This past week has been so fun yet crazy at the same time! I worked on a few write ups for hours on end, executed a fabulous trip to Madrid, and even had time to read my latest novel, The Essex Serpent! I am so thankful for having the time to meet up with Gretta in Madrid. It was so much fun getting to catch up and explore a new city together... Can't wait for more adventures with this truly great travel buddy!! :)
School: This past week of school was honestly a little stressful. Right now, we are nearing the mid term and I had an analysis essay and a lab report due last Friday. To say I was working till the wee hours of the morning would be an understatement.. just ask my Editor in Chief, Michael Bruen. As I have not had to write an analysis essay since high school, I was very rusty and had a hard time starting. Thankfully, I have an amazing professor who helped us along the way by giving us hints on what specifically to analyze and focus on. I finished on time and got to "celebrate" the win with a trip to see Gretta in Madrid! This week I am working on two more write ups due before break and studying for a mid term exam in my crop science course!
Tourist Fun: This past weekend I met my good friend from high school, Gretta, in Madrid for the weekend. It was so much fun!! We both got to Madrid on Thursday night and met at our Airbnb that was super close to the city centre. On Friday, we toured around Madrid visiting the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Museo Nacional del Prado, El Retiro Park, the Royal Palace of Madrid, Palacia de Cristal, Cathedral de la Almundena, and many other fun tiendas (shops). Our favorite was of course la heladerÃa (ice cream shop). On Saturday, we took a train to the smaller city of Toledo. The city was absolutely breath taking! The old part of the city was situated on a hill over looking the river valley and the newer part of the city that was below it. Gretta and I walked around, ate some yummy food, saw some beautiful art and enjoyed the 70 plus degree weather! My favorite part about walking around the city was seeing the old style houses, roads and historic buildings. We went to the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toldeo, Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, Church of Santo Tomé (which has the famous el Greco painting inside of it), El Greco Museum, Toledo, Puente de Alcántara, and the Puerta del Sol, Toledo. We even had the opportunity to experience a Carnaval parade! It was quite....interesting. On our last day, we went to the Reina Sofia Art Museum to see the Guernica (a famous painting by Pablo Picasso), el Rastro (a historic outdoor market), and the San Miguel indoor food market. Gretta and I got freshly squeezed juice and fruit kebabs at the market, and it was delicious!! Best fruit I've had so far this semester! Then we packed up our stuff, ate lunch and parted ways at the metro. Over all it was a fantastic trip, and I am so glad that I was able to meet Gretta while we were both in Europe this semester! I'm also VERY thankful for the beautiful weather and the SUN!! It was so warm and the sun was out every. single. day. Which is way more often than in dreary (but lovely) Dublin.
Something New: My something new this week is for sure flying by myself. While I did not have my parents with me when I flew to Dublin, I had Ellen which made the process slightly less scary. This trip, however, was a little nerve wracking because I was flying completely solo. But thanks to my parents excellent teachings, I was able to navigate and successfully fly to and from Madrid all by myself. While in Madrid, I had the opportunity to taste paella, churros con chocolate, croquettes, chorizo and many other fabulous dishes. I would say my favorite two dishes from the weekend would have to be the paella and the croquettes... though everything was quite good!
What I've Learned This Week: This week I learned the importance of patience! Last night, my 2 hour and 10 minute flight turned into a 5 hour and 40 minute flight due to the busyness of the Madrid and Dublin airports and the - small - bit of snow that Dublin received earlier that day. Though I was quite hungry and wanted to get home, I knew the best reaction to have was to be patient. My parents taught me that the top way to solve a situation like this is to be patient with and kind to those around you. So I did my best to wait it out and discovered that I now had the "opportunity" to read more of my new book! I am actually about half way done now, thanks to that extra time! Though the airport situation was not ideal, I still had a great time and am thankful for all that my parents have taught me throughout the years!
P.s. Speaking of parents... I am going to see them in person in less than a week... YAY!!
*Weekly Tea Trivia: ‘Orange Pekoe’ some people think is a type of tea, but is really a grading of tea.
Cheers, Anna