Hello to all friends and family who are reading this from wherever in the world you may be,

Where am I? Well, I am still in Madrid, Spain about to begin my finals season. The only thing that stands between me and California now is 5 exams and 2 papers within the span of 3 weeks! Can I do it? Absolutely! Will I need your help? Yes, that would be much appreciated! How? I'll explain in just a second...

By studying in Madrid, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to see so much of the European continent, especially considering that I am a first time visitor to this part of the world. Thus far, I’ve traveled to several cities in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Cordoba, Toledo, and Santiago de Compostela), in addition to Paris, France; London, UK; Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; and Lisbon, Portugal! I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have traveled like this, much of which would not have been possible without, of course, my wonderfully supportive parents and, secondly, the Gilman Scholarship, a State Department-funded scholarship for American students wanting to study abroad.

Now that I am reaching the final weeks of my Spanish journey, I wanted to turn to a bit of a wider circle — you all — to help me finish this wonderful international experience. As per the calendar Tia Adeline and Tia Dorene kindly make for us every year, my birthday is coming up around the corner, thus marking my 21st year of life. It bewilders me every time I think about it, especially when I think about the new cousins that have sprouted from the ground within the last 5 years or when I think of my brothers who’ve embraced the East Coast so openly and, more shockingly, grown taller than me.

With that being said, this birthday I am trying to do things a little differently. For my 21st, I am using this crowdfunding website (typically used for couples saving for their Honeymoon, they have a lower commission rate than GoFundMe) to ask for a birthday gift in the form of money to do a few more things in Spain and Europe! As I’ve mentioned, I have three more weeks to enjoy Spain/study for my 5 final exams coming up soon. To treat myself, I booked a trip to Rome, with my Georgetown friend Marieli, for my birthday; I will be there from May 23rd - May 25th. To help me cover the costs of going on my last European adventure to Italy and/or help cover day-to-day living expenses in Madrid, any donation of any amount would be much appreciated. :)

I love you all so much, and I constantly feel your love from afar, so to celebrate that for my 21st, I figured this would be the best way to contribute to some memory making before I come back home to my beloved family after a semester of new experiences. Scroll down to "Our Registry" and put in whatever amount you'd like to donate!

Lastly, if you want to follow me on my journey studying for my Spanish finals, here are the dates of my exams. Woohoo (just kidding)!

5/22: Historia Contemporánea de Europa II, Siglo XX

5/27: España en el mundo global

5/30: Género y Política

6/4: Régimen Internacional de los Derechos Humanos y de Género

6/5: Sistemas Políticos de Europa

With all the love in the world,

Arthur :)