Hello readers, this one's a long and random post about many things... get ready. It probably won't make any sense.
This weekend we were supposed to go to a Real Madrid fútbol game with a big group of people from the fundación. I was pumped: what could be better than fútbol in Spain??? However, when we went to get the tickets, all the cheap seats were sold out, so we just scrapped the whole plan and were really sad. Since most of us were planning on going, we were left with a (pretty much) wide open weekend.
We started it out on Friday with our second group excursion to Alcalá de Henares, a smaller city near Madrid. The main attractions were the city's very old university and an old theater. The theater was pretty cool, but overall these weren't the most exciting tours. We did have an excellent lunch (so much better than el Museo de Jamón in Madrid), and we had some free time to wander, explore and visit the home of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote... oh wait, I didn't make it there because we got distracted by a cheap shoe store!
The rest of the weekend was going to be very productive: go to Madrid on Saturday, visit a museum for class, maybe do a little shopping; come back, get a lot of homework/studying done. But that plan went to hell, and the entire weekend just turned into one big slumber party. Friday night while we sat around for a few hours debating whether or not we should go out, we decided to be lazy and push the beds together in Lauren's room and watch Sherlock Holmes (the Robert Downy Jr one). And this slumber party turned into a whole-weekend thing (Madrid was pushed back from Saturday to Sunday to next weekend). Basically I just lived at the fund (remember, it's "foond") all weekend with my lovely friends. But don't worry, we actually got some homework done, went shopping, went dancing, I went home for meals, and I even went for a run! Go me!
I've already been here for over a month, and Toledo is starting to feel like another home! I've fallen into a rhythm, and I actually feel very comfortable (and LOVE IT) here. I thought the transition would be hard for me, since I'm not very outgoing, I've never been out of the U.S., I'm not very good at making friends, I would be living in a house with a complete stranger, etc. But it was only weird for about a week or so, and even then it has been fun from the start! I've figured out how to fake a conversation with my host mom and not sound like an idiot... most of the time. I've gotten lost enough times in Toledo that I know the city and have been known to help many-a lost asian tourist find their way around. I love living in a small, cozy little town like Toledo, as opposed to Madrid or some of the other big cities that we have visited. And I have made some wonderful friends here. It was nice to know some of the students pre-Toledo, but believe it or not, I've actually made my own friends as well! It makes such a difference living in a new and strange place when you have good friends to lean on!
But when I stop and think about it, it's still pretty weird that I'm here. I'm living in Spain! I remember earlier this summer when I was at Itasca for 5 weeks and I thought that was strange and new! Actually, I was more uncomfortable that first night at Itasca than I was my first night here! (That may have been due to sheer exhaustion, but still.) And here I am, living the Spanish life, planning trips around Europe left and right! (This past week I think I planned about 4 upcoming trips, among them Munich and Switzerland in November, Morocco next weekend, and finalizing Paris plans!*) It's like when everyone says "study abroad is a life-changing experience," and here I am right now experiencing my life-changing experience. Part of me never wants to leave, but another part of me knows that when I do go home I will still have whatever I learn or gain here, and I will have changed and grown as a person (yada yada yada), and I will have my Toledo friends because, as luck will have it, most of us go to the UofM! If that makes any sense... I feel like I have a very firm grasp of this concept in my mind, but it does not translate very well when I try to explain it.
*A side note on my Paris plans: I am going to Paris over my "fall break" (essentially an extended weekend) with Nolan and Emilie, Oct. 29-31. The other day it hit me how hilarious it is that Emilie and Nolan are spending their weekend in the most romantic city in the world... WITH ME! Nolemnah for life.
Back to my random musings... I found out my mom is coming to visit! I was getting kind of worried because my parents weren't sure if they would be able to make it, and everyone talks about when their parents are coming to visit, and what they are going to show them in Toledo, and where they are going to travel... and I was getting kind of sad. :( But just the other day my mom told me she's coming! And she's coming after the semester, which works out because now I have another travel buddy: I can go to Italy with Paige, meet my mom in Italy, perhaps venture up to Slovenia (land of 1/4 my ethnicity) and then head back to visit a few choice locations in Spain. Sounds good to me!
Tonight I start my weekly "tutoring" sessions. I'm teaching a spanish kid English, and I think the kid is like 2-3 years old... so I can probably just talk to them and play with them in English? Maybe we'll go over basics like colors, do some fun flashcards (I've discovered that my animal drawings amaze spanish children...), sing a little Head Shoulders Knees and Toes and other such fun learning songs. Man, if I had a guitar I'd go Sound of Music all over this kid. It will either be super fun or really awkward if I don't know what to do... let's hope for super fun. Wish me luck!
I could probably ramble on and on about random stuff forever...but this is getting a bit lengthy. Most of my posts so far have just about weekends when I travel, so I figure I should work in a little more of the day-to-day stuff. Emilie told me to do this like... a few weeks ago and I'm just getting to it. Here ya go, kiddo!
One more thought before we go... I wish I were as good at blogging as my friend Becca (http://bexshrake.blogspot.com/). I started reading her entire life/spanish blog, and she's hilarious and makes me feel inferior. However, she is a Journalism major, and I am a Zoology/Ecology/Conservation/something-or-other Biology major. So I'll give myself a little credit.
This weekend we were supposed to go to a Real Madrid fútbol game with a big group of people from the fundación. I was pumped: what could be better than fútbol in Spain??? However, when we went to get the tickets, all the cheap seats were sold out, so we just scrapped the whole plan and were really sad. Since most of us were planning on going, we were left with a (pretty much) wide open weekend.
We started it out on Friday with our second group excursion to Alcalá de Henares, a smaller city near Madrid. The main attractions were the city's very old university and an old theater. The theater was pretty cool, but overall these weren't the most exciting tours. We did have an excellent lunch (so much better than el Museo de Jamón in Madrid), and we had some free time to wander, explore and visit the home of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote... oh wait, I didn't make it there because we got distracted by a cheap shoe store!
The rest of the weekend was going to be very productive: go to Madrid on Saturday, visit a museum for class, maybe do a little shopping; come back, get a lot of homework/studying done. But that plan went to hell, and the entire weekend just turned into one big slumber party. Friday night while we sat around for a few hours debating whether or not we should go out, we decided to be lazy and push the beds together in Lauren's room and watch Sherlock Holmes (the Robert Downy Jr one). And this slumber party turned into a whole-weekend thing (Madrid was pushed back from Saturday to Sunday to next weekend). Basically I just lived at the fund (remember, it's "foond") all weekend with my lovely friends. But don't worry, we actually got some homework done, went shopping, went dancing, I went home for meals, and I even went for a run! Go me!
 |
| So ready to get cozy and watch a movie - we even have snacks! |
I've already been here for over a month, and Toledo is starting to feel like another home! I've fallen into a rhythm, and I actually feel very comfortable (and LOVE IT) here. I thought the transition would be hard for me, since I'm not very outgoing, I've never been out of the U.S., I'm not very good at making friends, I would be living in a house with a complete stranger, etc. But it was only weird for about a week or so, and even then it has been fun from the start! I've figured out how to fake a conversation with my host mom and not sound like an idiot... most of the time. I've gotten lost enough times in Toledo that I know the city and have been known to help many-a lost asian tourist find their way around. I love living in a small, cozy little town like Toledo, as opposed to Madrid or some of the other big cities that we have visited. And I have made some wonderful friends here. It was nice to know some of the students pre-Toledo, but believe it or not, I've actually made my own friends as well! It makes such a difference living in a new and strange place when you have good friends to lean on!
But when I stop and think about it, it's still pretty weird that I'm here. I'm living in Spain! I remember earlier this summer when I was at Itasca for 5 weeks and I thought that was strange and new! Actually, I was more uncomfortable that first night at Itasca than I was my first night here! (That may have been due to sheer exhaustion, but still.) And here I am, living the Spanish life, planning trips around Europe left and right! (This past week I think I planned about 4 upcoming trips, among them Munich and Switzerland in November, Morocco next weekend, and finalizing Paris plans!*) It's like when everyone says "study abroad is a life-changing experience," and here I am right now experiencing my life-changing experience. Part of me never wants to leave, but another part of me knows that when I do go home I will still have whatever I learn or gain here, and I will have changed and grown as a person (yada yada yada), and I will have my Toledo friends because, as luck will have it, most of us go to the UofM! If that makes any sense... I feel like I have a very firm grasp of this concept in my mind, but it does not translate very well when I try to explain it.
*A side note on my Paris plans: I am going to Paris over my "fall break" (essentially an extended weekend) with Nolan and Emilie, Oct. 29-31. The other day it hit me how hilarious it is that Emilie and Nolan are spending their weekend in the most romantic city in the world... WITH ME! Nolemnah for life.
Back to my random musings... I found out my mom is coming to visit! I was getting kind of worried because my parents weren't sure if they would be able to make it, and everyone talks about when their parents are coming to visit, and what they are going to show them in Toledo, and where they are going to travel... and I was getting kind of sad. :( But just the other day my mom told me she's coming! And she's coming after the semester, which works out because now I have another travel buddy: I can go to Italy with Paige, meet my mom in Italy, perhaps venture up to Slovenia (land of 1/4 my ethnicity) and then head back to visit a few choice locations in Spain. Sounds good to me!
Tonight I start my weekly "tutoring" sessions. I'm teaching a spanish kid English, and I think the kid is like 2-3 years old... so I can probably just talk to them and play with them in English? Maybe we'll go over basics like colors, do some fun flashcards (I've discovered that my animal drawings amaze spanish children...), sing a little Head Shoulders Knees and Toes and other such fun learning songs. Man, if I had a guitar I'd go Sound of Music all over this kid. It will either be super fun or really awkward if I don't know what to do... let's hope for super fun. Wish me luck!
I could probably ramble on and on about random stuff forever...but this is getting a bit lengthy. Most of my posts so far have just about weekends when I travel, so I figure I should work in a little more of the day-to-day stuff. Emilie told me to do this like... a few weeks ago and I'm just getting to it. Here ya go, kiddo!
One more thought before we go... I wish I were as good at blogging as my friend Becca (http://bexshrake.blogspot.com/). I started reading her entire life/spanish blog, and she's hilarious and makes me feel inferior. However, she is a Journalism major, and I am a Zoology/Ecology/Conservation/something-or-other Biology major. So I'll give myself a little credit.
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