Ahora, Salamanca!

Salamanca!!!! 

Living with my host familly is rather... interesting. 

I live with my host mother, who is the ripe age of 77, and her son, who is 50. To be honest I still can't even remember his name and we are on day 3... talk about embarassing. They are very nice, but I can tell there is definitly an economic insentive for having me here. Don't get me wrong, they are very polite, but not very welcoming. I ate my first couple of meals alone, which is very strange for the Spanish culture, especially since they have something called "sobre mesa", which means people usually sit and talk for 2-3 hours when they eat. However, I have not given up hope. Yesterday my Senora ate lunch with me! I told her I liked her ring, which turned into a 20 minute rant. I am pretty sure her daughter, a circle, the floor, a car, and a robbery were all included in the story. I just wish I knew what she became so animated about. 

I keep getting questions about how my classes are going. If class means having U of M pay for my tapas and wine, I love it! Granted, this practicum course only lasts for the first week, but I'll take it. Today we started out at a cathedral, worked our way to a market, then finished in the classroom by learning the different types of drinks. Tomorrow my class is meeting at a Tapas bar to eat and drink while watching Spain play Portugal in the Euro cup. I'm not really sure how this class was approved, but I'm not complaining : ]

Bienvenido a Madrid!

Unfortunately, my check for reality for this blog was kind of a downer. I kind of, maybe, forgot my passport... talk about a reality check. I am eternally in debt to my neighbor for driving it all the way  to the airport. Thanks to her, I made my flight : ]

However, this was not with added difficulty. My bag was too heavy, security searched my luggage which resulted in the discarding of crunchy peanut butter, I had to check my carry on due to lack of room, and I sat next to a first time flyer. Despite all of this, the flights themselves were not that bad. Best of all - we had personal TVs for the flight to Madrid. If you ever need to know a quote from 21 Jump Street, let me know. I watched it 3 times due to my innate ability to fall asleep at  the wrong time and the lack of a rewind button.

As soon as the flight touched down in Madrid, my world of firsts opened up. To begin with, Victoria and I managed to navigate the metro. All by ourselves. For those who have heard about last adventure in Spain, you should have gotten the correct impression that my three friends and I had absolutely no idea where we were at any given time and only made it back to the states alive thanks to my foreign exchange student, Amaia. Needless to say, this was a huge accomplishment. The hostel was more than I expected. With bar crawls every night,walking tours every morning, tapas on fridays, and paella nights on Saturdays, I wish we could have stayed longer. I did not have a chance to experience any of that, because I wanted to spend time with Amaia.

After a night of rest, the next day I again managed to find my way around and met Amaia at Plaza del sol in Madird. After eating lunch, visiting with her mother and sister, Sabera, we met up again at a very interesting bar/restaurant/market to watch the Spanish soccer (or rather, futbol), game. It was the experience of a lifetime. The crowd fed off of each other, creating one of the most amazing atmospheres I have been apart of. With new free blow up Spain hand and furry hat, Amaia, her friends, and I all celebrated the night away with the big win. I can't imagine what the semi finals are going to be like. We ended the night (or should I say morning) by going to a club called nuit. It was different than the ones from last year, but I had a great time singing and dancing to a mix of music from Wannabe to Maldito Alcohol.

Looking back, it was probably not a grand idea to come home when the metro opened up for the morning, but I wouldn't change any of it to see Amaia and all her friends. Sure I may be on an hour and half of rest, falling asleep while I am waiting for the bus to Salamanca, but it was well worth it. I hope I get a chance to visit her again soon. 

Checking Reality

Have you ever had one moment, where everything seemed like a dream? No matter how much you try to convince yourself, it still doesnt seem real? and in that moment, when you dont wake up or startle yourself out of a fantasy, when you finally do realize this dream is your new reality, this becomes the best sensation because then you know its real. Lately I have been checking for reality a lot, making sure my world has not fooled me. 

My current check of reality that ignited this blog is my summer abroad. In one weeks time I will be flying over the Atlantic ocean, on my way to one of the most visited countries, Spain. Even though my excitment can barely be contained as is, I can't help but have some bittersweet feelings. These next 8 weeks will be the longest I have gone without seeing my family or friends. Most experience this sensation during college, but living 30 minutes away from home and has certantly had its benefits. With that said, I would like to thank my parents, Lori and Craig, for supporting me on this trip. This would not be possible without them. And to my friends, I expect updates! I know one person being gone doesnt affect your daily life, but im going to be missing all of you like crazy.  

Here is a quick run down of my trip: In a few days, I will be staying in a hostel in downtown Madrid. On the 24th some friends and I will make our way to Salamanca, where I will be taking classes for 6 weeks. Then, on August 4th I shall be departing Salamanca for destinations still unknown and with who still to be determined. All I am sure of is my flight leaving for home on August 16th. 

Well, I guess it's hasta luego for now!