Operation Anne Frank was a complete and utter failure.

So I have officially been here for almost 2 months. I can't believe how the time has flown by, but I feel like I've really been able to do a lot and I finally feel completely comfortable with the city. Although it has rained more days than I would like to admit, we're starting to get more sunshine and warmer days, and all Beata and I can think about is how we want it to be beach weather! If it's a nice day, we try to eat lunch out on the residence hall patio, and it's a nice change to sitting inside, moping about how it could possibly be raining again. Classes are going fine, we're starting to get into more exams and papers, so I'm staying busy with that.

As far as trips go, the only place I've been outside of Barcelona since Poblet was Sitges. It's a small beach down a 30-minute train ride from Barcelona, and is known for having the biggest and best Carnaval party around. So naturally, I decided to go on Fat Tuesday, which is the final night of the Carnaval celebration. Beata, myself and our friend Olivia showed up at the train station around 10pm, and the place was packed with people headed to Sitges. Beata and I figured we would be fine not dressing up (Carnaval is kind of like Europe's version of Halloween), but we immediately felt a little out of place in our normal looking clothes- everyone was wearing outrageous costumes, complete with face makeup and the like. Either way, we hopped on the train, which was not an easy process. The platform was packed, and the minute the train pulled up, people were pushing and shoving to get on, but luckily we pushed through and found a seat. The train was packed and you could feel the excitement- people were blowing whistles, singing songs and drinking their 40s. I felt bad for the few people who were on their way to somewhere besides Sitges and had to deal with the rowdy crowd of Carnaval seekers, but before we knew it, the train had pulled up to the station, and everyone piled out. We started walking through the streets, and stopped a small shop that had some costume items. I bought some mouse ears and decided that my red dress and ears could pass as a weak Minnie Mouse costume. We headed through the streets looking for a place to post up, and we found a spot where the parade had just started. This parade was no ordinary parade; first off, it was the longest parade I have ever experienced. Secondly, it was filled with drag queens galore, lots of dancers in skimpy outfits, and ridiculous costumes. But I kid you not, I had the best time watching this parade go by! We called people over and took pictures with some of our favorites, and the atmosphere made it impossible to not have a good time. We spotted a man in full geisha garb across the way from us, and after the parade had gone by, he became our new friend (ok "friend" might be a stretch, but we took some good pics with him). After the parade ended, the party continued on down to the beach. Everyone was just dancing and having a good time, and we danced the night away until the wee hours of the morning. I can definitely say that this night was one of my favorites of the whole trip, and something I won't soon forget.

Last weekend, Kat Sheffield, one of my Theta sisters who is studying in Alicante, came to visit Barcelona! The weekend was filled with lots of sight-seeing and a whole lot of kiting pictures :) We started off with a visit to La Sagrada Familia, and then did a Gaudi walking tour, seeing his architecture and designs on Passeig de Gracia, kind of like the 5th Avenue of Barcelona. We saw Casa Battlo and La Pedrera, two of his famous designs, and then headed down to Plaza Catalunya, and finally Las Ramblas. We stopped at La Boqueria, the famous open market, got some delicious ice cream and walked around a little. On Saturday, we had a gorgeous, sunny day, so took the opportunity to visit Parc Guell. It was crowded, but we were able to find a spot on the windy Gaudi bench and soak up some sun while listening to a band. We then explored more of the park, and of course went up to the highest point where there is a great view of the city. We also saw the Arc de Triomph, one of my faves, and had lunch in Parc de la Ciutadella. That evening, Kat and I decided on a whim to catch the Barca futbol game! We got great seats, and watched Barca shutout the other team 4-0. That night, some of the Spanish students in the dorm joined us and we went to Razzmatazz, a club with 6 different rooms that play different kinds of music. It was a really great weekend, and I enjoyed being able to show off Barcelona and revisit all the touristy sights.

This weekend = PARIS! Beata already left, and I'm leaving tomorrow morning to meet up with her and her friends that live there. I'm excited for my first weekend trip outside of Spain, and looking forward to what will surely be a good time.

Also, we finally booked spring break! Flying into Athens, then spending 4 days in Santorini, flying back to Athens, and then on to Rome!! We are considering training it to Naples from there, but that's still up in the air. I am SO excited :)

That's all for now, Paris update after this weekend!