Okay, I had originally intended for this tab to be for weekend trips in Galicia I'd take or places I'd discover after work, but I think the trip over here (packing&flying) and the first several days of apartment hunting, opening up a bank account, obtaining a cell phone, and getting lost have all been quite the adventure in itself thus my reason for putting it under this tab marked 'Adventure'.
PACKING
Yes, I overpacked. Why? Because I'm a girl.
But tell me why my mom was shoving extra toothbrushes, shampoo bottles, soap bars, fiber one chocolate bars in my bag before I left? It's not like Spain is a third world country--it has plenty of grocery stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, etc. She was also very adamant that I bring the following medicine: imodium (diarrhea medicine), fish oil (cholesterol medicine), neosporin, and pain relieving patches. "Cha you never know, you might get diarrhea." "Mom, I've never had diarrhea in my life." (That may be a lie. But if I ever did it was when I was a bebe.) "Mom fish oil?! I don't even have high cholesterol" (JK I do, but I don't like admitting what genetics have done to me). I guess I understand neosporin... if I ever fall and scrape myself it would be useful. "Mom, pain relieving patches?" "Cha you never know, you might have back pain and this will help." "Have you ever heard of ice or heat?" I have never once in my 22 years of living used the four medicines previously mentioned and all of a sudden it was a necessity. Obviously I had already packed myself more useful medication like ibuprofen and tylenol, but I think my mom was going a little bit overboard with the other meds she was throwing in my face.
THE FLIGHT
If anyone knows my flying stories during my study abroad experience, you would know I had the worst luck. First of all, I was never placed next to a hott youngish man like the movies have it. And second of all, I missed flights going there and back because of stupid delays and ended up having to wait and purchase another ticket. Third of all, my luggage was lost, and it wasn't until several days later that it was sent to my house. But the gods of the flight were watching over me this time as I got to the places I needed to with plenty of time to catch the next flight. Unfortunately my first flight I was placed next to this old couple that only spoke French, and the next flight to Vigo I was rocking solo. But I'll be traveling all around this year so it is bound to happen that I'll finally be seated next to my future someone right?
APARTMENT HUNTING
I booked an airbnb apartment prior to going so that I would have a place to stay while apartment hunting.
I used both idealista.com and pisocompartido.com to find a room, and on Sunday from 12pm-6pm I trekked up and down the city of Vigo looking at several apartments I had contacted before getting into Spain. Vigo is just like San Francisco, so I was wheezing and huffing&puffing by the time I got to each apartment. I maybe walked over 10 miles in total getting from place to place. There was one part of the day where I was completely lost and the people I asked kept saying I'd see the "Puente de caballos" and that is where I'd turn right. So I was walking around hoping to see this long bridge with horses chilling on it. I finally got to a roundabout, and there it was a statue of the "Puente de caballos." I couldn't help but laugh and think that I was in search of a real bridge and horses this whole time. The landlord of the first place I saw was exactly like the principal from She's the Man. I was dying inside. If you haven't seen the movie, wtf is wrong with you --WATCH IT NOW!! When I was looking through the contract with him, he literally got on his knees on the chair and put his elbows on the table and rested his face on his hands while speaking with the most fob accent you can imagine "Ehhh eets cost some maaaney jes". Picture this and tell me you're not laughing. He was the only landlord that spoke english...or I guess you could say half english. I actually liked this place the best out of the 7 I saw so I went with this one--it was a good price and close to my school! My new roommates include 2 spanish girls, 1 spanish boy, 1 german boy, and a girl from london! They are all very kind and fun to talk to.
BANK
I have no story really to go along with this. If I did try to crack a joke they were all too serious for the job to laugh. I was a bit nervous though about setting an account up here as no one spoke English--although I comprehend and communicate very well in Spanish, I didn't want to miss anything important because of my lack of knowledge in terminology pertaining to the bank and find later that I had to pay some fees.
MOVIL
I brought my phone from America and thankfully my phone was unlocked so I could just buy a SIM card and buy a prepaid plan. There was one for 10/euro a month for 20 mins, messages and .600MB, another for 15/euro a month for 40 mins, messages and 1.2GB, and the last one was 20/euro for 60 mins, unlimited messages and 1.6GB. "Acabo de mudarme a Vigo. Ahora todavia no tengo amigos..pues el plan de 10/euro porf." He laughed at the fact that I got the lowest plan because I have no friends yet to call or text because I just moved, but I told him not to worry and that I'd be back later to change my plan.
LOST AT SEA
I don't know if it was my puppy dog lost eyes or the fact that I spun in circles looking for the street sign or wandered back and forth passing by the same people, but people were so so nice in helping me find my way around Vigo. Some even approached me! I didn't have data on my phone or a map so I depended the google map directions I wrote down to get me by. Thank God for the kindness of the Galician people and their ability to draw a map or I honestly would've never gotten by.
RANDOM CONVERSATIONS
After hours spent on running errands, I was finally able to explore the city of Vigo in the late afternoon today. I dropped by the tourist booth in which a Brazilian man gave me a map. He spoke gallego so I partially understood him, but he was very kind and introduced me to all the people that dropped by....some of which told me that I'd have a hard time teaching because boys would be too distracted because I'm pretty. Let's be real, I was practically a boy growing up playing sports and wearing all my brother's hand-me-downs and honestly half of the time I am confused as boy...not just on the phone because of my deep voice but even in person. It's happened enough times for my college house to decide that we would tally every time it occurred. If anything, they'd like me because they'd see me as one of them Anyways, the Brazilian man has been working at that information booth for 9 years so he knows most of the locals in that particular area. Behind the information booth is the port of Vigo. I'm never been one to take solo pictures, but my background was too beautiful not to... who would I take pictures with anyways? So I asked this very nice gentleman to take a picture of me by the port. This elderly couple walked by and overheard me tell the gentleman that I was from the United States. After that we had about an hour conversation sharing our stories of travel, life, their regret in never learning English, etc. Before they left to continue their walk, the husband told me two things: 1)that him and his wife would be my Vigo parents and 2)to invite him and his wife to my wedding with the spanish lover that I'm bound to find here (haha good one). Everyone has honestly been so welcoming. When I was apartment hunting, I gave myself 30 minutes between each apartment to walk towards that place. I was usually 10 minutes early or so so I'd stop by the cafe right next door and chat with the server or bartender there. What I have come to find is that everyone has a story to tell--people just need to take the time to stop and listen.
Yours truly,
TLT
PACKING
Yes, I overpacked. Why? Because I'm a girl.
But tell me why my mom was shoving extra toothbrushes, shampoo bottles, soap bars, fiber one chocolate bars in my bag before I left? It's not like Spain is a third world country--it has plenty of grocery stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, etc. She was also very adamant that I bring the following medicine: imodium (diarrhea medicine), fish oil (cholesterol medicine), neosporin, and pain relieving patches. "Cha you never know, you might get diarrhea." "Mom, I've never had diarrhea in my life." (That may be a lie. But if I ever did it was when I was a bebe.) "Mom fish oil?! I don't even have high cholesterol" (JK I do, but I don't like admitting what genetics have done to me). I guess I understand neosporin... if I ever fall and scrape myself it would be useful. "Mom, pain relieving patches?" "Cha you never know, you might have back pain and this will help." "Have you ever heard of ice or heat?" I have never once in my 22 years of living used the four medicines previously mentioned and all of a sudden it was a necessity. Obviously I had already packed myself more useful medication like ibuprofen and tylenol, but I think my mom was going a little bit overboard with the other meds she was throwing in my face.
THE FLIGHT
If anyone knows my flying stories during my study abroad experience, you would know I had the worst luck. First of all, I was never placed next to a hott youngish man like the movies have it. And second of all, I missed flights going there and back because of stupid delays and ended up having to wait and purchase another ticket. Third of all, my luggage was lost, and it wasn't until several days later that it was sent to my house. But the gods of the flight were watching over me this time as I got to the places I needed to with plenty of time to catch the next flight. Unfortunately my first flight I was placed next to this old couple that only spoke French, and the next flight to Vigo I was rocking solo. But I'll be traveling all around this year so it is bound to happen that I'll finally be seated next to my future someone right?
APARTMENT HUNTING
I booked an airbnb apartment prior to going so that I would have a place to stay while apartment hunting.
I used both idealista.com and pisocompartido.com to find a room, and on Sunday from 12pm-6pm I trekked up and down the city of Vigo looking at several apartments I had contacted before getting into Spain. Vigo is just like San Francisco, so I was wheezing and huffing&puffing by the time I got to each apartment. I maybe walked over 10 miles in total getting from place to place. There was one part of the day where I was completely lost and the people I asked kept saying I'd see the "Puente de caballos" and that is where I'd turn right. So I was walking around hoping to see this long bridge with horses chilling on it. I finally got to a roundabout, and there it was a statue of the "Puente de caballos." I couldn't help but laugh and think that I was in search of a real bridge and horses this whole time. The landlord of the first place I saw was exactly like the principal from She's the Man. I was dying inside. If you haven't seen the movie, wtf is wrong with you --WATCH IT NOW!! When I was looking through the contract with him, he literally got on his knees on the chair and put his elbows on the table and rested his face on his hands while speaking with the most fob accent you can imagine "Ehhh eets cost some maaaney jes". Picture this and tell me you're not laughing. He was the only landlord that spoke english...or I guess you could say half english. I actually liked this place the best out of the 7 I saw so I went with this one--it was a good price and close to my school! My new roommates include 2 spanish girls, 1 spanish boy, 1 german boy, and a girl from london! They are all very kind and fun to talk to.
BANK
I have no story really to go along with this. If I did try to crack a joke they were all too serious for the job to laugh. I was a bit nervous though about setting an account up here as no one spoke English--although I comprehend and communicate very well in Spanish, I didn't want to miss anything important because of my lack of knowledge in terminology pertaining to the bank and find later that I had to pay some fees.
MOVIL
I brought my phone from America and thankfully my phone was unlocked so I could just buy a SIM card and buy a prepaid plan. There was one for 10/euro a month for 20 mins, messages and .600MB, another for 15/euro a month for 40 mins, messages and 1.2GB, and the last one was 20/euro for 60 mins, unlimited messages and 1.6GB. "Acabo de mudarme a Vigo. Ahora todavia no tengo amigos..pues el plan de 10/euro porf." He laughed at the fact that I got the lowest plan because I have no friends yet to call or text because I just moved, but I told him not to worry and that I'd be back later to change my plan.
LOST AT SEA
I don't know if it was my puppy dog lost eyes or the fact that I spun in circles looking for the street sign or wandered back and forth passing by the same people, but people were so so nice in helping me find my way around Vigo. Some even approached me! I didn't have data on my phone or a map so I depended the google map directions I wrote down to get me by. Thank God for the kindness of the Galician people and their ability to draw a map or I honestly would've never gotten by.
RANDOM CONVERSATIONS
After hours spent on running errands, I was finally able to explore the city of Vigo in the late afternoon today. I dropped by the tourist booth in which a Brazilian man gave me a map. He spoke gallego so I partially understood him, but he was very kind and introduced me to all the people that dropped by....some of which told me that I'd have a hard time teaching because boys would be too distracted because I'm pretty. Let's be real, I was practically a boy growing up playing sports and wearing all my brother's hand-me-downs and honestly half of the time I am confused as boy...not just on the phone because of my deep voice but even in person. It's happened enough times for my college house to decide that we would tally every time it occurred. If anything, they'd like me because they'd see me as one of them Anyways, the Brazilian man has been working at that information booth for 9 years so he knows most of the locals in that particular area. Behind the information booth is the port of Vigo. I'm never been one to take solo pictures, but my background was too beautiful not to... who would I take pictures with anyways? So I asked this very nice gentleman to take a picture of me by the port. This elderly couple walked by and overheard me tell the gentleman that I was from the United States. After that we had about an hour conversation sharing our stories of travel, life, their regret in never learning English, etc. Before they left to continue their walk, the husband told me two things: 1)that him and his wife would be my Vigo parents and 2)to invite him and his wife to my wedding with the spanish lover that I'm bound to find here (haha good one). Everyone has honestly been so welcoming. When I was apartment hunting, I gave myself 30 minutes between each apartment to walk towards that place. I was usually 10 minutes early or so so I'd stop by the cafe right next door and chat with the server or bartender there. What I have come to find is that everyone has a story to tell--people just need to take the time to stop and listen.
Yours truly,
TLT