Two Traveling Feet

As it just so happens, Valencia is home to the largest aquarium in Europe and I must say, I think it's pretty cool. They have outdoor and indoor exhibits organized by habitat. There's even a bird enclosure you can walk through. I know, I know as an environmentalist and an animal lover zoo's an aquariums aren't the best for many animals. Yes, some of the enclosures were small and yes, the whole time I was watching the dolphin show I wondered what went on behind the scenes but I wasn't there to stage a protest I was just there to be a tourist. If you ever find yourself in Spain, it could be worth your time.

After being here for about four weeks now, I think I have a pretty good handle on things. I realized though, I never gave an update on my school work. Palm tree path on central campus Lets start with the good stuff, my campus is gorgeous. Yes, it's huge and I still don't have it all figured out yet but I'm working on it. A wide walk way stretches the length of central campus and has green grass and palm trees down the middle where students often eat their lunch, take naps (literally), or just stop to talk. There's also a climbing wall that's always busy in the middle of campus. The buildings are, again, huge, and sometimes kind of hard to navigate. Some are very modernized on the inside and other's not so much. All their names are in Valencian but luckily it's close enough to Spanish I usually get the gist of it. I am still getting use to "zero floor." You know how you walk into a house in the US and that's floor one (first floor)? Then t...

Taking a 10 mile hike through a gorgeous canyon is a yes from me, especially in Chulilla, Spain. I've known it all along, but I am really learning that I am not a city person and Valencia is a big city. I do love the night life in Spain and the fact that there is always something to do here but having a little escape to nature is exactly what I needed. The hike was incredible to say the least. There were high winds the entire way which made it a bit chilly but 100% worth it. We would go through section that looked like paths near where I grew up in Fort Collins, then they would transform into red rocks and dust that reminded me of Sedona, then to sand and high vertical canyon walls, and every other landscape you would possibly think of. The scenery was always changing and just got more beautiful as the day went on. There were people rock climbing on the canyon walls, hanging bridges above crystal clear water, and ancient cave painting on some of the rocks. Since I can't seem ...

Street in Morella After our trip to Amsterdam, the whole USAC crew seems to be going somewhere new every weekend and hey, I'm not complaining. I am finding that traveling here is more expensive than you think, especially when you have a school schedule to work around. Apps like Hopper, Sky Scanner, and Hostel World help a lot when trying to find cheap travel but you've got to book as soon as you find a good deal. Luckily, the USAC program is great at giving us weekly updates on events and cheap tours going on within the city and this weekend we got to travel to two small cities in Spain, Morella and Peniscola, for extremely cheap (25 euros total). Castle above Morella Morella was a tiny town with white buildings pushed together behind a rock wall that fenced in the whole city. A castle sat above the entire city and you could see the entire country side from the top. Most of the population is older couples which isn't surprising because of isolation and the lack th...

Before I dive into the fun parts, here are some things that came before it all: 8 hour flight delay (never use Vueling airlines) Valencia airport security is questionable (my passport was never checked but hey not complaining) 6 out of 15 people bailed on our hostel last minute (do not travel in large groups) Learned how to take the metro from my apartment to the airport (much cheaper than a cab) When we finally managed to arrive in Amsterdam, it was 3am. The Amsterdam airport is huge but also super nice and cute with Tulip shops and fairy lights. We never went through customs and I am lowkey sad I never got to have my passport stamped. There was a layer of fog surrounding the city when we got to the hostel that made Amsterdam feel old and mysterious, and it ended up being both. Our hostel was supposed to have 15 people but long story short we ended up with 9. A little advice: don't travel in large groups. People will bail on you, paying the bill in Europe is har...

As some of you may know, Spain is famous for many things but especially their paella. Something I did not know about paella is there are different types, mainly veggie, meat, or seafood. Over the weekend, we took a small fisherman boat for an hour long ride to a small town on the water where I tried the famous paella. The water was murky but apparently on a few meters down. It's crazy to think that the fish they catch on these boats are the same ones I buy at the open market near my apartment. The idea that this is what these people do, everyday, for a living was so cool to me, especially the fact they were willing to share it with a few American travelers. The open waters seemed endless and had tiny islands in the distance, occasionally. Sometimes the channels we went through were so tiny that plants were reaching into both sides of the boat, then all of sudden it would give way to plant-free open water. Yes, the scenery got a little repetitive but I still found it be...

I am still trying to figure out this whole blogging thing. I know the layout of these are horrible so I'll work on it. These were supposed to be part of the last post but I had technical difficulties oops. How I start my mornings: a cafe that is a 30 second walk from my front door. The view from my balcony in my room. The streets are always noisy but it never bothers me.    The buildings around my apartment are all old and cute. Orange trees are everywhere and pigeons will approach you if you feed them just fyi...