Week 7: Oct. 16th-22nd (Córdoba & Granada, Spain)

I have officially been in Sevilla for more than six weeks. This is week seven of classes and then I have seven more after this week. How crazy! I am counting down because I am excited to be at home, but then I also don’t want to leave. It’s a tough battle to fight. Rough life, I know. Well this week was more miserable than the past six weeks because I had to study A LOT. I had three midterms on one day--one right after the other--and then one the next day as well. Let’s just say by Thursday, I was ready for a break. A lot took place this week and weekend though and overall, I am happy about it.

This past Monday night, I got an email from ISA, my program, that I was accepted into the program for teaching English to kids. I was told that I had to be there at 9:45am the very next day and I needed to sign a contract at the ISA office beforehand. The ISA office was about an hour or more in the opposite direction and both places were very far from where I live. I almost bailed on doing the program, especially because I was stressed about having to study for midterms but my roommate convinced me to give it a try. So I got up at 7:30am (that is very early here) and made my way to the ISA office to sign the paper...ugh, that’s all they needed...and then grabbed my schedule and headed to the school. The school was located in the more suburban area of Sevilla and I was almost completely alone on the metro on the way there which felt so strange. Once I arrived, it was less than a five minute walk to the school. I had a very difficult time opening the door. You had to buzz in in order to get the door open but every time it unlocked, I could not figure out how to open it. I finally got it to open on the third try and then I walked up to the front door and couldn’t open that one either. It was rough… then I didn’t have any idea where to go or which classroom I was supposed to be in. It always adds an extra layer of fun when you aren’t fluent in the language, too. It was a bilingual school--or at least they teach classes in English--so I was hoping more people would know English but no such luck. I finally found my way to the classroom and FELL IN LOVE. There were about 30 kiddos or so and they were about 11 or 12 years old. They were all so curious and seriously so adorable. They had to introduce themselves in English and then they got to ask me questions in English. They were mostly yes or no questions but I cannot tell you how much fun it was and how adorable their accents were. Then the teacher, Sylvia, let me write on the chalkboard and lead some activities. A chalkboard, yes, that’s what I said...and I don’t know how they do it. My hand hurt so bad because the chalk is so tiny. And to have good handwriting with a piece of chalk is quite the challenge. It was so fun though. I thought about moving to Spain to teach English to students there. No joke. Still slightly considering it. I guess every other week I am with the students I was with on Tuesday to teach them English and then the other weeks, I am with 8-year-olds to teach them science. We shall see this week how that goes. Science might be quite trickier. Either way, I am thrilled at working with them and am so glad I didn’t bail.

So then Wednesday came and I had my three midterms. On the bright side!!! It rained for the first time and it smelled SOOO good. I had forgotten what rain smelled like. My roommate and I got our rain gear on--my rain boots and rain jacket--and took photos that night in the rain. But anyway, midterms. They went better than expected I would say, but my Sports Psychology test was ridiculous. I just don’t even understand the questions he writes. He had to blot out or give us the answers to three out of 30 of the questions because he didn’t proofread his work. I like that class and I like him as a person and coach, but as a teacher...he is very frustrating. Wednesday night, I spent a good deal of the night studying for my Communications and Media in the Digital Age class. That is when I realized I really enjoy that class and I also have a mini crush on my teacher. Not a lovey-dovey crush, but more of an admiring crush. I like who he is as a person. I really enjoy his class and I like the way he teaches and how passionate he is. He has also taught me so much in life and in material in the last six weeks. He is one of the younger professors there and is single, but that doesn’t matter. ;) So the reason I am telling you all this is because of what happened on Thursday. Because before this all took place, I didn’t realize how much I “admire” him. So I was supposed to have tutoring at 11am at my University to work on my Spanish. I was going to meet with a lady named Lola and she works in the international office called CUI. I don’t remember what that stands for, pero bueno. (<--a transition phrase in Spanish that means “but good” and it’s a perfect phrase for this scenario but doesn’t sound right in English so I am going to use some Spanglish.) So I was walking to this office and thinking about my teacher--his name is Rúben by the way--and as I walk up to the office, guess who is standing outside? Rúben. We are on a first name basis...cool right? Ha. Just kidding--every teacher goes by their first name. But anyway, he works in that office as well, but he was outside and he looked at me and goes “Hola, q tal?” It clicked. I realized why I appreciated him so much. He speaks to me in Spanish and treats me like a friend as well as a student. I like that he doesn’t just speak in English but also that he gives me the chance to be a Spaniard. I also realized how in class he always looks me straight in the eye, which I appreciate teachers than maintain such concentration. So I went in for my tutoring session but Lola ended up not being able to meet which gave me more time to study more for my midterm so it worked out. I took my midterm later that afternoon and I ended up being the last person in the classroom with Rúben. As I was walking up to leave I was thinking of all the ways to say bye in Spanish and have a good weekend and stuff and he totally beats me to it and says it so quickly that I just stumble over my words and go, “Gracias, hasta luego.” Ugh. The struggle.

Well Thursday night, I finally felt free and was able to facetime my mom for 3+ hours and it was glorious. It was like spending an afternoon with her. It was great. Then, that night, Carly and I had a wine night with cheese, aceitunas (olives), and potato chips. We watched the Switch, an American movie, but don’t worry it had Spanish subtitles.

Friday morning, we left early for Cordoba and Granada on one of our excursions as a group. We stopped in Cordoba first and it was an older city that was beautiful. There is a pretty mosque/cathedral there and our tour guide was very passionate and proud of his city. The tour seemed a little long though because there were a lot of people and we were starving by the end of it. But it was cool to think how at one point Muslims, Christians, and Jews all lived in harmony together. There were many cool little restaurants and there were lots of awesome narrow streets and cute tourist shops. It was slightly hilly but seemed like more work than we were used to because Sevilla is so plano (flat). Our host mom had packed us bocadillos (similar to sandwiches) and we sat outside and ate them after the tour. We then got ice cream, of course. I got mango...classic. I usually either get mango or fresa (strawberry) because the fruit tastes so good. Then, we went and got drinks and tapas at a restaurant after where we could just sit and chat. It was a short few hours in Cordoba and then we headed to Granada. Granada is a college-town and is very hilly compared to Sevilla. It is the only city in the south where you can ski in the winter time. We saw the snow on the Sierra Nevada which are the mountains there. It made me want to ski real bad. We arrived in the heart of the city and ended up staying at a beautiful hotel. I did not realize how cold Granada was at night so I very badly under-packed. I brought mostly shorts and tank tops. I had one jacket. I greatly regretted my packing decisions. That night, we climbed about 10 flights of stairs (or the equivalent) outside to get to this viewpoint. It was exhausting. We were sweating despite the freezing weather (in the 50’s and 60’s, which is cold compared to Sevilla). The view was incredible though. It was of the La Alhambra at night and then it overlooked the whole city, as well. So gorgeous. After that, we went to a flamenco show. We had the room just to ourselves. It was so much fun. They can sure move their feet fast. I hung out with a great group of girls this weekend. There wasn’t really a set group but I had a blast with all the different people I hung out with. That night, we went to dinner after and I biffed my spanish so bad when I was trying to order a drink. Yet, the camareros (waiters) had such a great time with us. I love when they can mess with us Americans instead of hate us. We even got a photo with one of the waiters, which I will post below. After, we found a dessert place that was FANTASTIC and even had gluten free options! There was chocolate cake, a date cake, and carrot cake. I got carrot cake and it was so moist and fresh and yum! I was a happy camper. After that, my friend Mary Jo and I decided to go get a glass of wine at one of the places near our hotel. Our hotel was literally smack dab in the middle of everything. Then, we decided we wanted to check out one of the clubs. There were big men/security guard type people out front and we were really intimidated. One of my friends from Santander, Elena, who lived in Spain for a few years and just knows Spain really well was messaging me and telling me how they were just bouncers, like the US has. We felt silly we had thought they were something else but that made a lot more sense. So we went there--and got IDed--which was funny because they have no idea how to make sense of our American driver’s license. Also, fun fact. My license expired at the beginning of this month since I turned 21 in September but I didn’t want to get a new license before I left because I would have to get another new one when I get back so I am using it despite it being expired. I never usually get IDed so it works. Anyway, MJ and I had a good time. It was literally all locals which was cool but we tried to blend as much as possible. We decided they are so cool and we are so not. They have such little dance moves, but they’re good. MJ and I like to go crazy. We like our space. But we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves. We stayed out til about 4am and I had 10,000 steps before going to bed. That’s always fun. The next day, we had to wake up early for the all-inclusive breakfast before meeting for our tour of the La Alhambra. They had gluten-free options at breakfast which was exciting. So then, we saw La Alhambra. It was a palace and fortress that was built a long time ago. There were a lot of historical facts that went in one ear and out the other because it is too much for my brain to retain, but one thing I remember is that Isabella and Fernando lived there at one point and they honored Christopher Columbus in one of the rooms we stood in. The design was so intricate and most of it was so well preserved. It was so impressive. The views were incredible and the gardens...lovely. I told myself I was going to just enjoy the tour and only take a few photos. I think I took over 200 photos not going to lie. It was incredible. I highly recommend it. After, we went out for tapas and drinks. So in Granada, when you buy a drink, you get a free tapa. By the way, a tapa is a small portion of something. Like a small bocadillo or a tortilla de patata which is like an omelet. So we went to this restaurant and I spent eight euros and got two alcoholic beverages (I’m legal and it was only soda and wine, don’t worry friends.), a omelet thing, and an assortment of meats and potatoes. We stuffed ourselves. Our waiter was so nice about my celiac disease as well. It was a grand experience. After, we all hit a wall and went back to the hotel and I napped for three hours. Then, we got up and went to go get ice cream and found a frozen yogurt place. Eat, drink, be merry--right? After, we walked around the city. It was incredible how many people were out but there were SO many cute restaurants. We got dinner at this one restaurant and it had stuffed potatoes with a sauce over it that had mushrooms and beans or something. I enjoyed it very much. Dinner was also fun just because of the people I was with. After dinner, I convinced them to go back to the dessert place from the night before because I wanted the chocolate cake this time. I’m such a bad influence, I know. Unfortunately this time, I was disappointed because they only had the dates cake. I decided to get it but it was not very good. It was dry and it was sugar free, lactose free, and gluten free. I can’t imagine anything like that could taste very good. After dessert, MJ and I decided to go to a bar and get drinks and talk. We had such a great time. It was a cute bar but we realized that it was only old people in their 50’s that were there. That was great for us because we could be left alone to talk. She’s a really good friend and gives me good advice. She also has a relationship with Jesus so we relate in that way. Well, after that we decided to try out this famous discoteca that a friend of hers had recommended. Let me just say--it was crazy! There were four bars inside this place. It was kind of inside of a mall. All of the bars were playing different music. We had fun for the first two hours, but then afterwards it got so crowded, we couldn’t even dance. There was a lot of shoving and I don’t like that. Also, a ton of Americans and people from our program were there and we don’t like that, either. We prefer to be with the locals and to have our space to dance. We left around 3:30am, before we got our 10,000 steps but we figured it wasn’t worth it. Besides, we needed some sleep. We had 9,400 steps so it was close enough. The next morning, we went to the cathedral where Isabella and Fernando are buried. It was a cool tour and we didn’t have a tour guide this time. We had one of those devices that you hold up to your ear and it tells you all the details. I chose for mine to be in Spanish because I thought it’d help me focus more but I gave up shortly after. I preferred to just look around. You could actually go underground sort of and see the tombs. It was cool. Then, we went outside and there were the statue people who dress up like statues and stand still unless you give them money. Then they will take a picture with you and move. One of them looked like a statue and he kept scaring people, even a little girl. After that, we went back to the hotel and sat and had coffee and just talked and enjoyed each other’s company. An hour before we were supposed to head back to Sevilla, we decided to get a quick lunch. We ended up back at the place we went to dinner the night before because it was so good. There were so many solicitors out at this time which is annoying that they can just come up to your table. One lady walked by, just a tourist, and she saw the stuffed potato and was like “¿Qué es? ¡¿Qué es?! ¡Yo quiero!” It was great. She was so nice. I love people like that! Then, we ended up heading back for Sevilla and got home around 8pm. Now it is back to reality. I am not sure I am ready to face the week. At least I don’t have midterms this week. Just a paper for my class with good old Rúben. :)

Well, sorry for the long post! A lot happened this week I suppose and with the trip to Cordoba and Granada, I just had a lot to record. I hope you guys enjoy the pictures! It’s almost November (already?!) so I will be posting a group of photos on Facebook soon...after this weekend probably. Hope all is well with you guys and that you are enjoying your fall weather. Sevilla is supposed to be between 85 and 90 degrees this week...ahh. Longest summer ever. Pues, adiós mis amigos!

This is my friend Maddie--such a sweetheart

This is the statue man that scared everyone

Beautiful view of the city!

MJ and me

Seeing the gardens finally made me feel like it was fall!

Gorgeous gardens 

Id like to point out that this was taken in the bathroom--that's how nice this place was.

Fun fact. If you look at this photo up side down, you can see the exact same picture because of the reflection.

This is the same reflection view as the photo above, just from the other side..

So much detail

My friend Juanita! 

Our fun waiter that took a pic with us!

The night view of the La Alhambra

Night view of the city...worth the sweaty hike

This is in Cordoba!

Cool pic in Cordoba where the cathedral spire lines up right in between the narrow street

The mosque/cathedral in Cordoba

Cordoba!!

IT RAINED FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!

"singing in the rain"
also, you can see the name of the street we live on behind me so it's a great pic for when my memory fails me a year from now

Week 6: Oct. 9th-15th (Albufeira, Portugal)

Buenas, amigos! Another way to say "Hola" here is "Buenas." It doesn't directly translate to anything, but it's a way of greeting someone. So... this week has been one of my favorites weeks. I unfortunately was sick last Sunday and chose to take the day to relax and do absolutely nothing. Monday, I was feeling better and therefore I was proud of myself for actually resting and not pushing it. However,  I felt even worse than I did on Sunday later on in the week. But I pushed through. Sometimes medicine, especially for colds, really does help. On Tuesday, there was an intercambio event through my program, ISA, and it was such a great experience! They treated us to drinks at a nearby coffee shop and we were able to meet quite a few more Spaniards so we could practice Spanish and they could practice their English. We were there for a long time just chatting away. When you lose track of time talking, especially when there is a language barrier, you know you have good company around you. I think it helped that there was a group of us so there wasn't as much pressure, compared to if it was just one on one. On Wednesday, our sports psychology teacher told our class that he had gotten 10 tickets to a fútbol (soccer) game for that night. The game started at 10pm and it was going to be a competitive game because it was Sevilla versus Cádiz, who is a big rival of theirs. Cádiz is a small beach town about an hour and a half south and a little west of Sevilla. Although I am not familiar with all the rules of soccer, we had a fantastic time at the game since we were surrounded by locals. There was a lot of chanting that took place and it reminded me of high school--but I loved it. There was so much team spirit! We had an interesting time getting into the stadium because the security guards were impossible to understand because they spoke so fast and asked us strange questions. For example, they asked us how old we were. We still don't know why. They were just questions that were completely unexpected. Then also, they allowed me to bring in a water bottle but they threw away the cap. But it was already full...so I could've had whatever fluid I wanted in there...so it just didn't make sense to me. Then, when we went inside, we could pick our seats but we were trying to save seats for a pretty big group. I'm sure it wasn't appropriate but the stadium was filling up fast so we put our legs up on the seats to reserve them. We are definitely Americans. I saw a couple of Spaniards mimicking us though so maybe they thought it was a good idea and we started a new trend! We stayed for the whole game and it ended up being a tie. It was crazy to me how late the game started but that's just how Spain is.

So Thursday (October 12th) was a holiday in Spain and therefore, we didn't have classes. Some of my friends and I took the opportunity to go to Portugal for the weekend.  I went with two of my friends from the ISA program, Mary Jo from Georgia and Juanita from Arizona. We went to Albuferia (good luck pronouncing that...I can't, no matter how hard I try). We found really cheap bus tickets and then a cheap Airbnb, as well. The apartment we stayed in had a hammock on the balcony. We had two balconies and a supermarket downstairs. So the first thing we did when we got there was buy snacks from the supermarket and sit on that balcony and watch the sun go down over the city past the mountains way out in the distance. Then, we went to dinner later that night and that is when we realized that the city life in Portugal is so much different than we are used to in Sevilla. First of all, there were no people out. We went to the "strip" where all the restaurants and bars and tourism was...supposedly. However, it was seriously empty. If there were people, they just stared at us. We were very confused. However, we found a nice restaurant with really yummy food. Then, we explored the strip more and found that more towards the beach, there were more people. And that is when our night really began. I can't even explain to you how much fun I had. We found a bar where there were old couples dancing to modern club music and it made my day. When I am 70-years-old, I hope I can boogie as well as these people could. I ended up meeting many, wonderful people this night, as well. MJ and I had nicknames for just about every one of them. There was the Ginger, Hollish, bodyguards, and then Callum, Jim and their friends. This post would be so long if I tried to explain all that took place, so just take my word for it...it was probably one of my favorite "nights-out" in my life. Another difference from Sevilla, because Sevilla is so big and difficult to get around in late at night so it's hard to go out. At least in my experience so far. Well, the next day, we went to the beach. Now, I have had a realization lately. I don't really like the beach... I don't like sand everywhere, the sun burning my skin, and laying on the hard, hot sand. I don't like the water and walking in the ocean where there are creatures. Therefore, there is not much about the beach that would seem appealing. However, the atmosphere and idea of going to a place where there is a beach is exciting and is the ultimate definition of a vacation for me. And so I figured out what I like about beaches. I like when there are rocks and caves and adventures. That's what this beach in Portugal was like. We had our own private alcove, if you will, that was surrounded by rocks and it was just wonderful. I'll post some pictures in the blog, but I know it won't do it justice. I think we took over 250 photos, though, so hopefully there are a couple that can give you an idea of how much fun we had. We spent pretty much all afternoon there and then headed back home in the evening. That night, we decided to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant. We never really figured out what Portuguese food is--and also the language is very strange. But anyway, the food was good, but we had a show during dinner. There were fights breaking out at 10pm. "Toto, we aren't in Spain anymore," we said to ourselves as we saw people getting drunk as early as 10pm. In Spain, people don't drink like that until midnight or later (another difference)... But, we also realized through all of this how attractive Portuguese cops are. Anyway, MJ (Mary Jo) and I told ourselves to keep our expectations low for that night because we had had so much fun the night before, there was no way we could have two amazing nights in a row. Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, it is possible. We had another FANTASTIC night out. We found our friends again--all of them including: the Ginger, Hollish, bodyguards, Callum, Jim and friends. Side note, who is Hollish and bodyguards you might ask? Well, that is our deep dark secret and I cannot tell you....unless you ask me. :) Okay, so before we met all our friends, we did something kind of crazy. So there are tons and tons of bars along this so called strip. Some are super duper crowded and others are completely empty. Well, MJ and I decided we wanted to go into all the empty bars and just dance and have the time of our lives. That is exactly what we did. One of the bars that was empty had a live feed on a TV outside the bar. And it was an open bar so as people walked by, they could see we were the only ones inside. We did not care. Not one bit. We seriously had the best time dancing on that dance floor all by ourselves, without a care in the world. The rest of the night only continued to get better and, no matter how hard I try to explain it, I never will be able to come up with words effective enough to describe our night. It just has to forever live inside of me. Thank the Lord for memories, right? Let's just say we didn't get home until 4:30am and I already had more than 12,000 steps on top of the 25,000+ I had before the clock switched to midnight. (Aka, lots of dancing was involved with this night). Oh man. It was such a great weekend. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I'm pretty sure that's why MJ and my abs were so sore on Saturday. We rode the bus back on Saturday so we could have Sunday in Sevilla and I'm so glad we did. 

Today (Sunday the 16th) was super fun as well. I got to go with my host parents to a pueblo outside the city called Salteras. I think if I lived in Spain, I would live outside the city. It was such a wonderful little town and it reminded me more of home because it had big restaurants like I am used to. The one we went to today reminds me of the Italian restaurant Maggiano's that I go to in Colorado. It was a Spanish version of Magginao's, I guess. But it was so delicious and I was able to relax and have a great time with my host parents. I also love when we use the car because it reminds me of home, as well, since Americans drive everywhere in the U.S. My host mom is learning/practicing her driving. Let's just say I am glad for seat belts--no, really, she's a great driver though. 

Well, it's time to get back into the swing of things. Carly was gone all week in Morocco but now she's back and my mini vacation is over. I dread Mondays no matter what country I'm in, I suppose. I am getting ready to prepare for midterms. I have three in a row on Wednesday (please pray for me) and then another one Thursday. Then a midterm paper, among other assignments, due next week. But if I can get through this week, I leave on Friday for Granada and Cordoba which I know is going to be an awesome trip. Bueno. Thanks for reading! I had a lot to share but I wanted to write it all down before I forget. Have a great week everyone and I shall write again soon! Hasta luego. 

My adorable host mom!

The outside of the restaurant like "Maggiano's"

Mis 3 amigos in Portugal

The caves were so cool!

Me pretending to be Ariel from the Little Mermaid..dreams do come true

The rocks were very slippery..

Our little alcove! There was a water barrier so only the brave dared to enter...

You always have to have the handstand pic

Meet "Ginger." Did I mention he's British? He's got the cutest accent...

We found an American diner...

Of course Elvis belongs inside the diner...

Sevilla vs. Cádiz fútbol game

Week 5: Oct. 2nd-8th

Hi! It is Sunday...which means that tomorrow is Monday, and that means another week is here. This weekend was my last weekend in Seville before I start traveling every weekend until the second weekend in November. Whew, that was a lot of the word "weekend" in one sentence. Then, I travel three more weekends in a row after that one weekend off which takes me to the beginning of December where I start preparing for finals. Time is about to start flying. I am going to Albuferia, Portugal, Granada and Cordoba, Paris, then Morocco. I get one week in Seville then to Lisbon, Portugal, Naples and Rome, and finally Amsterdam. Since I'm here, I have to travel! My goal is to hit 10 different countries.

So, this week seemed to go pretty fast. It is STILL 90 degrees every day and, therefore, I can't tell you how excited I am for the weather to change. I like the sun, but if it could be 20 degrees cooler, that would be great. This past week was the first week of October! The first of October marked the day for the vote to take place on whether Cataluña can become its own country apart from Spain. It passed and as of tomorrow, October 9th, Cataluña, which includes Barcelona, will not be a part of Spain anymore. This is all the media has talked about for the past three weeks. It is a big deal though, so I understand that. I'm sure you've seen some of the violence and protests that have taken place in Barcelona if you watch the news often. It fascinates me to be here during such a memorable year. It also amazes me that, if I was in America, I would have nowhere near the knowledge of what is taking place compared to how much I am hearing about it now. Spain is a very divided country already, but this is a whole new level. I am interested in seeing what will happen in a couple of months. 

This week was full of coffee shop visits, school, kayaking, getting my hair done, and resting. I have found a couple of cafes that I like, but I refuse to get hot coffee when it is 95 degrees outside. Therefore, I have been indulging in the fresh fruit smoothies. They are quite delicious! My classes have been pretty good. I really am enjoying my Communications and Media in the Digital Age class, especially with all that is happening in Cataluña. The media definitely has strong power to influence our society. So I also went kayaking this week. Man, it is hard work. But we did it in the evening and it was so very pretty! We got pretty dang wet, but after sweating in this heat all week, I wasn't complaining. Then, I got my hair done this week! I was nervous to do anything to my hair while I was here, but I needed a trim and my highlights were looking very bad. I did some research on words used in a "Peluquería" (hair salon) and then took a chance. My appointment lasted almost 4 hours. My peluquero (hair dresser [P.S. I had to look up that word because I knew it in Spanish, but not in English...uh-oh.]) was very nice and he loved my hair. He told me, "Tu pelo es maravilloso." (Your hair is marvelous.) I thought to myself, "It isn't going to be marvelous after you're done with it" because he wouldn't leave it alone! But, he alternated dark and light highlights so my hair could look as natural as possible and then trimmed my hair also. He had a little too much fun giving me layers (I hate layers) but I figured they will grow... so I am not too upset. I love the way it turned out! It's definitely a lot darker than before but I think it'll look great for winter time. I also met with my intercambio, Eduardo, for the second time. He seems so young to me (he's 18--but in boy years, that's 15), but it is interesting to hear him talk and to learn about his culture. He is from Granada so we are both figuring out Seville together whenever we meet up. Another thing I was able to do this week is visit two different rooftop bars. The views were incredible. This city is massive and I feel like I find new places, new streets, and new restaurants every single week. One last thing, last night I was walking home on the main street in downtown Seville and there were people passing out Biblias Gratis (Free Bibles) in Spanish. My friend Mary Jo and I were so excited--they have probably never seen two young, white girls so excited to get a free Bible. 

Other than those few things, my week wasn't super eventful. I guess I'm settling in more now and can officially say it feels like I live here. I am enjoying the "down" time. I have been back and forth with it. At first, I was so excited for it because I never get down time in Colorado during school. Then, I was super upset because I felt like I was a loser who had no life. Now, I am enjoying doing things I don't normally have time to do. I'm listening to podcasts, watching movies, talking with friends, spending a thorough amount of time reading my reading homework (like I usually should) and I still have extra time for naps and relaxing. I keep telling myself I better enjoy it while it lasts... which is exactly what I plan to do!

Have a great week and enjoy your fall weather/snow/cool temperatures. I'm starting to miss the United States, but I am also so very thankful I am here. Hasta luego, mis amigos. 

I'm bummed the picture is dark, but I was able to climb on top of the kayaks and take a picture. The bridge behind me is called the Triana Bridge. I have posted pictures of it before--it is the beautiful one that gets lit up at night.

My free Spanish Bible!!

I found a gluten free peanut butter, chocolate cake pastry. I was so excited.

Could the streets be any narrower? 

Highly debating going skydiving...but I haven't told my parents yet...

The lit-up cathedral is behind me. This was taken from a rooftop bar.

My new hair!!

Week 4: Sept. 25th-Oct.1st

Hola! Things are starting to really speed up so I decided I might need to break down the days or I'd start to mix the days together or forget what even took place over the week.

Monday:
This day was very unproductive overall. I had class for almost four and a half hours which makes the day fly by and I lose a lot of energy by the evening. But! I did go for a run before class finally. The weather is really nice in the morning and it isn't searing hot like the afternoons. However, after the run, I couldn't seem to cool down my body temperature and I ended up getting a terrible headache. I might have just been dehydrated but it made the rest of my day a tad miserable. I didn't do any homework--which fortunately I had none due the next day. I took a nap and ran a couple errands and that's about it. This weather has been so hot at night so I had a tough time sleeping the night before, so that might have been part of the reason my head was bugging me.

Tuesday:
Tuesday was a much better day than Monday--isn't that always the case? I set up an appointment (in Spanish) to get eyelash extensions. I was a tad nervous not being able to communicate fully, but she did a really nice job. Luckily for me, the word natural is the same in Spanish and in English so she was able to make them look like they are my own eyelashes. My "peluquera" (hair-stylist) was super sweet! Although she's not really a hair stylist...but I don't even know what the word in English would be to describe her--eyelash extensionista? "No lo sé" (I don't know)...hmm, if I don't know the word in English, I definitely don't know the word in Spanish. Anyway, I also found a Chinese store that sells a whole bunch of cool items. I found some notebooks for really cheap since my journal is filling up fast, and then also a shade of lipstick I've been wanting for night time when I want to go out and dress up a little. I had way too much fun shopping around that store. I also finally got "los sellos postales" (stamps) for the US so I can send postcards home. I had a lot of homework to do since I hadn't done any of it the day before so I got to work on that and then was feeling real motivated. I went on a run and did some abs and stretched and boy, I always feel so much better when I work out. I even clipped my toenails and repainted them--TMI, sorry. But I was just able to get so much done so I was proud!

Wednesday:
Today seemed like such a busy day but I just had class all day and dinner with the host family. I don't have much to report from today. I did end up going to an intercambio event where we met up with people from Spain, German, Japan, Canada, etc. We have the option to sign up for a program where we can have a "Compañero" (partner) where they help you learn their language and you help them learn English. It was quite interesting to go and meet some people from all over, but the way it was set-up wasn't super efficient. Oh well... I'm glad I went. I am supposed to get assigned a partner here soon. I'm glad it's Wednesday, but I can't believe it's already Wednesday. It's one of those feelings where you are conflicted if the week is going by fast or slow...

Thursday:
I was so busy today which is pretty rare here in Spain. I only had class from 12:00-1:20 but I just find it so fascinating. The class is my Communications and Media in the Digital Age class. Media is so powerful. We are talking about how the Gutenberg invention of the printing press was one of the most important in history. It started this mass communication process and almost all that we have today is based off the concepts that were started with this machine. I love the quotes and depth of meaning in that class. It is one of those classes that I use the concepts and apply them to my life, not just my learning. I think that is when education is truly beneficial. So, I also got my intercambio today. His name is Eduardo. He is 18-years-old and seems quite nice. We are talking about a time to meet up so we shall see. Tomorrow I have an excursion to Gibraltar with ISA and so I'm really excited for that. However, I am not excited for the fact that I have to wake up at 6:15am. Time for bed! 

Friday:
Today has been a very eventful day. Gibraltar was a 4-hour bus ride away. I actually do not mind the travel time. It is time to decompress and relax and listen to music or watch downloaded Netflix episodes or purposely be lazy but not actually because you are being transported somewhere so it is technically beneficial still. I'm not sure if that made any sense, "pero bueno" (this is a transition phrase used all the time here). Gibraltar is actually owned by the English, the British. It is such a strange city/mountain. It is so small. To cross the border, we literally held up our passports. It was the most "tranquilo" (chill) system ever. We did a bus tour of the city and this was so cool. Our tour guide had British English because English is his first language but he also spoke Spanish with some weird words from France and German mixed in. I asked him how the languages worked there and I guess every person is required to know both English and Spanish before primary school. It makes sense because it is technically in Spain, it is just such a weird concept. We got to go to the very tip of the Peninsula and we could see Morocco from where we were. Also, as we drove from one side of the "island" to the other, it was the Atlantic ocean and then we crossed through a tunnel and it was the Mediterranean Sea. I thought that was pretty cool. Then, we went to the top of the mountain where we got to go inside these caves where they hold concerts because the acoustics are so cool inside. I'll post pictures on Facebook because it was super cool. Then, as we went outside...these gigantic monkeys were just all over the place. If you've heard of Gibraltar, you've probably heard of the monkeys, too. I'll post pictures of that too but it was so weird because they are just all over the mountain running wild. They are scary though because they are not nice. As we were driving down the mountain, several jumped on the top of our van and then jumped into the sides of the windows. It was quite terrifying. Then, we had free time in the city where I discovered that it is a very British culture. The currency was in Pounds, but everything was super expensive. It definitely had the feel of London, and it made me really happy I chose to study in Spain and not in the UK. Shh, don't tell any of my friends who are studying there. The food was terrible also, at least in my opinion. I was glad it was just a day trip there. Overall, I loved it but I could never live there. It was pretty too! But the storms there are apparently awful sometimes. We got home around 7:30pm and I was utterly exhausted but, of course I had signed up for an 8k that night. I literally went back to my apartment to change and then had to go back to town to run the race. I didn't think I'd survive but I ended up having a great time with my friend Jenna. She was nervous I was wanting to seriously run it but I told her it was just for fun and then she ended up wanting to run the whole thing. The term "running" scares so many people. They don't understand that it can be fun when there's 25,000 other people doing it with you and there's music and lights and music. The race started at 10pm, but it was still 89 degrees. So yes, I died--in case you were wondering. It was so hot. But it was great! 6.2 miles later, we felt very accomplished, especially because we got to run around the main part of the city and explore the city in a fun way. Then, I am now back home and for some reason I have been feeling homesick, more or less. I just am missing "my people" is how I like to word it. My roommate is gone this weekend so I have the place to myself so I face-timed my mom and dad until 3am. It was grand! Now I need sleep. 

Saturday: 
I was exhausted all day today. I slept until noon so I have no reason to actually be exhausted, but maybe it's from last night. I'm not as sore as I thought I would be so that's good! I love how we can just do nothing on the weekends and not even feel bad about it. I ended up doing some homework today so I wasn't completely unproductive. Then, I met with some friends downtown and we went to these festivals by the river. It was really fun to just hangout and sit by the river dangling our feet and talking. After, there's this street that my friend's sister had said was really fun where lots of locals hangout. It was about a 30-minute walk and we wanted the exercise so we decided to go. Once, we got there it was 2:30am and there was absolutely no one there. That is rare for Spain. But luckily, we walked closer to my house so I was able to just walk home. We felt like such losers because we were so tired, but I just am too old for all the partying. 21 hit me hard, man. It was still a 30-min walk home but on the bright side, I got 9,770 steps in before I went to bed. That way, if I don't walk at all tomorrow, I don't feel bad cause I can still get my 10,000 steps. Hee hee, sneaky--I know. 

Sunday:
Well, today is back to 93 degree weather. I am so ready for it to cool down, but once it gets cold, I know that I'll want warm weather again so I'm trying to enjoy it. Today, I met up with my intercambio, Eduardo, for lunch. We had tapas at a bar and then got "helado" (ice cream) and then walked around. He is the tallest Spaniard I have met here. Most Spaniards are very short here, but he's well over 6-foot. He has very tall legs and probably weighs 110 pounds. He was super nice though and can speak 4 languages of course. We were technically supposed to be paired with someone who speaks the same level of English that I do Spanish but he is pretty much fluent in English. He said I spoke Spanish very well though and that made me pleased. I know it isn't true, but I was still flattered. We had a good time and we will probably meet up again next week. He's different than most of the locals I have met here. He actually lives on the campus of UPO and is from Granada. He is young, but brilliant. I have figured out that English is pretty easy for Spaniards to learn if they want to because they can watch and read in English very easily and English is spoken all over the world. I learned in my International Marketing class this week that English is becoming the official business language or something like that. There is push in businesses for adding language programs to their company so that there isn't miscommunication between employees. I think it could be very beneficial actually. Speaking of all this, I have a presentation in that class tomorrow about this so I better go finish that now. Saving homework for Sunday--that's something that I can do in any country.

I will be posting pictures on Facebook this time since it is already October 1st!!!! That's crazy. Oh, also a big day for Spain because, I don't know if you all have heard, but Cataluña, which is a region here in Spain in the North (Barcelona is a part of this region), is trying to get its independence. It wants to be its own country apart from Spain. It's technically illegal but the vote is today so it's a big day here in Spain. I am interested to see what happens. Thanks for reading and have a great week!!