Ramen Fries & Relaxing Rides

Just a quick update on my flights in case you were curious! Today (and yesterday thanks to the six hour timezone difference) I made my way from Boston to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam to Alicante, and finally from Alicante to Murcia! It has been a long process, but we made it!

The documentation needed for the airports was a bit more than usual due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Here's the list of COVID-19 related paperwork we had to fill out prior to our departure:

• COVID-19 Vaccination Card - must be fully vaccinated to be exempt from COVID-19 PCR & Rapid Antibody tests

• SpTH form - must be completed 48 hours in advance from arrival in Spain

• My parents and I were flying with KLM and they as an airline required the following:

  • A "Quarantine Declaration Form" - must be completed within 1 week of the flights

  • A "Health Declaration for Travellers Intake Form" - must be completed within 24 hours of the flights

BOS to AMS ✈️

We arrived at Boston at 2:30 on Saturday, January 8th. Our flight to Amsterdam was bound to leave at 7pm, so naturally my parents and I had a lot of time to get situated and relax a little before our flight. We decided to stop at Boston Logan's Bruins Cafe for a quick bite to eat. Interestingly enough, the cafe had "Ramen Fries" as one of their appetizers, and as an avid ramen lover, it was a must try! Overall it was pretty good, we spent the next few hours munching on ramen fries and relaxing.

The plane ride went very well! I was lucky enough to sit with someone the same age as me who also happened to be studying abroad... she even had the same major as me! The flight was smooth overall. I passed the time by talking to Sophia about college life in Europe, watching New Girl and Venom, eating Delta Airline's finest cuisine, and occasionally napping from time to time.

Once we landed it was about 8:00 in the morning, and we had a four hour layover... so naturally our first stop was coffee! To my surprise the Starbucks in Amsterdam had new, exotic flavors that the Starbucks back in the U.S. don't offer yet. I decided to try something new and got a "dark cocoa & orange, coconut milk latte." It was very delicious and the orange zest was a perfect touch I would never have thought to add into my coffee.

AMS to ALC ✈️

We arrived at Alicante at around three in the afternoon. The flight went really smooth and my parents and I slept the whole way there. Once we landed, we were able to get our rental car very quickly, and the roads were very easy to drive on. Once we left the airport, my parents and I made our way to meet my landlady at my apartment in Murcia.

ALC to Murcia ✈️

After a few wrong turns and a hunt for parking, we finally met my landlady at the apartment. It is very cozy and has everything I could possibly need. it's also right in the center of everything and has so many businesses surrounding it including, but not limited to, a daily bread bakery, pizzeria, supermercados, bus stops, a pharmacy and many cafés and restaurants. We then had the pleasure to meet my landlady's family, who is also my neighbors. They were very kind and encouraging when trying to communicate with them and practice my Spanish. They all ended up taking me on a walking-tour of the town. We walked by many cafés and restaurants, which I can now confirm that Spaniards do in fact sit down in groups at cafés and drink espressos at 7pm... and restaurants really will refuse to open for food until, the earliest, 8:00pm.

Overall my first day was very exciting! I loved seeing and exploring the the area every bit! Tomorrow will be filled with espresso, fresh bread and fruits from the bakery and supermercado, and lots of unpacking 😅