Meat and Potatoes

It has been 10 days since my last blog post. I cannot describe how busy these past ten days have been, but I'm going to try to type it all down for y'all. Wednesday and Thursday of last week was spent patiently waiting for my parents and froomie (friend and roommate) to get to Spain! On Friday, I had to tour around the Bella Artes of Sevilla, and while I tried to be all in it, I was honestly beside myself with excitement knowing I was hours away from seeing them. I made a sign that I said "Bienvenidos a Seville David, Michelle, and Amber" with the NO8DO symbol of Seville. NO8DO means "No me ha dejado" and carries a lot of significance to Seville. I would explain it, but this post is already going to be long (you can google the meaning, and it's a short little read). I met them at Atocha, and we all shed a few tears of happiness. The first stop on our crazy week of traveling was in Cádiz. My parents and froomie were jet lagged, so we all went to bed early after watching the sunset on the beach. They also slept in early on Saturday since they were awake for so long traveling. I got them up around lunch though, so we all went to the Plaza de Las Flores and Parque Genoves. At this point, we only had three meals in Spain, but my dad was already asking, "Where is the steak house? I need meat and potatoes." Let's just say that Dave had a hard time adjusting to the food here which I understand completely. The Mediterranean diet is so different from the rich foods we are used to eating in America. We made fajitas one night in Seville (which I haven't had in forever), and I was so full from all the richness of it that I felt uncomfortable trying to fall asleep that night. Back to Cádiz, we went to the beach after the plaza and parque to catch some rays before dinner. After dinner, we went to the Plaza de España and the plaza outside of the Catedral. We got to look at the boats in the port as well before walking 2.5 miles back to the AirBnb.

Early Sunday, we traveled to Seville for lunch with my host mom who was very excited to meet and host my parents. She really outdid herself with a four course lunch meal. First course: Shrimp, ham and cheese, and bread. Second course: Vegetable soup. Third course: Roast beef and cheesy potatoes. Fourth course: Ice cream with cookies, whipped cream, caramel, and fruit and a sugary drink. It was so, so good, and Dave FINALLY got to eat the good food he wanted. My mom and froomie enjoyed it as well. We all left stuffed and happy. It was really special to me that my parents got to meet my mamá Sevillana because she's a part of my family now to me. My home in Texas will always be home, but Mamá Carmen and her apartment are home now too.

After lunch, we took a siesta before watching the sunset at the Setas and seeing the outside of the Cathedral at night. I had class Monday morning, but we went to the Plaza de España after (Seville has the best one). There is a museum of the Spanish armies in the plaza that we went through as well. It was really cool to see their army's history because there is SO MUCH to it since Spain is so old. Way older than the young 300 yr. old America, that's for sure. We did a little bit of shopping before the orientation about the big week long trip ahead of us. That was the night we made fajitas (yummm) and went to bed early because we were leaving Seville at 6:30 am.

We spent the better half of the next two days on a charter bus. The first stop on the Toledo-Madrid trip was in Almagro to visit a golden age theater that was found during excavations to the building. We also got to watch tatting done in this pueblo which is kind of like knitting, but it looks like lace. The process is really interesting, and I'll be uploading a video for y'all to see how tatting is done. After this, we continued to Consuegra where we saw the windmills in the book, Don Quijote by Cervantes. It was VERY windy and very reminiscent of Lubbock. We hurried to Toledo to stay the night there. This city is up on a hill, and the lights at night are luminous and give Toledo an almost mystical appearance. We took an escalator (yes, it saved our feet and legs) to the bottom of the hill to get a view of the whole city at night. Dinner was after that, and we ate at a nice restaurant where I had an ACTUAL steak for the first time in over 2 months. *blessed* It was very, very good.

The next morning, our group went to la Iglesia de Santo Tomé to see El Greco's painting, “El entierro del Conde de Orgaz." The painting depicts El Conde de Orgaz's death, and his soul's entrance into heaven. It is hung right above his tomb, and I highly recommend looking into the painting. A lot is going on with it, but it's totally worth looking at and researching. We went zip lining after this as our last hoorah before leaving Toledo. My parents and roommate absolutely loved this city and wished we could've stayed longer.

But on we went to El Escorial. This palace is austere and was home to Felipe II. All of Spain's kings are buried here with the exception of two. We got to see the original royal bed rooms, waiting rooms, dining rooms, courts, and gardens before entering the tomb. All of it was so eye opening because movies give us such a warped vision of what palaces we were like. The beds aren't big because the people weren't big. The rooms are open and have some tapestries. The palace was beautiful in a different way than I had pictured or envisioned in my head. It was really neat to see. We headed toward Madrid after this and stayed there from that day (Wednesday) until today (Saturday). Wednesday was our last day of long traveling on a charter bus!!!!!! WOO because I was tired of being car sick and having a headache.

On Thursday morning, we visited another palace called La Granja. This one wasn't as austere as the other, and it housed some of the Bourbon family. The king and queen that lived there had a competition to see who could collect the most art, so this palace was full of paintings everywhere. It was very grandeur, and it had two rooms that held porcelain from China just to show how far they could go and how much they could get. This palace is often compared to the Versailles palace. La Granja also held a beautiful, extensive garden. After this, we made our way toward the heart of Segovia. This town has a large aqueduct system running through it, and it was still working up until recent times when they had to take down part of it to build a road. There are still parts of it around the town though, and these parts are about 2,000 years old. In this town, we had a large lunch of soup, suckling pig, and a dessert. The suckling pig is what the town of Segovia is known for, so we signed up for this lunch through the school. I thought it was okay, but my dad was super happy with the meal because meat. Hahaha. I had a school thing to do after lunch, so I met up with my parents and froomie after that. They shopped around a little before I got there, and dad and I sun bathed while we waited for the bus.

Yesterday morning, I had another school thing to go do, so I met up with my crew after that to eat lunch and go to El Prado. I went two months ago when I first arrived in Spain (wow, I cannot believe two months have passed), so I showed them my favorite painting ever, "Las meninas." We looked around there for a little bit before returning to the hotel for a siesta. After siesta, we had dinner at a "BBQ" place. They had ranch which was pretty cool. None of us had the bbq, but the meal was overall okay. We went to Plaza Mayor and El Mercado de San Miguel after that to browse around before heading back to the hotel. I spent the rest of the night with my parents talking and setting up social media for ole Dave. I just really wanted to spend my parents' last night with them just hanging out and being together.

We woke up early today to finish packing up and to eat breakfast. They called a taxi and were off by 9. Saying goodbye is never easy and never will be. I feel so lucky that a friend and my parents got to come visit me for a week because it was such a relief to my home-body self to see some of my people. Their visit had gave me something to look forward when times were rough, and it will get me through the second half of this semester for sure. From today, I only have 54 days left. Over half of the semester is over. This time is flying by so, so quickly, and I honestly don't know how to feel about it. Part of me doesn't want to leave my host mom and the roots I've made here, but a large part of me is so ready to be home and so excited to start my PreLaw career this fall. I'm also excited to have my best friend at school with me. It's a lot of mixed emotions, but I know that no matter what I will keep truckin' on and movin' on. Life is happening whether we are ready or not, and every passing moment is a blessing.

xoxo,

Care

¡Take Me Back to Barca!

Wow. What a weekend! First things first, I LOVE Barcelona. It is easily my favorite city in Spain so far. Catalan is a language from another word, but we all eventually caught on to some of it. It's a mix of Spanish and French kind of? For example, calle is carrer, and próxima is propera. We should kick it back to the beginning of the story first.

So my travel group flew to Barcelona very early in the morning around 7 am. The flight went super well and passed quickly. We arrived in Barcelona a little before 9 am, and from there, we took a bus and a train into the city because it's huge. My group and I checked into the hostel, which was awesome by the way, and we headed toward the Sagrada Familia. We met with my cousin and her friend there which just made my weekend. I missed my family so much, and even though I don't see this cousin often, it was really nice to see someone familiar that I knew and loved. I *might have* shed a few tears. After I was done being dramatic and emotional, we entered into one of the most, if not the most, beautiful place I have ever seen. Pictures do not do the Sagrada Familia justice at all. It is so grand and has the most amazing stained glass windows. The windows are divided into areas and done by colors, so you'll see blue light in one area and red or orange in another area. The lighting is just other worldly, and I couldn't capture it's true essence on camera. It's really one of those places you just have to see.
After that, we walked to a Mexican food restaurant called Mexcla and wow. Just wow. That guacamole and those carne asada tacos made me feel some type of nostalgia. It was THAT good and tasted just like home. We made our way to Park Güell where we got a great view of Barcelona all the way to the beach. Our little group just walked around here, took pictures, and soaked in the sights of Barcelona. After this, we went to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic where we watched a light show from within this HUGE fountain. This was just the icing on the cake to a really great day. Side note: In total, we walked 10 miles that day.

We went to bed early Friday night because the plan was to go hiking on Saturday morning, but the temperature at the mountain was 32 degrees with rain. We decided not to risk getting sick and stayed in for the morning. Once we got going, we went to La Boqueria (a market) by La Rambla to chow down on some lunch. This place was so cool. The animals in the seafood section were still moving on their ice slabs, so you know that stuff was pulled out of the ocean that morning. I ate an empanada, a corn dog, fried cod, french fries, and ice cream at this place. My inner foodie was dying if happiness. We went to the port after this where we sun bathed and took some pictures. From here, the group went onto the beach, but I went back to the hostel for a Skype interview! I was being interviewed to be a PreLaw ambassador, and I will get the email next week if I got it. I'll post on Facebook as soon as I get some news! I met back up with the group for a celebratory burger afterwards. My cousin and her friend met us there too, and we all headed back to the hostel after to get ready for a night out. Side note again: I dipped early because I made the mistake of wearing heels to a discoteca. Never again.

We mournfully packed our bags up Sunday morning and checked out of the hostel (they held our bags for us until we left). None of us wanted to leave because we had so much fun. Nevertheless, we went to Arc de Triomf and Parc de la Ciutadella. The park had this amazing fountain/statue of Aphrodite. It was completely fantastic, and I have never seen anything like it. The fountain flowed over a mossy structure and ended in a pool. Right by that, a group of Barcelonians who were a part of a Swing group were dancing in a gazebo which reminded me of my grandpa because he likes that music. It was really cool. We grabbed lunch in the Gothic quarter, and I had steak (bless up) and patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). They weren't spicy though, but I enjoyed it just the same. My cousin and her friend left us for the last time here. I really didn't want to say goodbye to them because it was so nice having them around that weekend. Especially my cousin because I feel like we connected in a way we haven't before which is really special. I am looking forward to visiting her in England (hopefully) and seeing her over the holidays this fall. My group went to the port area again where we watched a band play. They did so good that I HAD to buy a cd! I can't wait to play it in my car in America and look back on a great weekend with great friends.

We went to the airport after this, and here is where the story takes a turn. The people in my group got to check-in online through our airline, but I didn't get the email to check-in online which means I had to check-in in person. I go to do that, and the person says I am late for check-in and can't be allowed on the flight. It had already closed, and there was nothing I could do (the flight was delayed btw). I didn't realize I had a specific check-in time to meet, and they didn't mention it when we flew out of Seville. Looking back, this wasn't that big of a deal because all I had to do was buy a ticket for the next flight and leave later than my group. At the time though, my anxiety took over, and I was in full on panic mode. I was bawling, couldn't breathe, my hands were shaking. I have no idea what I would have done without my roommate because she is so understanding and helped me talk to the people to figure out how to fix the situation. They wouldn't talk to me until I calmed down, but I quite literally couldn't do it. I wish that when I am in situations like that I could calm myself down, but it's nearly impossible. I called my parents, and my dad thankfully talked me down. He reasoned with me and helped me to understand that everything was okay since my anxiety wouldn't let me see that at the time. All went well though. My later flight was delayed due to the air strike in France, so I didn't leave Barcelona until 10:30 pm which put me in Seville at 12 am. Shout out to my roommate for waiting an hour at the airport for me. All in all, Sunday night at the airport was a great learning lesson for me though, and you can sure as hell bet I will always be super early every time I have a flight from now on.

I skipped my first class on Monday because I was physically and mentally exhausted, and all I did yesterday was sleep.
Right now, I am currently looking forward to my roommate for Lubbock and my parents coming to Spain THIS FRIDAY!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY AND FULL OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS THAT MY HEART COULD BURST. I cannot wait to see them. My next blog post will update their arrival and our weekend trip to the beach! (if I can find time to write because I'll be super busy with them)

xoxo,
Caroline

Freeze Frame Time

Last week was a pretty lazy one for us Texas Tech students. We didn't have an excursion during a three day weekend for the first time, so we had a lot of time on our hands. On Saturday, we all took a bus to Cádiz for Carnaval. It was a big city sort of celebration. I am honestly not sure why it's a thing. All I know is that it's two weeks long, and people dress up like they do for Halloween. I was a ring leader of a circus which was fun! I'm not one for big crowds and lots of people in a small space, so Carnaval wasn't really for me. At least I can say I've gone to one!

This week was pretty slow too. Tuesday was Día de Andalusia, so a lot of things were closed for the festivities. There was a March for Dignity that happened right by our school. They were protesting Andalusia's high unemployment rate (27%) and the government for not helping. There were also other groups like communist protesting. Some people protested diabetes, and some protested education. It was a large mix of people. One of my friends who was in it said, "Nuns are walking side by side with communists. People from all over the world came to partake in the March." I've never seen a protest like that up close, so it was really eye opening. Police had traffic stopped and directed the protesters through the streets. It was a very peaceful protest too. People called at us through our school's windows to join them in the March even!

Tomorrow will be exciting because I am flying to Barcelona! My cousin who is studying in England is meeting us there, so I am also very excited to see her and catch up. We have a lot planned, and I can't wait to upload pictures and write a blog post about that experience.
Also this weekend, I have an online interview with the PreLaw program at Tech to (maybe) become a PreLaw ambassador! I am beyond excited at the opportunity to be interviewed, and I am very hopeful that I will get a position, God willing. The time difference and a Skype interview is going to be interesting to see how it works since I've never done an interview like this before. I am nervous but ready.

That's really it from me. Now that I am realizing how fast time is passing, I kind of want it to slow down. At first, I thought I would be here forever, but time is sprinting right now. I feel like February was so short, and March will go fast too. From here on out, I have three whole weeks of school off too which just makes me more anxious about the end coming soon. I finally feel like I am settling here, and soon enough, my roots will be ripped up. Don't get me wrong though. I miss home so much, but I could probably wait a little bit now that I'm getting into the swing of things.

xoxo,

Caroline  

Find Happiness in the Small Things... like ranch

Last Friday at the ripe hour of 7 a.m., Texas Tech loaded up the bus to go to the beautiful Grenada. As soon as we arrived, we unloaded at La Alhambra to tour what was the last thriving Moorish region in Spain. La Alhambra has a mass of gardens that we walked through first which led us into out skirting palaces and eventually into the walls of the city area. Once inside the walls of the city area, we viewed two palaces. One was where Charles I (or V, Holy Roman Emperor, however you want to look at it. He has a lot of titles) fell in love with his wife, Isabella, from Portugal who was considered one of, if not the, most beautiful queen to ever live. The other was the original Palace where the Moorish royalty would have lived. The area was beautiful and open, and the palace had a lot of fountains/water running through it. If I has to pick one word to describe the Alhambra, I would pick enchanting. It was truly a sight to see.

After that, we checked into our hotel rooms. We didn't have too much time to walk around, so we rested a little before heading onto the Real Capilla de Grenada y la catedral. La Capilla was made by Fernando and Isabella de Castilla to mark their victory in the last Moorish territory in Spain. The moors handed over the keys to Isabella (the brain of the operations) in 1492 while her husband (the brawn) was in charge of the troops and being general. La Capilla was their way of staking claim of the city and stronghold. On the building, there are the emblems of Fernando and Isabella, a yoke and arrows. In addition, their initials line the top of the building. Isabella's symbol, the bald eagle with a crown, is found on the outside and inside as well. Once on the inside, the main thing to see is the tomb of Fernando, Isabella de Castilla, their daughter, Juana La Loca, her husband, Felipe El Hermoso, and their boy prince who died when he was young. I couldn't take pictures when I was in there, but that was another truly interesting thing to see. Above the tombs, there are carvings of the married couples out of marble. Fun fact: Isabella's head is sunk deeper into her pillow on their carving because she was very intelligent therefore her head "weighed more" (because of all the knowledge in there). We took stairs down under the statues, and we saw the coffins of two of the most powerful people in history. I'm talking 3 feet away from them. If there wasn't glass over the bars, we could've reached in and touched them. It was wild. Literally history at our fingertips.

We went into the catedral after la Capilla. I'm not going to lie. I thought, "Really? Another cathedral?? I've had it up to my eyes in cathedrals." This one was different though. It was surrounded on all sides by buildings, so it wasn't painted dark on the inside like the others. It was painted white and felt very open and airy. The Gothic style really meshed well with the white, in my opinion, and there was an area where you looked up and saw light blue and gold paint. This part was really beautiful too. I really enjoyed the cathedral more than I thought I would. (A group of girls and I ran to this Henna place after the cathedral because we saw it on the walk there. Peep my photos on Facebook to check it out.)

On Saturday morning, the upper-level Spanish literature students went to the Lorca house to tour it. Federico García Lorca was a poet in the early 1900s in Grenada and openly gay which was taboo at the time. He wrote beautiful poetry, and he also had a theatrical group that he traveled with, wrote for, and designed costumes for. In 1936, he was dragged outside of his home by Nationalist Fascists and killed by gunshot in front of his home to set an example because he was outspoken in his opinions amongst a rise in political and social tensions. He became a symbol for the popularist, but Franco won the civil war in Spain. He has continued living through his work and his family who allow visitors into the house he lived in for the purpose of education.

Sadly, we left Grenada after that. I truly loved the city and its beauty. I would go back again for sure before I leave, and I definitely plan on it if I can find the time. On our was back to Seville (and on the way there too), we had to stop at a rest station for the buses to fuel up. WELL this gas station had RANCH. I wasn't aware of that the first time we stopped there, but during the second time there, I ordered chicken strips and fries. They brought us our trays with ranch, and I actually cried. As silly as it sounds, you don't realize all of the things at home you cherish until they are taken away from you. I've always loved ranch growing up, and it has been sucky not having it. Finally, I found some and cracked. The purpose of me saying this is because if I reacted like that at something as simple as ranch, I don't even know how I'll react when I see my parents and friend, Amber, when they get to Seville in 17 DAYS!!! I am SO excited to have them with me. Being away from home really put into perspective how important everyone is to me. I already knew there were important but going away added a different depth to it. I look forward to seeing them again and hugging them until my arms hurt.

On Sunday, some friends and I went to the top of Las Setas in Seville to watch the sunset. If you don't want what Las Setas are, I'd give it a google because I honestly don't know how to describe it. BUT, I do know it's a great place to watch a sunset. Sevilla sunsets might not be a Texas sunset, but it is close enough. It's all about finding happiness in the small things like having warm tea every morning and finding ranch in a rest stop in the middle of nowhere.
For class Monday, we walked around the Jewish barrio in Seville and were guided by a Jewish singer and her violinist friend. We stopped at different places where she'd give us a brief history, and at some stops, she would sing us a song in old Castilian Spanish while he played the violin. It's amazing to me that Spanish has such a rich culture that one weekend I'm in a Moorish palace, and three days later, I am walking through the Jewish neighborhood listening to people sing traditional Jewish songs. I am very blessed to be here and learning so much. The time is flyingggggggg so quickly for us students. I feel like it was just yesterday that I landed in Madrid when in reality it's the last full week on February.

With February winding down, I am looking forward to having my parents and friend here, going to Cádiz this weekend for carnival and again two weeks when they get here, and going to Barcelona next weekend. I am also counting my many blessings here like my roommate, my host mom, the friends I am making here, the fact that I am even here, my family and friends in the states, and so many other things that I wouldn't have enough time to list them all. I fall asleep at night saying a prayer of thanks because there is so much to be thankful for.

Oh and ranch. Can't forget the ranch. (;

xoxo,

Caroline

P.S. - We had two major exams last week, and I made a 95 and 100!

Just Being Kids

The further I get into the semester, the harder it is to find time to sit down and write (even in my journal). My routine has become pretty solid the past few weeks.
Wake up. Eat breakfast. Go to school. Go to my internship. Go the to gym or take a nap. Homework or meetings. Dinner. Sleep. Repeat.

Last week on Wednesday, we had tutores which is when students our age from the Universidad de Sevilla come to our school to meet with us. We go to a cafe or restaurant for an hour and a half to practice our Spanish with them and learn about Spain. We have these every other week, and last week we talked about the job situation here. Unemployment is high in Spain (roughly 20-22%, can be more or less depending on the place). The north part of Spain has less unemployment because there are more manufacturing businesses there. The southern part is the place that has more problems. A fun fact about employment in Spain is that companies have to pay the people they lay off if the company doesn't have a good reason, but if they can prove a transgression, they don't have to pay. The laid-off person is paid what they would make in 40 days multiplied by the amount of years they have worked there. For example, a person makes 2,000 euros in 40 days and worked for 8 years. He or she is laid-off, and the company has to pay them 16,000 euros to fire them. Crazy right? Companies are particular about hiring people for this reason. Also, they usually don't have the money to pay the number of workers they need.

The school took us to La Rábida on Friday. We saw a well first where Christopher Columbus filled his boats with fresh water before going to the New World. After that, we visited the monastery where he become close to monks who had ties with the king and queen at the time, so the monks could put in a good word for him. The monastery still runs to this day which is pretty cool, in my opinion. The chapel has a crucifix of Jesus made out of only wood that Christopher Columbus probably prayed under before his voyages. It felt like we were connecting history with our time. We also got to see one of the first maps of the new world and original documents that Christopher Columbus and other people wrote. In addition, there is a room there with all of the flags from the lands Spaniards have discovered with a box of their soil.

After the monastery, we went to the Matalascañas beach. Even though it was rainy and 50 something degrees, we took off our shoes and played in the water. Some were even adventurous enough to go swimming! My friend, Maddie, and I were trying to take a picture with the water when a huge wave came up suddenly and got our pants wet. Yes, I walked around with wet pants for the rest of the day. Talk about freezing. One wave came up so high unexpectedly that a person's backpack and shoes almost got swept away. I had a lot of fun at the beach, and I can't waittttt for April and May to go back when it's WARM. The town we were at was like a ghost town because winter, so we were the only people walking around. Even the locals stayed inside their houses for the most part. All in all, it was a fun day.

Also, in between the monastery and the beach we stopped at a park, and you would've thought us college kids were crazy. We played on that playground like a group of kindergartens and left breathless from laughter. It was really refreshing to forget about being an adult for a few minutes while we spun around on the spiny thing (I don't know the name of it) and swung on the swings.    
It rained a lot this weekend, so I left my host house a grand total of two times. One time to go to the gym and the other to take a picture with a plaque for extra credit. I took advantage of the rain to study for a test I have Monday and start reading Before I Fall (for a second time). On Monday, I had dance class which was fun like always. The dance we are learning is divided into four parts, and we started learning the beginning of the second part that day. Today, our school met up with a trade school called La Macarena. The students are our age, and next time we meet up, we are going to go to their school. We started off class by talking to them about the education system here and learning about each other in general. After that, we walked around and did presentations on landmarks here in Spanish and English because they are learning English. We had SO MUCH fun with these people. Instantly, we were all talking, laughing, and exchanging Instagrams/phone numbers. They thought things we said were funny, and we thought they were funny too. It was just a time full of laughing and learning about each other's culture. Also, they thought it was crazy that my family has a pig. They all wanted to see pictures of it and thought it was so cute. One of the people asked if it lived in my house, and I said, "Yes because I am an animal obviously." They thought this was hilarious because of course the pig doesn't live in my house (This made me happy because that meant my sarcasm was understood). Today was a pretty good day. I am excited for the new friendships I made today.

Also, our school got a new student today from William Carey University in Mississippi (They were in a different semester system than we do, so that's why she got here yesterday). She is living with my house mom's sister, and I got to meet her yesterday. All of us Tech students are really excited for her to be here, and I think she is excited too. She seems so sweet, and I know she'll be good friends with us in no time.

Andddd that's my last week in review. Until next time.

xoxo,
Caroline

No Más Countdowns

It's been a week since my last blog post! My only excuse is that I have been SO busy. I'll start from last Wednesday and write up until now. On Wednesday, my class took a little trip to Real Alcázar de Sevilla. It is a palace here that it open for the public to walk through complete with courtyards and a garden maze. When the royal family visits Seville and decides to stay the night, they would sleep in the palace and shut down the visitations. They usually won't stay the night here though, so they don't have to go through the procedures of shutting part of it down. In the pictures that I uploaded from this day, there is one with a long pool and dim lighting. It looks like it could be underground. That shot is from Games of Throne for you fans out there. After going back and reading my journal entry from Wednesday (because I couldn't remember what I did last Wednesday), I was reminded that I felt paranoid that day about not having my "place" amongst my peers. When we were walking around, I felt like I was floating from group to group, and I didn't really have MY place in the groups that have already been formed. I don't think I necessarily believe this to be completely true, but I think these feelings came from a deep part of me that is paranoid that I won't make connections here because I have never had an easy time making lasting friendships. After talking with my parents though, they reminded me that my place is here in Spain not among a group of people. Also, I had people and even friends here, so it doesn't matter if I don't fit perfectly into one certain group.

On Thursday, I started my internship at a school here in Seville. It was an interesting day. I gave the students an oral English exam which was extremely eye opening. When they were frustrated at not understanding what I was saying, I could see it in their faces (I'm sure I have made the same face a thousand times since I arrived here), and I sympathized with their feelings. Part of me wished I could tell them that it's okay to not be perfect. They were still getting the point across well and communicating. It helped me feel a little better too to know that I wasn't the only one trying to learn a new language and feeling kind of "bleh" about it.
The next day, our school took us to Córdoba to see the Mezquita/Catedral. The building was originally a mosque, and after the Christian reconquest, they put a cathedral in the middle of it. When you walk in, the area is large and square with tombs in the floor. There was also an area with clear flooring, so people could see the  original Visigothic church structure that the mosque was built on top of. I put pictures of all of this on my Facebook page as well. After that, we went to see a synagogue which was a good variation from the cathedrals we have been seeing. I don't know much about Judaism, so it was neat to have my Jewish teacher explain the building to us. We ran around the town and took a lot of pictures after that. I also got into a fountain which was fun. (: I ended up having a great day.
One thing about that day that DID bother me though was something one of my professors said. My roommate and I were late because we got lost on the way to the train station, and when we walked up, he said, "Of course it was the two blondes." 1). My roommate has black hair, so he would not have made that comment if my hair was dark too. 2). Blonde jokes are SO 2000s. Can we stop already?? After he said that, I said, "lol yeah so funny." He came up to me later and told me to hit his hand for his comment, and I didn't do it. Me hitting his hand wouldn't take away the fact that he had to make a derogatory joke based off of a physical characteristic of mine. ANYWAY..
On Saturday, we went to a winery in Bollullos in the providence of Huelva. They showed us the process the grapes/wine go through then we tested their popular flavors. The winery we went to produces a lemon wine that they claim is the only lemon wine in the world which is pretty cool if that's true. I also have pictures from this one my Facebook. We spent Sunday lazing around and doing homework.

Yesterday, I went back to the school after class. Monday through Thursday until 3 is my schedule there. I help with first graders and junior high students. The first graders are crazyyyyyyyyy. They run around the classroom, talk to other students while the teacher is talking, steal other students' things, crawl under the desk, and don't listen. I am talking complete and total chaos.
Side note: I'm also pretty sure I made one of them cry today because I told her to sit down and made her stop coloring, so she would be on the right page for the lesson.
After that mess, I went to the junior high students for the tutorial class. It's once a week, and they talk about their feelings/emotions during this time. That day they discussed what makes them frustrated, how they react when they're frustrated, and how they calm themselves down. I feel like this class session, even if it's only once a week, is really important. The discussion reminded all the kids that they are all the same. The same things upset them, and they react the same too. I think it brings a level of awareness, and it would be cool to see something like this implemented into American schools, in my opinion. I also had my Sevillanos dance class last night which is ALWAYS fun.
Today was a long day. I was at the school for an extra hour because I get out of class an hour earlier on Tuesday/Thursday. The first graders were a little bit better today because they weren't as excited about having an American in the classroom. They were over the excitement of someone new, ya know. We did arts and crafts which is an easy way to pass time. I gave more oral English tests to the junior high students after that. Since these kids were older, it was an easy time. After going to the gym, I went to the dress store and bought my Féria dress. It's official y'all! I am so excited, and my host mom was SO sweet about it when I came home and tried it on for her.

Speaking of Mamá Carmen, she is the reason I am not longer counting down my days until I go home. I feel an actual pain in my chest at the thought of saying goodbye to her in May. All I wanted from my study abroad experience was a host family and a home to remember for the rest of my life, and Mamá Carmen has given me that by tenfold. I know I haven't lived with her for very long, but now she is very much a part of what I call my family. I was telling my real mom the other day about how it makes me sad to think of leaving Mamá Carmen, and I actually started crying about it. She calls me her "niña" or her "corazon" which lets me know that she probably doesn't want us to leave either. So, I am now committed to not worrying about saying goodbye to her and just enjoying my time with my mom here. It's kind of funny that in real life, when I talk to people, I refer to my moms as "my mom in the US" and "mi mamá de aquí."

Anddddd that's my week in review folks. I hope you enjoy!

xoxo,
Caroline

Looking Up

This past weekend was a slow but fun one! It was exactly what I needed after last week. Before I go into how my weekend was, I was surprised by the amount of feedback my last blog post got by other students who are here with me. I had a few text me and say things like, "I've been feeling the exact same way as you." or "I really needed to read that." It helped me to know I wasn't alone as much as it probably helped them to tell someone who understood. I've been talking to these people more and developing friendships with them that I'm really excited for.

This weekend it was just my host mom and I because my roommate was gone, and the communication between us went well. I usually look to my roommate when I am confused since she is a heritage speaker, but being alone made me try harder which was good for me. On Friday, I got to Face Time a friend from school and my family (which will always include my best friend, Alaina). I also started a short story that came into my head the other day on my walk to school. It seems like people are enjoying my blogs, so I am going to give writing in another form a shot. 

On Saturday (and Sunday) morning, I went to the gym to start the day and give myself an outlet. I wasn't a gym goer in the U.S., but it's a good way for me to kill time here besides throwing myself in my homework. On Saturday afternoon, I met up with four other girls who didn't travel that weekend like me. We shopped a little bit then went to the movies to see Split. First off, we were told the movie would be in English with Spanish subtitles. The movie was ACTUALLY in Spanish with NO subtitles at all. We all had a good laugh out of it, and it was all good. I really liked the group of girls I was with, and I pray that we turn into good friends before we leave.

Now about the movies here, they are boiling hot unlike the refrigerator American movie theaters. The heat made me feel sick which made it hard to focus, but I understood most of the movie. I was pretty proud of myself. After that, I came back home and watched Got Talent Spain with my host aunt because my host mom was visiting a friend. Sunday was a lazy day of homework and cat naps. 

Monday was a good day as well. We painted tiles in my culture class with lead. Yes, you read that right. We used lead paint. That didn't freak me out at all. Lol. I'm excited to see it after it's baked. 

We also had dance class on Monday night which will prepare us for Féria in April. It's basically a big festival all week, and all of Seville shuts down for it. I'm catching onto the dance quickly which makes me very excited for it! Because if you know me, you know I LOVE to dance. I told my parents that I was going to win over a Spaniard with my dancing/ Féria dress while I was here, and I'd bring him home with me. Hahaha. My dad said, "Make sure he's royalty." 

Today after class, my roommate, a friend, and I went to try on Féria dresses. I found one that I LOVED, but being the indecisive Libra I am, I wanted my host mom's opinion before I bought it (I will be posting pics of the dress to my Facebook). The start of this week has been good so far, and I can't wait to visit Córdoba this weekend. It's looking up for me here as I finish up my third week in España. 

xoxo, 

Caroline