ARCH ACADEMY GLOBAL TRIP 2016 - DAY 3

COOPER:

Museum, Surfing, Nachos!

After the American Airlines debacle on the first leg of the trip, this morning's one hour flight from Barcelona to Bilbao felt like a breeze. While I referred to it as bright and early, Heather was quick to remind me that "dark and early" might be a better descriptor. I think she was right. The bus to the airport picked us up just after 6am, and we climbed aboard with heavy eyes and happy hearts. A few croissants the hotel staff was kind enough to set out for us a little earlier than usual also made it onto the bus.

Still no news on my luggage, which is becoming a bit of a running joke among students and staff alike. Beth asked me last night which shirt I'd wear this morning and I assured her I would surprise her. Eric was kind enough to offer me some khaki shorts if need be, Chip offered a spare shirt, and Diana and Cheryl both offered to wear the same outfit every day until my clothes are found. I told them one smelly traveler was probably enough for the plane. I'll get some new clothes in San Sebastián when the time comes.

After settling into our Bilbao hotel, the group meandered over to the Guggenheim museum, which to my surprise was a mere 10 minute walk from our hotel. Talk about centrally located! Thanks again to Beth for helping with that.

While museums can arguably be less than exciting for students, I was actually blown away by both the amazing modern art and just how taken with the museum all of the students seemed to be. We split into small groups, Taylor and I accompanying Matt and Chip as we all gazed in wonderment at the alternating towering structures and smaller art pieces. Judging by the fact that we seldom collided with other small groups from our party, I'm guessing everyone got to explore their preferred mini exhibits throughout the many storied building.

After enjoying our fill of both modern art and even more tapas, we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit. We then split into two groups: those who wanted to hit the beach and those who wished to venture into town. Eric and Drew took CJ, Matt, and Chip to the beach via public transit. Meanwhile, I stayed back to plan future endeavors for the trip, to blog, and most importantly to take Wesley, Noah, and Diana into town to shop for both souvenirs and gelato. Taylor accompanied us and thankfully served as our human compass, a trait we all appreciated in this beautiful small Spanish town. I know I use the world beautiful fairly often in this blog, but to avoid doing so would be a disservice to the breathtaking landscapes of Spain.

Going into town was lots of fun, and I know Diana was particularly excited for some gelato. Noah and Wesley were a joy to shop with, and their insistence to leave no store unchecked and no street unexplored spoke to a hunger for travel and adventure that quite honestly rivaled the stories of Hemingway. Diana meanwhile exhibited a keen sense of direction and a sense of humor that has served as the glue holding this trip together throughout our seemingly endless adventure via trains, planes, and (you guessed it) automobiles.

When the beach crew got back from their adventure just before dinner, their collective smiles could've lit up the entire city for the night. As I wasn't there I'll let them tell their stories. All I know is Matt and Drew caught waves surfing in Spain and apparently got some serious respect from the locals, particularly for not wearing wetsuits in pretty chilly water. I heard something about a riptide since I guess their surf spot was located where a Spanish river met the sea, but I honestly couldn't have been less worried. After swimming with the Zombie crew, I'd honestly trust any of them to save any of us staff from any aquatic situation. Life is an adventure, and I can honestly say that if Matt, Chip, And CJ went home tonight, the whole trip would've been worth it for them just for that afternoon.

Much respect and thanks to Eric for his impeccable understanding of European public transit and to Drew for keeping the boys safe in the water. And because Spain borders France, a surprising amount of people here speak French. So Eric's fluent French has more than helped us out on the trip, as has the firm understanding of Spanish that both Drew and Heather employ. So gracias, mis amigos (I only got through Semester 3 of Spanish myself).

I also want to thank Cheryl for her endless supply of jokes to keep up all our spirits. She has been the emotional support go-to for each and every one of us whenever anyone has the slightest issue. Her positive attitude and confidence in both the students and staff has proved she is nothing short of the rock we all need. So, thank you Cheryl.

The night found us eating mas tapas and nachos, in addition to a variety of other incredible local cuisine. While Madrid would have been great to visit, I think Matt was right to opt for Bilbao instead; it was cool to see a smaller, and therefore less touristy and less English speaking, part of the country. Tomorrow we ride the bus to San Sebastián, and I know we are all very excited for that. And honestly, we're also pretty excited to sleep in till the bus picks us up at 11AM. A good night's rest, here we come!!