Apologies
Dear Readers,
I realize that everything I’ve written here has been very plain and matter-of-fact. After some consultation and after receiving an anonymous call, I have edited my most recent entry. If, for some reason, I have insulted anyone, in any way with what I have written, I apologize. I am used to openly commenting on the observations I make through my own experiences without consequence. This, I know, must change. I sometimes forget that I am supposed to be a good (decent, if not good) PR practitioner with little to nothing negative to say out loud or in a public space. I still have some of the ideologies of a young student rather than those of a professional and I apologize for that. It is immature an unbecoming. I must constantly be aware of what I am posting anywhere on the Internet, even if I think that no one pays attention to the odd ramblings of a 22-year-old.
Again, if I have offended anyone in any way, I sincerely apologize for my bias and carelessness.
Sincerely,
Rachel C. Koontz
Mallorca and a Homecoming
The view of the lovely blue sea from our balcony.
For our last side trip, we took a mini-vacation to the island of Mallorca where we stayed on the beach and enjoyed sunning ourselves, though I think we all had a little too much sun. The peeling is proof of that.
Aside from the sun, though, our feet enjoyed the weekend of sand, flip-flops and rest. For the first time on our side trips, we didn’t walk three miles a day around a city and our sore feet and legs took relief in that.
Mallorca, though, was full of delicious food. Hanna and I ate at the same place every day because we loved their pizza and really liked their spaghetti Bolognese. It didn’t hurt that it was a cheap place to eat.
Our intern appreciation dinner/Hanna's birthday dinner.
The Monday we were there was Hanna’s birthday and for dinner that night, Imagewest hosted an appreciation dinner. I had a steak for the first time since landing in Europe and I also tried monkfish, which I didn’t hate. It was one of the best dining experiences we’d had and it seemed a bit like the cherry on top of a great trip. On top of that, though, Stephanie, Courtney, Hanna and I decided it would be a good night to visit some of the infamous clubs in Mallorca after we’d all contributed to the consumption of a giant bucket of…a beverage. We went to one place called “Black Magic” and all I can say is that it was…interesting. We had fun, though, and that’s what matters.
On Tuesday, we flew back to Barcelona, finished packing, fell asleep and woke up early Wednesday morning to take our flight out of Spain. I never want to haul a giant suitcase through train stations and Metros again.
As we stood in the customs line, we read a sign that stated we were crossing the border and would not be able to go back, and it made us a bit sad. Hanna and I referred to the area past that line as “International Limbo.” We ate at the McDonald’s in International Limbo land and then Hanna and I attempted to clear out the vending machine with all the change we had left from the trip.
After boarding the plane, Hanna and I built a pillow fortress with our hoodies, the airplane pillows and our 75-cent IKEA pillows. It was comfy. The pillows also hid from Hanna the fact that I was crying as the plane took off. I knew that I would probably not see Barcelona again (at least not for a long, long time) and I had grown to love the city so much that it broke my heart to leave. I know it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and I want to remember every little detail, but I know I won’t. My memory isn’t that good. I’ve promised myself that I will try to make it back to Barcelona before I die. Who knows if I can actually do that, though? I guess we’ll see in time.
Me, watching the Spain vs. Germany match in the Philly airport.
After an eight-and-a-half-hour flight, we landed in Philadelphia where we breezed through U.S. Customs and were able to watch the first half of the Spain vs. Germany World Cup semi-final match. It wasn’t until we landed in Nashville that we found out that Spain won.
My mom and my sister greeted me in Nashville and while I was a bit sad to have left one of the greatest cities I’ve ever visited, I was so happy to see my family. I was so happy to see them that I couldn’t wait to give them their gifts. Whitney absolutely loved the Venetian mask that I bought for her and she enjoyed the Barcelona bag, too. My mom adored the pearl necklace I’d bought for her in Mallorca. I enjoyed the luxury of my mom’s 2009 Taurus on the three-hour drive to Louisville and I stayed awake long enough to give my dad his Dalí puzzle and Guggenheim mug and to bathe before falling asleep when I got home. It was a good homecoming after being away for so long.
The Last of Barcelona
There is a lot I need to write about. For one, I’m back in the States. We made the journey safely and without much trouble. I want to get in all the details about what has happened since Venice. To start, let’s rewind, all the way back to the last week we had in Barcelona.
That week, we had Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the city. We worked “from home” on Wednesday and Thursday, and from the office on Friday. Friday afternoon, Hanna and I decided we would go to the Picasso Museum. We ended up convincing Mark and Heather that they, too, wanted to see the works of Picasso and his colleagues. While I admire the work of Picasso, I was more attracted to the works of Rusiñol, whose paintings seem more realistic and, to me, convey more emotion.
This is either a Sex on the Beach or a Tequila Sunrise.
After exploring the growth and transitions of Picasso and his friends, we decided to eat burritos at a place where a Sex on the Beach is apparently a drink order that will cause the waiter to run into the next table. The drink tasted oddly like a Tequila Sunrise, but it was good either way.
From there, we went to the train station where we ran into a few guys who were a bit odd, but hilarious. I was conversing in mostly Spanish with one guy who was explaining that his friend would try to speak English only when drunk. I tried to explain that it took me a drink or two before I’d ease into speaking Spanish, but he didn’t want to believe that for some reason. Another one of the guys first asked my name and then asked if I belonged to the Church. I know the population is largely Catholic, but the question threw me for a loop for a second. It was an interesting train ride until they got off at their stop and we kept going to La Garriga. Apparently, though, Mark decided that he didn’t want to get off the train at our stop and ended up in the next town. Hanna and I were walking down the platform, looking around to see if we had everyone and we saw Mark moving in the train and thought he was moving toward the door. He wasn’t. Hanna flailed her arms and yelled, but by the time Mark finally noticed, the train was in motion and it was too late. The rest of us walked back to the apartment, worried about the fate of the lone professor. About 30 minutes after we’d walked in the front door, though, we heard the buzzer and were happy that Mark had survived and managed to get a taxi ride back to our place of residence. Crisis averted.
This painting was my favorite of Dalí's.
That Saturday, Mark, Heather, Hanna and I took a two-hour train ride to Figueres where the Dalí Museum is located. I will say one thing about Dalí: he was an interesting man and artist. Some appreciate him and his work and others don’t. No one is really wrong in their opinions, but negative comments such as, “How does, like, this stuff become, like, famous?” should not be uttered in a museum dedicated to the artist. (Some study abroad groups prove that rich, blonde girls really don’t use whatever brain they have.)
Hanna and I then departed on the train, which was unfortunately hot. We had the goal to make it to the top of Tibidabo before we left and we knew this would be our last chance. We took the Metro to the right stop, got out, took the trolley to its final stop and then took the Funicular to the top of hill/mountain, which has an amusement park situated upon it. The view was beyond amazing. Barcelona was stretched out before us and it took my breath away. Being our final chance to truly appreciate the city, the moment brought on a few moments where I had teary eyes. I had fallen in love with the city and I knew that our time there was over, and it was an overwhelming mix of emotions. I was glad that I would be seeing my family soon, but I didn’t want to leave the place where I had grown to feel at home. I was really glad, though, that I was able to share everything about the trip with one of my best friends. Without Hanna, it would not have been the same, and we wouldn’t have grown in the ways that we did. (More on this in a future, introspective entry.)
The view of Barcelona from the top of Tibidabo.
After consuming the largest cotton candy serving we’d ever seen, Hanna and I headed back down the hill and toward La Rambla where we had to find a side street to find a bar where Courtney and Stephanie said we could find them. At said bar, we watched Spain’s national fútbol team beat Paraguay for a spot against Germany in the semi-final matches. After we left the bar, the four of us walked around a little before catching the Night Bus back to La Garriga. It was a most fitting final night out in Barcelona.
Villa, the beautiful, goal-scoring man.
Venezia
Three days in Italy taught me that 1) my skin loves the Venetian sun, 2) Italian men are beautiful (for the most part), 3) Venice is probably the most romantic city in the Mediterranean, and 4) I apparently “look like fountain.” I’m not sure what the fountain comment is supposed to mean, but Hanna and I created a rating system based on it. This rating system dictates that men can range in attractiveness from faucets (common, everyday fixtures) to oceans (such as Jensen Ackles; largely attractive and one of the best-looking men on Earth), with plenty of gauge points along the way. Only Hanna and I hold the secret to the other points on the scale and we shall not divulge that information.
An example of a Spanish man who "looks like fountain."
On another note, Venice and the surrounding islands were absolutely beautiful. The minute we landed I knew I would love it. Everywhere we went, we had to travel by boat, which was one of the best parts, though we did wake up with that floating feeling this morning. The only downside to being around so much water was the number of mosquitoes that liked to bite. It was also extremely hot and humid in Venezia.
Our first view of the city from the waterbus.
On Monday, Hanna and I took the metro-boat to Murano, which is famous for its hand-blown glass. We went into many galleries and were absolutely floored by the enormous chandeliers hanging from the ceilings in the galleries. They each cost thousands of Euro, and after seeing a small demonstration, we know why. The work that goes into those is intense. At the end of the day, we each bought small earrings, and I bought a ring while Hanna bought a bracelet.
Since we had to leave Tuesday afternoon, Hanna and I set out early enough to catch a boat to the island of Burano, which is known for its hand-made lace and Venetian masks. The lace was beautiful and I was amazed at what they could do with it. I ended up buying my grandparents a small, lace handkerchief with an “R” stitched into it. I also bought a Venetian mask, which is absolutely stunning. Packing that on the plane should be interesting, but I know I’ll get it home.
The colorful island of Burano.
The flight back to Barcelona was a bit sad. I wanted to stay in Venice. Italy could take me and not give me back. Barcelona had my heart, but I’m pretty sure that Venice seized it from the grips of the Catalan city.
I’m at the point, though, where I’m starting to miss almost everything about home. Hanna and I both had a few moments yesterday when we almost cried. Something about passing corn fields on the way to the airport made me miss the South. I also longed for home after Hanna pointed out a bottle of Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in the airport. I don’t drink the stuff, but the fact that it came from Kentucky made me all nostalgic. At other points throughout the weekend, we were reminded of home, too. For instance, we were at a metro-boat stop where the scent of the grill was thick in the air and it made us want to go home and grill. I miss home and I can’t wait to be back next week. :\
The sunset from Lido.
A Different View of Spain
This past weekend, we took our first “side trip” to Bilbao, in the Basque region of Spain. While it wasn’t my favorite city, the drinks were good. I did learn the following, though:
1) Bilbao is rich. Very, very rich.
2) They take hardcore siestas in Bilbao and there is literally nothing open before 8 p.m. They also close at 10 or 11 p.m.
3) Euskara (the language of Basque Country) is nothing like Spanish.
4) Basque Country resembles Northern Europe. I thought I was in Germany the entire weekend.
5) The weather in Bilbao is a lot different from the weather in Barcelona. Everyone wears fall and winter clothing year-round.
6) The Guggenheim is awesome, but not being allowed to take pictures is no fun. How does one describe the awesomeness of it without pictures?
7) Richard Serra’s The Matter of Time is the best piece of art I’ve ever experienced. It was disorienting and the acoustics were so different throughout the piece that I had to sing as I walked through some of it.
8) The outlet mall in Ansio is a great place to buy some clothes, but the ATM nearby charge quite the fee…
9) IKEA is awesome.
10) La Garriga and Barcelona honestly feels like home to me. (And to everyone else.)
This coming week, we’re finally going to see the MV Explorer, the ship that sails for Semester at Sea (SAS). SAS has been an Imagewest client for almost one year now. The agency has been working closely with SAS to revamp their image, and the four of us (plus Heather and Mark) actually get to explore the ship on Friday. Hopefully, we’ll see some of our efforts at work. SAS has already started to use the Twitter background created by Stephanie Terrell. They have also implemented some of our ideas for their website already.
It’s back to work here, though. 
(The Guggenheim photo is mine, but the other two are from Hanna Goetz.)
Walking up to the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
The hillside looked like a painting.
The little city center of Bilbao.
Being a Picky Eater in a City Known for its Food
When I first found out that I’d be going to Spain, the first thought that honestly went through my head was, “Oh god. I’m going to starve.” I’m a very picky eater and for 22 years of my life, I’ve pretty much limited myself to chicken, steak, pasta and potatoes. I know, I know, that diet will lead to nothing but a big butt and high cholesterol in the future, but I have never really liked anything else. Here I am, though, surviving in Spain. Actually, I’m doing more than surviving; I’m thriving. The food is good, and I’ve even tried things I’ve never eaten before. For instance, I’ve tried:
- Potato cake tapas – We had them in a bar in La Garriga. It was the first thing I’d eaten in about 12 hours. I wasn’t sure what it was made of, but I didn’t care.
- Tiny sausage tapas – Again, from the bar in La Garriga. I didn’t care for them much, but at least I tried it.
- Chicken paella – Paella is a dish made of rice and various vegetables. Some paella will have meat or seafood. I found it edible, but it wouldn’t be the first thing I would order.
- Patatas bravas – This is my favorite new food. Of course, you can’t go wrong with fried potatoes, but I even like the bravas sauce, which is a spicy tomato sauce with which the potatoes are covered.
- Jámon dulce – It’s just a ham sandwich, but the bread has a tomato spread on it, which I actually don’t mind. Some places do put it on too thickly, though.
- Watermelon – I know I’ve tried this at my graduation party, but I didn’t really give it a chance. But this time, I had more than one piece and I liked it. I even ate more of it. Voluntarily.
- Cherries – I’ve had maraschino cherries before, but these were actual, from-the-tree cherries. They’re a bit sour, but I like them.
- Café con leche – It’s a simple drink. Coffee and milk. Normally, I’d never go near coffee, but I had this with a dessert (chocolate cake) once and I loved it. I have a cup every morning, now.
- Sangria – This is the fruit wine that Spain is apparently known for. It does well to drink a glass or two (or three) right before bed.
Overall, I feel that my food experience has gone quite well considering my picky nature. I do stick to my comfort foods sometimes, though. But trying new foods is that must be done bite by bite. Besides, the food here has actual sugar in it and not artificial sweeteners. Pepsi has real sugar, Oreos have real sugar, Frosties (aka Frosted Flakes) have real sugar. It’s amazing. I love it.
We still try to eat at the apartment as much as possible to try to save money, but sometimes, it’s worth it to go out and try a new restaurant. You never know, the waiter could be a cute Spaniard. 
Here are the pictures:
(Thank you, Hanna Goetz, for letting me use your pictures.)
The potato tapas that we had at the bar in La Garriga.
The sausage tapas from the bar in La Garriga.
The chicken paella that I tried and didn't hate.
Our new favorite food, patatas bravas.
Stephanie, Courtney and me. I'm eating jámon dulce.
The café con leche I drank with my dessert.
Hanna and me drinking sangria de cava. ¡Salud!
Getting Lost is an Adventure
This past weekend was our first in lovely Barcelona and we all took advantage of it. Hanna and I ventured out on Saturday around 9 a.m. and we took the metro to Sagrada Familia, which we saw only from the outside (the line to get in was way too long). It was amazing, though, because when we got off the metro, we followed the sign toward Sagrada Familia, and I thought we would have to walk a little bit to find the building, but it was directly to our left as soon as we walked up the steps from the metro. I remember turning to Hanna and saying, “Whoa. It’s right there.” I knew it’d be a really large building, but I was still amazed by its size. The fact that I was standing in front of the Sagrada Familia honestly took my breath away for a second. It gave me one of those hard-to-describe feelings of awe.
Looking up at Sagrada Familia from the street.
After we giggled at the flagged and numbered groups of tourists and admired the building, we took off to find Casa Batlló. Using only a metro map, which does not list every street in the city, we navigated more than 10 blocks away to get to Passeig de Gràcia where the Casa Batlló is located. We walked through a giant street vending market that was very overcrowded and we walked past the bull fighting ring, which had negative graffiti on it. Hanna got a bit worried that we were going the wrong way, but when we finally found the street sign that pointed the way, I grinned with satisfaction. The inside of the house was beautiful and I took more than 100 pictures of it. (I posted the best of them on Facebook.) I absolutely loved the building and I barely noticed how badly my feet hurt as I walked through. It was definitely worth 14€.
On the roof of Casa Batlló.
When we’d finished our tour of Casa Batlló, Hanna and I set off to find 1) food and 2) the beach to meet up with Stephanie and Courtney. We had lunch at a lovely restaurant where we were asked if we’d prefer and English or a Catalan menu. Unable to read Catalan well enough, we asked for English. I had a ham and cheese sandwich and some of the best fries ever. I also had my first café con leche with our chocolate cake dessert. It was delicious. After our lunch, we walked it off by going a little to far while trying to find the way to Plaça de Catalunya. We eventually started following signs that pointed to “Port” and hoped to walk straight to the water. On the journey, we went by a festival that was going on down one of the streets. It was unexpected and full of good music.
Eventually, we found the water, walked a long way around the mall and eventually found sand. I kicked off my shoes and that sand felt so amazing on my sore feet. I dug my toes in and felt so much better. The beach, by the way, is an interesting thing. It is crammed full of people and you can barely move, the water is freezing and there are people walking around everywhere selling things. I bought a sarong for 10€ and somehow lost it on our way back to the metro, which made me a bit angry. But I guess I can be glad it was just a sarong and not my shoes or bag. There are also a lot of scantily clad people on the beach, which takes some getting used to.
A picture of the beach in Barcelona.
We had dinner at a small place on the beach where I had half a roasted chicken and some sangria de cava. Hanna and Courtney ordered chicken paella and I actually tried it. It was…interesting. I didn’t hate it, though. We were able to watch some of the USA vs. England soccer match before rushing to the metro to get back to catch the last Renfe train out toward La Garriga.
On Sunday, Hanna and I left around 1:30 p.m. and headed to La Rambla before going to Maremagnum (the mall) on the pier. We ended up buying some souvenir items along Rambla, and you could definitely tell that it was a touristy area. There were a lot of people speaking English and other languages. We guarded our purses and managed to get through without being pick-pocketed, which is very common on La Rambla. In the mall, I ended up buying a shirt and a new dress, which I am wearing today. The clothing sizes are slightly different, but I like that there is no tax on clothing purchases, so the price on the tag is what you pay. We ate a late lunch/early dinner at a small place that had some decent patatas bravas (everyone’s favorite new food) and pasta and a cute waiter. We then strolled toward the metro and made our way home where we had a relaxing evening watching season two of “Supernatural.” Somehow, I managed to skip disc two and I started watching the third disc and didn’t realize it until we were mostly through the second episode on disc three. Oops.
Still, I slept fairly well, but I’m still in need of some café con leche this morning. Right now, we’re meeting with Caroline from the Paris office of ITESM and Humberto, who works with Mariela here. We are getting a clearer picture of what we are doing with the work projects and I finally understand more of what I’ll be doing. I hope we can manage to get it all done in the time we have.
Life in Spain (So Far)
On our third day in Spain, we ventured out to BG Media, an eight-person agency located in Badalona. The agency’s focus is on digital media and they make websites for big-name clients, such as Garmin and North Face. The media company works as part of a media group that consists of an event planning agency, a communications/media agency, and an up-and-coming luxury travel agency.
After we left the agency, we ventured around the city of Badalona for a little bit and ate lunch at a place called Sal a 2. I ate a nice little jámon dulce, which is a ham sandwich on bread that has a tomato spread on it. I then ventured across the little street to look at shoes in a small store. It smelled wonderfully of leather, and I really wish I had known what my European shoe size was because I would have bought a pair right then and there.
As far as living here goes, I can say that it’s an experience. The cat in the house likes to open doors on people, which is not fun if you’re sleeping and he decides he wants to join. Being allergic, I would prefer he stayed far away from me, though I know he doesn’t care. Either way, it’s a nice place to be staying, and the town of La Garriga is beautiful.
Last night, Stephanie and Courtney made a huge pasta and chicken dinner and we all ate out on the roof terrace. Luckily, the rain had stopped long enough for us to eat. Hanna and I plan to eat in as much as possible to save money. Maybe I’ll try something that I like and it won’t be difficult or expensive to make. Here’s hoping I find something other than chicken or pasta.
Now, I must get back to doing research for ITESM. This is going to be quite the experience.
The city of La Garriga in the morning.
Stephanie and Courtney and the Mediterranean Sea
4 Days to Go!
In four days we’ll be leaving for Barcelona and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ve already booked our flights to Bilboa, Spain and we’re so ready to go. Personally, I can’t wait to see the Guggenheim in Bilbao. It’s not really the art inside that fascinates me; it’s the building itself. The Guggenheim was designed by Frank Gehry who also designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Experience Music Project in Seattle. I saw the Experience Music Project when I visited Seattle in 2006 and I loved the look of the building. I love Gehry’s designs and I love architecture in general, so to see that building will be amazing to me.
The Guggenheim in Bilbao was opened to the public in 1997 and is a lovely piece of art.
Getting Ready for Spain
As the first week of preparation winds down at Imagewest, the excitement has built up for our upcoming trip to Barcelona. There are so many feelings that I have now about this. I’m excited and nervous and happy and, to be honest, a bit scared. I have never traveled overseas before, and all I know about Spain is what I’ve read in books and online. This experience will probably provoke in me a desire to travel around the world. At least I hope it will.
At the agency, we are getting together a press kit to send out, updating our website, putting final touches on projects from the spring semester, and planning weekend trips to take while we’re in Spain. We keep busy, and the four of us (Hanna Goetz, Courtney Long, Stephanie Terrell and me) seem to work really well together so far. We can’t wait to get on that plane on June 7 and take off for the Mediterranean Coast.
While in Barcelona, we hope to see all the Gaudí structures, Camp Nou (fútbol stadium), the Barri Gòtic, and Tibidabo. At least. We are also looking to take weekend trips to the Basque region, Minorca, and possibly France or Italy. We only have 11 days left before we leave and we can’t wait.
