A Heartfelt “Thanks”

I would like to dedicate this simple post to my wonderful friends and family that are sponsoring me to study abroad this coming January.  Thank you so much for your heartfelt giving in support of my endeavors.  Your prayers, believing and financial support have made a huge impact in my preparation to go to Spain.  So far, I was able to purchase my plane ticket because of your sponsorship.  I am only $4,500 away from achieving my goal to receive room and board in Spain!

While this is the time of year that you see generosity more than ever, your willingness to give the past few months has inspired me to keep my believing strong.  With your help, I see myself studying Spanish and blogging to tell you all about it when I arrive in Spain on January 7.  (I know..it seems so soon!)

Giving bring joy to both the giver and the recipient.  Your donations and support continue to bring joy to my life.  I  look forward to sharing my victories with you as I keep the updates coming.  For now,  I just want to thank you again for all your love, giving and support.

Ready for takeoff…(almost!)

I can’t believe it.  This time next month I will be landing in Madrid, right outside of Alcalá.  I have no idea where I’m staying, who my host family will be, what classes I’m taking, let alone how to carry on an intelligent conversation with the native Spanish dialect.  Am I nervous?  Nope.  All that just adds to the excitement.

What will the future hold?  How many euros will it take to buy a sandwich?  How do I successfully book a flight in Spain, and what do they think about vegetarians??   Thankfully, I’m starting to understand some of the colloquiallisms and culture with my preparation to study abroad class, but the real learning comes when I get on that plane and start the four months in Spain.

Tapas, another word for delicious. I can't wait to try them!

 

Goals for “Adventures in Alcala” This blog is not all about the good times in Spain.  As a journalist and public relations specialist, I will share the facts, some culture analysis, human connections and narratives and history.  Who knows?  I might even throw in some embarrassing stories.  We’ll see as the semester gets started.  Because I will be communicating to friends, family, Spanish classes back in Bowling Green, Ohio be on the lookout for both Spanish and English posts.  In the next few days, I will be finding out how I’m paying for room and board.  I will update scholarship results over twitter and facebook…so keep reading!

My new love interest, the very handsome Don Quixote de la Mancha, is famous in Alcala.

 Resources Here are a few resources I am using to get ready to go on the adventure of a lifetime.  The college prowler site is my favorite, because it combines history and present day tips for success.

• IIEPASSPORT, study abroad connections (What to pack? Find out here)
• College Prowler Guide to Alcalá (Everything from the government to best places to shop)
• CIA World Factbook (Do you know how many people in Spain use a cell phone?  The CIA does.)
• Study abroad program blog (See some pictures of students’ host family homes)
• Restaurantes (Spanish site about some of the best food in Alcala)
• El País (Find out local Madrid news in Spanish)
• Imagewest (For all you PR fans out there, check out this Bowling Green, Kentucky student firm’s Web site)

I know it’s alot of information, but when you’re getting ready to go out of the coutry for the first time (besides Canada, but is that really going out of the country?) you’ll take all the information you can get.

Want to stay in touch? For more updates, follow me on Twitter by searching for @agailhouse or check out my LinkedIn profile.  Get ready for a flurry of updates as I get closer to January 6.  There’s no stopping me now.