In Denial...

Ok so I’ve been thinking a lot about this last post. I originally wanted to get across all the amazing things I’ve learned or say something about the fantastic, crazy, wonderful people I’ve met here, but the thing is.. there are absolutely no words to describe that. You all have been faithful readers so you know exactly what I’ve been up to on a daily basis. For those who joined late in the game, you have a pretty good idea of the things that have been going on here in El Escorial. I guess I have to say that yes, I have missed my family and my friends back at home, but at the same time, I don’t want to leave. After my first day here, I never anticipated that I would become this close to the people here or feel such a strong attachment to them. Actually I specifically remember wanting to go home on the first night. But now? Well.. As the title of this post states, I’m in denial about leaving in all honesty. I think we all are. I have one important thing that I need to talk about. I have mentioned multiple times how extremely lucky I am to have gotten this opportunity so I think it’s time I recognize the people who made this trip possible. Well here’s the list: my parents, all of my Spanish teachers, the faculty who made this possible and my Spanish family. To my parents: Thank you for everything. You always encourage me to go for what I want and do whatever you can to help me achieve those goals, no matter how unreachable they seem. I love you both. Also, thank you dad for the mini Italian lessons that gave me the ability to accent words correctly. To my Spanish teachers: Could have never asked for better teachers. Señora Gallagher, Señora G, Señora Ziff, all of you inspired me and sparked my love of the language. You taught me all I know about the language and culture. I could never thank you guys enough. To the faculty: I’d obviously like to thank Mrs. Lipschutz and Señora G. I don’t know who else was responsible for this trip but you really are the reason the four of us are here. I don’t know how I could thank you for arranging this amazing experience. Thank you for dedicating your time and energy into making sure we’d have a fantastic, unforgettable time. Thank you Mrs. Turner for accompanying us on the first week of our journey. You made sure we were safe and happy and we all have been. You were our mom away from home! To Aleks and your family: I could never thank you enough for welcoming me into your home. Thank you for everything, especially helping me with my Spanish. The memories here will always be remembered and I can’t wait to make more when you’re en Los Estados Unidos!!! Lastly, thank you to all my teachers for having patience with me in scheduling tests and make up work and all of that. Also I’m going to thank you in advance for the help I know that you will all happily give me, Sara, Grace and Olivia in understanding the things we missed (I hope.. please!!).

And to you, all my readers. Thank you so much for following along! I really have no idea whatsoever who's reading anymore, but I hope that you were kept informed on what has been going on here while also being entertained. Todos de vosotros sois los mejores!

This trip was unforgettable and is something I am unable to compare to any other experience I have ever had in my life. It’s been difficult, overwhelming and challenging, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Why? Because it has been worth all of that. It’s been exciting, thrilling, and just perfect. I really can't describe it. It’s been the most incredible learning experience and really a phenomenal opportunity that the other Americans and I have been so lucky to have. I can’t put enough emphasis on how grateful I am to have gotten this opportunity and how thankful I am for all those people I mentioned earlier. I keep looking back on the time when I had to accept the fact that I wasn't able to apply for Spain because I wasn't in Spanish 4 Honors. For this reason, I can't help but believe that I really was meant to come to Spain. That sounds weird I guess, but it's how I feel. I remember when I was unexpectedly told I could apply for the trip.. Then being told I was chosen for it? I couldn't tell you a more happy moment in my life. This trip has not only met my expectations, but greatly exceeded them. It’s truly been a once in a lifetime experience. I haven’t even left yet, but the only thing I can think about now is… when can I come back? 

This will be short.. but sweet :)

Tonight's my last night. Wow. How fast time flies right? I'm sure for the parents it feels like just yesterday when you were dropping us off at the airport. Wishing you could go back to that day or do you miss us?! For the teachers, it's like we were asking you for work to do and scheduling tests so recently. I really don't want to leave. Tonight's a dinner of chicken paella and then Aleks and I are heading out to spend the last night with the Americans and a bunch of Spanish kids. I feel like I'm just getting to know all of the Spanish kids. We really do need more time. Would anyone mind if we spent another month or so here? Just one more week, give us that much please! Well anyway, I'm off to eat dinner then headed out. Don't worry. I have one more post left for tomorrow morning before we leave for the airport. Have a nice night, readers!

I would be lying if I said this didnt make me extremely sad

I Don't Sleep...

Today the highlight of my day was the test I took. Yes. I took a test. In what class you may ask? La clase de lengua. (Spanish class) It was actually so interesting. Seriously hoping I get my paper back to see how I did. As time goes on, I think all of the Americans are getting to know each other better and becoming closer friends. It's awesome. All of today we were playing this card game kemps and it was so funny to watch how intense everyone was getting and how into their teams they got. I really can't believe tomorrow's our last school day here. I swear it's as if just yesterday we were on the plane getting ready to go to Spain. We were all in our seats anxious because the plane didn't take off until much later than it was supposed to and we just wanted to be in Spain. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to see my family again, sleep in my own bed, have my privacy, but I'm going to really miss everything about this place. My family, my new friends, the food, the language. It'll be bittersweet. Ahhhhhhh I don't want to think about this. I have over 24 hours left. Going to embrace it while I can!! Anyway, son las dos en la mañana aquí. I need to sleep. Got a long last school day ahead of me. There's also another test. Will I take it? What will my last day in Spain be like??? To be continued....

True or False...

1. The students use the Usted form when speaking to teachers
2. I have grown to like tomatoes and peppers
3. I will now eat fish
4. I'm bringing home a Spanish boy (tattoos and piercings Dad!!!)
5. I took a test today
6. I understand Spanish TV
7. I am returning to the US with such an amazing Spanish accent that you'd think I was born here
8. There are more than 60 words "en la lista" of my new words
9. The kids in my class have mini techno raves between classes
10. I dream in Spanish
11. I'm blogging instead of doing homework
12. There are outfits here that would be completely unaccepted in America
13. I had ham for dinner
14. The 9 of us Americans are like our own little family
15. I'm excited to go home, but there's still so much to learn and I don't want to leave

Let's see how you did!!!

1. False. Students call teachers by their first names and even command them and such. Guess the titles (Señor, Señora, etc) aren't exactly important
2. True! I eat them all the time here
3. False. I will never like fish
4. True!!!!! Just kidding. I'm not bringing anyone back with me.. or am I?
5. True. I did take a test.. Interesting experience
6. True and false. I understand some, completely ignore the rest..
7. Most definitely false... Self explanatory
8. True. I even have some Portuguese ones that I can't pronounce 
9. True. Someone stands at the door to wait for the next teacher and the rest "party." They almost always get caught and it's only my class who does it
10. False. I wish
11. True. Blogging > homework or work of any kind for that matter
12. True. Namely, boys wearing scarves
13. False, false, false. We don't eat meat. I had fried cheese and pizza. 
14. True. I feel like we're getting closer every day. Couldn't have come to Spain with a better group of people.
15. True. Leaving will be bittersweet, but that makes me that much more excited for Aleks to come to the US!!!

I didn't forget!!

Sorry, I always put this off until last minute. Yes I am aware that it is almost 2 here. It's been a busy night! I chose tonight after dinner to start separating my clean clothes from the dirty ones then picking out the clean ones that I plan on wearing over the next couple of days. Trying to get myself ready for Saturday. Proud of me mom? You didn't even tell me to do that!! Anyway, today was a good day in El Escorial as usual. Honestly though, it's hard not to have a good time with the people I've been spending my past few weeks with. In art class, Danny, Grace and I sat at a table together and were joined by two random Spanish kids from our class. Then a couple more joined us after listening to our conversation. It was so much fun. Finally getting the chance to get to know our classmates when we not have 2 school days left. Better late than never right? Oh and a few guys at the table behind us told Grace and me that they love us. Talk about a confidence booster! We also got our tour of the museum part of the monastery today which was beautiful. Kind of sad we couldn't take pictures. Thank god for photographic memories! We learned a lot about the previous kings and queens of Spain which was really interesting. We also got to see the crypt! If you can call it that. It was this bright room directly below the alter of the church made completely of marble. It was this chapel pretty much that had an alter and a crucifix. If you're facing the alter, to the left are all the kings. Why is this? If you're on the alter, facing the exit, that side is technically the right side which is more important than the left.. More important to God anyway. Something like that. Who was the other side reserved for? The queens of course. However! There is one queen who's casket is with the kings and she is the only one on the right side, and her husband, the king, is on the left. Interesting. Today I also realized that a majority of my money has been spent on food. More specifically, candy from La Tienda de Chuches. For some reason their candy here is so much better than it is at home. I never eat candy at home, but I do here. It's so good! Well it's time para ir a dormir. Hope you all had a great day and that tomorrow's even better!

Todos los Americanos!!!! :)

Only a Tuesday

Well today was just like yesterday. Nothing too crazy. Went to the library, went to class.. Same ole, same ole. At one point when we were in the library, one of the malvern boys' Spanish guys came down to talk to us. His name's Guillermo (he's 18) and we all think he's pretty interesting so we told him to give us advice on life. From what he's told Brendan, he's had a pretty tough life and that's how he started his little story, if you will. He meantioned having a tough life, but he had found a more positive way to look at it. In understandable, but slightly (very, very slightly) broken English, Guillermo began to tell us a story his dad told him. It was more of a metaphor.. He started it out by saying that life is like a blacksmith and all of the things that went into making a sword. God is that blacksmith and we, each person, is their own sword coming into form. To be made into a better sword, the sheet of metal gets hammered repeatedly. Guillermo told us that his father said that each time we, our own sword, gets hammered, we are getting hit by a bad time; however, we need to be hammered to be made into the best sword we can be. Because of this, we need to understand that while each hammer hurts us, it is only helping us in the long run. It was a really inspirational story coming from him after knowing a couple of the things he's been through. I've never heard anything explained that way before. I figured it was an appropriate story to share with all of you for two reasons. 1- I have nothing else interesting to say about today and 2- I didn't think anyone would have heard that metaphor before. I really liked it. So I guess instead of being funny or entertaining, today's post is more thought provoking. I think the only thing that Guillermo's dad was missing from that story would be all of the good times that also form you into that amazing sword. I don't know what that could be in reference to the metaphor, but I do know that whatever it is, I'd have to consider coming here one of those great experiences forming my own sword. Cheesy, but hey. It's true! Anyway, tomorrow we're getting a tour of the tourist part of the monastery. Hopefully I'll have something better to blog about then. Night, readers!

Hi

Today was pretty normal. Went to the library for a couple classes (English and Math) and stayed for others (obviously). Oooh! Danny and I ventured into gym class. Now that was interesting. We ran around the perimeter of the "gym" in circles that gradually got smaller and smaller and then eventually they stopped to stretch. After that they were doing summers saults onto mats over rope and through hula hoops so we opted out of that... And the rest of gym class for that matter. After the summer saulting, they moved onto some handstands and cartwheels and other random gymnastic feats that we weren't exactly capable of so we kind of just watched curiously. Later I went to get ice cream with some other Americans and let myself back into Aleks's empty apartment with the key. Such a liberating experience! Really though. Hmm.. didn't do anything interesting after that. Our dinner was really good. These kind of tortilla-like things that involved so many of the vegetables I mentioned in my last post. Yum. Vegetables. I'm not eating them for a couple days when I get home. I think I need a break from them. In the past month I have had vegetables (literally) with breakfast, lunch an dinner. Who does that??? Oh well. I really can't believe that I have less than 5 days left in San Lorenzo. I don't want to leave yet, I'm not ready to come home!! :( Sigh. Well.... Buena suerte with your midterms everyone, I'm going to bed!

Comida

Ok, so as promised, here's the list of food that you really can't get by in Spain without eating.. Well they're foods that I have extremely often and some foods with essentially every meal. Not too sure about the other Americans though.

• Rice
• Chicken
• Cheese: all kinds. At Aleks's we have a lot of this Bulgarian cheese which is kinda salty, but good.
• Salt. Not exactly a food, but soooo much food here is really salty.. in a good way.
• Bread. They have it at every meal (yum)
• Vegetables (especially at my house. They're vegetarians pretty much): mushrooms, avocados, onions, peppers, random kinds of beans. 
• Fruit: mandarins, apples, pears, strawberries.
• Tomatoes. Not too sure whether to consider it a fruit or a vegetable because it's technically a fruit.. Regardless they appear at every meal.
• Yogurt

I can't think of any others, but I know the other Americans eat a lot of ham, fish and other meats. Not us! Can't complain.. I love the food here. Had paella for lunch. Too good. I have yet to decide whether I'll be happy or sad to eat my favorite American foods again when I get home..

Whoops!

Today was so relaxed and nothing happened so I almost forgot to inform you all on my really not exciting day! Good thing I remembered. Well Aleks and I woke up relatively late and had churros and chocolate for breakfast at around 1 and that threw our whole day off! I introduced my Spanish mother to my parents and two brothers through Skype later. She was really impressed with your Spanish, dad! We ate lunch at 6 which is late for lunch considering they usually eat it between 1:30 and 3. That really threw our day off. It meant no dinner! We ended up eating toast with this tomato stuff around 10:30 though and it was good and also bastante (enough). OH! I learned how to make paella today!!!! The vegetarian version. I'm learning the one with chicken sometime later this week. Speaking of all this food, tomorrow I'm going to make a list of all the foods you can't get by in Spain without eating. Can't forget. It's an interesting list considering back at home I wouldn't eat half of the food on it. It's also snowing right now. YAY! I hope all of you have a nice MLK Jr day. Don't take advantage of your day off, I'll be in school! Granted by the time I get out most of you will still be sleeping.. Still, enjoy the day off. Buenas noches!

Un Sabado Fantastico

So in short, today was amazing. My sleeping is so messed up so I wake up, fall asleep, wake up and fall asleep and do this over and over, but I guess that's kind of irrelevant. Anyway! At 12 Aleks and I went horseback riding (I wore a helmet mom!!!) and that was so much fun. However, my horse decided two things. One- even though the human on his back (me) had basically NO idea how to control him, he deserved to be leading the pack in the front... always. Two- he wanted to get on the other horses nerves. You know when you're driving and some person who's in a rush is "riding your tail"? Well my horse literally did that to the other horses. It made me nervous but for the last half hour or so of our walk, I finally got him under control. Phew. Then tonight we went to a discoteca. Aka a teen club. It was seriously too much fun! If they have these anywhere in Philly or near me, my goal is to discover them. It was a nice GNO kinda night. I hung out with Sara, Grace and Olivia and while we wished our amigos nuevos, the malvern boys, were there to entertain us, we still had an fantastic time. Even though I have had classes with all 3 girls before coming here with them, this trip has given me an opportunity to get to know them much better and I'm so grateful for that. Same goes for the malvern boys. All 8 of the other Americans are amazing kids and I'm really hoping these friendships last after Spain! Anyway, it's time for bed. Almost 130 here. Ay! I'm telling you now that tomorrow's not going to be interesting, but I'll still blog anyway so you know I'm alive. Night, readers!