Valencia @ MindSay 
My decision to study abroad in Spain was not an easy one. I like to consider myself as the adventurous type, however both of the times I have been out of the country, I wound up a little homesick. No crying and freaking out, just the occasional whim that I was back home, chillin' on the couch drinking an ale-8. I will not leave until September ( SEVEN months away!) but I want to document the entire study abroad procedure.
I lived in Germany for six weeks after high school with a host family. That was an amazing experience, however I was 18 and my host sister was 14. I didn't go to school over there, either, so I was honestly kind of bored most of the time. I went to Ecuador this past summer for three weeks with my honor's class. That was amazing! These trips influenced me to try and spend more time abroad... something I intend to do.
Let me clear up a major misconception about studying abroad. Pay attention now: it is NOT only for the wealthy. Trust me. Every time I have been abroad, every cent of the expenses came from my own pocket, scholarships, or some other form of financial aid. Many schools have great study abroad programs, so if you are considering it and are reluctant because of the financial obligations, don't let that stop you!
So, why Spain? Well, being a Spanish minor, the choice was pretty clear. I dabbled with the idea of going somewhere in Asia, however I realized the only real reason for this decision was because I wanted to add a fourth continent to my international resume. England sounded amazing, but was a bit more expensive than I had allotted in my budget. I still have not decided which city I want to go to, but I have narrowed it down to either Seville or Valencia. Seville is a more popular place to study abroad, but Valencia is by the beach!
I have not picked the program I want to study abroad with yet either. I have narrowed that down as well. First is Academic Programs International (API). The main advantages this program boasts are an international trip to Paris, France included in the program costs, and cell phone service they set up. Next is International Studies Abroad (ISA). Their advantages are an optional (meaning extra cost) trip to Morocco (Africa-my new continent #4), plus they seem much more activity-oriented, something that I REALLY like. My worst fear is that I will get to Spain and not know how to get involved and meet people.
I have been researching A LOT about this trip. What can I say? I can get... obsessive. I am going to make a trip to the Study Abroad library at my school tomorrow, and hopefully after I talk to a counselor, I will have a decision. Any comments are welcome and appreciated!
This morning in the car during my drive to work I was singing "Valencia" by The Decemberists. I wasn't listening to the song during the drive, but actually I was listening to a podcast. Still, it didn't matter as the song was stuck in my head and I felt the need to sing it.
However, it was far from a traditional performance of the song. For whatever reason, I was singing the song in an overly exagerated voice of Queen Elizabeth II. And by 'singing', I mean belting out two words in the Queen Elizabeth voice and then laughing uncontrollably. Usually the laughing was followed by an uproarious "Hellooooooooooo!" in the QEII voice just like Jon Stewart did on "The Daily Show" a few weeks ago.
