Grinding

No, not the dirty kind.

If you follow Gen's blog, you know that as a symptom of Being-Thrust-Into-A-Foreign-Land-itis she developed a bit of a jaw problem grinding her teeth at night. I've found myself with a similar problem, although I don't think it comes from anxiety or nervousness, but rather, restlessness.

There is so much to do in Barcelona. Wander down any street, and you're bound to find something or someone new, interesting, and different from its American counterpart (if it has one). So why the restlessness? I'm craving a real adventure, I think.

For the past few days, all of us from the program with which I'm studying have clustered together (naturally), traveling in big groups and visiting all the same places — all of which has been fun and a great way to bond with each other.

But something in me wants to venture away from the comfort of speaking in English and really get to know Barcelona. After all, if I wanted to learn how to improve my English, I would have stayed in the States. The only trouble is, the most popular area for meeting people at night also happens to be the most dangerous part of town (go figure). So, as a young female college student in a foreign country, it's certainly not a good idea for me to go wandering around at night. Yep. I know Mom. I won't... Sigh.

So what to do now? My homestay mom just fed Jacqueline and I a day-and-a-half's worth of food — pesto pasta, pan con tomate, ensalada, chorizo, and nectarina. Wow. I will be full for two days. We're sitting on our beds, full and lazy, and thinking about our plans for the night.

We've been to a couple clubs, which were exactly what you'd expect from a frequented big-city-disco tech — glamorous, loud, and trendy — and we've had a really good time; but the horrendous Euro-USD exchange rate has rendered me unable to keep visiting places like that all the time. There are a few local bars that are fun, especially for a night out with a small group, but again, I'd like to stray away from the study-abroad-summer-camp feel and get to know the city on my own! How am I supposed to do that, without you know... risking my life?