Keith Is Coming!!!!

AHHHHHH!!!! Keith is coming at noon tomorrow (well actually today since it's now the 20th)!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!

That's all for now :)

Exams and Studying

It's now Saturday morning and exams are approaching (not quickly enough I might add, not because I want to take them, but the sooner they are over, the sooner I have my boyfriend in my arms again). And as I sit here (on my bed) and reflect and attempt to study (thank god my literature professor made the exam cover only the last month of material), I'm realizing exactly how much I really do miss UT - scary thought right? Me? Missing UT? What?!

So here goes - a "normal" before exam cram session: spending the week before exams as well as the weekend cooped up in the 5th floor of the library. Have I mentioned that I'm a bit OCD? Yeah well, make that studying at "my table" (the round one that looks out the window towards the dining hall of the student union) of course with no one else at the table, because that makes it impossible to focus, with my books scattered all over the table, wearing my yoga pants, a tank top, a hoodie, my hair straightened, and wrapped in my oversized blanket I brought from home (partly covering the table because my arms like to have this weird allergic reaction to whatever they use to clean that tables and my arms always break out into a rash if they touch the table). I've got my water bottle and cup of freshly brewed iced tea sitting next to me and depending on what time it is, most likely a bowl of rice, pita bread, and hummus from Phonecias too. (If it's after 9pm, replace the iced tea with a grande hot chai tea - just the chai, no latte)

Flash forward to Spain - I'm in my bedroom (which is completely trashed as I am partially packing to spend time with Keith, labeling all of the gifts I'm sending home, and my school stuff - I've been trying to keep the door shut because I know my host mom would die if she got too good of a look), sitting on my bed surrounded by all of my 4 pillows so my back doesn't hurt from leaning against the bar of my bed, there are kids screaming and running and playing that dumb Crazy Frog song on full blast in the room next door - whoever gave them a computer, I swear... - thank god my mom sent me earplugs.

Totally different right? I partially blame my OCD for this one, the other half I blame the Spanish college system.

I really hate the library at school here - each table is divided into 4 small desks, about 2 foot x 2 foot - clearly not what I like and can work with. The chairs are hard and have arms so i can't curl my feet up indian style or prop them up on another chair, and they don't lean back at all when I have to stretch (nevermind that stretching is culturally not acceptable, and the fact that the last time I did this at home I flipped backwards and landed in a garbage can...it happens). There are too many people around, the whole room is made of glass windows so you can see everything happening around you, there's no random asian guy asleep at the table 6 feet away from me to laugh at silently in my head, and food and drinks are not permitted (in any part of the school outside of the cafeteria I might add - needless to say, I have a very hard time staying awake in class without my goldfish). And, they are not open after 8pm nor on the weekends.

Sucks right?

It gets better - no extra curricular activities, no tutoring center, no on campus food places open when I get done with class, no heat or air condoning, no lights until after 6pm, and the only caffeinated beverages they serve are expresso shots (literally, a dixie cup size shot) - that's what they call "coffee" here by the way - gross.

And I wonder why I can't focus.

Yes, I do have problems at home studying - you should see how pissed I get when someone is at "my table" in the library. Dear lord... And why I can't study at home - Mom, when I get home I'm designing a "study room" that will actually work for me for the next 5 years, either that or I'm gonna be sleeping at the med school...

And on that note, time to go back to learning about Baroque era spanish literature - fun.

Best Invention Ever - Every Study Abroad Student Should Get This

Finally got around to something I've been debating on doing for the last month and a half or so - I bought a Skype phone number and calling plan.

Here's how it works:

1. You create a skype account (if you don't already have one)
2. Buy a subscription for calling to the United States (aprox. $7 a month)
3. Buy a skype phone number (aprox. $18 for 3 months)
4. Set up your phone number with your home country, state, city
5. Call people - on any phone line

Seriously, I wish I would have bought this months ago when I first thought about it. I still have Verizon as my phone provider, so I still can't use it without wifi, but having the ability to call anyone, on any phone, at any time in the US (unlimited minutes) is amazing!

I called my mom at work to test it out, and she didn't have a clue who I was because she (clearly) wasn't expecting a phone call from me. 

Really, if you're going to do foreign exchange or study abroad you need to get one of these - it's so much easier. You can call anyone you like for no additional cost and you receive a phone number that people can also return your call, leave voice messages, etc. 

Do it.

And The Premio Goes To...

So classes for the semester are winding down - in fact, I had my last "actual" class today, only things left now are my 3 exams on Monday and Tuesday.

To celebrate the final day of class, we had to award 3 premios - aka superlative awards. There were 3 - the biggest partier, the person who spends the most time studying, and the laziest. To do this (of course it had to be educational) we made 3 surveys each with 10 questions and everyone had to answer and then the "judges" decided who won each.

Long story short - I managed to get an award that wasn't an actual award - "El premio al más sosa" - the translation is kinda hard to describe but basically the award for the most boring person. Great right?

Let's be honest - I don't lead a boring life, but by the typical college student's opinion, I am the most boring person in the world.

So what won me this award you ask? Well let me make a list...

1. I have not been to a discoteca yet
2. I can't say that I have a favorite alcohol
3. I don't have a favorite museum in Madrid
4. I don't stay out after the Metro closes
5. I don't go out every night

So yes, we could say I'm boring, however I prefer to not be an alcoholic, I'm slightly afraid of the dark, and I value my sleep. I'm a little ADD and I love to touch things - if there was a kids museum in Madrid, I'd be in heaven, sorry I can't handle traditional art for more than an hour...

Now in no way am I planning on avoiding these things for forever, I just prefer to not stay out until 6am when everyone else heads to the discoteca. I'll get there eventually.

Note - I also don't have an extra 30 euros laying around to get in.

So that is that, it's the life I choose to lead - I'm different, I'm me and I don't really care about the opinions of others. I just find it funny that people picture me as being the "most boring". While they're out partying and hung over the next day, I've been out with my host family seeing movies, practicing my spanish, rock climbing in the mountains outside of Madrid, traveling - I like to make a difference in my life, have life changing experiences, make memories - not go out and not be able to remember what I did the next day. I've had my fun, I've gotten past that stage, I don't need to follow the crowd to be "cool" - I make my own adventures.

Random Reflections

I don't think I really have much to say yet I feel the need to write something and reflect about my day...

Some may call me crazy, obsessive, uptight, a bitch, OCD - sometimes I have to agree with these, as that is in fact just the way I am. I'm me, that's all I'll ever be. I have my goals and my dreams and my hopes and my wishes, and I'm doing the best I can to accomplish all that I want in life.

I love my plans, I like to look towards the future and know where I'll be in 10 years. I'm obsessed with Pinterest and Houzz and most of my dreams and nightmares revolve around my current and future family.

So here I am, living a dream in Europe - and sometimes I wonder what the hell I'm doing.

Without a doubt the things I'm learning here will be some of the most important and most impacting lessons of my life, but there is another part of me that's saying I should be back in the US doing exactly what everyone else is doing. There's a part of me that wishes I was still cramming organic chemistry into my brain until 1am instead of reading "Crónica de una muerte anunciada".

I know I'm learning a lot - way more than I ever could have in the US but at the same time I also feel like I'm losing a lot of what I learned the past summer. Not to mention each day I'm here, I feel like my English is getting worse. I'm afraid I'll forget how to study "for real".

I know school's only gonna get tougher from here and that alone makes me war to push myself, to take more classes, to study more, do something to prepare me for what going back to "real school" will be like in the fall.

I'm afraid I'm not going to have as much of a cushion as I had originally thought. I know math and physics are not my best subjects and that essentially all my next year of school will be composed of.

I miss my normal study spots and being able to take my lunch along with me to the library. I miss eating my goldfish to keep me awake during class. I miss office hours and not being afraid to ask my professor something based on the fact I don't know how to ask what I want to.

I miss having money in my bank account. I worry too much about the future - how will I pay for school, when can I get an apartment, where do I want to live, where will I study, when will I get married, when will I have kids, can I have kids, will I be able to build the house I want, will my grandparents be able to attend my wedding, who will I ask to be my bridesmaids, when?

I hate not knowing - sometimes I wish I could just know what my future holds. But that takes all the fun out of it now doesn't it?

Sigh. That's my thoughts for the night. Not relevant to anything, but it's everything I'm tossing around right now.

And Then I Woke Up

So I'm sleeping peacefully this morning when suddenly I hear glass shattering and screaming bloody murder. Mind you, it's 7 am on a Sunday.

The screaming continues and eventually I hear my host mom get up and run down the hall - she gasps.

The screaming is still continuing and I decide that I obviously can't continue to sleep so I get up and walk down the hall.

Turns out one of my host brothers threw a dog bone through the window. Hmm, dog bones don't bounce do they?

I go back to bed and after another 10 minutes they finally all stop screaming.

Sigh.

I love my host family to death, they are amazing and have really and truly treated me like part of the family and I'm so grateful for that. However, there are times like these when I really wonder if I should have opted to live with one of my friends next semester.

I miss my time home alone and being able to cook for myself, do my laundry when I please and watch tv shows that match my level of intelligence. (I swear if I have to watch another episode of Adventure Time I am going to go insane.)

It's too late now, and I know that staying with my host family is the best option for improving my spanish, but it's days like these that make me really consider my other options.

Off With The Faeries

Just got back from an amazing vacation in Dublin. Let's just say if I ever have to leave the US I'm either going to Ireland or Poland. In all honesty it was pretty much just like the US, except they drive on the wrong side of the road.

Side note - it's really easy to get run over there.

Anyhoo - it was amazing! We spent some time roaming the streets, shopping, eating, drinking, you know the normal stuff. Friday we went on a tour to the mountains and the coast to see some countryside and the spots where P.S. I Love You and Braveheart were filmed. Beautiful!!

I (of course) managed to do quite a bit of shopping for mi familia. I was sent on a mission to find some "authentic" Irish stuff for my brother ands sister-in-law, and let me just say I did a pretty damn good job. I've very happy with everything. Also got some fun stuff for me so that was good too.





<--- That's me looking lost like in P.S. I Love You



Ahh yes, and my favorite quote of the trip, "I'm off with the faeries". It means "I'm crazy". I love it.

I managed to spill hot chocolate all over my white winter coat on the flight to Dublin so that was great too...


So there was this tower and Irish culture says that if you run around it 7 times going counter-clockwise you will have a good marriage. Guess who was running! Well, it did help warm me up too.

The story also says if you run the other direction it'll help for a smooth and quick divorce...


Coming back has been tough though. It makes me realize how much I miss about the US and how much I really don't like about Spain and their culture. I'm still really glad I've gotten the experience to do this - and without it I wouldn't be able to graduate, but it's still tough. I think getting into the Christmas and Holiday season is making it even harder.

Keith will be here in 12 days!!!

I'll be meeting my parents in London in 28 days!!!

And I got a whole bunch of Christmas cards from my family and aunts and uncles and cousins! Thanks guys, you're awesome!

4 more days of class, 2 days of exams, 1 interview and then it's Christmas break!

Transformations

This whole trip has been and will be an eye opener - an opportunity to grow as a person and expand my horizons.

While that has its implications in my life as a whole, there are things I'm seeing clearer and clearer as time goes on.

First, as it has been for many years and always will be - I am mature beyond my years and because of that making friends with people my own age will forever be difficult. Just need to get over this fact and cherish the friends I do have that share the same values as I do.

Second, I want to be a domesticated woman. I'm talking cooking, cleaning, organized, mom - no that doesn't mean I'm giving up my career - I just value a clean house with creative food dishes and things that have a specific place.

Third, in regards to above - I want my apartment. I love living with mis padres, but I can't wait to have my house that I can do with as I like and do the things I want to do when I want to do them. However, realistically I'll probably live at home until I get married to save money and because I really don't wanna live with a roommate and I don't wanna live with my boyfriend or fiancé before the wedding. I wanna be able to say "Hey let's go to our house", not oh it's just another normal night.

Fourth, my closet. I haven't grown since probably 5th grade. And all of my clothes in my closet are the same things that have been there since high school. And it really just dawned on me that in a year I will be graduating from college. Scary thought right? But I really need to work on my wardrobe - get some things that are going to do me good for the next couple years. Only problem is I'm gonna be poor by the end of this. Other problem - all of my current clothes are getting beat to shit here.

Fifth, I finally did something I said I was going to do a long time ago - signed up for ballet class, with Spaniards. Won't be starting until January, but it'll be a good opportunity to meet some people and practice more.

Sixth, I may be starting to teach english for my host cousin. She's 7 and super cute. We will see what happens.

That's all for now. Gonna go try and find dinner and shower and do homework and get room put back together. I'm a mess as always...

Here's To The Things I Hate The Most

Today has just been one of those days where nothing is going right and I'm just really frustrated. Here's a summary...

1. Spending a weekend in Barcelona with someone I'm not very fond of. Now wish I would have just waited and gone in the spring with Yvette. Feel like there's a bunch I missed out on because I honestly couldn't stand to be around said person any longer.
2. Having my homework all messed up because in Spain the luxury of printing in your own home doesn't exist. Sent an online news article to the reprografía, yeah apparently you can't do that so I didn't have my homework done for class today because I couldn't print out the stupid thing.
3. People that know you speak English before you even open your mouth. Then proceed to talk to me in their horrible english that I can't understand a word of, and eventually ask them to talk in Spanish because I can understand them better, yet they still don't listen.
4. Understanding gramatical concepts perfectly on paper, yet not having the ability to use them in speech.
5. Forgetting simple words that you really need to know right at the moment you need them.
6. Clingy people.
7. Bitchy people.
8. Cliques.
9. Not having class with Spaniards.
10. Feeling like I'm not learning the stuff I want to know to help me in life.
11. Missing my family.
12. Being in a grumpy mood.

Sigh. Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better.

It's Time To Huelga!!!

Kind of like in Bridesmaids when they're in the plane and Annie is drunk and says, "It's time to parrrrtaaayyy". She annoys everyone on the flight to the point where they're miserable.

The huelgas are kind of like that, except without being funny.

All joking aside, today was the national huelga - the national strike. And while the normal strikes are annoying, today was especially annoying. No one went to work or to school - except for the US students who are obligated to go. So this morning as I'm getting ready to leave my family is having a nice breakfast, all still in their pjs.

"Por qué tienes que ir a la uni hoy Kari?" preguntó mi hermano. "No tenemos que ir al colegio."

Yes, thanks for reminding me, again.

This morning wasn't bad - except for the part where the train stopped for 20 minutes between two stops.

This afternoon however was another story. My train was 30 minutes late, then there were about 200 people stuffed in my car. Lovely. At least my house is only 2 stops away from school.

Let's hope all is back to normal tomorrow.

Pepe y El Rostro

Sunday I went with mi tío Pepe (He's Eva's brother and is 29) to El Rostro.

Every Sunday in Madrid, Spain's biggest flea market takes place. Though, it's not the type of flea market I would normally think of. We walked around and it was crazy. I could barely move, but according to Pepe, there were very few people there.

We didn't buy anything, but I want to go back and get a purse and some scarves. They were way cheaper and very pretty!!

After that we went to a few restaurants to get some lunch. At the first we had some tostadas and at the second, some tacos. We talked a lot, so it was great for me to practice my spanish. I only made one big mistake during the conversation, in which I was attempting to say that whenever my friends go out they get drunk, but accidentally said whenever they go out they get pregnant. (which in the states is a valid argument for some of my friends) Oh well, it happens. He laughed and we continued talking about movies and traveling and other randomness.

He said if I ever wanted to go out with Spaniards him and his girlfriend would take me and introduce me to their friends. Sounds good to me. Better than spending every waking hour in Sol.

Rain Rain Go Away

It's been raining for what I swear has been 40 days and 40 nights.

Ok, seriously. I haven't seen this much rain in Madrid yet. I'm a small person, so when it rains and there is water, I tend to become a mud pie. Water up to my knees, wet feet, frizzy hair, the hole mess. So today in an effort to solve my problem (and especially after seeing what Venice looks like when it rains), I went and bought my first pair of rain boots as an adult. Let me tell you, it's like love.

On that note, the end of my first semester is quickly approaching and I can't believe how fast it is going. This last month has been filled with travels and November and December will be the height of it all. I think I'll be gone about every other weekend from here on out.

Next semester though, I'll be making some changes. While there is still a decent amount of money in my checking account, I don't have many trips planned for next semester. I'd like to come home with some money, and I'd like to spend more time in Spain.

Right now I'm kinda at a crossroad. I feel like this whole time I've been sitting at this point and I really just have to get over it and move forward. To be honest, this experience has not been what I expected. I wanted to be surrounded by the language all the time and meet and make friends with Spaniards. I wanted to come home at the end of this speaking fluently. Realistically, I don't see it happening at this point. While I know my Spanish has improved, I don't feel like I'll get to come home as strong as I had hoped. I've also found out that I really don't like living in a big city, and I still am not accustomed to being here and still find it frustrating on a daily basis.

This semester has been my "see the world" semester. I've traveled and will be traveling to many places most people only dream about seeing. But at this point there aren't any places that are really calling me, and I can't rationalize going somewhere just to say I went. So next semester I'm planning on spending more time here, getting to know Spain and the culture better, practicing my Spanish as much as possible.

Hee Haw...that's my sound of the moment for not knowing what else to say.

I'm ready to see my family and novio. I miss them and I want to share this adventure with them.

Mi Puente en Polonia

I really need to make an update video - both for the week and a Spanish update because it's been forever since I've done one of those...

So let's go back to the weekend. It was a puente (awesome!!), that's when a holiday falls on either a Tuesday or a Thursday, so you have a 4 day weekend.

I spent Thursday packing and getting everything together to leave for Poland, then my friend Yvette and I went into the city and found the restaurant "Tierra Burrito" - the Spanish version of Chipotle. I finished up my packing, had some dinner, skyped with Keith, then around midnight headed over to Yvette's house.

Our flight left at 6:40 Friday morning, and since we had to arrive early, the metro was closed, so we stayed at Yvette's because we could walk to one of the 3 bus stations that run all night to the airport. We didn't sleep since we had to leave around 3:30am. This was my first experience flying Ryanair, and let me tell you, it was an experience. If you aren't sure what I mean-Ryanair is a really cheap airline (we're talking around 35-90 euro tickets), but because of this there (of course) are downsides. Mainly, you do not have assigned seats, so as soon as they open the gates it is a mad rush to get on the plane so you can sit next to the people you are traveling with. I'm normally not anxious when flying, but this made me crazy. Oh well, that aside, I survived and successfully passed out before our plane even backed away from the gate. I woke up about 10 minutes before we landed in Kraków, so that was a great flight.

From this point, my weekend got interesting...

Freak Out Number One: The hotel preauthorized my credit card before we checked in...for $1,500 more than the bill. I think I spent the first 4 hours on the phone with different banks and customer service representatives trying to figure out what was going on. Luckily, on Monday when we checked out, the manager finally said they had made a mistake and fixed it.

Freak Out Number Two: My ATM card would not work in Poland. Even after my loving family figured out how to break into my bank account and transferred more money into my checking account.

So with both of those things to worry about, my weekend continued...

Saturday, we went on a trip to Auschwitz. I don't really know what to say. In my opinion, I thought it was amazing, but I can't really say that about something so awful without sounding demented. It was just very interesting and a moving experience. It was interesting to see the differences between the museum in the US and in Poland just because the people in Poland in the actual camp have much deeper connections and opinions about respect and how we need to reflect on the Holocaust. Without carrying on for forever, I'll mention two things.

1. The point of having Auschwitz as a memorial is because the people that were sent to Auschwitz and the other concentration camps were sent there to be dehumanized. Today we go there because it is our responsibility to remember that these people were in fact people just like us and today we go there to re-humanize them.

2. In the museum in DC there is one of the actual train cars that was used to transport the people to the camps. There, it is open and you can enter it. In Poland, there is another one of these cars, however it is not open. The survivors there believe that it was such a horrible thing to experience that no one should ever be allowed to be in the same position they once were.

Saturday night we went to get dinner at a Hungarian restaurant. Let me say, amazing. I ate chicken paprikash and it was the best thing ever. Made me feel like home with my grandma noodles (except those are better!!) After that we went to a bar and got some drinks (I of course ordered a smoothie, causing everyone else to get their IDs checked) We then were headed home when we ran into what we thought was a promoter, but turns out he was a random German guy with his friends, so we went to a different bar with them. (where I of course drank water all night and was thus the only sober one)

Freak Out Number Three: The point of the night when I had to pee so bad and the bathroom didn't have any toilet paper and had to use the pages of my Kraków guide book as toilet paper. Yes, I felt disgusting. Lesson - always carry tissues with you, always.

Sunday we headed to the Salt Mines, it was cool, but nothing I would recommend to anyone visiting Kraków.

And finally Monday, it rained. So we headed over to the Jewish quarter for lunch before catching a cab to the airport for our 6pm flight back to Madrid.

Without a doubt the best thing about Poland is the exchange rate. For every 1 euro, you get about 4 PLN. Basically, I bought a ton of presents for $30. (That was fun packing my Ryanair approved carryon size luggage...)

Our flight arrived late, so I didn't get home until around midnight. Then I stayed up until 2 this morning doing homework, slept a few hours, got up at 6 to read a book and write a paper about it, and then went to school.

Tired.

Had my visa extention appointment today at the police station, where we had to wait 1.5 hours outside in the cold weather. Turns out, my visa got denied and now we have to go back tomorrow to fix it so I don't get deported.

Lovely.

On that note, I have a ton of homework I need to do. I'll update soon.

Where is the Time Going?!

It's been a long time without a post. Sigh. I'm trying lol.

Lets start with Sunday - My Birthday! 20 years old, and it was defiantly the oddest birthday celebration ever. My host family was gone for most of the day, so I spent the day doing homework and watching like 4 movies. But they came home that night and got me a present-a really nice wool scarf, and we sang and had some birthday doughnut-type things. Although here they blow out the candles before they sing, so my host brothers got to my candles first.

Moving on to Monday - most exciting day of the week. My host family got a puppy!! She's 10 weeks old and is a golden retriever. My host brothers wanted to name her Charlie, but the guy who had the puppies already started calling her Dama, so we just stuck with that name. (Dama means "special little lady") She's super cute and very laid back. Inside the house she just likes to sleep and lay under the coffee table, but outside she doesn't stop running and playing. 

Wednesday - Halloween! It's very different here than at home. Not very many kids here trick-or-treat but we had a party at the house. It was all decorated and the kids had their friends over. Everyone in the house had to be dressed up - I was a vampire with bright red hair. Three groups of kids came by and my host mom scared them. The first group she told she was gonna eat the children. The second group we wouldn't let up the stairs, so we were answering the intercom in all of the different languages the people at the party spoke (Spanish, English, Galego, and French). Eventually we made them send one kid in the group up alone so they could scare him. And then the final group, they made a kid cry, so we gave him pizza because they didn't have candy.

And now, it's Thursday - and I'm packing to go to Poland. I've got my Ryanair approved luggage, so hopefully it meets the weight limit. I've got some warm clothes and boots and my camera and hopefully everything I need. We're going to Krakow to visit Auschwitz and the Salt Mines and whatever else we can find.

So yes, I am off! Will attempt to update when I get back Monday night =D

El Camino de Santiago

I've been writing about this for weeks now and I have decided that this deserves its own blog entry.

For my family (mom and grandma) as well as the others who are asking for a definition and more details of what exactly this thing is that I am currently obsessed with.

I'm just going to start with an overview...

The Camino de Santiago is a religious pilgrimage that started centuries ago (somewhere around the 15th century, but don't quote me on that because I'd have to find my book to actually look it up). There are 7 historic caminos (paths) that the pilgrimage follows, and all of them lead to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. (Galicia is the autonomous community in the northwestern part of Spain, just above Portugal, and Santiago de Compostela is the capital.) Of these paths, the French Road was the most commonly taken and (could probably go without saying) goes from France to Santiago.

Now back in the day this was a pretty dangerous journey - thieves, no shelter, difficulties finding food, etc. However, today it has become very popular and there has basically been a whole business community built off of restaurants, hotels, etc along the camino.

Note: The Camino de Santiago is the Spanish name - in English it is The Way of Saint James. (With Saint James being Santiago, the original brother of the Apostle/Saint who it is rumored crossed the Iberian peninsula and helped spread Christianity and whose body/tomb is in the Cathedral de Santiago.

Ok, enough of the history, here's the fun and interesting stuff...

Before you get bored and run away from this post, I'm gonna nag some more. If you have not seen the movie "The Way", please go watch it. Without ruining anything, it's the story of a Doctor whose son is in his 30s and "isn't going anywhere with his life". While the dad doesn't understand this, the son says he just has to go and see the world to be happy. So the son takes off for France to begin the Camino de Santiago, but within the first 24 hours he dies. Well the dad comes to France to get the body, but ends up cremating it and walks the Camino de Santiago for himself, spreading his sons ashes along the way. Sad yet? I promise all of that is only in the first 3 minutes of the movie/trailer so I didn't ruin anything. And in all honesty, while it does have sad parts, I truly loved this movie.

Continuing...

The Camino is marked with both arrows and shells so you know where to go. The shell is the symbol of the journey. (Hopefully that explains why I bought so much shell jewelry) And while it's pretty easy to identify a pilgrim, the shell is a definite indication they are walking the camino.


When you get to the end of the Camino you get the Compostela. This is a certificate saying that you completed the camino. There is a minimum distance though: 100km on foot or 200km using anything else (horse, bike, things that aren't motorized) As you go, you have a "passport" which gets stamped at the various places you stop, and this serves as proof that you really went as far as you did.

It is tradition for the pilgrims to enter the Cathedral de Santiago when they arrive and there is a mass that is held. When you enter the cathedral, there is a pillar with a sculpture of Saint James. Traditionally all of the pilgrims get on their knees and touch the pillar. They place their hands on his feet and kiss it. They then make 10 wishes - one for every finger that has touched. So many people have touched the pillar that a hand print has been worn into the stone. Unfortunately (and I was legitimately sad) you are no longer allowed to touch the pillar and there is a fence around it. (I tried to reach over the fence, but I was too short...)

Now I've never been the type of person to say that I am "religious". By all means, I believe in God and that there is in fact a higher power, but I've never gone to church religiously or identified myself as having a specific religion other than Christianity in general. But there is something about the Camino de Santiago that I really like and find intriguing.

I know I will come back and walk the entire camino one day. I want to do the French Road which takes about 1 month to complete so it will be in the future when I have that much time free, but it is something I really want to do.

I feel like there are a lot of reasons people walk the camino, and I'm not sure what mine is exactly yet, but I'm going to find it. For now, this is me in front of the Cathedral de Santiago, a tourist who has seen a popular movie and has been inspired. But one day, I will be back. A "peregrino" who the other tourists can look at and be inspired by.

Looking Towards America - Galicia and Lisbon

I feel like I've spent that last week of my life in a bus - maybe because I pretty much have?

We left last Thursday night at midnight from Madrid and drove 9 hours to Lisbon, Portugal. I spent the first day exploring churches and castles and eating the most amazing pizza I've ever tasted - banana and ham. That's right, I said banana. Try it, it's amazing. The next day we went on a bus tour to 2 other cities around Lisbon. I have to say, even though Lisbon is supposed to be one of the prettiest places in Europe, I have to object. I loved the little beach town we went to, but the part of the city where we actually stayed I wasn't too impressed by. As a side note, I had my first hostal experience - not sure how I feel. Overall it went well. It was pretty and clean (clean being the most important thing to me). However, the shower I used was probably the worst shower I've ever had in my life (think only 3 of the holes in the shower head just barely dripping water) and after 11pm the whole place turned into a party. (Thank god I can sleep through just about everything). Sunday I found this cute little market and bought some gifts for my family before getting back on the bus to drive back to Madrid.

We got back around midnight Sunday, so it was about 1am when I got home. I had to unpack and repack and shower, and it was 3am before I finally got to bed. Woke up at 6, threw some clothes on and was at school by 7 to get on the bus for Galicia. It's about a 9 hour drive, but we stopped about 5 hours in and went to the little pueblo of O Cebreiro to eat and explore. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I have this new obsession with the Camino de Santiago. Basically it's a religious pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Anyways, the Camino passes through O Cebreiro so that was really cool to see all of the pilgrims walking through. What makes it even cooler is the movie "The Way" (if you haven't seen it, you have to watch it. I'm kinda in love) was filmed in this pueblo. I (of course) bought some souvenirs and in the process completely embarrassed myself imitating the sound of a bagpipe because I couldn't remember the Spanish word for it. Found out later the store clerk spoke a bit of English and probably knew everything we were saying...oops.

Eventually got to the hotel around 6 Monday night and got to have some group bonding time. Basically this was like a retreat and they put us in the middle of nowhere without wifi and made us play games and have bonding experiences with each other. It was actually pretty fun, except for the part where I couldn't let my family know what was up. Thankfully one of mis amigas, Yvette, let me use her phone so I could actually call home. (way to go international calling plans)

We spent the week exploring Galicia and learning more about the traditions and culture of the area. We went to Santiago de Compostela and I got to see the cathedral that marks the end of the Camino de Santiago and the tomb of Saint James. It was amazing, but I was sad because I couldn't actually touch the pillar of St. James (believe me, I tried but I was too short to reach over the fence). We had a dance and song thing we went to and dressed up in traditional Galician clothing. I had a shirt that was over 200 years old and a scarf as a shirt.

Finally headed home this morning around 9am and walked in my door at 7-ish.

Tomorrow I need to do some shopping - I need a carryon bag that is Ryanair approved. My book bag tends to get too round when I stuff it full of stuff and I'd rather not get charged an extra 70 euro for a bag that doesn't fit inside their stupid box next weekend. Also need a winter coat for going to Poland and Ireland and England and Moscow and all of the other cold places I'm planning on visiting in the next 8 months.

Sunday is my birthday. Don't know what I'll be doing, but it will be different, that's for sure. Probably homework...sigh. Or exploring some of the "interesting" shops in Madrid I found. Who knows.



Oh well, that's my life in a nutshell. Love you all!

Stressed, Frustrated, and Dead Bodies

Rant time...

I was supposed to have an interview to teach skating here tomorrow, but I had to cancel it because I don't think teaching skating is logistically possible. I don't have skates and the rink is on the other side of the city (translation - money and time I don't have). And while I was very interested in the opportunity and I know it would have been great for my Spanish, I just don't think I could make the commitment. So today, after the interview had already been cancelled, the director asked me why I'm not doing it and said that I was passing up a great opportunity. Thanks. Lovely. So now I'm questioning my decision, because I was interested and I know it would have been good, I just simply don't have the time.

I've got 2 exams tomorrow - one written over grammar and another oral presentation over 4 Spanish holidays.

I'm leaving tomorrow night for Lisboa. I get back Sunday night just to leave again Monday morning for Galicia. Great - except for the fact that I have no clothes because laundry day is Sunday and last Sunday we were gone (1 week of clothes) and even though I asked my host mom to do my laundry I'm still waiting for it to be done for this week (2 weeks of clothes). And I have no jeans and almost no shirts left. And now I'm leaving for another week (3 weeks of clothes). See the problem? So, hopefully they will be washed tomorrow so I can have clean stuff for Sunday night.

I'm going shopping tomorrow after class. I need clothes and to de-stress.

Ah yes - and the dead bodies part...on my way to dance class today I walked out of the metro to find a ton of people and police gathered around. The police were roping off the road/building area and trying to get people to move on but of course no one would. So I crossed the street to get out of the way then stopped to watch. I suppose the blanket laying in the middle of the street with the blood all around it and the shoes sticking out from under the blanket should have given it away, but for a while I didn't know what was going on. A woman passing by stopped and asked me what had happened but I told her I wasn't sure. So then curiosity got the best of me and I asked another man standing and watching. Turns out there was an 83 year old woman who got hit by a delivery truck crossing the street. (Let me add that the possibility of getting hit by cars/trucks/busses here is very easy, as no one knows how to drive or use stop lights and the crosswalk at this particular intersection is not exactly visible when driving - however I'm pretty sure she wasn't in the crosswalk...) None the less, she died and when I was watching the body was still in the middle of the road (under the blanket with the shoes sticking out). Later I found out she got hit at 4:30 and I was there at 4:45.

Anyways, that's my day. It's also my anniversary, so I'm gonna go Skype my loving boyfriend who is going to make me feel better (and my padres too) and exchange some presents over Skype.

Weekend Update

So my family trip to Galicia and Portugal was pretty awesome. We traveled mainly in the areas between Pontevedra and just past the Portugal line.

As far as the land goes, I really liked Galicia. The architecture, not so much. A lot of the places we went everything was just very plain and my host dad said in Spain it was literally called "feoism" (aka - ugly-ism). Pontevedra was probably my favorite. It's one of the 4 capital cities in Galicia and is very close to the Atlantic Ocean. It was a nice change to see water again - I really miss my lake. The city itself was very old and had a lot of (what I assume to be) Roman architecture, and that was nice. One of the paths on the Camino de Santiago also ran through the city, so that was pretty cool to see.


Keith and I decided when we are retired we are going to walk the Camino de Santiago. Maybe before then if we ever get the opportunity...

We stayed at my host grandmother's house - turns out she was one of the first women doctors in Spain. The food there was amazing, and I'm pretty sure if I actually lived there I would gain a million pounds.

I take that back, Spain food still sucks, but Galicia, Spain food was better than Madrid, Spain food.

We went to the playa (beach) in Portugal and I loved that. I went in the water and my host mom laughed at me because for the people here the water was like an ice bath. For me, I'd say it was more like Lake Erie in the beginning of June. We took a little ferry boat across the river that separates Portugal and Spain. It was a very short ride, and nothing like being on the lake, but I pretended it was exciting, and my host family loved it, so that was good. I told them when they come to the US I'd have to show them "real" boats and a "real" lake.

It was nice to speak only Spanish all weekend. My host mom said I can understand pretty much almost everything they say now (which is good) but I need to speak a lot more to improve my talking.

(and again I say...if only I had come in high school...)

Anyways, I had fun and it was a nice change for me. I'll be going back in less than a week, so I'll have even more experiences then.

Off to Galicia

Ok, I'm heading out this morning for Galicia and Portugal with my host family. SHould be home some time Sunday evening and I will post pictures then. Hopefully this weekend goes well and my plan of an all Spanish trip will work out (unless of course I find free wifi, then I'll text mi familia and let them know how I'm doing)

Bye All!

Studying? They do that in Spain?

These last 2 weeks and next week have been and are going to be crazy as far as school goes. Last week I had my final exam of my 1st division of my spanish class. And this week I had my midterm exam for my classic spanish literature class - aka hell.

This class might be one of the most difficult things I've encountered here - we're talking old school 11th - 15th century classic spanish literature. It's impossible to understand and by the time I get out of the class, I am completely worn out.

You never really understand the concept of "a brain workout" until you are living in a different country, speaking a different language, and living a different life - all while trying not to fail at life.

Seriously, I do nothing during the day besides go to school, and at the end of the day, I am beat.

Ok, now back to what I was saying - yesterday I finally figured out how to study for this class (nothing like procrastinating right??) And, I feel pretty good about how the exam went! Great - except now when I have a pile a mile high of tarea, I don't even want to look at it.

Normally I wouldn't be concerned, but this weekend I'm going con mi familia de intercambio to Galicia and Portugal for the weekend. I'm super excited! Basically I won't have my plug converters because they are too bulky to drag around, so it's going to be a weekend de español solamente. I've been waiting for this and wishing I could do this for the last 5 weeks.

So yes, I have to get all of this stuff done tonight before we leave so I don't want to kill myself Sunday night when I get home.

Party in the USA

Well, maybe it's not a party but it's election time back home.

I will state for the record now - I HATE POLITICS!

That being said, I am so glad I'm in Spain and I don't have to listen to the nasty political ads on TV every 3 seconds and the people arguing everywhere you go trying to get you to agree with their opinions.

I really don't understand America - why are we so nasty with this? Seriously guys - we're taught all of our lives to tell the truth and treat others with respect, yet when it comes to politics and politicians (people who are supposedly the leaders of our country and people we should look up to) they are the worst. What is the harm in only telling the truth, not stabbing the other guy in the back, and just having an overall respect for someone? Yes, you have to make your points, but let's do it without twisting words and pointing fingers.

There's something to be said about having your own opinions and beliefs, but you do not need to shove them on other people. Those who are not educated or lie on the fence have to choice to talk to people on both sides, get the facts. But, those who have already made up their mind are not going to change it no matter how much you yell and tell them they are stupid or wrong.

Ok, enough of my little rant there - point is, I got my absentee ballot today. Pen and paper - it's super fancy and high tech. The best part - it only cost $70 in shipping to get it to me and mail it back. (A word to the wise - when requesting your absentee ballot, make sure you get the "I'm living outside of the country" ballot and not the "I'm on vacation" ballot. It's way easier that way.)

So yes, I have done my patriotic duty and voted from Spain. My first presidential election let me add - my candidate better appreciate my $70, mailed first class express, across the Atlantic Ocean vote =D

Om Nom Nom!!!

Random...but I'm starving and dying to taste some food that has any kind of flavor (besides an un-godly amount of salt or olive oil) - anyways here's my list of longings...

1. Chipotle - just learned there are 3 in London, guess what I'm gonna be eating for the 2 weeks I'm there after Christmas :)

2. Mac and Cheese - I want comfy, lazy, have a ton of homework and just wanna lay in bed all day food

3. Grandma Noodles - same thing as above, but more homey

4. Chicken Paprikash - I'm really hoping I can fins some in Poland, even though it's Hungarian...

5. Alfredo Sauce - I know it's not real Italian, but I'd die to eat some Olive Garden

6. McDonalds - yes it exists here, but I'd really appreciate some carne con mi pan...

7. Anything Spicy - my mother would love Spain, the "spiciest" thing I've found on any menu so far I haven't been able to taste at all

8. Pretzels - don't know why but I haven't found any of these yet...

9. Not jamón - I hate ham at home, and here I think it's acceptable for vegetarians to eat

10. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - it just sounds good

11. A Chicken Schwarma from Phonecias - It's a Toledo thing, and the cute little Asian waitress keeps asking where I've been

12. Pancakes - normal sized and for breakfast, not dinner

13. A Banana Nut Muffin - preferably from Tim Horton's thats fresh baked and moist

14. A full sized meal of any soft - I'm sick of being hungry all day. It sucks.

Yeah...hungry yet? I am. Gonna go see a movie tonight and find some popcorn...

Just a Quick Note Before Sliding Off the Edge of the Universe

So I've basically disappeared this week - exams, exams, books, and more books...

Who would have thought I actually go to school right?

Yeah, well this week was kind of my hell week. Last Thursday my literature professor said something in class about making sure that we were ready to discuss the book on Tuesday...translation - "Oh shit - what book?" Well, it turns out when the syllabus says "start" the book, it really means "have the book completely read and be ready to start the discussion of the book". Basically, I spend a whole weekend of my life reading 200 pages of classic Spanish theater about a prostitute giving love advice to young Romeo and Juliet type couple and in the end there's people jumping out windows and getting their heads chopped off - perfecto right?

And then the story continues...Tuesday my spanish language professor says "Don't forget your final is in 2 days and you have to read this book" - translation, "Are you f-ing kidding me?" So all of Tuesday and Wednesday was spent frantically reading a book about a cat teaching a bird to fly - cute book I have to say, I will be reading it to my future children.

Then Thursday afternoon rolls around - and my literature professor springs on us the "oh I scheduled the play we're gonna go see and it's the 29th of November at 8pm" - translation, "Ahhhhh! I have a flight to the canary islands that night at 9" - oh and by the way, the play is mandatory... So after explaining the situation to the prof and arguing with him about not telling us about it before so we didn't have plans and then saying that 30% of the class wasn't gonna be there (that's 3/10 - small class) he agreed to move the play to the weekend before.

Friday - took a little viaje to La Mancha to fight some windmills with mi amigo Don Quijote - pretty epic. Windmills were pretty and went exploring some ruins of an old castle - got eaten alive by some kind of insect in the process, don't worry, nail polish works the same as Chigerid.

Watched the movie "The Way" until about 3:30am Friday/Saturday night. (Awesome movie - everyone go watch it right now!) And then about 5am woke up with what I'm assuming was a mild case of food poisoning - 4 others had it too - who knows.

Saturday went well, got some fake Mexican food (the first thing that has had any flavor here) and got lost looking for a mall (which was really small and totally not worth my time)...

So yes, that is my life. I'm still on a quest to use my Spanish more and find some people that don't just want to speak English all the freaking time. I really just need to get it in my head that I can only speak Spanish, regardless of what others are doing. Sigh. Story of my life...

On the other side of things - I think this weekend I will be going to Galicia and Portugal con mi familia española. Not sure where, but there's some kind of family party and I'm going along for the free vacation and to have some fun doing Spanish things - thankfully the family all speaks Castellano and not Galego...that would have been miserable. Don't know if I'll have wifi (pronounced wee-fee by the way) but it'll be an adventure. (Here's to spending 7 hours driving in my host mom's baby sized Toyota squeezed in the backseat between my 2 host brothers...oh boy)

Ok, I need to go learn about the Camino de Santiago and write a paper about a frog...

'ta luego :)

Leadership and Independence (If We Want To Sound All Fancy...)

I've learned some important things since I've been here, both about myself and other people and my feelings towards others...have you sensed a common theme in my blogs yet???

Anyway, item number one that I feel it is important to note - if I actually need to accomplish something, it is better for me to go alone, rape, pillage, and plunder and get on with my day. When other people are involved, things just fall way off track and take forever.

Item number two - I love my plans. It's kind of a problem. I need to learn and understand that there is a time for plans and that it's also ok to do things and just go with the flow.

Number three - I've gone back and forth over the years wether it is better to lead or if it's better to follow, and while there is a time for both, I'm going with it's better to lead right now. Mind you, that may leave me alone on some crazy adventure and not having a clue what's going on with my life, but hey, at least I tried right?

And finally, number four - When all else fails, I go with my gut. Yes I love my plans, but I also love spontaneity. When I feel something and it sounds good, I'm gonna go for it without looking back. (and again leaving myself with the possibility of being stranded, alone, wondering what the hell am I doing, but hey that's the risk I'm taking)

And to my family (particularly my mother) - no, that does not mean making stupid decisions. Clearly I'm gonna consider all things while I'm running around some foreign country. I as well would very much like to return home in one solid piece.

So, all of this being said, I want to comment/update on some exciting and what I feel is (insert the english word here that I seem to have forgotten because my English is getting worse and worse by the day that means I'm pushing myself as a person and it's going to better me).

First, yesterday I went to a cooking class with the group Disfruta Madrid Más. Basically it's a group for university students to meet each other and gain cultural experiences for discounted prices by paying to be a member of this "club". Anyways, cooking class was amazing - I learned all kinds of yummy things that don't seem to hard to make again. (let me point out the word 'seem'). But yes, getting to the place where this class was, I got lost (what's new right? I'm always lost...) Well, while being lost is usually a problem, I actually enjoy the opportunity here because it gives me an excuse to talk to random Spanish people and not have to have some dumb excuse. Well, I asked about 5 different shops and random adults on the streets, and no one knew where this place was. So as I'm walking around like 'oh crap' and it's pouring rain, I run into 6 teenage girls looking to be around 16. So I ask them, and what do you know, they knew where it was. So they actually walked me all the way to the place, and we talked the whole way. It was pretty awesome for me and made me feel cool. (no I'm not too cool to hang out with people 4 years younger than me lol) But, I didn't get any of their names or phone numbers (sad face...) None the less, I feel like this was a good example of doing my own thing and bettering myself.

Next, today I'm asserting my leadership skills. My goal of being here for the year (along with learning spanish) is to really understand the culture of all of Spain. This being said, I want to explore all of Spain. So today when I found flights to the Canary Islands for 35 euro, I was all over that. (we just got done talking in class about how great the canary islands are to visit and my professor highly recommended all of us to go if we could) So, I called 2 of the girls I like (the same ones I'll be going to Poland and Dublin with) and asked if they were in. So, what do you know, vacation on the beach in the December, perfect.

And finally, Lisbon, Portugal is on my list of places to visit. Originally I had planned to do this more in November or next semester, simply because October is a crazy month...but Disfruta Más just happens to have a trip there the weekend before I'm going to Galicia, so what the hell lol, why not? (It was much, much cheaper than anything I could find on my own too) So, here comes the independence part - I booked my seat and I'm going for it. This will be the first trip I've booked/planned that doesn't involve anyone else from USAC. I won't be alone because it's all organized with the group and there will be other students, but it's no one what I actually know.

So yes, that's my life. My list of places I want to go is growing. Don't worry Mom, I took Croatia off the list per your request/demand/threat of disowning me and replaced it with Moscow, Switzerland, Berlin, and Sweden. Fair trade right? =D

Anyway, as always I'm avoiding my homework and have to go read 150 pages of some Spanish play...sigh...college

Patinaje en Hielo...I Think Yes!

My newest mission in life is to coach figure skating while I'm in Spain. I think it'll be a good way for me to meet people and practice my Spanish and stay in shape.

There's only 2 problems.

1. I don't have skates. So either I'm gonna have to buy some here or ship mine over from the US...
2. I have to write a resume in Spanish about my teaching experience. Hum...how does skating vocabulary translate??

So yeah, I'm excited. I really hope I get to do this and it fits with my schedule. I don't know what dates it will be or what I'll have to commit to, so this is still in the works, but I'm really hoping it works out!!

Not much to say other than that...

I should probably do more homework lol

My Complaint For The Day

I wouldn't consider myself a very Type A person, but I do like plans, and I like to stick to them.

Without typing out an entire boring rant, I'm just gonna sum it up pretty quick...

Today there was a soccer game and the tickets were pretty cheap. I wasn't planning on going, but eventually got talked into it because I thought it would be good to spend time with the other USAC kids. Well, the plan was to go from school to the ticket office at the stadium. The stadium is on the opposite side of the city of my house, so after buying tickets I needed to go home, get some homework done, then go to my dance class, and then to the soccer game.

Perfect, right? No. Well, instead of going straight to the stadium, we had to stop at 2 different people's apartments, go buy shirts for the game, go to 4 other gift shops, and then finally go to the stadium.

Mind you, I didn't know where the stadium was, or I wouldn't have wasted 5 hours of my life riding around the entire city on the metro.

So eventually, I'm pissed because the person I'm with who "knows" where we're going won't tell the rest of us how to get there and is bitching at me because I won't "relax". This person then continues to insult me and my relationships with both my family and my boyfriend.

As if this wasn't annoying enough, once we got to the stadium this person decided that the tickets were too expensive at the stadium and instead is going to buy their tickets online (even though they are from exactly the same place).

In the end, I bailed. I ran into another one of my friends and we went and got lunch.

However, it was frustrating and it wasted a day that could have been used for studying and catching up on my work. Eventually I got home (after my dance class).

Sigh - I have no faith in anyone here. I wish people were reliable and would just stick to the plan.

No Quiero Estudiar!!

That's right, tomorrow is my first exam and I do not want, nor do I have any motivation to study.

While yes this exam is important, and yes after I write this quick rant I will suck it up and go study, it is so hard to study here - even though the work I'm doing I feel like my 10 year old host broth could do better than I can.

There are so many things to learn, so many words, so many phrases, so many cultural ideas - I want to study the things I'm using in my everyday life. And, yes I'm sure what they're teaching in my classes is relevant, I feel like there are things to which my time would be more beneficial.

I want to cover the house in post-it notes because I don't know the words for anything...

Sigh.

Ok, back to work I go. Gonna go learn how to spell in Spanish, even though I can't spell for crap in English...Wish me luck!

God Gave Me You

Something hit me today. Something that I knew but didn't really realize.

As most of you (should) know, I'm currently living in Madrid, Spain and my boyfriend Keith is living back in Toledo, Ohio. It's a 6 hour time difference.

That being said, this post is about us.

When we first starting dating, we were very open with each other. He knew from the beginning that I was going to be leaving for a year, and we were ok with that. We have always been very open with each other about everything and have a great relationship.

So, of course, when the day came when I had to leave we were both pretty upset. We sat in the middle of our hotel hallway crying together before we drove to the airport. The airport was sad for everyone and my whole family and I cried. But once I had gone through security and there was no turning back, I sat waiting by my gate for the plane to arrive. And in that moment, I knew. I wasn't scared. I knew that we had a strong enough relationship to have a successful long distance relationship.

I don't know what we would do without our iPhones - they are literally a necessity for life!

But this morning was a rough morning for me. I was thinking about Keith as normal and I started to cry. I've been here for 3 weeks now, and while yes I always miss him, this was the first time it's made me cry. (Naturally I called and woke him up and he made me feel better...)

On one hand, it is sad to be sad and to miss the people you love, however at the same time being sad is a good feeling, because I know I still care and love him.

So we talked for a long time - about all aspects of our relationship, our lives, our goals, and the future. While this is completely normal for us, the feeling of being that close to each other and having the feelings we do - even across the ocean - was amazing.

I don't think you can really ever understand how complex and truly real a long distance relationship is until you've been there.

There is so much that goes into it. You have to work. You have to accept. But most importantly, you have to take time and communicate.

I'm sure this blog post means nothing to most of the people reading, but to me, today was everything. Today I have felt the greatest happiness since I've been here. Happiness that brings tears to my eyes.

Rock Climbing?!

Today I spent the day with my host family and we went to a park about 30-45 minutes outside of the city. We went on a scavenger hunt sort of thing where families raced each other to find 6 different locations. We each had a map and a compass to find our way around.

Well, we weren't very good at finding the trails, so I led us on a rock climb. By no means was it anything ridiculous, but we were climbing up the mountains. Of course, there were real rock climbers there too - and by real I mean people a couple thousand feet up handing by rope!

After our little adventure, we started hiking and eventually got to this waterfall and hung out there for a few hours, playing in the water and sliding down the falls into tiny pools.

Overall, I loved it. Defiantly one of the coolest and prettiest places I've been so far. I can't wait to go back in the winter when Keith is here. I know he'll love it. 

My host mom took some pictures, so when I get those I'll post them.

And...I only got a little sunburnt =D

Help Me I'm Melting!!!

Ok, maybe I'm not really melting - but seriously Spanish weather, what the heck? Why can't it be 50 degrees like it is back home? I'm sick of this 90 degree crap. I wanna wear my sweaters and jackets already!

Anyways, just a quick update for the night - this week has proved to be very exciting for me because I'm starting to figure out some of my travel plans and different events that I will be attending.

In Chronological order so far I have...

September 22 - hiking with my host family
September 28 - cooking class
October 5 - trip to La Manchu
October 16 - Amaral concert
October 22-25 - Trip to Galicia
November 2-5 - Trip to Poland
December 5-8 - Trip to Ireland
December 20 - Keith gets here
December 23-26 - Trip to Paris
December 27 - Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil
January 5-13 - Trip to London with my parents
February 10 - Real Madrid vs. Sevilla Football game
February 25-28 - Trip to Andalucia

I've got more things in the works, but this is all that is finalized as of right now. It's really hard to plan things to do for spring semester because I don't know what my school schedule will be yet, but hopefully I'll know soon. I want to go to Greece, Italy, and Croatia for my spring break so I'm looking forward to booking that. Other places on my list include Amsterdam, Portugal, Prague, Barcelona, and other random places in Spain.

So yes, my credit card is melting and I'm having fun. I just need to meet some people that are willing to travel with me.

I need to go read a book. Who would have thought I was in school right? lol.

And Then I Wore Shorts...

Well...as if I didn't stand out enough as being the person who can't speak Spanish, today I decided to wear shorts. I don't have class on Fridays and it's been a gaillion degrees here, so I figured I would wear shorts and be comfy while I spent the day doing my homework. Well, I needed to go to school to buy a folder-type-thing (I don't know the name of things here because American school supplies do not exist - I'm serious - there is no such thing as a folder or lined paper) and I left the house in my shorts and my hair up on top of my head (still slightly damp from the shower) because I'm curling it for later today.

Mistake!

I got on the metro and everyone just stared at me. Ugh. I hate standing out. So yes, lesson of the day - I'm never wearing shorts again and I have to continue doing my hair even when I'm dead tired so I won't stand out as the lazy, poorly dressed, unable to speak American.

Lovely :)

Aye Madre Mia...

There are often times when I think about the things I've done in life and wonder, "What would my life be like if ..... had happened?" or "I wish I would have done ......" On one hand, there are things I wish I had done differently, however at the same time I think how would those changes have changed my life and the person I am and the events occurring now. It boggles my brain.

I'm finding more and more with each day that I actually feel somewhat resentful of the program I am with. Mind you - the program I am with is amazing! My advisors and directors are great and so helpful! It's just not what I was expecting and looking for.

When I decided to go abroad I thought maybe I'd go for a month...then it was a semester...then it was a year. Most people can't believe that I'm going to be spending a year here, but for me that was the only option. I read somewhere that to learn a language fluently, you had to live the language 24/7 for at least 6 months. (right now, I feel like I'll never be fluent) When I was looking for programs, I looked at all of the high school programs first (even though it's my sophomore/junior year of college). I'm not sure why, I just knew that I wanted to be an exchange student. So, as time went on and I realized that I was much too old to be in an actual exchange program, I went with the study abroad program offered through my college. Now for most people that's no problem, but for me it was settling for second best.

I wanted the real immersion experience - the being thrown into a world where no one speaks your language (unless you call home of course). I wanted to be surrounded by Spanish customs and culture. I wanted to make friends with people from here. And it's so hard to do that with a college study abroad program. I am constantly surrounded by 60 other American students - that's 60 people who speak English constantly and do things the way they are done in the US. And as much as I want to separate myself from them and hang out with local people, it is beyond difficult to do that.

I've been talking to my advisors about how I'm feeling and as it turns out, of course, I am not the average study abroad student. (Who would have guessed that I didn't wanna come here to get faced every night and run rampid around the city because I'm away from home with no rules) So they gave me a book, "How to make the most of your study abroad experience". It's got some tips on learning culture and the language as well as other random things that could be important.

I met my intercambio today. She's 21 and I really like her. She doesn't drink, so I feel comfortable going out with her at night, and she said she would introduce me to some of her friends. I'm hoping that we can hang out a lot more and that I will be able to spend more time around Spaniards than Americans...sorry guys lol

And on the other side of things - I have a shoe obsession. It's so great to be able to go shopping and actually find my size in a store - in every store. I've bought 4 pairs of shoes this week as well as a watch. At least I'll finally know what time it is haha.

And with that little rant, it's time for bed. I'm still constantly tired and worn out. Language learning is hard stuff I tell you.

Dos Mundos...

After class today I spent my afternoon talking with my advisors. I've come to realize that I am very frustrated with how I have spent the last two weeks here and I'm on a mission to improve and accomplish my goals.

As I've said time and time before, I do not speak in Spanish nearly enough. It's frustrating because that is the whole point of me being here. In my classes I speak in Spanish and with my family I speak in Spanish, but whenever I am with my friends we always talk in English. For me this is very frustrating - I am willing to speak in Spanish to them, however no one else wants to. According to my advisors, all we need is 4 or 5 people to commit to speaking Spanish all the time and we will be good, however that is like pulling teeth.

In an effort to improve my Spanish and become more involved, I requested another intercambio. Her name is Beatris and I think I will be meeting her on Wednesday. I'm not sure what we will be doing, but it'll be nice to meet someone that actually lives here. I'm really hoping it goes well because I would like to spend more time with Spaniards than with USACers...sorry guys. No offense but I need to speak Spanish!!

I've also requested to be placed in a volunteer opportunity. I'm not sure where it will be yet - I really wanted to do something medical related, however my Spanish isn't good enough for that yet - I'm hoping in the spring...But for now, maybe a school or something else. Who knows - I just need to be forced to speak more.

Finally (and let me say in advance - this is very important to me and it is a part of my life that I will not compromise on), I'm basically trying to live in 2 different worlds. My current life here in Madrid, and my life that I have in the US. Every day I talk to my family and my boyfriend because it is important for me to stay connected with them and keep strong relationships. This is what I have to do for me - I can throw English out the window with everyone else if I have to, however with my family and Keith I have to talk to them.

I feel like I'm realizing more about myself and like I know what changes I have to make to accomplish my goals. I just hope I can get other USACers to do the same. While I don't mind doing my own thing, it's also nice to have friends in my classes and to go traveling with.

Again...I wish I could have done this in high school. When I have a house, I will host exchange students. My children will be exchange students (sorry kids, you have no option...)

Bullfights...

Now let me just say that this is one Spanish tradition you simply cannot miss - However - for me it is a one and done type of thing.

Yesterday a bunch of us USACers went to our first bullfight (un correo del toros??) and I have a mix of emotions about it. First off, it's sad. In just under 2 hours I saw 6 bulls get basically tortured and killed. Second, the arena (plaza del toros) was beautiful!! Very large and elegant and I loved it. Third, the slightly demented, EM doctor side of me wanted to see one of the matadors get nailed. Luckily, in the last round that happened and I got to see him get carried out of the plaza.

I'll post a video and pictures on YouTube eventually - you know when I have a life. Because I really can't describe it in words. Mind you the pictures and video may be graphic so be prepared.

Like I told my host family - I will never go again, but it was a cultural experience I had to have.

Life, Love, and Laughter

This week has defiantly had its ups and downs - and warning now, this is going to be a long post.

Yeah, this week started out much better - my host family was home a lot more and I feel like I was starting to understand a little better. I've defiantly figured out a lot more of the students in my program and who I like and who I don't. Basically, I'm just trying to settle into this new, odd life.

As far as some more good things for the week, I planned and booked two trips. The first is going to be to Poland from November 2-5. And the second is going to be to Ireland from December 5-8. I'll be going with 3 other girls (plus whoever else followed suit but I'm not responsible for them). I'm excited. I've never really gotten to travel so I'm hoping that these trips here will go well.

That being said, let me get into my major complaint of the week...the majority of American university students who study abroad are dumb. Let me be a little more clear - they are loud, obnoxious, disrespectful, and don't care about fitting in with the culture of the place they are. Example A: Last night a group of us were going to go to a bar for drinks and tapas - well suddenly a small group turns into 20 people, who all manage to run into each other on the metro and begin talking in English. Problem 1: Everyone is speaking English. Problem 2: Everyone is yelling. Problem 3: The entire metro train full of Spaniards is now looking at us really pissed off. Ok-usually I don't care what people think about me, but here I do. Being identified as an ignorant American is not only annoying and looked down upon, but it makes you a clear target for pickpockets.

Long story short - I came here to experience a different culture and learn some new stuff (aka Spanish!!) not to be wild and crazy and go out every night and get shit faced...yeah.

Insert the next problem - I do not use my Spanish enough. I've been here almost 2 weeks and I feel like I haven't learned anything. I can feel my time ticking away!! Again, this is why I wish I could do this in high school - you are the only American at your school - you are the only one who speaks English - and to fit in, you have to speak Spanish 24/7. With a university program, you know 0 native spanish people your own age and all you do is speak English. My goal for this week - talk to my intercambio (my native spanish speaking "friend" assigned to me by the USAC program) and see if she wants to get together at all. Next goal - see if I can have 2 intercambios, because my first one is 28 and much older than I am. I want to find some girls my age I can relate to a bit better. Third goal - find a volunteer program that actually requires me to use my Spanish more. And fourth - spend some more quality time with my host mom.

OK - biggest problem of the week. One of my biggest fears came true. Last night I found out that within the last 2-3 days my dog back home has developed a tumor in her spinal cord that basically made her paralyzed. So yesterday my parents told me they had to put her down. As of then, anything past her waist she had lost control of. My family set up a spot for her in the middle of the living room with blankets and towels and her toys. All day someone sat with her, and she was mentally her normal happy self. Today, by morning she had lost control of her front legs. According to Keith, my Dad said she hadn't given anyone kisses all day, but when Keith came over she gave him some. Keith says those were for me. They had her put to sleep around 10 am, and although I am devastated, I know she's happier now. She loved to run and play, and not being able to move and enjoy life is not what she would have wanted. It's just hard not being able to be there.

On the other hand, today I went to Segovia and had to try suckling pig - NEVER again! I about puked when the waiter plopped this baby pig's head on my plate. The director of USAC had my plate taken away and replaced with a less-identifiable piece of pig that I still didn't eat.

And on the bright side of things, my host mom and I had a really nice conversation and I actually understood all of it.

Sorry to be quick at the end there - it's been a long day and I need to sleep. Night all.

An Insight On Spanish Culture...

So while I was having a somewhat intellectual conversation with my host dad today (I say somewhat because while he talked about intellectual things I just said "Sí, Sí, Vale." for most of the conversation and threw in a few comments here and there.) I discovered some interesting things about Spanish culture and why a good majority of Europeans dislike Americans.

Here in Spain, everything is slow (except my showers - god I miss my half hour showers...). Whereas in America we do everything quick - food, driving, talking, ya know. And in America, everything is very big - the food, the houses, the country. According to Spaniards, we put too much focus on our things rather than our experiences, friends, and family. Now, I totally see where my host dad is coming from - as I told him, in America it's almost like a constant contest - If so and so has a big house, you have to have a big house as well. As a little kid you say, "Billy has that toy, so I need it too!" We do the same thing with jobs - if you aren't a doctor or a lawyer or a CEO of some major cooperation you can't hang out with others who have those jobs.

Basically, Spaniards put emphasis on spending quality time with people and respecting them regardless of who they are or where they come from. In Spain, race isn't a big deal - yes people are black and white and oriental - but they are all Spaniards (except for the Chinese...I haven't quite figured it out but they are not well liked here...? No offense to anyone of course - personally I have no problem with anyone - unless you annoy me...) Anyway, when you go to a meal or a gathering no one has a phone, no one is updating their Facebook status - everyone is communicating in some way - often many people at the same time talking really loud and making it really hard for me to comprehend anything.

They also think we are ignorant. And honestly, I will agree. I came here and almost every day a Spaniard has tried to talk American politics with me - I barely know what's going on back home (thanks Mom for your political efforts...) but even so there are so many who don't have a clue. I didn't realize how much our politics affect the rest of the world. In Spain, people are very worried about our election results because of how it will affect the country here.

Anyway - it's not very entertaining, but I thought it was interesting. I'm sure I explained that really bad...oh well. Goodnight all.

Toreo Jones!!!

That's right - I saw my first Spanish movie in a theater in Spanish! ... I'm not sure that sentence makes any sense but I'm gonna go with it.

Yes, today my host brothers and my ...host dad...? I'm still not sure on that one - it's a long story. But yes, anyways we went to the movies and it was a cute little animated film and I really liked it! Most likely because I actually understood it =D

Movie theaters in Spain are pretty awesome. All of the seats are like La-Z-Boys and they even have booster seats for little kids - I mean hello America!! Where were the booster seats when I was little? All I ever got was the pile of coats my family took off...

And I've decided that I can never drive in Spain. People here are crazy! There are no stop signs and it's like the lines on the roads are invisible - people are constantly all over the place.

That's all for today - short and sweet. Thanks everyone for trying to stay updated with my life. You guys are awesome =D

Much Much Better

Today was a much better day. Last night I was pretty upset and feeling pretty down. I think it was just a mix of being in a new place and being stressed out, as well as some things not being what I expected. This week my host brothers were not at home, so my host mom wasn't home very much - and I don't understand her very well - so I was pretty sure that she didn't like me. And all of the people in my program really like to go out to just get drunk, and that's not my scene, so I've been feeling pretty lonely.

Anyway, I talked to my host mom and told her how I was feeling and last night we made some pasta and watched Miss Congeniality (in Spanish of course...I think it was called La Agente Especial"... something like that...But yes I felt better after that.

So today, I went into the city with some people in my program and we went to El Corte Inglés because I needed to buy a straightener and a bag for my school books. I can tell my spanish is getting a little better here and there because today I was able to go to the store and talk to the cashiers and know what was going on - much better than trying to buy a phone when I know nothing about electronics to begin with. After that we got lunch at a little restaurant and I tried "una bocadilla de calamari" - which I believe next to paella is the second most popular food in Spain.

After I got home I took a little nap and then around 6 I finally got to meet my host brothers. They are 10 and 7 and have so much energy! We ended up playing Sims for a few hours then had some homemade pizza. I also got to meet their dad who is from the Galicia area and he was much easier for me to understand. We actually had an intellectual conversation about different languages and the complexities of them and how words are created and whatnot - how I can manage that but not a conversation about my trip to school is beyond me.

But yes, today was much better and I'm starting to feel more comfortable with the city and my family and communicating with my real family. (By the way - Happy Birthday Mommy!! your present will arrive whenever I can manage to figure out how mailing packages works...so it might be a while...) Tomorrow I have another orientation type activity. It's a scavenger hunt around the city to help us use our Spanish and meet people so I'm excited.

Meh. Rough Day.

So the first couple days were ok, then we got to today. Today was the first of many days from hell. I'll start from the beginning...

Traumatic Experience 1: The showers in Spain are very small and water is very expensive, so you have to be quick. So this morning, I couldn't get the water to get warm - so the beginning of my shower was like ice. Well, I am showering and suddenly the water gets scalding hot. So since there was no in-between, I took an ice cold shower.

Traumatic Experience 2: When I was trying to leave for school this morning, I was trying to lock the door, but I couldn't see anything in the hall, so I tried to turn on the light - however I hit the house alarm instead of the light. Well, my host mom woke up and came out and pointed to the light switch then told me to have a good day and closed the door. Got off to a great start there didn't I...

Traumatic Experience 3: My host mom showed me where the metro station was, but not how it works, so this morning I had to go put money on my transit card. The cards have to be put in a machine and you pay with cash or a credit card. Well, there are lots of different types of transit cards here and I put my card in the wrong slot, and it got stuck, so I had to ask a random lady for help (in spanish...very broken spanish...). She got it out using a straw.

Traumatic Experience 4: So after I got my card back, I still couldn't get the machine to work. So, I asked a woman who worked there if she could help me (again with the very bad spanish...) and eventually I got it paid for. However - in Spain, credit cards have pin numbers and in the US we don't, so of course I couldn't get my card to work. Debit was good though, so no problems.

Traumatic Experience 5: So I now have my card and I can't figure out how to get through the gates to get to the train. I'm thinking it's like Chicago where you put your card in the side and it comes out the top...well it turns out my card is a magnet and you just tap it on the top.

Traumatic Experience 6: Figuring out what side of the track I needed to be on to go in a specific direction. There were no stairways - you actually have to exit and go back up to the road and come down on the opposite side of the street.

And to top it all off, I can barely understand my host mom and anyone else in the city, yet I can understand my professors and the program leaders. I think it's just that they talk too fast and have the accent, but it's hard. I can tell my host mom laughs at me and gets frustrated because I don't understand a lot, but I'm trying. No one understands how hard this is until they try it. In the US, I thought I was really good at Spanish, but here, I am very bad. I couldn't survive without some of my friends that speak fluently.

And on that note, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully it will be better. It's the first day of classes...