I should spend my time doing better things...

Because I have finals coming up, naturally I'm attempting my first blog posting. Logical, right? I guess I can count this as a "study break" even though I've probably taken way to many today. Oh well, life goes on. I think some of my distractions have been caused by my wandering thinking, about my fabulous, fantastic summer. If you don't know, in T minus 4 days I will be flying home to picturesque Alaska, where I will be dropping some stuff off and picking up three other travelers (on a little part of the journey anyway). After Katie and Matt get done with school, my Mom and the three of us will be off to Seoul, South Korea to visit my handsome Dad stationed over there. How are we going to get there??? No idea. Thanks to the military, we can fly for free! Not that we ever know when we're leaving, or how we're going to get there. This will be my first practice with "rolling with the punches" - not one of my strongest qualities. We could fly direct, we could fly to Japan, and then wait to go to Korea...and the list goes on. Oh, and to top it all off - we'll be flying in a C-17 most likely. So not your typical trans-Pacific jet, but an actual, green, cargo carrying plane. No flight attendants, no in-flight movies, just you, your metal seat, and the precious cargo that actually needs to get to your destination. Hey, at least its a cool story! 

I have no idea what we're going to do once we get to Seoul. Again, a "rolling with the punches" exercise. All I know is I want FRESH sushi and a knockoff Gucci purse...or two. There are grandiose palaces and picturesque parks, malls, and museums! Of course, I'm the only one that wants to go there :( My Dad also has some ideas of what he wants to do, so I'm sure we'll be able to stay busy. After all, Seoul has over 12 MILLION people in it! Needless to say, this girl has never been much for a sprawling metropolis such as that. I think the Cities only have what, like 3.5 million? And I thought that was big. To top it off, I have NO idea how to speak Korean! This, of course, will be interesting.

After my mom and siblings leave to get back to the real world, I get to enjoy some more Dad time before my next destination - Spain! I am officially enrolled at La Fundación Ortega y Gasset in Toledo, Spain. I will be studying there for about six weeks, finishing my spanish minor and immersing myself in the culture. What fun classes will I be taking? Spanish Linguistics, Spanish Art and Architecture, and Master Painters of Spain...way better than organic chemistry, let me tell you! Toledo is a walled city, with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish influences, making it a rich and diverse culture. A cool fact? The phrase "Holy Toledo" is a reference to Toledo, Spain, and all of the mosques, Cathedrals, and synagogues there. Toledo is about 89 kilometers, or 55 miles away from Madrid, which provides for plenty sightseeing trips! Oh, and the cool thing about taking art classes in Spain? You go to the painter's houses, or the museums dedicated to their work. El Greco was from Toledo, and our class goes to his house! How cool :) The only thing I'm nervous about is actually using the spanish I know. I mean, its one thing to speak it in class, but its something totally different when you have to speak it 24/7. I'll be staying with a host family, so I hope that I'll at least be able to chit chat! Oh, and I'm definitely excited for authentic spanish cuisine. Maybe I'll bring a few recipes back! 

After studying, I'm planning on spending a week traveling around to Barcelona, Seville, Málaga, wherever the wind take me. Then, its back to Korea for a little while, back to Anchorage for a little while, and then finally back to Minneapolis, where I will again delay studying for exams...ahh such is the life!

If you can't tell, I'm SOOOOOO excited for this summer! Besides going to Canada on a great family roadtrip (haha you know the stories) I really haven't had much experience abroad, so this summer I'll "become international" so to speak, and I'm excited to share my experiences!

Here's a link to my program information: http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/programs/EUROPE/toledo/index.html