvestite club/show. Yes full on trannies tearing up the stage. Great dancers? Yes that, but also trannies having sex on stage... With huge balloons in between their legs as well.. It was quite the night. Definitely an interesting experience, but when we read the club description after we went out, it had a lot of clues pointing towards the tranny theme. A fruity time? No that doesn't mean sweet, it refers to the gay population.

It was definitely one of my favorite nights out here, but an experience to say the least!

Enjoy some pictures,

Ellen

First Impressions

     I have been in Spain for 4 days, and I am already starting to feel at home here. It is an incredible city with lots of culture, nightlife, and interesting people. When I arrived on Thursday morning, I was met by the BU trip organizers and went to a hotel for an orientation. The other people on the program (78 people, mostly from BU) are friendly, outgoing, excited, and equally as clueless as I am about navigating through Madrid and communicating fluently. Saturday morning, I moved into my host family, and I couldn't have been more surprised and happy with my setup!

My Favorite Things About Spain So Far:
1. The Schedule: Lunch is the biggest meal and is served at 2pm, after which I get to take a nap! Dinner is light and is at 9 or 10pm- prime for going out to bars straight from dinner. People do not arrive at clubs until 1am and often stay out until 6am. It also acceptable to sleep until 2pm on the weekends:)
2. Tapas: You get to try small portions of lots of things like prosciutto, olives, patatas bravas, tortilla española
3. My Homestay: great location, the most caring people, delicious food, my own room (picture below), a very cultural and unique experience, and new Spanish siblings
4. Love for Americans: The Spaniards are very friendly to Americans and only want you to teach them some English. From what my host family tells me, they do not learn English in depth in school. If you want to learn it, you need a private tutor. Everyone wants to learn English in order to get a good job.

More About My Homestay:
      First of all, my location is perfect! I am located right in the center of the city. Everywhere I've gone so far has been a 10 minute walk from the apartment. I can walk to school or to my internship in just 10 minutes. The Menchón apartment consists of the mother (Isabel), a son who is 17 (Adrián), a daughter who is 14 (Elsa), and an assistant who is from Honduras (Marta) who helps with the cooking and maintaining of the apartment. The mother of the house (Isabel) has been taking in students from BU each semester for 10 years. She is warm and speaks very slowly and clearly. Isabel is a well-educated woman who works for the state department of Spain and works in foreign affairs to establish and improve democracy in countries where it does not exist. Isabel insists on highlighting my route to different destinations on my giant touristy map of Madrid every time I leave the house. Adrián is not home much and is shy when he is. Elsa is the cutest, prettiest, sweetest girl. She is writing an essay about Florida in English for one of her classes and is using the book I gave them about Florida. Marta calls me "su nueva hija Evie (meaning "her new daughter Evie"). Isabel also has a boyfriend who comes over for meals sometimes. Mario is from Argentina and is very good at grammar and has been helping me by correcting my frequent grammar mistakes. My Spanish is improving rapidly because we speak Spanish at all of the meals with the family and soon when I am in class, the professors will be teaching in Spanish as well. It takes a lot of concentration but I understand almost everything. Forming my own sentences is difficult but I am improving each day. Everyone I have met has told me that my Spanish is impressive, so I am feeling rather confident. Today, I went on a guided tour of El Parque Retiro (picture below). Tomorrow, I have another interview for my internship at Glamour! And Tuesday I start classes!

Hablamos Pronto,

Evie
    

Semester in...Boston!?

So I am the odd one out; the one of the five that is not going abroad. As you know the name of our blog is 5 Girls 5 Cities. We are very lucky that we don’t go to a campus school because that really would have messed up the name of the blog- 5 Girls, 4 Cities and 1 College Campus just doesn’t have the same ring to it...

I made the decision to stay in Boston for the semester, and not go abroad for a few different reasons. I was SUPER lucky to be accepted into a combined Bachelors/Masters program for Speech Language Pathology. This means that I am finishing up my undergraduate classes this coming semester and next Fall I will officially start grad school, which includes starting clinical- I get my own clients!?! I will finish both my undergrad and masters degree in five years instead of six!

Sargent College - my home for five years!

Another huge reason why I did not go abroad is my sorority, AEPhi. In November of 2010 I accepted the position of Vice President of Recruitment!! We are less than ONE WEEK away from formal recruitment, and my year long position will come to an end! (So relieved, but kind of sad at the same time!!)

My beautiful sorority!

I won’t lie, I am very envious of everyone who is going abroad this semester, I know they will have experiences that I will never be able to have, and have the chance learn so much about a different country. This was not a decision that was easy to make, but with the beginning of the semester getting closer and closer, I know that I made the right one. And it’s not like I am stuck in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a small campus school and cows for miles…

So I will leave you with the top 3 reasons why it is a blessing in disguise that I did not go abroad for the semester:

1. I only eat five foods. - And when I say five foods I literally mean five foods (bread/pasta, fruits, salad/vegetables, chicken and avgolemono soup) I unfortunately do not like to try new foods, and tend to order the same things at restaurants when I go more than once. I can definitely see this being an issue overseas…

*If you have never hear of avgolemono soup, first of all your are insanely missing out, but do not worry, I will share with you the recipe that I make at least twice a week in an upcoming post

2. Netflix – For someone who barely watches TV, I have a new found love for Netflix, which I have heard rumors about that it cannot be used overseas. I share Netflix with my amazing boyfriend Mike (and by share I mean he subscribes and I simply use it), and I absolutely love it. I am currently catching up on Private Practice, and before that was all nine season of Grey’s Anatomy over the summer, and before that was Dexter…. I’m not sure if I would be able to fall asleep at night without watching one TV episode on Netflix.

3. Inability to learn new languages – I have always been a good student. But if you were to have seen me in Spanish class at any point in high school, you would have thought half my brain was turned off. I have no problem speaking in public, but put me in front of a classroom and ask me to speak in Spanish? My hands shake, my face turns bright red and I cannot stammer out even a simple “Me llamo Jenna.” I cannot imagine the anxiety and stress that would come with everyone around me speaking a different language. Whatever part of the brain is used to learn new languages, I can assure you, I don’t have it.

And there you have it. I may not be spending the semester in a new country, but I am certain that it will be a fun and exciting semester no matter what! And I cannot wait to see all the amazing presents I receive from my friends in far away countries (hint, hint...)

XOX

Jenna

Pre-Madrid Packing and Excitement

       I can't believe that I am leaving the US and heading to Madrid to spend an entire semester completely on my own and independent in just 4 short days! I can't seem to make myself realize that I am not getting on a plane to head back to Boston as I usually do. I keep thinking I am going to land in Boston and go to Jenna's flawless recruitment extravaganza. I will very much miss the comfort of my friends, tons of AEPhi activities to pack my social life, the fabulous life of Stuvi2, and Angora flatbread pizza. I will not particularly miss the snow or living in SMG during the school week.
        My entire college experience I have always wanted to go abroad. I get a huge sense of satisfaction from venturing outside my comfort zone and succeeding (hence why I chose BU when nearly my entire graduating high school class chose the University of Florida). I have taken on Boston, New York City this summer, and now I'm ready for Madrid! I love traveling because you get to know a new way of life, including new mentalities, food, customs, etc. I plan to treat my time abroad as a learning experience and am going with a completely open mind, ready to immerse myself in the Spanish culture. Although I have traveled with my family, I can't wait to go on this adventure by myself for the first time in my life.
        I chose Madrid for several reasons. I have always wanted to become fluent in Spanish. I grew up going to summer camp and became best friends with some Puerto Ricans. I caught on quickly, as they taught me the basics of Spanish so that we could talk about the counselors without them understanding us. I have remained friends with them, and in college, I met another friend who happened to be Puerto Rican as well...Cristina Margarita Diaz Corrada (who is also going to Madrid)! With these friends in my life, I have always admired and longed to be part of the Hispanic culture. I admire the strong character and "I don't take crap from anyone," "cha-cha-diva" nature of the people and the "live life to its fullest" mentality. Knowing I wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country, I decided I also wanted to be in Europe. Finally, Ana Senior (a friend in my sorority), convinced me that the BU Madrid Internship Program was a perfect fit for me and got me super excited for the tapas (small plates), late dinners and nights, and siestas (naps) in the middle of the day that Spain is known for. Thank you Ana for answering my endless list of neurotic questions and for making me a fabulous guide to Madrid. I will say "YES" to every opportunity that arises while I am abroad!
       While in Madrid, I will be taking a break from my usual tough load of SMG courses (yessss!). I will be enriching my mind with liberal arts courses including Art Museums of Madrid, Women of Spain, and Spanish Film (all of which will be taught in Spanish). I will also be interning at Glamour Magazine! I cannot wait to experience the fashion industry in a foreign country and from the perspective of a magazine, which is one I have not yet seen. I will be living with a host family right in the center of the city. The mother of the house is called Isabel Menchón, and she has three children (a girl called Marina-19, a boy called Adrian-16, and a girl called Elsa- 12). So far I know that I am supposed to wear slippers in the house because it is not polite to be barefoot and am prepared to tell them (in Spanish) that I do not eat pork or shellfish (aka their main diet).
         Thank you so much to my loving parents for supporting me and helping me make my abroad experience possible. I am so thankful for you and cannot wait for a big adventure. Lots of love to my friends who will be very far away. I wish you all lots of new experiences, spontaneity, and excitement! I will update everyone once I am in Madrid.

Hablamos Pronto,
Evie

Pre-Departure to ROMA!

"Pre-Departure"

[ALL aboard- this flight will be arriving in Rome, Italy at approximately 8AM.]

That phrase has been repeating over and over again in my head. In just 20 short days I'll be hearing that as I board onto the plane for a journey of a lifetime.

Before I share my excitement that is currently blocked with extreme fear, I thought I would share a short anecdote to prove how "unreal" the fact that I am travelling to Italy for five months truly is. (All 4 of the others on this blog can attest.) I promise, I am not trying to be dramatic!

Just two years ago, I arrived at Boston University excited and ready (I thought) to take on Boston and start my college experience. After moving into my dorm room with Jenna, everything seemed off to a good start. We loved each other & the connection we had was perfect. Although, college did not automatically start as incredible as I had pictured it in my head. To prove my "not quick" adjustment with college I can share a (now) humorous story below.

My parents had moved me in before Jenna's and left before hers did. With teary eyes, I said bye to my parents as they headed back home to New York. Her parents stayed an extra day. We went to dinner, and did some shopping for the dorm room with them and her two sisters. When they decided to go the next morning, Jenna gave them hugs and told them to have a safe trip. After only meeting them for about 24 hours (seriously 24 hours), I broke down into hysterical tears asking them not to go. I couldn't let another set of parents leave us! Looking back, it seems ridiculous! New York was still considered my home. I was still attached to my life there.

Let's fast forward to December 14th, 2011. I had to move out of my apartment and go home for winter break, and then Rome in January. I was hysterically crying again. (Notice picture on the top of this screen) This time though, it was for a different reason. I didn't want to leave everything there that is now so important to me. I love my sorority, my five best friends, my beloved apartment & so much more in Boston. Everything has become so special and so much fun. If someone told me this the week I moved in- nothing could have convinced me this was my future.

Now, as I am in a state of packing (HOW CAN I POSSIBLY GET EVERYTHING IN TWO SUITCASES?!), the reality of it is all setting in. Between the purchasing of security passport cases, mummy sleeping bags, and luggage tags, I can see it is all really happening.

Since I am now home from vacation in Florida, and preceding to get ready for my trip, lots of feelings have come into my mind. I have tons of questions, tons of uncertainties but most importantly, tons of enthusiasm. I want to experience everything in Italy. Although that sounds a little unrealistic, the more I read and explore, the more I want to discover. I am hoping this experience teaches me about myself, and lets me grow as a completely independent individual. I am hoping to make friends that I will have forever, and see places that I have never even thought of before.

I do not want to leave my life in Boston behind, but instead just put it on pause for a semester. I know that I will always have everything there; this experience is to learn and embrace a totally new culture.

I am lucky to be going with one of my best friends from home, and one of my best friends from camp. Although on a different program, it is so nice to know that they will be in the same foreign city as me. The comfort of them is an extremely wonderful thing.

In conclusion, if I do possibly manage to pack everything into my two abnormally large suitcases (vacuum bags on Amazon, GREAT PURCHASE), then MANY more updates on my adventures will come! I can't wait to share everything as well as read all the adventures that my friends are up to on here as well.

Arrivederci’,

(I had to google that word, oh yeah, I’ve taken NO Italian! Ill catch on..I hope..)

Suss :-)

I'll be missing you...

Hola amigos,

So pleased to be writing on our blog for the first time! I can't wait to get to Buenos Aires in 2 short days!! (cue the anxiety) My bags are packed and I am ready to go!

What am I going to miss about America? So many things...

I wrote a post on my own personal blog about the things I am going to miss about home. Check it out here

Boston. I have established a life for myself in Boston. Studying here for three years has converted me (kinda into a lover of the east coast?). I go back and forth on this one. Always a devoted SoCal girl, its hard not to miss home. I'm now a fan of the winters (I secretly love complaining about the weather) minus the ridiculous wind tunnels on campus. After finally getting over the abrasive people here, I have become so accustomed to my life here & absolutely love it.

A few of my favorite things (and what I am going to miss about my life at school in Boston)

AEPhi.

Such an amazing group of girls. This sorority has made my life at BU so much better, it's actually inexplicable. I don't know what I would do without all of them. I will miss bothering everyone bi-weekly with my lengthy, color-coded emails.

My Best Friends

What a fab five we are. I am going to miss our shenanigans. ERC dates with Ali, living with Jenna, being jealous of Hilary sticking to "the abroad", and Evie's obsession with FroYo (PinkBerry twice in a day? Totally normal #EvieGrossProblems). So happy and fortunate to have them all in my life.

StuVi2 & My Roommates

You haven't lived until you have lived in StuVi2. I will miss living in a place that is comparable to the Ritz, has plants growing inside of it, has an amazing view of downtown Boston and the Charles, a building where my ears pop while riding the (very talkative & insanely fast) elevators, & a place where you run into everyone and anyone at anytime of the day . I am spoiled and blessed to live in such a beautiful establishment. My college experience has become so much better after living with my beautiful & comical (Mary Burbridge) roommates. Especially my big EMILY. I miss her already but can't talk about it without crying so I will just leave it with this: warning: your senior speech will be 15 minutes long.

The three things I won't miss about Boston? The three B's:

Boys, Bars, B's

Boys: I don't know if BU has a height requirement when admitting boys here, but I swear there are only like 100 guys here that are over 5'8. I don't know what their mothers fed them, but it's unreal. The fact that the girl:boy ratio sucks, many of them are gay, they are all shorter then me when I am in heels leaves like 50 guys at BU. I know I am spoiled with southern california 6'0+ height, but really, where did all the tall guys go? Needless to say, I am excited for some Argentinean men.

Bars: I feel like I am in the junior year slump not being 21 and not able to go to bars. I am over the frat basements (jungle juice, cue the puking). Can't wait to go to a lot of clubs and bars throughout BA. It will also be so exciting coming back next year when everyone is 21!

B's: I think it is the only grade given out to me: B (clearly I've gotten As, but only a limited number of them). B's were not in my vocabulary in high school. The frustration of seeing 3 Bs and one A for my grades each semester makes me want to pull my hair out. I CANNOT wait to take fun classes that I am not used to (hello the food and wine of Argentina) and *fingers crossed* get all A's for the first time since... high school?

The next time I will be writing will be in Buenos Aires (kind of a scary thought). But I will be sure to post lots of pictures on here! Oh, also Buenos Aires is in Argentina for those of you that didn't know... Oh and Argentina is in South America (lets hope you knew that). It's 5 hours ahead of PST and only 2 hours ahead of east coast time so keeping in touch should not be hard!

Besos,

Ellen

Welcome to Our Blog!!

After arriving at Boston University three years ago, the five of us met and instantly bonded as best friends. Ali and Jenna were freshman year roommates; they were set up by a friend of a mutual friend became inseparable once in Boston. They discovered their similar love for the color purple (their whole dorm room was color coordinated), the same obsession with white chocolate as well as their dislike for a communal bathroom. Ellen lived on the same floor as Ali and Jenna, and Ellen and Jenna were both in the same college, so they spent lots of time working through the tough freshman classes such as biology and anatomy, and celebrating the completion of difficult exams and labs. Spring Semester of their freshman year, Ali, Jenna and Ellen met Hilary and Evie when they all joined the same sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi. We have been through a lot of fun, adventures, and excitement together in Boston over the past few years. As our second semester of junior year approaches, we will all be scattered and separated across different countries, as four of the five girls spend the semester abroad! (Is this really happening!?!) 

Hilary is spending the semester in Jerusalem, Israel. She has an insane love for fashion and culture, and we pray that she returns when the semester is over and doesn't decide to stay in Israel. (That's just a joke..kind of.) Evie is exploring her love for all things Spanish in Madrid, Spain. She has even scored an internship at Glamour! After lots of debating and deciding, Ali is going to Rome, Italy! Her love for Italian food (who isn't obsessed with penne vodka) leaves the rest of us so jealous of all the incredible food that is available to her. Ellen is definitely the adventurous one, spending her semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina! She's definitely going to have an experience of a lifetime. And Jenna is staying in Boston to finish up her last three undergraduate classes before she starts graduate school for her masters in Speech Pathology next Fall! She's sad to be at school without four of her best friends, but she knows the semester will bring many new adventures and excitement for her in Boston as well!

How can the five of us possibly keep in touch you ask? It is 2012 so there were many options available for us! Even with the availability of all the social media, we did think about sending some sort of clothing item around to play off of "a sisterhood of the traveling pants" deal. After considering all the shipping charges, we decided against that idea. (We do need to save our money for travels and presents for our best friends and family!

Although we knew that we could keep in touch through Facebook, emails, Skype and postcards, we wanted to do something a little different. We are proud to present our joint blog! Here once a week each of us will do an exciting post about our city or travels. Although so far apart, through this we can remain close together. We will see similarities and parallels while we each grow into our own skin in places across the world. We can prove how with every new experience, we can never forget the people who know us the best.

Please follow us for everything from friendship to food in these posts. We love all the support as we each embark on something new for all of us!!

The five of us!!