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stephshap


19 Blog Entries
9 Trips
136 Photos

Trips:

Steph does travel.
Espana!
Ireland.
French crepes
Discovering Spain
Alhambra
NateDogg in da house
We came, we saw, we ate greek salad
When in Rome

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/Stephshap


University of Pittsburgh 2008
Political Science and Business Administration
Israel: dec 17-jan 7
Barcelona, Spain: jan 7-may 15


Luck o the Irish!

Dublin, Ireland


It's Monday afternoon and I just got back from a wonderful weekend in the friendly and VERY green city of Dublin. I flew in with my rommate Kim and our friend Claire, and went straight to Catlan's apartment when we arrived in the city. It was so nice to see a familiar face and hang out with my bestest b-town homegirl all weekend! So Friday night we had plans to go to the rugby match, but right before we showed up, the game was sold out! and all the nearby pubs were jam packed. We just relaxed at her place for a little and then met up with her friends to go out in Temple Bar- the really hip area where supposedly all the young people go out at night. Well, let me tell you, we soon found out that students in Dublin do not go out on the weekends because only the older 'working class' comes in to the city to party. Then we also had a hard time finding a place that didn't charge cover and then didn't ask for IDs- since a lot of us didn't even have anything to show the bouncer. We settled for a beer at a cute pub called Portobello and chatted the rest of the evening.
Saturday, we were up early to get some sightseeing in! We walked through Trinity College, which is where Catlan is directly-enrolled (pretty fancy shmancy) and we walked through the Book of Kells exhibit, which is a transcript of the 4 Gospels from the year 800! We walked through the Long Room, which is Trinity's old old old library and it has all these cool busts of famous people lining it and it has a 3 story ceiling. On our way out we saw a wedding taking place at the Trinity College Chapel and it looked like an "all-out" affair.
We stopped at Burdock's for Fish 'n Chips- which is supposed to be the most famous place in all of Ireland, and it was declicious! I shared with Cat because the portion was ginormous. Then we took a stroll through St. Stephen's Green, the city's extremely bright green public park. After, we did some window shopping on the hip Grafton Street. Saturday night we stayed in to cook a meal for all 10 of us (including Phil, Catlan's really cute Irisn neighbor). That night we went out to Temple Bar again and ended up at a place called ViperRoom, where they were playing traditional Irish fold music upstairs and clubby 1998 American music downstairs, what a strange mix!
Sunday we headed out to take a tour of Dublin Castle. It is where the British King and Queen used to stay when Ireland was part of the UK until 1922. Now it is still a functioning Irish government building, mainly used for the inauguration of the new Irish president every 7 years. Each pres can serve up to 2 terms. Did you know that a woman has been president of Ireland since 1990?
After the Dublin Castle we headed back to Temple Bar to find out where the live music was playing since there was a music festival going on all weekend. We started t Flannery's and had some lunch and watched some rugby, then we headed over to THE TEMPLE BAR for a real jam session! It was a group with 4 young guys, an accordian, a fiddle, a guitar and an Irish drum. They were so much fun and the crowd new a lot of their songs, everyone was sippin some Guinness and havin a jolly good time. I mean really, does it get much better than listening to a talented group playing traditional Irish music in one of the most reknowned pubs in Dublin??
Sunday night we relaxed back at Cat's place, to watch Grey's Anatomy (I love that show) and then Kim, Claire and I spent the night at a hostel so we could get a cab at 5am for the airport. Let me tell you a little something about hostels: their weird. There are maybe 10 or 15 people that stay all in one room, always coming in and out and just one big communal bathroom for everyone to share. I guess over the next 4 months I will get used to this situation or try finding some cheap hotels, or book hostels that we can get a room to ourselves??
I'm still getting everything worked out as far as the robbing last week, hopefully i will get everything situated soon and I won't have to think about it because it makes me sick in my stomach everytime I replay what happened last Monday.
This week Im just going to take it easy and hopefully find some new places in Barcelona. I'll be here this weekend and then in Paris the weekend after that!
Now I understand how people get addicted to travelling and how much fun it is to explore new cities and learn new things about yourself, your friends, and the history of the world!
I'm off for a jog down the boardwalk before the sun sets.
Adios!
<3 Steph


permalink written by  stephshap on January 29, 2007 from Dublin, Ireland
from the travel blog: Ireland.
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take the bad with the good...

Barcelona, Spain


so lets start with the bad news...
Monday night I went out with my roommates to Ovella Negra (The Black Sheep), which is a cool tavern-like bar off Las Ramblas about a 15 minute walk from our flat. On the way home with Laurie, at about 2:30am, some little punk snuck up behind me and literally ripped my wristlet out of my hand. I ran after him but he went down a dark ally and it was too late. It´s definately the scariest thing that has ever happened to me and I keep replaying the situation over and over again in my head and thinking about what I could have done differently to avoid it. My roommates took care of me and helped me calm down because I was pretty shaken and emotional.
We were warned in orientation that 60% of us would be pick-pocketed at some point in Barcelona and now I am part of that statistic. I just need to learn to pay attention to my surroundings more carefully and stop being so trusting of everyone around me. Barcelona has always had a huge problem with theft and its mainly the tourists who they prey on. My cell phone was in there, as well as the keys to my apartment and all my IDs. Luckily I was not carrying my passport or any other important documents. So I had to go home and call PNC Bank and cancel my debit card, and now I have no way of getting any money until my new card comes in the mail, so I think my roommates will let me borrow. Its just so frustrating and a hassle that I wish I never had to deal with. Yesterday I went to the police station to report it, and the translator was trying to tell me that all of the pick-pockets are immigrants from Morrocco and that there is nothing they can do about lessening this crime. He basically made it seem like its not their fault if the theif is not Spanish and the police here should only take responsibility for the Spanish citizens. Well guess what, the kid who robbed me was definately not Morroccan and was most likely Spanish...
Now the good news. Sunday I went to Parc Guell with Kim and Claire and we just relaxed and strolled around. That night I went to Quinze Nitz (the 15th night) for dinner. It is a really popular place because the food is excellent but the chefs are still in training so the prices are very reasonable (at least for a seriously expensive city like Barcelona). Monday I spent the afternoon with my friend Sarah and we walked through the neighborhood of Born, but came back before it started to rain. Last night (Tuesday), CEA took us to see this amazing Flamenco show at a little place in Placa Reial. The music was bumpin and their rhythms are incredible. And you should see how fast these dancers move their feet!
The weather is still yucky and I am just looking forward to some sun and nicer temps so I can walk around all afternoon exploring places here.
Friday morning ... DUBLIN i cant wait!
xooxox
steph


permalink written by  stephshap on January 24, 2007 from Barcelona, Spain
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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stealing wireless....

Barcelona, Spain


Hola, que tal??
Spain is da BOMB, right now I am sitting in a courtyard near my apartment because I can steal internet on my laptop since my apartment doesnt have a connection!
I finished up my first week of classes on thursday and it is so nice having a 3-day weekend, def something i could get used to!
Thursday night we went to this club called Catwalk, it was huge and everyone was just dancing and having a good time, Spaniards definately know how to party, and we have had a good time trying to embrace their way of life. We dont eat dinner until about 9 or 10pm, then we get ready to go out, maybe have a glass of sangria at the apartment, then either to a bar first or to the club at 1 or 2am, then they stay open until 6am! Crazy, i know! So its not something i will be able to do all the time, but maybe every once in a while.
On Friday we took a day trip with CEA to Sitges, a cute little beach town about 40 minutes from Barcelona. We took a walking tour of the town, then had a traditional Catalan calcotada lunch. It is a certain type of onion that they grill, and then peel and eat whole, so weird! They also served us tomequet, which is where you rub a tomato on some toasted bread and a little garlic and olive oil. then sausage-eww, some sort of baked beans, and patatas fritas- french fries.......
then we took a tour of the Forres winery which was really cool- the cellar is entirely underground, and they had this creepy "smell room" where you walk in and watch this video while different smells are sent in?!?
Yesterday I went to Monjuic with Kim, Claire, Matt, and Isaac. We took the cable cars all the way up from Barceloneta, it was a beautiful view of the city and I could see all of Barcelona!
On the mountain we went to the Meuseu Nacional de'Art de Catalunya, which is housed in the old king and queen's palace. A gorgeous building with a great art collection. I still dont think I have a great appreciation for all types of art- especially the Gothic stuff from the 13th and 14th centuries- kinda hard to understand, but there were for sure some things that sparked my interest- such as the modern art exhibit and the history of Catalonian money exhibit...
then when the sun set, they put on this amazing light show at the magic fountain right outside the palace. what a cool thing to see, a huge fountain, pretty colors, spanish music, and an amazing view of the castle.
last night my friends and i went to Dow Jones again, a cute bar where lots of Americans hang out. maybe i will work up the guts to go to non-touristy places soon, but ive only been here 2 weeks and its still hard to get adjusted and move outside my comfort level.
Sundays are mostly dead here in barcelona, most places are closed and everyone just relaxes and goes to church. i guess its a good time to catch up on my blog, cleaning up, writing emails and doing some homework (maybe).
check out the new pics!
xoxo steph


permalink written by  stephshap on January 21, 2007 from Barcelona, Spain
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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classes and other stuff...

Barcelona, Spain


Hola chicos y chicas!
I just had my second day of classes.
Monday and Wednesday I am at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona for Strategic Management of the Firm and then International Business.
Tuesday Thursdays I am at CEA Global Campus, but not really, because my classes are at this other building called Click and Do, and there are just a whole bunch of classrooms for different universities to use. I have Beginner Spanish and then Contemporary Spain: Politics, Culture and Society. I think I will learn a decent amount while I am here!
Yesterday afternoon I met up with Lily, a friend from Pitt, to explore the city. We decided on a visit to Gaudi's La Pedrera, or Casa Mila, and it was fantastic. There is an apartment that you can walk through, but the other 4 apartments in the building are actually occuppied. The rent is 10,000 euro a month! A little bit more than a 2 bedroom in Oakland. Then we walked out onto the roof terrace and it is like a maze of mosaics and stairs and lots of pretty views of the city. The architecture and history of the building is amazing and I had a good time with Lily just roaming around. We also walked past Casa Batllo, another Gaudi apartment building, but decided not to pay the fee to go inside.
I parted from Lily around 5pm and then decided to do some of my own walking around. I didn't get home until almost 7pm! But I guess they say the easiest way to learn the city is to just get lost in it and find your way around.... and study the maps of course. Last night I stayed in and made dinner with my roommates and it was yummy.
I just finished my classes for the day and I'm at an internet cafe near my school. Tonight, my roommates and I decided it is Taco Tuesday so we are gunna do our best to prepare a declicious meal.
I still miss Israel and think about my trip all the time. Its hard because I dont want to bore my new friends with stories about people and places they dont even know.
Also, its hard meeting new people when we are all spread out in apartments across the city and it seems like the kids in my classes already have clicks from their university back in the states. Then again, its only the first week, so I guess I'll just have to give it some time.
I'm excited for our day trip on Friday to Sitges... its supposed to be a cute town with pretty landscapes. We are also visiting a winery, hopefully by the end of my travels I will be able to tell the difference between good and not so good wine! How sophisticated! I might end up making a weekend out of it and staying until saturday or sunday, but no definite plans yet.
Enjoy the new pics!
Email me at ses44@pitt.edu or call my cell 011 34 675 572 118
adios


permalink written by  stephshap on January 16, 2007 from Barcelona, Spain
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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The first week

Barcelona, Spain


So I had an energizing Shabbat with my extended family in Jerusalem and I was beginning to feel really comfortable with them and the country of Israel, but then it was time to leave for Spain! I arranged for a taxi to pick me up early Sunday morning at 3am, and my Turkish airlines flight left Tel-Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport at 645am. Everything went smoothly- transfer in Istanbul and arrival in Barcelona. CEA - the study abroad program provider was there to pick me up and I hopped on a coach bus to the hotel. Once at the hotel, Avenida Palace, we checked in and had the rest of the day to relax and walk around to get a feel for the city. I met my hotel roommate Torrie, and we decided to go for a walk. It was just by chance that we ended up at Las Ramblas, one of the main touristy avenues in Barcelona. We made it all the way down to the water, walked around the Maremagnum Mall for a while. I started feeling really nauseous and sick so we decided to head back to the hotel. When we got back, I fell asleep at 7:30pm and did not wake up until the next morning at 9:30am. Wow, i was exhausted! Monday, we had orientation presentations all afternoon and then I went to dinner with some friends and walked around some more.
Tuesday- more orientation in the morning and then a bus tour of the city for about 3 hours that afternoon. It was really informative and they took us to all the major attractions, including Sagrada Familia, Montjuic, Barceloneta (my neighborhood!) and some famous Gaudi architectures.
Wednesday we checked out of the hotel and they transfered everyone to their housing throughout the day. When we got to our apartment, I was so extactic! It is right on a main street, Joan de Borbo, and our livingroom overlooks the bay with tons of sailboats and a view of the aquarium. Our neighborhood is so cute, with many shops and a fresh fish market everyday. I think we are the only CEA students living here. My roommates are great, I share a room with Kendra from United States State. Kim, from Towson, and Laurie, from United States, both have single rooms. So Wednesday night was the huge welcome party for all students studying abroad in Barcelona at Danzatoria. Its supposedly David Beckam's old mansion and it is humongous. So many different rooms and DJs, and bars and nice interior- i wanna live there.
Thursday, we had the day off to relax and get acquainted, I walked around and relaxed on the boardwalk of the Mediterranean Sea, so pretty! That night I went to a bar with Laurie and her friend from home, Karen, who has been studying in Spain since September.
Friday we had a Spanish placement test in the morning and then orientation at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in the afternoon. I will take Spanish and Contemporary Spain at the CEA Global Campus and International Business and Strategic Management of the Firm at UAB. The main UAB campus is 35 minutes outside the city, but they have this one huge building for international students in the city- so thats where our classes will be held. Friday night we went to Ovella Negra (the black sheep). Its just a beer and sangria bar where a lot of internationals hang out and a good place to meet up with friends.
Today is Saturday and so far I have been a big bum and slept in late, but hey- its technically still my winter break until classes start on Monday.
Thats all for now!
xoxo steph


permalink written by  stephshap on January 13, 2007 from Barcelona, Spain
from the travel blog: Espana!
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Abe and Rivka's

Jerusalem, No Man's Land


So I've stayed at my great aunt and uncle's house the past two nights and they have been more than welcoming and kind to me. I came in a cab Monday night and met them, their daughter and granddaughter, Renana who is 23. Yesterday I relaxed at Emek Rafaim,a cool place to shop and relax. They have very expensive jewelry and designer clothing shops. Last night I met up with Abby from my Aish trip to see her and meet some of her other friends in Israel. Today, Abby and her brother picked me up to go hiking. We went to Ein Bokeq near the Dead Sea and had a really good workout! Then we drove down to the water where there is a hot spring. It was so weird to feel the very hott hott water and then 2 feet away is the cold water of the sea. Supposedly this mud is good for your skin, so I rubbed it all over and made a mess.... hehe.


permalink written by  stephshap on January 3, 2007 from Jerusalem, No Man's Land
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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Jerusalem Fellowships... Aish HaTorah!

Jerusalem, No Man's Land


Wow, I have so much to write I don't know where to begin.... im sitting at Cafe Hillel on Emek Rafaim about a 20 minute walk from Uncle Abe and Aunt Rivka's apartment
I'll go day-by-day of my Aish trip since I haven't written on this blog since I arrived in Israel.
Monday... Dec 18
I arrived at Ben Gurion Airport all by myself! Deidra, Dan, and Deidra's cousin where there to greet me. From there we went on a hunt to find the rest of the group. Eventually we found the bus and did some activities at a playground/low ropes course to meet and do icebreakers. When we got back to our hotel, The Jerusalem Gold, we took naps- jetlag will do that! and later we met up with some of the Pitt students who were on the Aish Hasbara trip (Israel activism) for coffee and to relax at Kikar Tzion, near Ben Yehuda Street.
Tuesday Dec 19
Our first day in the Old City. We had our first class with the Rosh HaYeshiva (head of the Aish yeshiva) and then a few more introductory courses. That afternoon we drove to Netanya (about 1 hour away) to go horseback riding on the beach.
What a beautiful sunset and view of the Mediterranean Sea and Tel-Aviv! There was a Chanukkah party for us that night back in the Old City. After we went out to a bar/lounge for wine and hookah called Egged near Ben Yehuda.
Wed Dec 20
We checked out of the hotel at 7am to drive to the north. First was our hike at Gamla, with amazing weather and a spectacular view. Our tour guide Estie was a little hard to handle, so much talking and a loud Brooklyn accent, but she definately knew her info. Our other tour guide was Yaal, a cute young israeli. We had a picnic lunch and then drove to Har Ben Tal, an old fortress with bunkers and all. We could see the Israeli borders from our view. Next we took a trip to the Golan Winery, with the cutest and very old CEO, named Shalom. Wine tasting made me feel like a sophisticated adult, even though we were all so tired and dirty from the long day! That night we checked in to the Kinar Hotel, and relaxed at a bonfire on the Kineret.
Thur Dec 21
Check out at 7am, drive to Tzfat. Upon arrival we learned a little about the very old city and spoke with a woman from the Livnot project, which works to rebuild the north, since much of the area has been bombed out. We assisted in cleaning out a building that will eventually be used as a school. Afterward we took a short walking tour of the city, and saw 2 synagogues. We had a little bit of free time to explore on our own and shop around. After lunch we left to another hike (I forget the name) - but it was fun. That night we had free time in the city of Tiberias, and we saw the Ramban's gravesite. When we returned to Jerusalem and got situated back in our hotel, I went out with the Pitt crew to Old Friend bar for drinks and hookah.
Fri Dec 22
Class all morning with Rabbi Zeldman and Rabbi Yom Tov Glaser. A free afternoon to explore the old city and do some shopping at the Cardo and Arab market. Kabbalat Shabbat with Rabbi Yom Tov and his 8 year old son on drums was fun and a new experience! We had a girls only service (really just a song session) on a terrace overlooking the Kotel, and then I had my first chance to pray at the Western Wall. It was exciting to see all the different kinds of people who come to the wall on Shabbat, I saw every sect of Judaism represented and probably heard about 8 different languages being spoken. After dinner we were all invited to the Cohen's house just outside the old city for oneg Shabbat and shmoozing. That night we stayed in the Sephardic Center in the Old City.
Saturday Dec 23
We were assigned family's to go to for lunch and I was lucky enough to have a meal at the Cleyman's house. They literally have a 4 story castle in the old city with a terrace that overlooks the Kotel. WOW it was a beautiful house with about 50 guests total! I went with dd and 4 others from my trip. One person that spoke was an Israeli soldier serving his 3 years doing undercover work and infiltrating into the Arab communities. He spoke perfect Arabic and was able to keep his cover in order to find out secret info. He also told about his experiences with the Cleyman's and how nice they were to have his unit of the army over for many shabbatons. That night we checked back into the Gold and about 15 kids from my trip took a sharut (shared taxi) to Tel-Aviv for the night. We went to a very posh bar/lounge/club and had a great time bonding and dancing and relaxing.
Sunday Dec 24
Class all morning, learned about Israel, the history of the Jewish people. In the afternoon we took a tour with Yaal of the Southern Wall excavations. After dinner we watched a movie called "Obsession" which is about Islamic extremists and the threat they pose to the Jewish people and the world as a whole. They are brainwashing their children to be suicide bombers and to hate Jews for no reason. The discussion afterwards was intense.
Monday Dec 25
merry Christmas! haha, there was no real feeling of christmas in the old city where we were and the day was just like any other. we had a class on love, dating, and marriage, and learned alot about the Orthodox way of doing the whole relationship thing. In the end, most of the girls agreed that this was not applicable to our lives and wouldn't work with our lifestyle. But its always good to learn... In the afternoon we took a bus to Tel-Aviv to visit Independence Hall and do a Yaffo by night tour.
We had some free time for dinner and relaxing and a few of us went to a cute restaurant called Spaghettim.
Tuesday Dec 26
6am departure for the south. I hiked Massada snake path all the way up and down!
pretty adventurous i guess. Then we had time at the Dead Sea and even though the water was freezing cold I had to go in and experience the freakish floating that is caused by so much salt in the water... it is the lowest place on planet Earth! Then we went to Ein Gedi and did another short hike to see a beautiful waterfall and view of the Dead Sea. We drove to Eretz Beresheit for a 20 second camel ride and dinner in a Bedouin tent.... real bomb food. yummmm
Zolli's that night with friends from my trip
Wed Dec 27
Discovery Seminar all day..... really long and sometimes boring classes, but the one that caught most people's attention was about Bible codes and the way that the Bible supposedly has every event of every person's life encoded somewhere is kind of a hard concept to comprehend. It started to snow at around 6pm so our restaurant dinner was cancelled.
Israeli's don't know how to handle to snow and the city basically just shuts down. We went back to the hotel and a few of the girls just hung out at the Central Bus Station mall next door.
Thursday Dec 28
Class all morning. One was called Why the Jews? We talked about anti-Semitism, the causes and what can be done about it. The afternoon was spent at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. Our tour guide was just the right combination of a good storyteller, and historian. The experience was draining but I definately learned more than I would just sitting in classes or reading books on the Holocaust. Later we had a Holocaust survivor speak to our group about her experiences and how important it is to tell about these tradgedies so that it won't be forgotten over time.
After such a serious day we were ready to have some fun in the city, so we went to a club called Energy and Barnett and I did a great job of avoiding the sleezy Israeli's- who I might add suck at dancing! weird
Friday Dec 29
Class about tzedakah (charity). That afternoon we left for Kibbutz Ein Tzurim in the north close to the Gaza border. There are about 100 families that live there (I think). And about 25 families who moved there because they were kicked out of their settlement and had to find temporary housing. I also saw the many many cows and fields that the kibbutz owns and operates.
Saturday Dec 30
Saturday was a relaxed day we had a good time observing Shabbat. When we returned to Jerusalem, we checked in and then about 7 of the girls met up with some Israeli's that one of the girls knew. We went to a bar/lounge called Leila Bar.
Sunday Dec 31
In the morning, the girls went to Jewel, which is where people from all over the world come to learn and study for 3 week programs. We had a speaker who was a former prince from Swaziland and decided to convert to Judaism and become a rabbi after learning Hebrew. Yes, I promise I'm telling the truth.
We had a free afternoon to go to the old city and do a little shopping and the rain definately got in our way! That night we had a final banquet at a restaurant that Aish rented out for us called Muscat.
They showed a slideshow and everyone was having a good time, but it was bittersweet because no one was ready to leave! From there we went to Ben Yehuda, back to Zolli's to ring in the New Year, or Sylvester as they call it in Israel, I have no idea why! At least 40 kids out of the 60 from my trip showed up and we had an amazing last night in the city.

Monday Jan 1
We woke up to pack and head back to the city for one last discussion and to say our goodbyes. The first group left for the airport around 1pm. I went to Ben Yehuda for the rest of the afternoon with Stromberg, Tal, Barnett, and Cara to relax and shop until they had to leave for their flight. Then I took a taxi to my great uncle and aunt's apt - Abe and Rivka. It ended up being like a 5 minute drive away and when I arrived they were so excited to see me and so was I! I sat and talked, and one of their 4 daughters was also over to chat. Their granddaughter Renana stopped by- she is 23. We talked for a few hours and I learned all about the places that I missed out on in Israel- so I still have a lot of things I would like to do before I leave for Barcelona on Sunday.
What a life-changing trip so far, and I have only been gone for 2 weeks....


permalink written by  stephshap on January 2, 2007 from Jerusalem, No Man's Land
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nothing, yet.

Pittsburgh, United States


So, I'm still in Pittsburgh, I know. But i needed to take a finals study break, and this seemed like a "productive" thing to do. Just 1 more test and 1 more paper and then I will have about 2 days to pack up and get myself to Israel.
Saturday was the Hanukkah party at my house.
About 40 people in total! Barry- we missed you!...
Today we had a conference call with the Jerusalem Fellowship coordinator and it is finally starting to seem real to me.
Things I'm nervous about: flying to Israel on the flight by myself because no one else from my trip is on my flight, getting from the airport in Israel to my hotel because i dont think anyone is meeting me, not remembering any Hebrew even though I took 3 college semesters. In Spain: having weird roommates, having a long commute from my apartment to school and any other cool places, spending way too much money shopping and on other "frivilous items," not remembering any spanish even though i took 3 years in high school, being homesick???? NOT!!!! (borat heehee).
anyways.....




permalink written by  stephshap on December 12, 2006 from Pittsburgh, United States
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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Still in Shitsburgh.......

Pittsburgh, United States


I can't believe I will be leaving so soon, it doesn't seem real. I am so excited to finally have my first Israel experience and I know it will be excelllent.
Tonight is da Shapiro Hanukkah bash, so I get to spend some QT with friends and fam before things get too hectic and crazy.
My trip to Israel leaves Dec 17 and I will arrive the morning of the 18th. As far as I know, I am the only person from the Aish HaTorah trip on my flight because I only booked a one-way ticket. Should be interesting. The trip lasts until Jan 1, at which time most of the kids will return to the states. I will stay in Israel until Jan 7, when I fly to Barcelona via Istanbul. I am ecstatic that I get to spend 2 weeks in Israel with one of my bestest,
Deidra and some other really cool kids from Pitt, CMU, and IU. Spain is a different story. There are 450 students in my program, CEA- Cultural Experiences Abroad, none that I know of from Pitt. Most are from IU, United States, and Penn State. I took 3 years of high school Spanish, but it was so long ago and I know I will be lost trying to navigate around the city in the beginning. Oh well, it will be an adventure. I promise my blog will be more interesting when i actually have been some places and can talk about them, right now its just all of the anticipation building up that made me start this blog a week early! Adios, Shalom - Stephanie


permalink written by  stephshap on December 9, 2006 from Pittsburgh, United States
from the travel blog: Steph does travel.
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