Belgium: Land of Waffles, Beer, and JANE!

I had the past week off of school for Semana Santa (Holy Week), which is our spring break here in Spain. I was very luck to be able to visit Jane and her family in Belgium for 5 days! (Jane was an exchange student during my senior year of high school and it was great to be able to see her country!)

DAY 1: I arrived on Monday and Jane showed me around the capital of Europe, Brussels! We visited the touristic sites, of course, and got Belgian waffles to start the trip off right. I was able to see where Jane goes to school, a couple cathedrals, their city hall, and the King and Queen's palace (which they actually do not live in, it's more like a museum and they reside elsewhere). Next, we traveled to Leuven where Jane has an apartment with her sister during the school year. It is a beautiful city! To end day one we arrived in Genk to have dinner with Jane's family; they are so much fun, friendly, and made me feel very welcome in their home.

DAY 2: Tuesday I finally got to see a little bit of Genk, where Jane is from! We visited the center of the city and her mother's shop, Boutique Suomi. She carries fabulous clothing and it was so neat to be able to see the shop that Jane would always talk about in Minnesota. After that, we took a train to the historic town of Gent, Belgium. After visiting the cathedral and walking through the city a bit, we went to a popular bar for a couple Belgian beers. There, we met up with her cousin who was kind enough to let us stay with her for the night. It was a great night with good company and conversation.

DAY 3: Wednesday morning we finished walking through Gent; they have a really neat area where they allow graffiti art as well as a castle. After Gent we popped over to Antwerp, which is another gorgeous city! We ate traditional Belgian fries for lunch, got a panoramic view of the city, went to a chocolate bars for milkshakes, and did a little shopping.

DAY 4: Thursday we biked across town to an open-air museum called Bokrijk, which was super cool! Basically, you walk around to different buildings, barns, and homes which are set up just as they were a century ago. There are actors there as well who carry out traditional roles and are in character the entire time. Jane taught me how to walk on these stilt-type things that were a form of entertainment back in the day; she is so good at it! After lunch with her family we were off to Maastricht in the Netherlands to spend the night with her friends. It was a great time and I enjoyed meeting all of her friends who made me feel welcome.

DAY 5: My last day in Belgium came way too quickly, but we still had a great day! We went to downtown Genk again to buy some delicious Belgian chocolates and get ice cream. It's a good thing the chocolates are sealed for everyone at home, or I probably would have eaten half of them by now. After that we were off to the airport and had to say "see you soon!" again.

I had such a wonderful time in Belgium; it is a truly beautiful country rich with culture, history, and warm people. I cannot wait to go back! Thank you to Jane and her family for showing me Belgium and welcoming me into their home.

Next up: Finals Week. Yup. The dreaded time of year is upon us. I will be spending the next week, my last in Spain, trying to study and soak up my last few days in Alcalá. I am determined to make the most of each day, studying and all!

After my finals are complete on the 29th I will be rushing off to meet MY MOTHER in SWITZERLAND!

While I am pretty sure I could stay in Europe forever, I am looking forward to getting back to the USA!

See you all soon!
Victoria

April: Time Flies

It's hard to believe that in just about one month, I will be back in the USA. March absolutely flew by and I have yet to find a city in Spain that I do not love. Generally, each city in Spain has a "new" part and an "old" part, which leaves tons of history, culture, and food to explore everywhere I go. I did not travel much in March, but I have enjoyed spending time in Alcalá with my family getting more familiar with my host city.

Fridays are excursion days at school and I went along to visit Cuenca, which is about 2.5 hours outside of Madrid. There, we toured a cathedral, explored the city, and visited a modern art museum. Much of the art was inspired by history in Spain so the exhibits were very interesting. Cuenca is sometimes called the first "Manhattan" because of the tall building there. During the 15th and 16th century, many people inhabited Cuenca and because of it's location in the cliffs. "Hanging houses" are unique to Cuenca as well as the St. Paul Bridge. There are many hiking trails in the surrounding mountainous area and the city is surrounded by two rivers; so beautiful!

St. Paul Bridge

The last weekend in March my CIEE group had a trip to Valencia! Normally, Valencia has some of the best weather in Spain and I was looking forward to spending a little time on the beach and running around by the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, we went on an "off" weekend and the sun barely came out at all. But, we made the best of it and still had a great time! We visited more cathedrals and learned about the importance of Valencia during the Spanish Civil War; the Republicans (against Franco) housed all of the works from the Prado (in Madrid) in Valencia during the war because Valencia was more stable than Madrid and at less risk of being taken by the Nationalists (Franco's side).

The weather didn't stop us from as least getting our toes wet. In my case, most of my jeans.

We also visited a museum of Las Fallas. More or less, each city in Spain has a town festival that has historical roots and in Valencia that is Las Fallas. Artists spend all year constructing giant sculptures made out of flammable materials. They are incredibly detailed and intricate. These sculptures, the fallas, the displayed throughout the city during March and are all burned on the same day. We were in Valencia the weekend after the festival had concluded, but it was impressive to see the museum. After the museum we made a quick trip to the sea before touring the "hippy" neighborhood of Valencia.

A falla. This is made out of all flammable material! 

Valencia is famous for their oranges and "Agua de Valencia"is a famous orange flavored wine-like cocktail. We also tried horchata (right), which is another famous beverage of Valencia. It has a thick consistency and the flavor reminded me of rice pudding. We enjoyed some buñuelos (left), which are a popular fried dessert in Valencia during Las Fallas. The paella valenciana is supposed to be the best in Spain and I would definitely agree! While a bit more spendy that your average paella, paella valenciana lives up to the hype.

Paella Valenciana

*Spanish travel tip: some restaurants serve you bread during your meal or while you are waiting for your food. This may or may not be included with the price of your entree. Be sure to ask before you grab a piece...it may end up costing you as much as 5€ for a small basket of bread! 

This is a saint's arm in a cathedral in Valencia. An arm!!

The weather here is absolutely amazing and we have bee enjoyed it by spending time outside! Last weekend Jess's (a girl in my program and one of my friends here) host father invited us over for homemade sangria and tapas. We spent the afternoon in their backyard drinking sangria and enjoying the beautiful day. I was also able to spend the night at Diana's house (another friend and girl in my program who is also from Madison) to watch the Badgers take on Kentucky in the Final Four! Even though we lost, it was worth staying until 5am to watch the game!

Badger pride all the way from Spain! 

Our homemade tapas! Thank you, Juan Carlos!

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, started yesterday and I am excited to be traveling to Brussels, Belgium on Monday to spend the week with Jane! Jane was a foreign exchange student at my high school my senior year and I am thrilled to finally get to go to her country!! Semana Santa in Spain is very religious and many families take vacations since the majority of the country does not have to work. There are many processions in nearly every city of Spain which include pasos (floats) that depict different scenes from the gospel related to The Passion of Christ. The men and women who carry these very heavy floats (yes, carry) are doing so as an act of penance and don robes and headdresses of many different colors. I am looking forward to attending a few processions and will be sure to post photos!

After Semana Santa we have one week of classes and two days of final exams the following week. After the conclusions of exams on the 29th I am off to Switzerland! I am meeting my mother in Geneva and from there we will travel to visit her host family in the mountains of Switzerland from when she worked abroad. After that I am meeting my best friend, Zach, in Interlacken. We will be traveling to Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, and back to Spain together. I am looking forward to traveling Europe, but right now I am focused on making the most out of my last few days in Spain!

xo,
Victoria

65° and Sunny!

The time is passing so quickly here in Spain, I somehow managed to get through February without blogging...oops! Here is a quick update on what I've been up to for the past month in wonderful España!

The first week of February we took a day trip to Segovia, Spain to see the Roman Aqueducts and were also able to tour a castle and a palace. The preservation of historical building, streets, walls, and other structures completely amazes me. History in Spain is on a whole other level in comparison to history in the United States.

My CIEE group and I in Segovia. Love them all!

They do celebrate Valentine's Day here in Spain, but much like the US it is very commercialized.  Nonetheless, those of us who were not in Paris (I know, doesn't Paris for Valentine's Day sound romantic??) ordered in pizza, made a chocolate and dutifully ate our Valentine's Day chocolate. Afterwards we headed to one of our favorite "discotecas" in Alcalá and enjoyed a night of dancing (without boyfriends!).

The Valentine's Day crew!

My friend Diana and I spent the following Sunday skiing in Segovia! I was a bit rusty since I have not been on skis for about two years, but it was still a great day. Diana has been skiing practically since she could walk and is AMAZING! She was so patient with me while I got back into it, thanks D! I underestimated my abilities and we decided to try out a red run for our second run of the day. (IMPORTANT: Red indicates the most difficult runs) It was a struggle to say the least. I spent more time horizontal in the snow than I did skiing down that hill, but it made for a few good laughs and was a great test of my determination. The views of the mountains were absolutely breathtaking and totally worth the bruises I had all over my body for the next week.

^How I spent a large portion of the day

The lovely Diana and I!

We spend the weekend of the 21st-23rd in Sevilla, Spain with my CIEE group. It was 65° and sunny the entire weekend, which felt so warm in comparison to Alcalá and especially to Madison and Waconia. I definitely do not miss the snow and cold and from what I hear, I picked a great winter to be abroad! We were able to visit a lot of historical sites in Sevilla and do a little exploring of our own. The most interesting part was learning about the Spanish Inquisition and seeing where many of the events associated with this period took place. Sevilla is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and I would highly recommend visiting if you are ever in Spain!

Jess and I in Sevilla

Also, a bird pooped on me. Good luck? 

Right after we returned from Sevilla we jumped in midterms week. Naturally, I did not do much other than study study study, so the past week was not very eventful. On Friday I had a class trip to Toledo for my Spanish Literature class and, of course, I loved Toledo as well! We visited several historical sites and tried mazapan, which is a traditional sweet from Toledo. I loved it.  Luckily we had lots to celebrate this weekend between the conclusion of midterms and Nancy's birthday! We surprised Nancy with a cake earlier in the day and then headed out for a night in Madrid to celebrate at a mexican restaurant. The staff at the restaurant were so sweet and played some special mexican music for Nancy as they brought out her cake with a candle; she was so excited!! Even though the food was not as good as her mother's authentic mexican cooking, it was still delicious. Afterwards we spent the rest of the night (and morning*) in Madrid partying to celebrate her 22nd birthday! ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Nancy!

Nancy's birthday dinner

Toledo! 

*The "party" schedule is Spain is very different from that in the US. Most college-aged people do not head out until around 11pm or midnight to spend a couple hours at a bar before heading to a "discoteca" (club) at 2 or 3 am and then spend the rest of the morning dancing until about 6 am when they, finally, return home. It is definitely a different schedule than the US and takes a little getting used to, but I like it! 

I think that brings us up to speed! I don't have too much on the schedule for the next two weeks, but later this month I will be traveling with my CIEE group to Valencia! I've been in Spain for just about two months now and it feels like I arrived just yesterday. My spanish has been greatly improving and I am learning new things every day. Study abroad is proving to be just as good and even better than everyone tells you it will be. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask! 

Besos, 

Victoria 

Gachas, Gatas, y Granada

Hola a todos!

To say I am loving Spain would be an understatement...there are not enough words to describe how much I am enjoying my experiences here!

Over the past couple weeks I have been further adjusting to my home here and the Spanish culture. A few observations:

1. The schedule here is very different. We eat lunch at 2:30 and dinner at 9:00. Every day, most businesses close mid-day for lunch and "siesta" time.

2. Drivers here are NOT pedestrian friendly. In Madison, if there are a couple seconds left on the crosswalk, people walk. Here you do not want to risk that; the drivers are ruthless and own the road!

3. Classes here are different in the sense that professors do not seem to have much regard for the syllabus; the schedule is more laid back and we complete things taking as much time as needed. This also is a characteristic of the more laid-back culture here. Everything is the US has to be done as quickly as possible and the sense of hurriedness here is not as prominent.

The title of this blog, "Gachas, Gatas y Granada", is basically  a summary of what I've been up to! Gachas are a traditional Spanish dish from the Andalucía region of Spain, which is south of Madrid. Mainly composed of flour, gachas can be served with a stew consistency or more like a paste. It is commonly eaten with bread. My host parents invited me to their neighbor's home last weekend for a lunch of gachas and other Spanish food. It was all delicious and I had a wonderful time experiencing more of Spanish culture!

"Gata" is the Spanish word for cat. There are TONS of stray cats here! I want to play with all of them, but unfortunately many are infected and have fleas, so it is safer to just look. But I love kittens!

This weekend my CIEE group and I took a trip to Granada and Cordoba! Both are beautiful cities in the Andalucía region of Spain. Granada is home to the famous "La Alhambra". The Alhambra's architecture is like nothing I have ever seen. The intricate details are remarkable. We also spent some time hiking to a waterfall and to different viewpoints in Granada, which is surrounded by mountains. Between the many tapas bars, white houses and Arabic influence, I cannot decide what I love most about Granada!

A view of Granada from inside The Alhambra

The bridge we walked over while hiking to the waterfall; can you say adrenaline rush?!

Granada from the hills at the top of the city 

We also spent two days in Cordoba, which is the most precious city I've been to yet! The narrow, cobblestone streets lined with cute restaurants and Roman architecture is charming. There happened to be a Roman festival this weekend, so we were able to experience even more culture than expected! We visited the famous "La Mezquita" which is a Catholic/Muslim mosque. Again, the architecture is amazingly intricate and beautiful. We were able to attend a Catholic mass there during the day, which was pretty neat. While I wasn't able to understand the entire mass, I was able to follow along and identify where we were in the mass. It is amazing that Catholicism is spread so widely across the globe and that we all are welcome in the House of the Lord no matter what country the church is in or what language the mass in performed in.

Cordoba at sunset 

Other than that, not too much is new with me! I am enjoying my classes for the semester and am making a ton of friends through my program and at the Institute! For now, the next big adventure on the calendar is Seville towards the end of February, but I may have to book something before then; I've got the travel bug!

As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me!

XO
Victoria

¡Bienvenido a España!

Hola a todos! (Hi everyone!)

Welcome to my blog! Here I will be documenting my experiences as I travel abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain for the spring 2014 semester. I am very excited, as I have never traveled to Europe before and am looking forward to enhancing my Spanish speaking skills while learning about Spanish culture. I will also be taking classes here to continue my majors of International Studies and Spanish and my Certificate in Business. I am here through the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a program called CIEE. There are 3 others students from Madison here and 11 total from the United States in my program. I will try to blog at least once a week, but I cannot make any promises. Please let me know if you ever have any questions, I would love to answer them! So here we go:


After several hours of travel, I have finally arrived in Spain and settled in to my host family's home.

Day 1 &2:
I left Minneapolis at 7:00am on January 7th and flew to Boston, where my 9-hour layover turned into a 10 hour, which then caused me to miss my connecting flight in Paris to Madrid. Once I arrived in Madrid, I had missed the group shuttle to the hotel, so I had to navigate the metro and train on my own. Air France also managed to lose my luggage, so it was getting to be a very long trip to Alcalá. Luckily, I met a very nice woman who works in Madrid and had studied abroad in Alcalá during college as well. She helped me make sense of the maze that is the metro and I arrived safely to my hotel. After relaxing a bit, I had dinner with my group from CIEE in the hotel and then got some rest.

My mother and I at the airport very early in the morning!

My bag weighed exactly 50 pounds; I was quite impressed. Packing for 4 months is one of the most challenging things I've ever done; I am a notorious over-packer. 

Day 3:
Today we had an orientation session for most of the day where we covered some general rules and guidelines and received information about our classes and the culture in Spain. Fun fact: It is illegal to talk on the phone and drive at the same time in Spain! After orientation we took a trip to "El corte ingles" which is a store that I can best describe as a cross between Macy's and Target. They have EVERYTHING. We arrived back to our hotel, Hotel Campanile, and our host families came to pick us up and bring "home" for the next four months.

My host family is wonderful. There four members: Santiago, the father, Antonia, the mother, and Laura and Cristina, who are their daughters. They are all so sweet and welcoming, I could not have asked for a better family. I have my own room in their beautiful home, which is in Alcalá de Henares. The language barrier is a challenge and I am constantly asking my family to repeat phrases or to explain what they are trying to say. Of course, this is the objective of studying abroad and I know my Spanish to going to improve my leaps and bounds before May.

This is my room in Alcalá; I love it! 

Over the past three days I have discovered that traveling is wonderful...when everything goes as planned. A one hour flight delayed turned my trip upside-down, but it was a great learning experience! I am looking forward to sharing more and sharing my study abroad experience!

If you would like to contact me, please either messaged me on Facebook or email me at haler@wisc.edu. I am available via iMessage, whatsapp, or text free so please let me know if you would like one of those numbers.

All my best,
Victoria

ALPHA PHI: My Third Sisterhood!

If you have not noticed from your Newfeed being blasted with photos already....I am a new member of Alpha Phi at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and I am thrilled beyond words!

As a sophomore, it is less common to rush and I do regret not rushing as a freshman (rushing is the process of joining a sorority!). But, better late than never! One year ago I did not think Greek Life was for me and did not consider myself to be a "sorority girl". After watching my new friends at college experience greek life at Madison, my opinion changed as they shattered my preconceived stereotypes of what it meant to be a sorority girl. I now understand that there is not a single type of young woman who fits into a sorority. Rather, each chapter is different and encourages members to be themselves; I am so lucky to have found my fit in Alpha Phi.

Rushing is quite the process at Madison! We started last Sunday with First Rounds, which took 10 hours. That day we visited all 11 chapters on campus and were able to meet and chat with current members in their houses. At the end of the day, we ranked our favorites. Monday was another long day, 9 hours, as we completed Second Rounds. Second Rounds entail returning to up to 7 sororities that invite you back. We spent a little more time talking with the members and participated in a short activity to benefit their philanthropy. Again, at the end of the day we ranked our favorites.

Next up was Preference Rounds, where we returned to up to 3 sororities on the following Sunday. This round was more intimate and each chapter shared a special ceremony with us. At the end of the day, we ranked once again. While my decision was not easy, I knew I made the right choice and hoped for the best on Bid Day!

Bid Day was just yesterday, Monday, September 9th, and it was a day I will never forget! We reported to our assigned meeting spots where our envelopes with invitations to join our respective chapters awaited. I was surprisingly calm; I know that everything happens for a reason and that there is a plan for everyone. I kept this in mind as I opened my bid to Alpha Phi. I was ecstatic! Alpha Phi had been a front runner for me throughout the two week process and I enjoyed every minute I spent there; I am so excited to be an Alpha Phi! After a short ceremony, all of the new members were off to the house to meet our sisters for photos and socializing. Rushing was a great experience and I am so thankful I made the decision to participate.

Alpha Phi. I feel blessed to call this my new home filled with 150 new sisters who have already welcomed me with open arms. The Red Dress Gala and the Escape from Alphatraz events are held annually to benefit our philanthropy, Women's Cardiac Care. APhi stresses the importance of community service, which has always been an important part of my life. In addition to giving back, I know my time in Alpha Phi will be filled with social events and many memories while balancing my academics at UW Madison. I am proud to be a member of the 2013 Pledge Class and join a sorority comprised of beautiful, intelligent and compassionate women who constantly strive to be better. I look forward to sharing my experiences in Alpha Phi as I learn more about this amazing chapter!

This is third sisterhood! My older sister, Chaneen, is currently in Ecuador for the fall semester and is enjoying her time immersing herself in the Spanish language while continuing to work towards her degrees in Agricultural Education and International Agriculture. My younger sister, Jeni, is loving her first weeks at the University of Minnesota as she begins her studies in Spanish and Animal Science. My second sisterhood is ever-growing and I am continually amazed by my fellow pageant sisters; Kara competes for Miss SD International this weekend, my Miss Teen United States sisters are accomplishing great things in and outside of the pageant community and my Miss United States family is experiencing unprecedented growth and success! I cannot wait to see where my newest sisterhood, Alpha Phi, will take me over the next two years.  

Always,
Victoria

My Pledge Class! 

Me and Talia! 

Danielle and myself outside the house!

Back to the Books

With the start of a new school year approaching, I thought I should make it part of my routine to blog more often! So here we go:

A quick update on what I've been up to since giving up my title of Miss Teen Minnesota United States: I completed my first year at UW-Madison and moved home, in Minnesota, for the summer to work as a waitress at Jake O'Connors in Excelsior. I also had the amazing opportunity to work for the Miss United States Organization as the Director of Contestant Relations and Assistant to the National Director. In addition, I took three classes online over the course of the summer. It was quite busy, but I enjoy having a full schedule.

Back to the present, I just moved back to Madison yesterday to start my Sophomore year of college! I am excited to be living with three awesome roommates in a cute apartment on Lake Mendota. We are still getting everything settled in, but I will be sure to upload some photos of our new place. I am looking forward to an awesome school year continuing my undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Spanish. Because I am only taking three years of undergrad, my schedule is full once again. I am also returning as the Volunteer Chair of the Spanish Club on campus and taking on a new role as the Social Chair of the Wisconsin International Studies Major Association. Just earlier today, I finished submitting my application to study abroad for the spring semester. I am hoping to study abroad from January through May in Seville, Spain. Classes do not start until September 3rd, but things are already in full swing as I prepare for the fall semester.

I am hoping to find a little time to blog at least once or twice a month. I have found blogging is a great way to relax and reflect on all the blessings I have been given in my life.

Best,
Victoria