2011 Program picture Album
Free Fallin in Switzerland
This past weekend was so different than any of the other trips I’ve had so far, and I loved absolutely every second of it! A group of 9 of us spent 3 full days in Interlaken, Switzerland- a small, quaint, mountainous town known for being one of the world’s greatest spots for outdoor adventure. (Reason #1 why I am in love with it.)
After landing in Geneva on Thursday morning, we took a 3 hour bus ride to Interlacken that was probably the most scenic ride I’ve ever been on. Background: Whenever people ask me the question, “Are you a beach person or a mountain person?”, I’m totes a mountain person. 
There’s just something so majestic and amazing about them (maybe because Texas is so flat so anything different amazes me). All that to say, the country of Switzerland, in my opinion, is the most beautiful place on planet earth.
There’s just something so majestic and amazing about them (maybe because Texas is so flat so anything different amazes me). All that to say, the country of Switzerland, in my opinion, is the most beautiful place on planet earth.When we arrived in Interlaken, we definitely did not anticipate the weather to be so cold! Who would have thought you would need jeans, a long sleeved shirt and 2 layers of fleece to stay warm in the middle of June. We were also surprised by the prices of everything in Switzerland… it was insane! A McDonald’s burger was 15 Francs. That is equivalent to $18. Whhaaaat?!
Definitely a unique part of our experience was staying at Balmers hostel. All our friends that had been to Europe told us that staying here was a must- it’s where college students from all over the world, but a ton of Americans which is a nice change, stay. They have a club underneath the hostel where everyone hangs out at at night, and a “Bier Garden” connecting all of the buildings where people eat and talk. It was kind of ghetto but kind of quaint at the same time- our room was like a log cabin room that fit 10 people so it was definitely an experience sleeping with a bunch of random travelers and sleeping with my purse under my pillow just to be safe. 
Definitely a very, very social place and it was crazy all the people we met from all over the world. We got to know 2 of our roommates, who were 24 year olds who graduated from OU and are now waitresses who don’t want to go into the corporate world. They were very fun, sweet, and interesting. Something else totally crazy too- I met a guy who was friends with my sister Alison at UT and is in my friend’s wedding this summer! Another crazy connection: Meeting someone who sat behind my friend Kate in Spanish class in high school. It was cool getting to tell him “Umm yeah she’s getting married in 3 weeks and I’m a bridesmaid in the wedding.” Totally nuts.
Definitely a very, very social place and it was crazy all the people we met from all over the world. We got to know 2 of our roommates, who were 24 year olds who graduated from OU and are now waitresses who don’t want to go into the corporate world. They were very fun, sweet, and interesting. Something else totally crazy too- I met a guy who was friends with my sister Alison at UT and is in my friend’s wedding this summer! Another crazy connection: Meeting someone who sat behind my friend Kate in Spanish class in high school. It was cool getting to tell him “Umm yeah she’s getting married in 3 weeks and I’m a bridesmaid in the wedding.” Totally nuts.The first night we walked around the quaint little town and ended up going to a chocolate show! We learned about how Swiss chocolate is made and what their secrets are (I would tell you but then I would have to kill you.) I of course volunteered to decorate a plate in chocolate and then we got to sample SOOO much chocolate, which I was not opposed to. Was so full by the end of it that we weren’t even hungry for dinner that night.
The next day we went CANYONING!! We couldn’t take pictures during this but if you’re interested in seeing what it’s all about you can check out this video! I basically got to jump and slide down waterfalls in a river in the Swiss Alps. Very cold, but very fun!!
Later that day we decided to hike up one of the mountains, ironically called “Harder.” I’m not claiming to be in super great shape, but I’m just saying that I’ve done my fair share of hiking and I’ve never climbed something this steep for this long. At the top was an absolutely gorgeous view, and it definitely was completely worth it. Let’s just say though that with a group of 9 tired people wanting to go at different paces, there were some moments of frustration and wanting to throw each other off of the cliff but hey- what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right?! Right.
The next day we did my favorite thing I’ve done this whole trip: Canyon jumping! You are attached to a harness and free fall for 60 meters into a giant canyon and then swing across the gorge. I’ve NEVER experienced that sort of thrill before or probably ever been that terrified. We signed a waiver before that stated:
“I admit that I have lost all touch with reality and that I have actually paid good money to have some crazy Swiss who I have never met before, put a harness on me with nothing more than two tiny climbing ropes, so that I may throw myself off a little platform 90 meters above a small narrow gorge” and ended with “Furthermore, my mother does not know I am here.”
That night we attended the “Trucker and Country Festival” which we found absolutely hilarious… Basically a rodeo carnival in Switzerland. Everyone was wearing cowboy hats and boots, and I couldn’t tell whether they were for real or if this festival was making fun of country western stuff. Either way, we had a blast and it was pretty funny. Except when we got lost on our way home with an amused Swiss boy telling us we weren’t even close to Balmers hostel after an hour of walking, and not even in the city of Interlaken anymore. 5 kilometers later, we found our way back to Balmers hostel.
Switzerland was the most beautiful and most relaxing places of this trip. It was the first time that we didn’t feel touristy, and didn’t have a large map with 20 places we needed to hit and take pictures of. It felt like a genuine vacation where we could roam the quaint little town and just admire God’s beautiful creation and enjoy fun fellowship with great people.
- Switzerland seems like a mix between Germany and Canada, eh?
- Don’t let the girl who does a Jillian Michaels workout every day lead the pace for hiking up one of the Swiss Alps mountains.
- Swiss chocolate is even better than I had imagined.
- When about to jump into a giant canyon and free fall for what seems like a lifetime, it might not be a good idea to video tape your friend going right before you as she becomes a tiny dot swinging across a gorge. And- it’s good to distract yourself from the reality of what you’re about to do by focusing on what cool pose you’re going to do when you jump and look at the camera lady. Worked like a charm!
FC Barcelona
One of my favorite places that I visited was the FC Barcelona stadium. It was quite a ways out from the city, but it was definitely worth the trip. There is a tour that allows you inside the stadium and the FC Barcelona museum. One of the most interesting things about the stadium was the small chapel in the tunnel that the players take to get to the field. FC Barcelona has over 100 years of history, and is considered the top football clubs in the world. FC Barcelona just recently won the Champion’s Cup, which is the top prize for club football teams. Right next to the stadium is a youth academy, where they recruit players from all over the world to live and train under the FC Barcelona coaching staff. The current star player, Lionel Messi, went to the academy when he was only 12 years old. Messi is considered by many to be one of the greatest football players ever.
During games at the stadium, the concession stands are not allowed to sell alcohol. There have been too many instances of riots and out of control fans during games. Instead, they have non-alcoholic beer available.
Gypsies
Everyone ought to be on the alert for gypsies. We’ve had purses stolen/people being pick pocketed at least 5 times on this trip. Also, be on the alert for street merchants selling really cheap and stupid items. The most annoying of which is a little whistle you put in your mouth that makes a super annoying, high-pitched chirping sound. They’ll also try to swindle you into partaking in a game of “guess which cup the ball is under”. They have a group of three friends or so who constantly act like they’re random tourists who are betting and winning money. However when an actual tourist comes up to try, the actual tourist loses due to a high degree of cheating. ADIOS ESPANOLIA! SI SE PUEDE!
Adios Barcelona
Well, it’s a bittersweet goodbye as it’s the last night in Barcelona. Getting ready to go to our last group dinner tonight at the hotel, then go out into the city one last time. It’s been a great 5 weeks here getting to visit new places and make lots of new friends. It’s weird thinking that most of us had never met before we came on this trip and now we are already planning reunion dinners and hangouts. I’m sad to go, it would have been nice to have a few more weeks here, but I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited for some American food. I already made a list of the places I want to go eat when I get back, Mexican and chicken fried steak being my first two stops. It’s been a blast and I hope I will be back here in the city sometime in my future!
Stock Exchange & Immigration Forum
The second week of class here in Barcelona we were able to go to the Barcelona Stock Exchange. Although, it wasn’t quite what I expected, it was interesting to see the real-time index crawling and the different indexes listed on the “big board.” The main index in Spain is the IBEX 35, which is composed of the largest 35 companies in Spain based on market capitalization. I did not recognize any of the companies from an American perspective, but after spending time in Europe I have seen the impact of companies such as Telefonica and Caixa Catalunya.
Another interesting opportunity we were able to partake in was a forum at the Mediterranean Institute of Europe. A German professor (with an American education) gave an interesting discussion on Europeanization and the effects of immigration. In many western European countries, citizenship has to be earned and should not be taken for granted. This point was made clear to us after learning of the strict immigration standards that countries like Germany and the Netherlands impose. This is contradictory to the thought that “illiberal liberalism” should not be used to determine if a person is worthy to become a nationalized citizen. Another interesting point that was made was concerning Muslim immigrants in the European Union. Apparently, 2nd and 3rd generation Muslim immigrants are not fully assimilating into European culture, which retards the idea of Europeanization across borders. Overall, the lecture was interesting and I definitely enjoyed learning more about Europeanization.
Last day!
It’s the last day in Spain, where did the last 5 weeks go?
We are about to soak in a few last rays at the beach, come back eat out last dinner as a group then flying out at 7am.
5 weeks, 10 flights, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam later and I’m finally coming home! It has been a great time, but I’m cultured out and ready to get back to the great state of Texas!
Spanish Food
There seems to be a constant struggle in the group on where we should spend our time eating. I would not consider myself a picky eater. I usually will eat anything in front of me, my first meal in Spain was a tuna and anchovy sandwich. But the issue I have with Spanish food is that it costs way too much, is not filling, and is not very good. There is a reason why there are not many “Spanish” restaurants back home. I usually do not eat fast food when I am home but when you are hungry and poor, McDonalds and Burger King become very appealing. I have had my fill of paella and tapas. Paella is a rice dish that has a few pieces of seafood or chicken in it. If you really think about it, paella is just a bad version of jambalaya. Additionally, I feel like the only meat here is ham.
I am not dissatisfied with all of the food in Europe. I thoroughly enjoyed the food in Paris, and I heard great things about the food in Rome. I can respect the fact that Spain has mastered the art of nightlife and general laid back lifestyle, but I came to the conclusion that the Spanish never really got around to learn how to make good food.
Although they have McDonalds over here, there are still a few little differences. For example, at McDonalds a Quarter Pounder is actually called a Royale with cheese. The thing is, they have the metric system over here, so no one would have any idea what a Quarter Pounder was. And in Paris, you can even buy a beer at McDonalds, and in Belgium, they dip their French fries in mayonnaise.
My time here…
I’m going to keep this short and sweet…the five weeks I’ve spent in Spain have been five of the most fun weeks of my life. I’ve met lots of awesome people, been to new places, and seen some really cool things. Six major European cities in five weeks was just an incredible cultural and life experience. Barcelona, Paris, Madrid, London, Brussels, and Amsterdam all had so much to offer and were so unique in many different ways. It was the trip of a lifetime and I can only hope that I have a chance to come back some day. Till next time!
Lessons from Europe
As the end of our trip is quickly approaching I’d like to take the time to reflect on a few key memories from our European summer abroad. First and foremost, I am not exactly sure who said that Spain is known for their food and women, but they were mistaken…horribly, horribly mistaken. While the general Spanish culture was great, the cuisine was not. I suppose you can only go so far with rice and ham.
The youth of Spain have been protesting the elections and a lack of political/ economic reform the entire time we have been in Barcelona. Although, someone should tell them the elections were 6 months ago and if they don’t find jobs soon they will find themselves to be the doormat of the EU like Greece.
Deodorant is also apparently a scarce commodity across Europe. The stench that can arise from a fifty year old Dutchman is actually quite impressive when you think about it. This just goes to show the vast difference in cultural perspective between the United States and Western Europe. I, for instance, couldn’t imagine leaving my house without putting on deodorant, but if you happen to ask a European waiter for free water at dinner he will look at you like you’re insane. Go figure.
In all seriousness, I have had a wonderful experience in Spain with Professor Panina and my fellow Aggies. I would recommend this program to anyone, and I know this experience will not be one that is easily forgotten.