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About megpatten

Living life one day at a time.

Live Blog from Córdoba

I decided to go back to live blogging and record our school trip to Granada and Córdoba in Andalucía in the south of Spain. NYU Madrid pays for each student to go on one of three trips: Andalucía, Extremadura and Portugal or Valencia. We all chose Andalucía because we all planned on going to Portugal on our own and wanted to go to Valencia for Fallas – a five day long festival in March. Luckily for us, almost all the girls in our group got on the trip so it’s perfect!

12:15 PM – Friday February 15

This morning we were up way too early (at 6:20) to arrive at school by 7:45 and be on the bus by 8. After a quick ride on the Cercancías (similar to the Metro North in the city). As soon as we got settled on the bus we were all passed out – what can I say, we all need our beauty sleep! Two hours later we stopped for café con leche y pincho de tortilla, shortly before entering into the autonomous region of Andalucía. It is the largest region in Spain in regards to population and surface area. Today we will get into to Córdoba around 1:30, grab a quick bite to eat at a Cafetería then head to the Mezquita and Jewish Quarter.

Though Córdoba is rich in its Arabic and Jewish history, we will only be staying a short while before heading to Granada (home to the famous Alhambra).

I’m in dire need of another nap before we arrive so that’s it for now.

– MP

5:37 PM Friday February 15

Córdoba

We are once again back on the bus, except this time headed to Granada. Though my legs are a tad tired from all the exploring, I am sad we are leaving Córdoba after only a few hours.

Córdoba – the old capital of Andalucía – is most commonly known for the Mezquita – a mosque that was converted into a church in the mid fifteenth century. Though the highlight of our trip to this city was La Mezquita, I found some other neat places here. As soon as we stepped off the bus, professors pointed out cute and quaint cafeterias to hit up across the bridge; fortunately for me, my friend Derrick and I were not hungry which gave us a few hours to explore while everybody sat around and ate.

Another Street Performer

We set off to the north east part of Córdoba, completely unaware to what we would find. Before we knew it, we were in the heart of a residential area composed of ancient arabesque architecture. White marble, double entrances and Arabic writing greeted us around each twist and turn – it made me only want to go explore Arabia more. 15 minutes later we stumbled upon ancient roman columns from the 1st century. I was less than impressed by the ten foot tall fences surrounding the site and vowed to Derrick to get an aerial view of the historic site. I must have inherited my sense of adventure from my grandfather, because before we knew it, we were on the roof patio of some social security agency. There were breathtaking views of all of Córdoba (along with the columns), but unfortunately we weren’t able to enjoy them for long, as we were kicked off by some worker. Thank god a bright smile and the phrase, “Ohh no sabíamos, lo siento. Somos Americanos” works wonders and gets you off the hook here in Spain. That one was for you Grandpa.

View from above

The sun began to eat down on our backs so I pulled out my ray bans and we continued on our way, unsure of our next destination. A beautiful park, complete with water fountain and miniature mosque was next up on our adventure. Kids were running and riding their bikes up and down the orange tree lined path as their parents chased them down. We definitely were no longer in the touristy part of the city. As we exited the park, we decided to head back towards La Mezquita because we needed to be back thirty minutes later and still had to score some lunch. Derrick and I ended up making a circle and found the starting point of our adventure and grabbed some bocadillos (sandwiches) before our tour – bocadillo de chorizo for him and a bocadillo de tortilla for me. Yum!

Words, nor my numerous pictures, do any justice to any of the monuments I have visited since being here, especially La Mezquita. The amount of detail inscribed to each column is unreal. I could not even imagine how hard it would have been to work on this Mosque-Cathedral. La Mezquita is a very unique piece of architecture, seeing as it was originally a Muslim place of worship, that was later converted to a cathedral. I have never seen quite the fusion between East and West as I did today. Crosses found their places next to Arabic phrases which were placed among ancient Christian Relics – to say it was a sight to see would be an understatement.

La Mezquita

Following our Mezquita visit, our guide María, walked us through the Jewish Quarter. The synagogue we stopped at was nothing more than a 2 story room with a seven tiered menorah on the Southern Wall. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t very impressed with the size nor details of the structure both here and in Segovia.

One more quick snack break and we were once again on the bus. Two hours till Córdoba.

-MP

12:57 AM Saturday February 16

We made it to Granada! Though I slept the whole way, I was so happy to just crash on a bed in the hotel room I shared with Alinah and Jess.

Not much has happened since I last wrote, except we went out to dinner. Grace, Hannah, Lindsey, Taylor, Alinah, Jess, Matt, Sacha, Will and I ended up a small tapas bar about ten minutes from our hotel in downtown Granada. The city itself isn’t that big, but it does boast the largest college population in the country. Though its a ton of fun to go out in large groups, it is rather difficult to chose a restaurant at 10:30 at night that will accommodate a group of ten. Next time we’ll be sure to have a more solid plan before venturing out into the cold. Luckily the place we dined at was able to put to tables in the back together. I wasn’t terribly hungry so I split croquetas and a plate of jamón y queso with Will, which ended up being perfect. After some great conversation and finishing our food we set back towards our hotel. We have to get up early tomorrow for our visit to La Alhambra, so that’s all for now!

– MP

One of the gypsies we saw

Meg Does Laundry

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So things aren’t quite exactly the same here. I could go on for days about the things that are different: the food, the way of life, the language… but I’m pretty sure you already knew that. One of the most striking (and unfortunate) differences, however, would be laundry. It is the only thing I have to complain about, and it’s not even that bad – just very inconvenient and something I’m not entirely used to yet.

Back in New York, I’m spoiled during the season because the equipment room does all my soccer laundry and I barely wear anything but my sweats anyways. Out of season, I utilize the laundry room in the basement of the dorms but end up doing my laundry once every few weeks anyways. At home, I try and do my laundry, but most of the time my mom comes by and starts a load for me. Here in Spain, it’s a little bit more of a process.

First of all, we don’t have a dryer. Yikes. I’m aware that most countries use clothing lines and drying racks, but I guess it never crossed my mind when moving to Madrid that I wouldn’t have one at my disposal. When I finally decided to dry my clothes, it a) took three days to dry and b) everything was super stiff (ughh). Second, our washer fits about two pairs of jeans and a couple of t-shirts. To do the amount of laundry I normally do in New York, it takes about 2-3 times longer (minus the drying time) – it just makes doing a load of clothes that much more appealing (note the sarcasm). Third, we find ourselves doing laundry so much more because we are practically living out of a suitcase here for the next five months and go through clothes that much quicker.

Case in point. I hate laundry in Spain. I need to find a dryer pronto.

Two loads later

Welcome

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Welcome to my new website where you can find all my blogs, photos, and updates under one roof!

Enjoy

In the Blink of an Eye

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To say that I’ve been having a blast since I’ve been here would be a complete understatement.

To say that time has passed by quickly would be a complete and blatant lie – it has gone by in the blink of an eye.

I’ve been here a month and it’s mind-blowing to think of all the things I’ve done, the places I’ve seen and the people I’ve met. To put things in perspective I’ve listed my top 20 things I’ve done.

So far I’ve:

Signed a lease… in a foreign language.
Had a week of orientation… tasted wine for credit.
Casual Wine Tasting
Went on a day trip to Segovia… saw aqueducts and the castle that inspired Disney.
Panoramic View
Visited to El Prado and El Reina Sofia… discovered I don’t understand art.
El Prado
Ran through Parque El Retiro… determined it’s just a Spanish version of Central Park
Roomies at Retiro
Tapear-ed at Mercado de San Miguel, El Tigre and Lateral… fell in love with tapas.
Spotted Americans out about… realized the world really is small.
Dubliners for my birthday and I found Nado Peeps
Experienced El Clasico… dreams really do come true.
Mastered the Metro… after finally getting the abono (unlimited pass).
Became “a regular” at a local hangout… Dubliner’s and San Gínes anyone?
Turned 20… Yikes!
Took 2004 pictures… Yikes again.
Traveled to Brussels… fell in love with Belgian Waffles.
Waffle, Chocolate, Whip Cream, Chocolate Heaven
Discovered new features on my camera… Instant Instagram? YUP
Tried new food – Mussels and Pâté… Yum. Well, not exactly.
Found new obsessions… Pincho de tortilla and Principe cookies. ‘Nuff Said.
Made new friends… and added people on Facebook I barely know.
Ran 20+ miles… and loving every single minute of it (except the huge hill behind our house)
Made Spanish amigos… got terribly lost in translation.
Met the Spanish National Rugby Team… vowed to start watching some more rugby.
Soon to be FB Friends

It’s unreal. One month down. Three more to go.

Off to Andalucía this weekend – be ready for more adventures and pictures from Córdoba and Granada!

Brussels to Brugge and Back

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I think my computer hates me. Not only is it freaking out because of a proxy I put on it, so we can watch Hulu, but I just uploaded about 800 pictures from this weekend. Simply put, this weekend was picture perfect (minus my fourth roommate Alinah being in Portugal).

From Brussels to Brugge

On Saturday morning, the boys and us met up in Grand Place after a quick breakfast waffle (notice a recurring theme?) before heading to the Brussels train station. Much to our surprise, we were able to get roundtrip tickets for the five us for €50 which only made our day better. After trying to decode some French signs to catch our train, waiting half an hour and changing tracks we were on our way to Brugge.

Headed to Brugge

The hour and a half train ride through the beautiful countryside took us to the North West part of Belgium. It felt as if I were riding back in time, as I saw numerous dirt roads, small towns, and ancient buildings throughout the trip. When we finally arrived, we walked towards the tallest landmark we could see – the cathedral. The first fifteen minutes of our journey it appeared as if Brugge was just a quiet town with not much going on – man, were we wrong. We ended up walking through multiple plazas, through two cathedrals, and finding a main street with stores similar to that of SoHo in New York.

Kev, Meg, Erin, Jess, and Sam

Brugge is a small, very rich, super photogenic place that kept me enchanted all day. After finding the canals throughout the city, we ended up taking a million pictures of the swans that are unique to the water system, the deeply rooted buildings, and walking along the waterway – it was absolute perfection (despite the flurrying of snow).

Kev and his girls

Roommates on the water

Around 2:30 we began to get hungry so stepped into a cute little restaurant, Petit Maxim that looked affordable and had a menu du jour (menú del día). I ended up ordering Pâte, a country omlette (without mushrooms) and the chocolate mousse for dessert. Both Sam and Kevin ended up getting the Pâte, Flemish Stew and a side of warm applesauce, which was absolutely divine.

A Brugge-ian Country Omlette

Out of my comfort zone – trying Pheasant Pâte

Once we finished our Belgian lunch, we continued to walk around but headed back towards the train station. We once again passed a cathedral and decided to enter. Much to our surprise, a mass was going on and we stayed a bit – even though we couldn’t understand a word out of the Dutch priest’s mouth. It was interesting to note that the churches in Brugge had a tribute to victims of sexual assault (because of Catholic Priests) – I had never seen that before.

Before we knew it we were back at the train station chasing down a train. We were all exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep on the hour train back. Luckily for us the train back to Brussels was pulling up to the platform as soon as we walked up. Much to my dismay, I was unable to pass out, but I did unexpectedly find a creative filters feature on my DLSR which kept me busy the whole train ride (below is my favorite picture from the day).

The most faithful dog I ever did see

I bet you can’t guess what we did as soon as we got back to Brussels. Yup – you guessed it – got some waffles and fries for dinner and then rested at the hotel before heading back out with the boys. Once we finished our scrumptious snacks and got ready, we met Sam and Kevin in Grand Place. Sam had noticed a cool “Rock”bar on the way over and said we should check it out. Turns out the bar was home to the Local Hells Angels crew and we stuck out like a sore thumb. We were out of there and headed to Delirium faster than you can say AC/DC.

Twins

Our night at Delirium was hilarious to say the least. As the only Americans in the bar, we ended up singing every word to every song and encouraged everybody to join in. I was a witness to my fair share of dance battles (remind me to take brush up on my European dance moves when I’m back in Spain). We spent another hour in the village and then decided to part ways after we got some frites – the boys had an early flight and we were just exhausted.

Our Favorite Friterie

Somehow Jess, Erin, and I wound up at a tiny café eating gyros wraps and found ourselves taking pictures with the owner before heading back to our hotel. We had a great last night in Belgium to say the least. The next morning we were up super early and walked past Delirium to head to the airport. Though our stay was less than two days, I felt like I had known the city for ages.

Making friends while making Halal Food

Once we got to the airport, we made one last ditch effort to find waffles. We proceeded to fail miserably and opted for the much healthier smoothie stand instead. While waiting for our flight, I spotted the Spanish National Rugby Team walking around. Little did we know that they’d be on our flight. Luckily for me, they sat right in front of us and we became immediate friends (sort of, not really, well you get the point). To say it was an awesome way to end an amazing weekend would be an understatement.

That’s all from Brugge – got to get back to work!

Au Revoir!

Just chilling with the Spanish Rugby Team

Delirium: The Morning After

Bonjour from Brussels!

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Greetings from Belgium – home to the worlds most magnificent chocolate, waffles, fries and beers (also known as comfort food central). It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m really “here” and my stay will be less than a full weekend, but I’m still very excited.

After staying up on Thursday night until 3 and a quick siesta in the cab to the airport, Los Chupitos arrived at Brussels international airport by 5. Less than three hours later the distinct, sweet smell of waffles infiltrated our noses as soon as we stepped off the plane and into the natural sun lit terminal. With just our backpacks and smiles upon our weary faces, we ventured down to the train station and figured our way into Brussels. We had decided to meet up with the boys at their hostel in the city because we couldn’t check in until later, but the general lack of direction and signage in Brussels had us more lost than anything.

After finding Grand Place – the center of Brussels – we searched for a bar, restaurant, hotel, pretty much anything with internet to let our friends know where we were. Luckily for us, we found an Irish Pub, O’Reilly’s, with an English speaking bartender to give us directions and the password to their network. Sooner rather than later we were sitting down engulfing our first Belgian Waffle at a lovely little restaurant named Drug Opera – we don’t entirely know what the name means, but it’s probably just a severe case of Engrish. We all decided to order a waffle with whip cream, chocolate, and ice cream. The lemon tinted waffle was covered in the ice cream and whip, and they served us a side of steaming hot chocolate to drizzle over the sweet sensation. While I was busy taking pictures of our sweets, Jess and Erin dove in. Their “mmmmms” and “ahhhs” with each bite made me put down the camera immediately.

Drug Opera Waffles

After our scrumptious breakfast, we met the boys in Grand Place to walk around. Prior to coming to Brussels, I had compiled a list of things to do and see, but other than that there was no general plan other than to have fun. They had been there a half day longer than us and had found the famous Mannequin Pis statue around the corner so we decided to walk there. I was pissed (pun intended) about the size of the statue – it was less than a foot tall – we were all expecting a grand sculpture of some sort, not some tiny corner dedicated to this famous landmark. In all honesty, I would have missed it just walking down the streets if it weren’t for the large group of Japanese tourists crowding around it.

At the Mannequin Pis

By the time we were done with the minuscule statute it was time to check in so we trekked to our hotel. Even though our accommodations at Hotel Le Grand Columbier were great (definitely recommend it for the price and hospitality), it was very difficult to find. It was between two main roads on a quiet alley and the alley name did not match the one on the website. Twas a wild goose chase to say the least.

After dropping our bags off and grabbing some warm clothes we headed back out on the road to find some waffles for the boys and the cathedral. Once Sam grabbed his raspberry waffle, which smelled absolutely divine, we were on our way once again up the hill to the church.

On a side note… churches are a huge deal in Europe. Every city has massive cathedrals and are open to the public which is wonderful. This cathedral was no different.

We walked around by ourselves, gazed at the marvelous stained glass and ended up whispering to each other in the pews talking about God, our pasts, and the trip. Our deep conversation ended up making us hungry so we returned to a quaint restaurant on an alley off of Grand Place. Though the food was delicious, it did not compare to our previous waffles and chocolate, however meals are more about the conversation and people you are with than the food.

Dinner Crew

Waffle, Chocolate, Whip Cream, Chocolate Heaven

After realizing we had spent over two hours in that cozy booth, we decided to head back to our hotels and take a quick siesta before venturing out on the town. We had all heard of this place called Delirium Village which holds the Guinness Book of World Records for number of Beers served with over 2000 different types. Both Sam and Kevin boasted about how great it was last night so we decided to meet up there but not before having another waffle (best one yet). We ended up meeting tons of people and ran back to our favorite waffles and fries place around the corner before piling into bed.

Delirium by Day

Roomies at Delirium

Today we’re off to the city of Brugge – about an hour outside of Brussels. I heard it’s absolutely stunning and will post as soon as I get back!

Au Revoir!

Spontaneity? Check

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The first and last lines of my college application essay read:

“I am a planner, a mapper, a person who needs each and every second to go according to plan… I became spontaneous. I now live by the Latin phrase Carpe diem– meaning ‘seize the day’.”

Though these lines are referencing my ACL tear back during high school, this most definitely applies to Wednesday night. Jess, Erin and I had just finished our visit to Museo del Prado – the most famous art museum in all of Spain – when our friends, Sam and Kevin, asked us if we were doing anything for the weekend. Though we were planning on heading South to Cadíz for Carnevale, nothing was set in stone. They told us they had gotten cheap flights to Brussels, Belgium and invited us to come along. Though Belgium had never crossed my mind as a destination, I was eager to get out of the country – Spain is awesome, don’t get me wrong, I just had a little bit of cabin fever.

That night we booked our tickets for Friday morning (tomorrow) and a cute little hotel on the north end of the center of Brussels. Spontaneity at its finest? I think yes.

Just a little bit excited

I’m so beyond excited to get another stamp in my passport, go on my first adventure without plans, and just travel for travelings’ sake. I don’t know what awaits us in Brussels, except for cold weather and delicious waffles, even so, Los Chupitos are taking on Belgium and Belgium best be ready.

¡Au Revoir!

¡VEINTE!

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I’m officially twenty – or as you’d say in España, veinte, and it feels so great. Last night we celebrated by spending the night at the local Dubliners in Sol and watching the Superbowl. Unfortunately for us, the game was five hours behind us so we were up quite awhile and once the stadium black out occurred we all headed home. Quite honestly, I wish we had stayed because it was a great game (according my Twitter timeline the following morning), but we all saw Queen Bey perform, so we were all quite satisfied – the Chargers nor the Giants were in it so I did not have much invested in the Harbowl.

Birthday at Dubliners

Despite not having any particular in either team and public affairs aside, I was happy that Ray Lewis was able to retire with a SB ring. Though I do not condone his off the field behavior, his tenacity, sheer competitiveness and resiliency is admirable as a fellow athlete. Perhaps my most favorite thing about the legendary linebacker is his notable pregame routine (see below):

We found our beds around 3:30ish (around the blackout) and had to get up early for class. I had extreme birthday luck when my first class was canceled and then my Blogging class was extremely easy. After school I went for a great run, plopped down on the couch, started some homework and fell asleep next to Alinah.

Found on my run

We were supposed to head to a group dinner but all of us ended up sleeping through it until 10. We headed over to Lateral (one of our new favorite restaurants) an hour later where we indulged in some delicious tapas and “salads” (if you can call them that) then walked over to San Gínes, our favorite, because who needs cake when you have churros?

Candlelit Dinner at Lateral

Queso de Cabre Ensalada – complete with Champiñons, Lechuga, Tomates y Queso

It was a wonderful twentieth birthday, more than I could ever ask for – surrounded by new friends and girls who I consider my family. I can’t wait to see what’s in store this next year; if this first day is telling of anything, it’s going to be amazing.

Lessons Learned

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I still can’t come to terms with the fact that I will be entering into my twenties in a mere ten hours.

Twenty.

It’s not the number that scares me, rather the implications that come with entering into this new decade.

July 1999 – December 2011

Legally buying my favorite bottle of wine, playing my last collegiate soccer game, graduating NYU, applying to grad school, getting a real job, and falling in and out of love are just some of the bittersweet things that await me this next decade. Yes I’m scared, but it’s an adventure I’m finally ready to take on.

I know I wouldn’t be at this point in my life without falling down, scraping my knees and getting back up again, so this post is dedicated to the 10 things I’ve learned that have helped me get to this point in my life.

Smiling is key to getting through anything. Learn to smile. And if you don’t know how, fake it till you make it. The flash of my pearly whites have gotten me through numerous awkward situations, a handful of Spanish conversations where I am completely lost in translation, and have helped me forge more friendships than I can remember.
Take lots of pictures. Though I’ve been criticized and told I take way too many pictures, I find solace in the fact that I am constantly getting asked to “upload this” or to “send me that pic”. I’m not just snapping away people and places, I’m capturing memories – bottling them up for years to come.
Laugh at yourself. A lot. They say laughter is the best medicine and I’d have to agree. I probably wouldn’t have made it out alive of my teenage years if I wasn’t able to laugh at my gawky self and my less than flattering outfit choices.
Admit defeat, but never accept it. This life lesson stems partly from my athletic career. Like I’ve said numerous times, I hate to lose, but defeat is the only way to learn our weaknesses.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. After embarking on my “Twenties” list I began to find who I truly am and the things I really like. Though I wasn’t able to cross everything off my list, I feel it brought out my adventurous spirit which is truly what is important.
You don’t have to defend your actions and thoughts to anybody but yourself. ‘Nuff said.
Traveling gives you more than good stories and a newfound sense of global awareness. After living overseas as a child, and now studying in Spain, I see things through a completely new perspective. I’ve caught the traveling bug, symptoms include increased sense of adventure, empty bank accounts, new friends, and countless memories. If you get too close you might catch it too!
Procrastination will never get you anywhere, except to a diner at 4 in the morning with a bad cup of joe. I promise I’ll tell you about this one later.
Take care of your body because it’s the only one you have. I’ve been trying to find balance for a long time and I will never admit it’s easy. On top of nutrition, I’ve pushed my body to extremes, caught myself overtraining and doing things that were in the end detrimental to my body. It’s all about moderation in everything you do, especially for your body.
Priorities are everything. Family is everything to me and without them, I’d be nothing. It’s important to keep in mind the people who you got you to where you are today and say thanks every once in awhile.

Hope you find these lessons helpful and they get you through a tough day or week!

Oh! And a huge shout out to my family for putting up with me the past 20 years!

Como un Sueño

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I’ve been walking past the Santiago Bernabéu stadium everyday for the past two weeks, simply imagining, dreaming, and wishing I knew what lay within the confines of the large gates. The hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fans have witnessed players who’ve laced up their boots, taken the field, and gave it their all for ninety minutes, but that number dwindles when you solely count the number of fans that have witnessed a Real Madrid and FC Barçelona game, El Clásico.

The view from our seats

Luckily enough, I got to be one of those fans. YES. You read that right, I got tickets to El Clásico. Granted it was only the Semi Final of the Copa del Rey, which is a trivial and unimportant game in the grand scheme of things, but hell ya I’m went to a Real-Barça game! I’m one of those people who firmly believes that money cannot buy you happiness, but let me tell you… money can buy you tickets to El Clásico and thats pretty much the thing right next to happiness (in my book anyway).

It was all a dream

As a soccer fanatic, I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I’ve dreamt of seeing this match being played out. Just ask any fútbolista what the biggest rivalry in soccer is and they will say, without hesitation, Real-Barça. The hostility towards each other stems from a very long and violent political history (as do most inter-city club rivalries in Spain). I for one, was surprised by this, as I always viewed sport as a means to unite people, not to divide them. Quite honestly, I think that’s why I’m a sports management major – because I’m infatuated by the way sports transcends so many social and political issues!

The only time I’ll pose with a Real jersey

Flash back to Wednesday morning. I rolled out of bed, threw on my beautiful sea foam green Barça jersey with Lionel Messi’s number 10 on the back, under my long sleeve black NYU Soccer shirt. I grabbed my zip up, knowing that If I were to walk around the stadium in any Barcelona gear, that I’d be immediately shunned and given the nastiest stares you could imagine. The two hours of class could not go fast enough, as all I could find myself thinking about was the intense rivalry I was about to witness. Luckily enough, my Blogging Spain professor was a Barça fan (a rare find in Madrid) and spent half the class talking about the game and the history between the clubs.

Rockin the Barca jersey and hat

I grabbed a quick lunch and then headed over to a friends apartment near the stadium to do some homework and get ready for the game. Of the ten or so of us girls, I was the only Barcelona supporter (obviously) and one of two people who knew what was actually going on. Though it was somewhat comical to me when girls were asking who won after the game (it was a 1-1 draw), I was happy I was able to introduce them to the soccer world.

The Girls

We walked over to the stadium about an hour prior and I was in complete soccer heaven. Thousands of people crowded the streets, vendors sold merchandise to fans, and policeman blocked off the streets surrounding the stadium. I wore my jersey proudly, embracing the fact that I was the enemy, knowing that anything I did or said would be amplified, not only because I was an American, but because of the colors I wore across my chest. I got spat at, sworn at (numerous times) and told to “get my papers and go home” by many Madridistas throughout the game, but nothing took away from the fact that I was living my dream of going to the greatest soccer rivalry on the planet.

With some of my people

I know for one that I cannot do the game justice but I wish I could share the moments with everybody.Flags were waving. People were singing, chanting, whistling, screaming their lungs out. The unforgettable smells of the jamón y queso bocadillos and the stench of cigarettes filled the stadium. The piercing sounds echoed in my ear drums for hours after the game. You could FEEL the emotions evaporating off of peoples faces when I flashed a smile at every Real fan I passed by. They were disgusted. I was on cloud nine – too excited to even be mad at their “Puta Messi” remarks.

The game itself was not everything I was expecting. A 1-1 draw is not horrible, but in the world of soccer, a tie is practically the same as a loss – and I hate losing more than anything! In addition, Messi had been averaging 1.53 goals a game and recently scored 4 goals on Sunday so I was very excited to see him juke out some keepers, however he was largely absent from the game. Fábregas scored, and as an Arsenal fan in the EPL I was very excited for the old captain to score. I also had been looking forward to seeing Iker Casillas (my favorite male professional goalkeeper) play, however this past week he had surgery on his hand after the Valencia game where his own player stepped on him. Despite having Diego Lopez in goal for Casillas and slew of athletes recovering, Real Madrid proved to be progressing. The best part of the game itself, and perhaps what made me most excited is when my roommate Erin repeated to me, “Barça’s passing is amazing” – and quite honestly it made me smile. Even a complete non-soccer-fan could see the beauty that lies in the crisp passes between Iniesta and Messi.

In my element

Wednesday was a dream come true. And everyday when I walk past the Santiago Bernabéu stadium I will no longer be imagining, dreaming, and wishing I knew what lay within the confines of the large gates. I will know. I will know why that stadium, El Clásico, and the beautiful game of fútbol is so important to the people of Spain.

¡Viva Barça!

Greatest Feeling on Earth

Meg Patten

Creative Project Manager. Sports Marketer. Event Specialist.

Author Archives: megpatten

About megpatten

Live Blog from Córdoba

Meg Does Laundry

Welcome

In the Blink of an Eye

Brussels to Brugge and Back

Bonjour from Brussels!

Spontaneity? Check

¡VEINTE!

Lessons Learned

Como un Sueño