I forget which store this was before it was boarded up, and I don't know if this is supposed to be there, but it was super pretty.
Dean and Deluca and their damn amazing food. I actually don't know how it tastes (because it costs a million dollars a pound), but it looks beautiful. I first heard of Dean and Deluca when I was reading the Confessions of a Shopaholic series in high school (GREAT BOOKS, I STILL LOVE THEM) and Becky goes to Manhattan for the first time, and someone tells her to go there. I assumed it was some fashionable boutique because she never actually went there to find out what it was. So you can imagine my confusion when I see it in real life to find out that they are an upscale grocery store.
We ended the day with a Baked and Wired cupcake and some bird feeding and booze cruise watching. Speaking of Baked and Wired, I didn't know they don't sell Chaider year-round! Chaider is this awesome drink that's a mix of chai tea and apple cider, and it can be made hot or iced. I was pretty crestfallen when I found out...
Aaaaaand it's the end of July already. I actually have not been counting down the days until my flight to Barcelona. But now, I think it's pretty much unavoidable. There is officially one month left until I'm off to the airport for my semester abroad! There are so many words to describe how I feel, but I think terrified is the big one. Sometimes I get so anxious about it that I want to cancel my plane ticket and register for classes at CP, just because it's the easier and more comfortable (and cheaper...) option. But of all of the people I've talked to who have gone and come back in one piece on this same exact program, everyone has said that they loved it and miss it every day. So it can't be that bad, right?
I've come up with a list of things I want to improve about myself while I'm there. When it comes down to it, studying abroad is probably like 35% schoolwork and studying (and maybe not even that), and 65% growing as an individual and traveling and gaining all these incredible life experiences and blah blah blah. Maybe, and hopefully, some of you can relate to my list!
1) Stop being a picky eater. This is a huge one for me, because I'm going to be trying new foods left and right and many times they will be the only option for a few hours. I don't know why I'm so picky! I just don't like to try things. I get super put off by flavors and foods that are unfamiliar to me, and I honestly am glad I have Daniel because he gets me to try lots of new foods. I just need to keep telling myself that if I don't like it, it's not the end of the world and I won't have to eat it again. But at least I'll have tried it, right? Pickled herring, here I come. On second thought, I don't think I'll try that. More like Spanish ham and manchego cheese.
2) Stop freaking out and getting upset when everything is not perfect and smooth and on schedule. The Spanish are never on time. For real. Don't even get me started on the siesta. I'm the kind of person that is always ten minutes early to everything, and always makes multiple copies of important documents. I read a Reddit post recently about a person who is similar to me and he said that he accepted the fact that the more he tried to control every aspect of his life, the more he struggled, and that he was better off rolling with the punches and in order to have peace in your life, you have to have balance of both good and not-so-good. I didn't mean to get all zen on you guys, but it's true. This will be super important when I'm over there. As someone I know tells me all the time, "Being late to something almost never matters in the grand scheme of things". Wink wink.
3) Be open to new experiences. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I hate venturing outside of my comfort zone. It makes me super uncomfortable and anxious. I like routine and familiarity. I'm basically an old lady. But I know that this is the best time in my life to go to Europe (even if it is for school). I have no obligations like paying bills or taking care of a family. Pretty much all I have to do is watch my spending. Oh, and study, of course.
4) Get over my fear of flying. My fear of heights does not help this. Believe me, I know everything about how flying is safer than driving and how the odds of dying in a plane crash are astronomical. My dad is obsessed with planes and his whole career has revolved around them. But I just can't help but get scared whenever I get on a plane, or as Mrs. Voorhees' dad calls them in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, a great iron eagle. By the way, that is the strangest show I have ever seen on Netflix. Strange, but great and uplifting. I'm going to have to get used to flying real fast, because I'm going to be doing a lot of it.
That's all of the big points I can think of for now. I'll add more if I think of any so that I can look back on this and remember my goals. If any of you reading this have studied abroad, feel free to tell me about your experience! And the other way around, if anyone is considering studying abroad, I'm an open book and will tell you everything I know about the application/preparation process so feel free to talk to me. Because believe me, I've done a LOT of that.