This past month, my girlfriend and some family came to visit me while abroad. We all met up in Madrid and got to visit the Reina Sofia and the Prado, two of Spain’s most famous museums, with my art history class. It was really cool getting to see some of the most famous pieces by artists like Picasso and Dali. I ended up writing my final paper for the class over a triptych in the Prado called the Garden of Earthly Delights, focusing on how the artist demonstrated the consequences of succumbing to the temptations of sin.

We also took a tour of the Royal Palace, went to a flamenco show and watched an Atletico Madrid game. Atletico took the lead in the final minutes of the game, making the game that much more enjoyable. After, we went to a restaurant where I ate an octopus tentacle for the first time; it was a lot better than I expected it to be.

My girlfriend and I took a flight straight from Madrid to Paris and spent a couple of days there. We got to see the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Louvre and even the Conciergerie, where the last French queen, Marie Antoinette, was held prisoner before her execution. On top of the awesome places we got to visit, the food was amazing. I definitely put on a few pounds after that trip.

I later returned to Spain and met back up with some of my family in Barcelona. We went out to eat at some really good restaurants, visited the Sagrada Familia, toured the FC Barcelona stadium and went out to bars at night.

I took a five-hour train ride back to Alicante and have been spending the past couple of weeks here catching up on the many papers that I procrastinated on throughout the semester. With a week to go, I can now say that I actually think I will finish them all on time. Assignments aside, I have been going out with friends and even got to go watch the Alicante soccer team win 2-1. It was cool being able to see a smaller, local team and compare it to the likes of Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona.

I will be leaving Alicante in a week to head back to the States, and I have to just say that I am really going to miss Spain. It has given me so many experiences and stories that I will take with me for the rest of my life, and I plan on coming back soon.