This past weekend I went camping withtwo friends, Richie and Ani,  that I met here in Madrid. We brought cheapsleeping bags, a tent, and other camping supplies. Friday morning wepacked our gear and took a train to a little village outside the cityabout an hour and a half away. Once off the train we found the paththat led to La Peñota Mountain and started to climb the steepincline. After being on the trail for about an hour we decided tomake it a real adventure and go off the trail. We relied on ourcompass to navigate us up the rough terrain. The three of us hikedfor about five hours before we started looking for a place to set upthe tent. I found the perfect spot that had an amazing view of oneof the neighboring mountains. It did not take long to put up thetent and make a little basin made of rocks as our fire pit. We alltook a little nap since we were exhausted after the intense climb.Then, my friend Richie showed us a number of tricks that he could dowith a deck of cards and let me tell you they were quite amazing.Before it got dark, we collected some firewood and did some exploringof the surrounding area. Ani found a few bulls grazing on some grassbelow our campsite and it bewildered us how these bulls had climbedthe mountain. Then I build us a warm little fire to cook and tellstories around. We had ourselves a hardy meal of beans (roasted overthe fire), bread with roasted peppers and mushrooms, while chocolatewas for desert. We stayed up for ours exchanging stories about ourpasts, ambitions, and views on life. It was getting late so wedecided to get some sleep, especially since he had quite a hike tothe top in the morning.  The next morning brought anotherbeautiful day and did not hesitate to get an early start. Had aquick breakfast of some delicious strawberries and bananas and thencontinues the climb up the mountain. It feel revitalizing to be inSpain on a beautiful day climbing a mountain with some great friends.It took us about two hours to get to the summit and it wasdefinitely worth it. The view was breathtaking and we spent about anhour just gazing out at the Spanish countryside. Then we started ourtrek down back to our campsite to pack everything up. Once we packedand cleaned our area we looked to our compass to guide us down themountain. Before we knew it, we were at the bottom and we took thenext train back to Madrid. Overall, it was an amazing two days and Iwill never forget this little adventure.  

Hey Everyone, I just got back from the Canary Islands, which was a trip planned as part of the lab for my Astronomy class. We spent five days and four nights on the island of Tenerife. We traveled to the Teide Observatory for our observations and used a large telescope to view deep space objects. The trip itself was definitely a great experience, especially since we were able to put what we learned in the classroom into action. Our class had to learn the exact procedure to use the particular telescope because it had to be manually operated. We were able to meet astronomers from Germany and England that were performing their own observations. The humidity at the observatory was extremely high and it ended up preventing us from doing some of the observations. The humidity needed to be below 70% percent to use the telescope and most of the time it was 100%. Therefore, we had to result to a smaller telescope as well as the use of Nikon camera to take pictures of the stars. It was breathtaking to be outside and the only light is the thousands of stars above you. We were able to observe the comet Lulin without the use of the large telescope and of course a number of constellations. We did observe Saturn with the large telescope one of the nights when the humidity was low enough. It was fantastic to view it through the telescope and actually see the rings of the planet and its satellites. Despite our lab, we were able to do some sightseeing on the island. Our class explored the Teide Volcano, which is the 3rd largest in the world. Our hotel was in the city of Santa Cruz and we had time to explore the nearby beach. Overall, it was an amazing experience to observe the stars from the observatory and I can definitely say that it is the most stars I have ever seen in my life at one time.  

I have been in Madrid for over a month and believe me when I say it flew by! It has been an extremely busy five weeks.  I did some traveling and explored some more of Spain as well as Europe.  I visited a few fellow fairfield students who are studying abroad in Barcelona.  It was great to see how there abroad experience was sort of different from mine, which I think is great because I believe we all get something different out of our time abroad.  It was amazing to see Sagrada Familia and the other Gaudi architecture throughout the city.  Last weekend, my API (Academic Program Internation) program took our group to Rome.  It was a wonderful trip, especially since it was my first time in Italy.  I got to go to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Spanish Steps and of course I enjoyed pizza and gelato.  On that Sunday, a group of us were able to see the Pope speak and then  explore the ancient Roman ruins.  Overall, it was a fun filled weekend and I definitely want to go back to visit again.  This week I start midterm exams, so it is going to be a busy week.  My Astronomy class is teaching me a great deal about the constellations and in March we are going to the Canary Islands to do an experiment at an observatory.  History of Spain is a great class, because it is teaching me how Spain got to where it is today.  It is fascinating to be able to learn about the in depth history of a country I did not know much about.  My Spanish class is assisting me with my spanish speaking skill, which I can say are improving.  Finally, my Public Relations class gives me a great perspective of Public Relations in the United States and how it is similar or different than it in Europe.   Well that is all I have for now, but do not worry I will have more soon.  Take care! 

Hola, Greetings from Madrid, Spain!   I studying  in Madrid for the spring semester of my junior year through the Academic Programs International (API).  This is my third week and every second has been a new adventure.  The city itself is spectacular, especially the variety of museums that are spread around the city limits.  The main museum is Museo del Prado and it has a wonderful collection of works from, El Greco, Velasquez, Rubens, Goya, and so many other classic European artists.   I am living in a residencia, which is equivalent  to a residence hall in the United States.  It is a great experience to be living amongst Spanish students and other international students.  I really love the food because they have different traditional spanish at every meal.    The university I am attending is Suffolk University Madrid Campus.  It is a small university, but it really has some great classes.  I am taking Astronomy, History of Spain II, Spanish Speaking and Grammar, and Public Relations.  There are a number of clubs and activities that one may take part in.  They have everything from movie club to soccer.  Overall, I would say my experience has been great and I cannot wait to continue my learning and explorations.  I will be posting more and putting up some pictures so you can see a little bit of my journey.  Thanks and talk to you soon!! 

I have been extremely busy these past few weeks. School is in full force and so is my filmmaking. I am taking five courses that include: Intro to Philosophy, Europe and the World in Transition, Beginning Screenwriting, Intro to New Media, and Technology & Society. Each class has proven to be challenging, yet I am managing to complete all of the work.

The year started with a “bang!” The film department here at the University offered me an internship with a film entitled “Righteous Kill.” They shot some of the movie in Bridgeport and I was able to do a two-week internship with the production team. It was an amazing experience because I learned and explored the professional movie industry and was able to meet some of my all time favorite actors. I met Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Donnie Wahlberg. The experience was a great way to reassure my true passion for film and I cannot wait to do another internship.

Now I am working on my own film with some fellow students at Fairfield. The school presented us with a grant and together we wrote a script for a short film. I am co-directing it with a good friend of mine and the project is in the pre-production stage. This past weekend we went to New York City to cast the actors for the film. Shooting starts in two weekends and there is much work to assure we start on time. I am excited and cannot wait to get back on set. I feel a movie set is one of my favorite places in the world.

Balancing my work has been crucial this semester. I am co-president of the Resident Council Committee in Loyola Hall, a tour guide, volunteering for community service, part of the National Housing Honorary, as well as doing work-study. It seems like many activities, but with time management, I am able to put 100% into each and everyone. My week is full of meetings and outside trips, yet I still find time to finish all of my schoolwork. Well thanks for reading and I will be back with more next week.