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!