Full of Festivities- Week 5

 Hola!

In wracking my brain for something specific I have learned this week, I really could not come up with anything, but it later hit me that I was ignoring something that the Lord has been teaching and reteaching me constantly in the past few months... and that is the concept that He does not withhold anything good from those he loves and that he provides everything we need when we need it. 

   Day 30:

It feels kind of odd to start this out with Tuesday but here it goes. Tuesday I had class by myself again and we worked on one of the past tenses in Spanish. It always bewilders me the fact that they use so many different tenses in the Spanish language. Like why do we need 3 different past tenses?? and how do kids learn which one is used for what?? Maybe it is different if that is all you know and I bet people who learn Spanish first are confused by how few tenses we use in English so I guess that is just how it goes. Tuesday evening we had a gals potluck at one of the apartments. This was such a sweet time. We all brought something to share and then we also could see the festival parade from the balconies. Wildly, there was a sudden lightning storm that started in the middle of the parade, and this being a town that does not receive much rain, the streets started to look like a river. It didn't last super long so they were able to finish the parade as you know, the show must go on. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be in the traditional outfits that they were in as it started to pour. Thankfully because of the festival, the streets were covered in tented areas for people to enjoy food and drinks, these tents doubled as rain shelters for the time being. Anyways, there is just something about sharing a meal together that makes for the best conversations and laughter. We also played a few games and watched a movie that night. I almost fell asleep on their couch but did manage to make the 5-minute walk home so that I could sleep in my own bed. Next time, it would probably be smarter for me to just stay there though. 

p.s.- don't judge our food selection, I swear we had broccoli too, not just carbs and fruit lol

   Day 31:

And just like that, I've lived in Spain for a month now. That is wild to think about. I think sometimes a month seems like a really long time and sometimes it feels really short. It's funny how time is relative like that. This was our first official day of the festival so we didn't have classes. It honestly felt kind of weird to not have to be somewhere. I stayed in my bed reading and watching The Well service that I had missed the weekend before and only got ready when my host mom came in to see if I wanted to walk to some of the Hogueras and run an errand with her. This forced me to change out of my pjs but it was definitely worth it. The Hogueras for those of you who do not know, are these massive paper-mâché sculptures that the city works on for the entire year to create. Each neighborhood puts down money to pay for theirs and there were 200 of them around the city. Most of them make some sort of statement whether that be political or otherwise. I had to guess what a lot of them were saying as all the signs that described them were written in Spanish or Valencian. These were amazing, you'll have to keep reading to find out what they do with them at the end of the festival. Another part of the festival is that at 2pm every day they do what they refer to as mascallettas (I have no idea how they spell that, but you get the point) This is a series of firecrackers and bombs being set off sort of like a firework show but in daylight. It is really quite a sight. On this day, my plan was to meet my friends and watch it from their apartment, but I left my apartment way too close to when it was going to start and ended up stuck in the crowd of people packed in the plaza, like sardines. What normally takes me 5 minutes, I couldn't get through in 15. It was honestly really overwhelming, but I finally decided to stop trying to get through and just stood there and embraced it from the streets. After it ended I made it up to their apartment and then we decided to walk around the shops for a bit and then I went home to get ready for the next thing. Skylar and I went to the Bullfights that evening, and let me tell ya, I do not regret going, because it is a big cultural experience, but I never feel the need or want to go again. We stayed for only half of the event and then decided that we were done. I really do not know what I expected it to be like but that was not it. We took our time walking on the streets back into random stores including a thrift store that didn't really have anything great in it but was certainly fun to check out. Then I went home and had dinner and went to bed early as everyone else had gone out!

   Day 32:

This was an extremely long day! I started off the day pretty slow but met up with Skylar at a coffee shop that we have been trying to go to for weeks now but had not been able to figure out the hours of and I go the best croissant filled with cream and strawberries. It was heavenly. We figured out some more details for our trip next week and are getting really excited and slightly anxious about that. There is so much we want to see and not much time, but I'm sure it is going to be great! I got to spend time video chatting with Riley and Ellie about wedding details which let me tell ya, it is insane to coordinate three different time zones like this but was so much fun! That night we had tickets for a club that is on the water and had decided that we were going to stay out until sunrise. I was wary of this decision but was told it was an experience that I had to have at least once while I was here and since people are leaving next week it was really our last chance to go out with them. Just before sunrise, we got churros from a street cart and walked over to the beach where people had been participating in the bonfire tradition involved with the festival. Apparently, people gather around a bonfire that they have made on the beach. Then, they write on one piece of paper the bad things that happened in the past year and throw that in the fire. On another piece of paper, they write the things they are hoping will happen in the next year, stick them in their pockets, and then have to jump over the fire for it to come true. I guess it kind of reminds me of how we blow out candles on our birthdays, but definitely more dangerous. From the beach, we watched the sunrise and then headed home. I did not get home until 6:45am. I then slept from 7 until 12 when I woke up to a band playing in the neighborhood very close to mine.

   Day 33:

Well by the time I woke up at 12pm half the day was gone, but that was ok. I had already planned to meet up with Danielle to help her with what she had missed in class on Monday and Tuesday so I headed over to her apartment after I had my "morning" coffee and pushed through the crowds that were already beginning to form an hour before the mascallettas began for the last time this year. Midway through working on things they began, and because Danielle had been out of town for all the previous days of the festival, she was in definite shock at what was going on and the number of people gathered below her apartment. After we finished going over what I had done in class, I went home to eat lunch

and then I met up with Charlotte to hit the beach for the rest of the afternoon. This was the final night of the festival so that means that they were going to BURN DOWN EVERY ONE OF THE SCULPTURES! We started out at the largest one that they would burn first at 12am, after waiting for what felt like forever with no personal space it was crazy to watch as all that hard work was burnt up in a matter of minutes. I've heard though that part of that is to symbolize how material things do not last and therefore we need not be too attached to them. After the sculpture burns down, it is custom for the people to yell at the firemen, who then respond by spraying the crowd with the huge hoses. Some chose to be soaked and others like myself stay just out of range or move very quickly when they figure out the range is slightly larger than they imagined. The burnings happen in a matter of phases as there are only so many firemen to control them so we spent the earliest hours of the morning wandering the streets and were able to catch four of them being burnt. By the time we got to the last one, it could not have been over sooner. I hit a wall and wanted nothing more than to go home. I ended up getting home around 4am and went straight to bed!

   Day 34:

Being out until the wee hours of the morning meant another day of staying in bed until 12+. Honestly I kind of just stayed in bed the majority of the day. I spent time reading my bible, watching movies, and reading. It was a day full of nothing. Sometimes these are my favorite days even though they may seem boring to many people. It was the recharge I really needed after being around so many people for so many hours. I even got to talk with Nolan for a bit while Ellie was off at a Rangers game with her friends. then I went to bed decently early. That's really all for Saturday!

   Day 35:

Today has been nice. I woke up early to the sounds of Linnea, the Finnish girl that has been staying here, packing up her things to go to the airport. Just as she was heading out the door I got to poke my head out and say bye. Then I climbed back into bed and fell back to sleep. I woke up and had breakfast of jamón serrano on toast with tomato and olive oil and my cup of coffee. While my host mom went to the store to get the things for today's paella I got a chance to sit and talk with her daughter. I commonly in life sit in a situation too scared to ask the first question and then I let the opportunity pass me by. Today I thought about sitting there silently drinking my coffee and just letting it go, and truthfully I did let a chunk of time go by, but then I was determined not to. So I started with a simple question, that honestly, I don't think she understood what I was asking, but started a conversation nonetheless. We talked for probably 20-30 just about travel and her work, but it was really nice. I doubt my ability to interact with others frequently, but that comes from fear and that is not of the Lord. Sometimes it's just a simple step of asking one question. We just finished our lunch of paella with mussels in it and on the side and I am not sure how I feel about mussels but that is ok lol. They are the consistency of clams, but a lot bigger so it takes quite a bit to chew them so that kind of bugged me. At least they are not terrible! I love getting to try so many new things here!

In summation, it has been a long and crazy week with not much sleep but chalked full of culture and fun. Homesickness is getting strong right now as I am about to watch many of my new friends return to their homes and their families, there is a part of me that is jealous of them even though they say they are jealous of those of us who get to stay for another month. I think this is one of those the grass is always greener situations. God is teaching me every day to rely on him and him alone as he provides for my needs and is not withholding good from me. I know that the next few weeks are going to be good for me and I am going to enjoy them but pray for me as I miss home so much right now! Pray for my reliance on the Lord and trust in his plan!

Sending lots of love from Spain!

Adios!

p.s.- Next week's blog will be out late as I don't return from my trip until the 4th and start classes on the 5th but be on the lookout for it around then!

Continuing forth- Week 4!

 Hola amigos,

Independence is something that, when talked about is often romanticized or avoided completely. People either are or are not independent or capable of being independent, but I think that either extreme is just not true or possible for anyone. We as humans are made for community and yet simultaneously as we grow and mature must find a way to be independent at times. How can both of these be true?? I don't have an answer, just some anecdotes as I am figuring out what that looks like in my own life. 

   Day 22:

I got my midterm back today and got 100% on the written portion and 90% on the oral presentation, so if you were worried about my schooling, don't be hahah... I'm doing just fine! This was a pretty calm day other than that though. I ate Alicante meatballs in a vegetable broth, that was a different experience. It was pretty good though and later my host mom taught us how to make tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet) I might even argue that this is one of my favorite foods to eat here. It is very simple but so good. I could probably eat the entire thing that is meant for 3 people if I wasn't going to get weird glares for doing so. I also decided to go lay out at the beach by myself this day for the first time. I went thinking that my friends had headed there after lunch only to find that they never made it and by the time I saw some people that I knew, I had already laid out my things, so I decided to take this opportunity to just spend some time in the word and taking in the sounds around me. This lasted about an hour before I was sweating up a storm and needed to go home.

   Day 23:

Went to class and then home for lunch like normal. Then I met up with a few of my friends to go to the local modern art museum in Alicante which was about a 15-20 minute walk from Los Luceros (the main plaza in Alicante). There were a lot of interesting pieces to look at and even better than that, it was free to visit and use their air conditioning for a bit. We also just walked around town on our way back and found doors on the city hall building that were decorated with the most gorgeous flowers. On my way back to my place I stopped in a store called Parfois or something like that I didn't buy anything, but I had been walking past if for days wondering what was inside, but was too scared to go in by myself. So I'll take it as a little win for the day! I pretty much just worked on homework and hung out in my room for the rest of the day and then we all went and said goodbye to one of the girls that had extended her stay from last semester.

   Day 24:

Ok, so the first major thing that happened was that I found out that the pens I specifically bought before coming because I wanted to make sure I had my favorites, were the wrong size. Now, I am a pilot g2 gal and so that's what I had bought, but apparently, I never looked at the line size and accidentally bought the .5 instead of the .7 ones. I guess this is not the end of the world, but it is definitely a different experience. Anyways... after class, some of us went on a wine-tasting excursion with the language school at a local Alicante Bodega. We got to tour the building and even go down into their cellar and try a wine from the 50s. The wine maker told us that this wine was what the kings and queens drink and that it would probably be the nicest wine we would ever have. Funny thing though, most of the students that were there really did not like it. I thought it was good just very different. We got to try a few others as well when we were there and those were good too! I had the sad realization that I cannot bring any back home with me though due to the way that I am shipping my bag home at the end of the summer, so I just bought one bottle to share with friends at some point during the rest of our time here (and get this, the majority of the wines at this winery were only about 6 euros a bottle, that is unheard of back home!) Later that night I went over to Charlotte and Skylar's and watched Knight and day, though I honestly don't think I know what happens toward the end because we got to talking lol. 

   Day 25:

Thursday was a good day. I went to class and then went with Melina and Lily to one of the farmers' market-like thing that they have here on Thursdays and Saturdays. We did not end up buying anything, but it smelled so good, all the fruits and vegetables and whatever other goodies were being sold. It was a very local experience. a little while later, I met up with the girls that would be traveling together this weekend to just make some final bookings and plans for what the weekend would look like. Skylar and I also each ordered a piece of cake here and splint them so that we could try both kinds. Later that night I went to see a movie with my host mom and one of her friends. It was called The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. In Alicante, they show the film in its original language with Spanish subtitles one night and then switch it to Spanish for the rest of the showings. This was a British film so thankfully it was in English, but it was very interesting to read the subtitles throughout the film as well. It was definitely not a film that I probably would have gone to on my own, but it was interesting and very nice of my host mom to offer to take me to. After the film, we picked up some Chinese food from a nearby restaurant and took it home. The food was good but definitely different than Chinese food back in the states. 

   Day 26:

We reached Friday again. We had class this morning and then went home and ate lunch. Then I finished packing up all my things for our trip and met up with the girls. After that, we had a long and hot walk to the bus station to catch our bus headed for Granada. The rest of the day was mostly spent on the bus chatting and listening to podcasts. Shortly after we arrived, we went to dinner at this amazing Moroccan restaurant. For those like me that apparently did not pay enough attention during European history, Granada was one of the last places to be under the Moorish rule, when the Spanish came to reconquer the area, the king peacefully surrendered the land to save the city and all its beauty rather than fighting a war that would have destroyed so much. All that to say, Granada still holds a strong Arabic culture hence the Moroccan food. We all shared a plate of mixed appetizers and a thing of hummus and bread. Then I got couscous and lamb as my main plate. It was so so good. It was moist and flavorful. It was so good that even though it was burning my mouth off, I continued to shovel it in. After dinner on our walk back we made a wrong turn and happened upon a guy playing guitar in a plaza right outside the cathedral. It was so nice to just sit on the steps and listen (though it did seem like the perfect place to slow dance that was not quite in the cards lol) We had a good time that night hanging out together and we even got to play some foosball which was super silly but fun nonetheless. We all crashed hard as soon as we got back to our Airbnb that night.

   Day 27:

Saturday was insane! I walked a total of just over 11 miles that day (I'm starting to think that I could do a half marathon when I get home but maybe ill just start with a 10k and go from there). We slept in a bit that morning and then went to breakfast at a cute place that was not where we had planned to go but was in the location that the place we thought we were going used to be. We got crepes and lattes! Then we went to the Alhambra. This was quite the fortress. The Alhambra was beautifully decorated in every square inch with colored tiles, detailed carvings, and plants. the views of the city down below were breathtaking. After the Alhambra, we walked to la Calle de Teterias, this is a street that is full of beautiful textiles and jewelry and small tea shops where you can stop in for some classic Arabic tea and pastries. Of course, we did just that! Then we stopped and looked around in the huge cathedral. Then we went and got ready to grab dinner at a pizza place. There is something really weird about ordering solid Italian pizza in Spain, but it was very tasty and the guy only charged me for a single slice but gave me the whole pizza so that was also amazing. Then we went to a flamenco show which can really only be described as very aggressive and passionate tapdancing though I'm sure the Spanish people might take offense to that. After the show, we went in search of drinks and tapas because apparently in Granada, it is the custom to be given a free tapa when you order a drink. On our way though we happened upon some sort of concert in which people were up and dancing or sitting in chairs enjoying watching and listening to the music. This was honestly my favorite part of the trip, just getting to dance in the plaza to fun music and not have to care at all what anyone around me was thinking. We did end up finding somewhere to stop after and got tinto de verano, which is quickly becoming a favorite drink of the group, and with it, we got what we think was some sort of chicken salad sandwich. Then we headed back to the Airbnb and as everyone took turns washing off the very long day we had, we watch some episodes of the office and then headed to bed.

   Day 28:

This is my first Sunday since being here that I didn't spend my day in PJs and working on this. So that was definitely a different experience. We work up at a decent time to pack and clean up the Airbnb and then we met up and dropped off our stuff at the other girls' Airbnb because they had a later check-out time and we did not want to have to lug our stuff around everywhere. Then we walked uphill to breakfast at this cute little café where we had coffee and juice and toast. When I say toast though, I do not mean simply a slice of bread with stuff on top, but rather a baguette sliced in half long ways and then topped with whatever you chose. It was amazing. From there we continued up until we reached Mirador St. Nicolas which is a viewpoint that was popularized by ex-president Clinton when he visited Spain in 1997. from this view, you could see a gorgeous view of the Alhambra and the city below it. Then we went back to the tea street to get some more tea and purchase goodies to take back home. A couple of us also got henna tattoos as I figured this would be the only kind of tattoo I could get in Spain that does not come with possible years of regret lol. The last thing that we did before leaving Granada was to stop for drinks and whatever tapa they served. To our surprise, this time it was a plate of small fried fish, I will call them sardines, but I am really not sure what kind of fish they were. I thought that they were pretty good but my friends were not exactly digging this idea. We then took a taxi to the bus station and after realizing we still had 40 minutes until our bus would arrive, we thought that walking to the McDonalds down the street would be a good snack before getting on a bus for 5+ hours. While it did taste good, this was probably the most stressful part of the trip in which we were not sure if we were actually going to make it on time, thankfully we made it just in the nick of time and all was well with the world. I got home around 10pm and we all noticed the humidity in a way that we had not in the past few weeks. I guess the contrast of the dry heat in Granada really did us in. I got to talk with my family before bed and wish dad a happy father's day then I went to bed!

   Day 29:

Here we are back on Monday again I had a decent day, with a pretty slow start. I did not want to get out of bed this morning and then had to ride the tram by myself because the girl that I normally ride with is still in France this week, so I almost fell asleep. My professor kind of played me though as she told us on Friday that she was going to have an appointment today so we would only have an hour of class and then could go, but then she walked in this morning and then had the nerve to tell me that she canceled her appointment. After class, I came home and did my homework and then had lunch. Then, I started working on this and later went to meet up with the girls to settle our trip debts. I came back and tried to watch something but quickly fell asleep instead and then woke up and had dinner. Now I'm finishing this up before my planned phone call with Emma! 

So yeah independence is kind of a wild concept. This week was full of moments of independence and other moments of dependence on others. The trip was the first time that we all traveled in this country without the guidance or the watchful eye of our director and yet we made it through safe and sound. Each step we take towards independence we learn something new and yet also learn how much we do need each other at the same time. It has been quite the week! 

Hope you all are doing well! I love getting to hear from a few of y'all about your summers here and there. I'm having the time of my life, but that doesn't mean that I don't miss so much about home!

Until next week!

Presence and Paella Week 3!

 Hola!

Present... what does it practically look like to be present at all times? Is it doing everything possible, is it going to the beach every day, is it savoring every last bite of paella? I think that depends on the day, the week, the time, the place, and the person. What it looks like for someone is not necessarily what it looks like for the person next to them. what it looks like for me certainly changes constantly.

Just like that a bit over a quarter of my time here has come and gone. They warned me that the time was going to fly and while it does seem like that is true at times, I am really working on being present for each and every moment that I can and loving the time that I do get.

   Day 14(continued):

All l have left to share is a picture of our paella from that afternoon. Please enjoy and I give you full permission to be a little jealous too! hahaha

   Day 15:

Back to Monday again. It was not a very exciting day, just the normal routine of school and then homework. The tram has been crazy packed with new international students, students finishing their exams at the university, and just people in general. It's definitely not a comfortable experience with that many bodies in a small area but does make for some fun conversations to listen in on(those that I can understand of course). Later, I went to the beach for a little while and then watched a movie and went to bed. Simple, but good for the body and soul sometimes. 

   Day 16:

Tuesday was rather pleasant. Started off the day by waking up a bit late, but I got ready in 20 minutes and then rushed to the tram. That's just how it goes sometimes but learning to go with it. That afternoon Skylar and I had quite the time trying to find a coffee shop to try out and work on planning a weekend trip. We originally were going to go to the one that is right below where she lives, we had heard that it was great and had good wifi, but in passing it after class found that they were doing some sort of remodeling there and it wasn't going to be open. Skylar found one on her phone that looked promising so we headed there just to find the empty lot where it used to be. We finally landed at a place that we had passed on our way and ordered coffee and I got a chocolate croissant. The waiter brought it out and even gave Skylar a free croissant. The croissants were soo good as they had some sort of sugary glaze over the top. I never got around to asking for the wifi password so we talked about a trip for a little bit mulling over going to Majorca because the flights were cheap but decided to sleep on it before booking tickets. We then proceeded to spend almost three hours here just chatting about life! That night a group of us went and got super cheap pizza(that was not very good) and watched the sunset from the beach while listening to music and just taking it all in. It was gorgeous and so nice to just sit and chat as the waves crashed and the sky was painted in various shades of pink and purple. We have decided that this is going to be a regular thing that we do and I'm really ok with that lol. 

   Day 17: 

I had the realization this week that I'm not sure if Wednesday or Thursday is considered the middle of their week here when the calendar starts with Monday instead of Sunday. I'll let y'all know if I ever figure that one out. Anyways Wednesday was pretty fun, I took the tram like normal and met a kid from Florida after he heard a few of us talking and asked if we were from America. He just got here with CEA and will be here for 4 weeks. I had no idea how many Americans we would meet while here, but honestly really appreciate hearing conversations that I can understand so it has been really nice to not be the only ones. After class, Skylar and I went and asked our director about his thoughts on majorca and he told us that it was not really worth it and that it would be far better for us to go to Grenada or Seville and told us that he would help us figure out what to do at these places. This was super helpful and I am so glad that we went and talked with him. Later in the afternoon, we went on a "sunset cruise" though it was before sunset so I'm not sure why they called it that. Almost everyone in our program decided to book this so we took up more than half of the boat which was really fun! It was one of the catamarans that have netting on the front that you can lay out on. I had never been on a catamaran like this or one that was this big. We drove out a way and then anchored so that we could swim in the ocean a bit. They even convinced me to jump off the boat which if you know me and my feelings about the lack of control there is with jumping into water, you know that is a big deal for me. The water in the Mediterranean is SOO salty, this is great in that you float really easily when in it but also tragic when it gets in your mouth and nose. Nevertheless, a great experience to say the least. I really tried to not be on my phone during this so I got a few pictures, but not a ton. We had mini cheese burgers with some sort of small bird egg sunny-side up on top and salad for dinner that really hit the spot!

   Day 18:

Today was a day full of studying and sleeping and not much else. In class, we had a review day and that was honestly really nice and built my confidence in what I do know and have learned in the past few weeks. I only had to look up a couple of the questions in our review packet so I was pretty happy about where I was at. When I got home, I made a Quizlet of 99 vocab terms that I knew decently, but honestly I don't really know how to study for tests other than that. I talked to Nolan for a few minutes before lunch that contained a large piece of fish with bones still intact and vegetables. Then I came back to my desk and I went through the terms and took a couple practice tests, then took a couple-hour-long nap, and then pretended to study some more, but really just looked at my phone as time slowly passed until I gave up on this studying concept and watched some TV and fell asleep. 

   Day 19:

Friday!! I got up this morning and was so ready to just get the test over with! I spent the tram ride going over my notes one more time and then anxiously waited for it to begin. I was done with my test in 45 minutes approximately. The struggle of there only being 2 people in class is that I knew I was going to be the first one done and was not going to be able to hide that very well. Eventually, after going back through my test for another 15 minutes I knew there was nothing else for me to do. Our professor then gave us the option to stay and do the oral portion of the exam that day or to wait and do it on Monday. Danielle seemed to want to wait so I got to leave as soon as I handed her my exam. I had plans to meet up with others to book our trip to Grenada. Once they all got out of class we met up and booked our bus tickets, Airbnb, and tickets to see the Alhambra next weekend. We then went and told Luis our plans and he sat down with us and told us the best things to see when we are there. I then went home and had Arroz negro, which I believe to be rice that is cooked with shrimp and squid ink. It was so different and interesting! Nolan and Ellie told me that it looked like ants which was not a pleasant idea to put in my head, but it was still good anyway. Later that afternoon I went to the bookstore that was down the street from my apartment with Charlotte and Piper. I found a beautiful copy of Pride and Prejudice in Spanish that I might have to go back and get at a later time, just to add to the collection. I am not sure of my ability to get through a book written in Spanish so I did not buy anything yet. After that Ellie and I got to talk on the phone and we planned and booked our transportation and sleeping arrangements for the 10ish days that she will be here when my program finishes. I had soup with small bird eggs and chicken on the side for dinner and I even made myself a little honey-mustard dipping sauce because we had been talking about it in our family group message and that just made me crave it lol. Later I went over to Charlotte's apartment and we started watching the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Which we then decided is the perfect movie to watch when you are abroad because it is so easy to relate to. 

  

  Day 20:

Ahh la Isla de Tabarca! This was a beautifully tiring day. We met at 9am to take a bus to Santa Pola where we caught a ferry to Tabarca Island. It was a nice 25-minute ferry ride to this tiny Island that has the cutest town with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean. The moment we pulled into the shore we could see fish in the water just below us. We started off the day just wandering the small island looking at the views and the cute little lighthouse. After this, we went snorkeling. Let me tell you, this started off as a big struggle for me. I am a decent swimmer and have been snorkeling, but the breathing has always freaked me out. Once I got my heart to stop racing and could actually breathe without hyperventilating it was amazing to see all the fish below me. They looked like you could just reach out and grab them, I didn't...but it looked like you could!  After this, we all went and enjoyed a meal together of all things classic Spanish cuisine regularly offers, from bread and vegetables to paella and sweet desserts with fruit. It was amazing and fun to get to take part in such a meal with all of the people in our program. We then wandered around the small town that looks like a little taste of Greece with its white buildings and colored doors and windows. The ride back was pretty rough as we had all been in the sun pretty much all day and just wanted to get back, take a shower and go to sleep. That is pretty much what I did as soon as I got back. I thought about going out with people but ultimately decided that I just did not want to and fell asleep pretty quickly after that decision!

   Day 21:

Here is where the week comes to a close. I slept in this morning and woke up to fresh coffee and then my host mom made me bacon and eggs. After she finished cleaning the kitchen, we got to work making cookies. She had asked me when I first got here if I would teach her how to make classic American cookies so that is what I set out to do. I found a recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies and sent her the list of ingredients that we would need. Apparently, we got a little lost in translation and chocolate chips somehow became their version of Chips Ahoy cookies but I didn't want to make her feel bad so we got creative. She also wanted to add cocoa powder so I said sure why not! I went about the recipe as normal and then at the end when it said to add chocolate chips, we crushed up the cookies with our hands and a potato masher and I pretended like everything was normal when I really had no idea what I was doing or how this was going to turn out, but fingers were crossed haha. (oh also, I used a tea cup to measure flour and guestimated with spoons pretty much all the other measurements...eek) After we put the dough in the fridge, she asked if I would like to see how she makes paella and I said "of course!". Honestly, it seems pretty simple to prepare so if anyone wants to be there for my trial run when I get home, let me know! I am starting to feel like a real writer as I sit here drinking a Heineken and blogging for the week, probably just me being silly but that's what I imagine writers do. We had our paella for lunch and it was amazing yet again and then had the cookies for dessert. The cookies actually were pretty good. I probably should have baked them a bit longer but they had a gooey but thin brownie-like consistency and I definitely was not mad at it. It's already been a great day. 

So yeah, that was my week and this week being present looked like spending time not doing anything, eating lots of different but good food, watching the waves hit the shore, avoiding being on my phone, watching movies, having good conversations, and getting creative in the kitchen. Who knows what that will look like next week but we take it one week at a time. I'm soaking it all in! Miss you all every day and cannot wait to have a big paella party when I return!

Hasta luego!

Settling into Week 2!

Hola amigos!

Soooo apparently this isn't just a vacation... and I need a new hobby! 

This week I quickly figured out that I need days that do not involve me being covered in sand and sunscreen and I think I even said that I wished I had more school work to do. Back at home, I am so used to being in a constant busyness as I rush from class to work to hanging with friends, doing homework when I get a chance, and even running some errands in between those things, but here, life is not like that. Sure I start my day off in a tizzy as I get up at 7:15am (more or less) and get ready to rush down to the tram at 8:15am, but by 11:30am I am back to my apartment with nothing that I really have to do until I get up the next morning and repeat the same thing. I thrive on doing all the things all the time (or at least I tell myself I do). 

    Day 7(the second half): 

After finishing up my blog last week I ended up going to the beach for a bit and then to get churros con chocolate with a few friends. After multiple locals pointed out a place that serves this, we knew we had to try it. Churros here are not really what you think of them as back in the states. Here it is more of just a long fried piece of dough that looks more like a snake. It is not perfectly straight, nor does it have ridges that are covered in cinnamon and sugar but it is rather just dough that you have the option to sprinkle some sugar on and dip in warm vats of melted semi-sweet chocolate. This is in no way a complaint, just an observation. I also cannot deny that I may have eaten a spoonful of chocolate after we finished all the churros hahah. There was also an outdoor church service going on right by the churro place and though I could not understand most of it, it gave me chills to watch people praising the Lord. After this, I went home and had dinner and went to be pretty soon after. With this whole eating dinner after 9pm thing, I think that it may become a regular occurrence for me to eat dessert first, but I could learn to be ok with that. 

    Day 8:

Monday mornings, everyone's favorite part of the week...well not really. I went to class and had a generally fine time came home and did my homework, had lunch and took a little rest. Then had plans to meet up with Skylar at my host mom's favorite coffee shop called "Madness Coffee" to work on planning our trip that we are going on over our break between sessions. This was the cutest coffee shop with fun couches and really aesthetic décor. sadly neither of us could get the wifi to work, but we had good iced lattes per the recommendation of one of the workers and came up with what countries we were wanting to visit. (This was harder than you would think as the two of us have both been to Europe already and did not want to make the other go somewhere they had already been before) Real first-world problems you see, but we came up with a concept and figured we'd work on it throughout the week when we found somewhere with better wifi.

    Day 9:

This is the day I realized that I needed to find a hobby. After class, both Skylars, Pieper, Charlotte, and I checked out one of the cafés on campus as Skylar and I had decided that the university wifi was probably our best bet for a reliable connection. Here we brainstormed some more and checked out what prices would look like for the adventure that we had imagined. We still didn't commit to anything but we were getting closer. After this we went home and I had lunch and then absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day so I took a fat nap! Approximately 3 hours to be specific. My host mom and I then went on a walk that she said she goes on at least 3 times per week to keep her body active. It was very nice as the weather had started to cool off and I got to see some parts of town that I had not seen yet. I even found a book store on my street that I might have to go check out sometime soon. On our way back we stopped and got horchata and my host mom told me how she used to take her daughter there when she was little and she would drink the largest glass all by herself. Apparently, horchata was first made in Spain so it was a must-try before leaving. The guy in the shop even gave me an extra small cup of what they referred to as horchata de Alicante which has almond in it as well and was kind of like a slushy. Both were very good and refreshing after our walk. A few more steps down the street and we stopped at a local place that serves a daily menu to get Ensalada de rusa to take home to eat with avocado. my host mom assured me though that it really had nothing to do with Russia though. To my surprise, she gave me an entire avocado to eat all by myself. (can't say I've done that before)

    Day 10:

Probably the calmest day I've had yet. I went to class and then home for lunch, laid and watched TV for a while, and then spent a couple hours on the beach. I then went home and laid down for a while more before dinner. I am watching a show called The Royals, it's been pretty entertaining and an easy way for me to relax and take a break. Then after dinner, I got to call Audrey and catch up on all that she has been up to back in California. I am not sure whether talking to people from home is helpful or hurtful with the whole homesickness thing, but it was nice to talk to someone familiar and comforting anyway. Simple days like these I know are good for me, but make me feel like I'm wasting my time here. I'm trying to find a balance in this as with many other aspects of this summer. 

    Day 11:

The biggest highlight of the day, SKYLAR AND I BOOKED OUR TICKETS! In case you are curious, we are going to be in Belgium and the Netherlands for our break, and honestly could not be more stoked. We booked all of our hostels, trains, and flights and we are so relieved to have that part done. Now we get to plan the fun parts of what we want to see and where we want to eat while we are there, more to come on that when I fill you all in after the trip until then I guess you'll just have to wait. In celebration of this we had to stop and get chocolate croissants from the bakery below her apartment. I ate just a few bites of mine so I could save the rest for breakfast the next morning! It was the most decadent and sugary goodness that I had ever had (maybe that's an exaggeration but you get the point). Later that day, Skylar and I went and explored a park that was near the other castle and after being thoroughly sketched out at first found some pretty cool things within it including slides that were built into every area that there were stairs and a climbing wall that also had an area to lead climb. We then got a text that some of the girls were having people over for wine night on their patio so we went to get ready for that. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the week as we sat, shared our roses and thorns of the day, listened to music, and enjoyed each other's company. Also, wine from the grocery store is on average like 3 euros per bottle so it's no wonder they drink wine here like it's water. This was a genuinely great day. 

    Day 12:

Another simple day of class and rest. After my nap, Skylar and I planned to meet up at another new coffee shop and work on homework. After a slight confusion as to which "Bombon Boss" we were meeting at we found eat other and ordered the signature drink there and a pastry to accompany it. A "bombon" is condensed milk with espresso on top. We were told that this would taste like warm coffee ice cream and we were sold. This cafe's version was like that, but I think it also had a latte on top of that if that makes any sense. it was very sweet and pretty much the opposite of our iced lattes earlier this week. We did not actually end up doing much homework and found ourselves chatting about some of the most random things. It was a really nice way to spend even just an hour of time. We then decided that at least once a week from here on out we are going to try a new café. I guess old habits of spending all my time in coffee shops never die even in completely different countries. So in case you were worried this trip was going to change me, this is one way in which it definitely will not.

    Day 13:

Valencia!!! Today we took a day trip to Valencia, the third-largest city in Spain. It was a magical and beautiful city full of life and so many tourists. It was about a 2-hour bus ride there in which no one sat next to me so I stretched out my legs and took a nice nap to and from the city. When we first got to Valencia, we met up with a local guide that took us through some of the main parts of the city center including el Mercado(the market), la Lonia(the silk trade) and la Catedral(a Roman Catholic parish church). It was so interesting to hear about the history of each of these fascinating buildings and take in the gorgeous and different architecture. In the cathedral, we even got to see what is believed to be the Holy Grail. I honestly had no idea that people knew where this was or that it really mattered, but I guess it is very important to the catholic world and it's pretty cool to be able to say that I've seen it. After the tour, we went and had lunch at a cute little restaurant that had a deal on a three-course meal that we could not pass up. We had beautiful appetizers that consisted of meat and cheese, beet and feta salad, and even some hummus(though this one kind of didn't seem to fit). We then each had the choice of what entre and I, of course, had some paella and then we finished the meal off with a small piece of light chocolate cake. After lunch, we went to the City of Arts and Sciences and got to explore the science museum and the oceanographic, the largest aquarium in Europe. The science museum was full of interactive exhibits and displays a bit underwhelming if you ask me, but there were a few interesting parts. We spent more of our evening at the oceanographic and that was definitely worth it. We started off at the dolphin show which was like being at sea world and then wandered through exhibits of fish and sea mammals from all different areas of the world. There were even 2 aquatic tunnels that you could walk through and have the fish swimming all around you. That was definitely my favorite part! Now by the U.S. standards, I wouldn't say that it was amazing, but it certainly was very cool to check out and was worth the visit. You can tell that the area is very proud of this addition to their city. 

                                

    Day 14:

I used the toaster here for the first time today. It is quite interesting as it is just an open, almost grill-like thing that you just place the bread on top of,  but I watched my host mom's daughter use it (as she is visiting for the weekend) and then figured it out pretty easily. I then put olive oil and what I would call prosciutto but they call Jamon serrano on the toasted bread and ate it like a sandwich for breakfast. We are having homemade paella for lunch today and she explained it as her version of how, like Alicante, the sea meets the land. Other than that I am just writing today and maybe I will stop at the beach or just relax here, I'm not really sure. I'll update you all on that next week and maybe include a picture of the paella!

That's pretty much a wrap on week 2. I'm already almost a fifth of the way done. If anyone has any ideas of hobbies one can take up while in a foreign country let me know! I also would love to hear from people about what life is like back home! My people are my life and I miss you all so much. 

Hasta luego!