Back Home again in Indiana...

I have now been home for almost 3 weeks and I am just getting to this adjusting back blog. I got home on April 19th 8 O' clock on the dot. Teddi, Sam, and I could hardly hold in our excitement as we walked toward where we left our families 3.5 months before. When we got close enough, the first thing I saw was my dad's white head. Then Paul and my mom! I wish I could've seen our faces. I was holding onto Sam and Teddi until I got to hug everyone waiting. Mom was holding a fiesta balloon. Then Chris and John walked up with a Welcome Home sign and my favorite gum from John. And Paul brought me my favorite salad from a dining hall at Ball State and a PBJ with all the right ingredients! It was a wonderful welcome home.

That week I got to go up to Ball State with Sam and see some old friends. It was great, but overwhelming at the same time. I knew just kept going back home, but it was weird to come home and actually see all the change and a lot that just stays the same. I remember being anxious about coming home after my mom left Spain and my sister told me not to be missing home too much because they weren't going anywhere. That helped me a lot. It was totally true. Now that I'm home, I've fallen into a lot of the same summer routine.

It is great to be with my family especially to help out and feel needed. (My dad broke his right leg and I am so glad I can be here to help him out.) It's also fun to see old friends. However, it has been weird to be home before my friends are out of school. Most of my friends have been really busy studying for finals and such. When I went to BSU I just wanted to hang out, but I also didn't want to get in the way. I can't wait to for my friends to come home. Most of them are finished with finals by tomorrow!

I do miss a lot about Spain, like I knew I would. A lot of my friends are going to Segovia to study this summer: Amy, Leanne, Chelsea, Morgan, Beka, Caleb, and Nate. I wish I could jump in one of their suitcases. My friend Amy might be living with Julia, so I hope to be able to skype with her at least once this summer. I am so thankful for the opportunity to study abroad and I am still looking learning lessons and thinking of reasons for my trip. I don't start my summer camp job, Springhill, until June 4th so I have some free time to spend doing things I normally can't. I have really enjoyed being with my family in this time. I also know it has helped me have a more open mind about other cultures and I will benefit from this experience for the rest of my life! If you ever get the change to live amongst another culture for some time I would definitely recommend it. It's totally worth it!


What I miss the most about Segovia?:
I miss seeing everyone out walking and walking along with them on the narrow streets. Also, running into people I knew each day and just taking time to sit down and talk with them. I miss the sites while walking: mountains, aqueduct, quaint shops. In that sense, the town reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, my favorite Disney movie.

What did I miss most about home?:
Of course my family and friends. But I also missed the comfort of my own home the most. I felt very welcomed and happy living with Julia. However, I never wanted to step on her feet. She would make the food and do my laundry so I was on her schedule. I never felt like I could relax like I can at home.

What would I do differently if I could go back?:
I would explore more. I would've loved to get to know the people more than I did. I felt like the only way for me to do that was to go out and party at night and I wasn't very comfortable with that. However, I wish now that I would've found one cafe to spend some more time in and get to know the workers and the regulars more from the beginning. I started doing that towards the end when it was kinda late.
(This helps me even now realize that I want to reach out more even at home, school, work. It's not too late to do that right where I am!)

When life seems overwhelming..

I have been having trouble sleeping this week because I am anxious about coming home. I have forgotten to slow down and give my worries over to God. I was listening to music as I studied for my finals and came across this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY8BCgX0dwg&feature=PlayList&p=0CC471A706179F5B&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

I was immediately reminded of how small I am in this overwhelming world, but God made all of this and made me. He loves me so much. How could I ever forget? He has protected me this whole time in Spain. He is amazing! I just wanted to share that with you all. I pray you know the peace my Savior provides. Psalms 19:1-4

Our last Hoorah in Segoviah!

Friday morning the class went on our last excursion to the "mountains". First of all, we didn't have to leave till 11 so it felt great to sleep in a bit. The bus ride was about 30 min. of beautiful scenery outside of Segovia. I'd been there once before, but I could never get tired of it. When we got off the bus our professor, Edu, took the lead. It felt like we were walking through a lot of people's backyards, but I think they're used to it. I wore two light weight jackets because I thought we would be going up to the snow capped mountains. However, we just walked around at the base of the mountains. It got so hot. It was beautiful though. It was definitely my favorite excursion with the class: there weren't any lines, hardly any explaining from the professor, and it was a perfect day! We ate our bocadillos outside next to an older part of the aqueduct. Then as we walked back, we were walking through a field with a bunch of horses. A lot of them came right up to us. I really love horses so I thought it was great. However, our professor was annoyed. He was trying his best to scare them away, but they followed us anyway. Sam and I have decided we want to try to go to Browncounty, IN to go horse riding sometime soon. (Hopefully) I'm not sure how many miles we walked, but I loved it the whole time. It was the perfect start to the day.

That night, Sam's mom invited Becca and me "ir de cañas". Becca is her intercambio and since I teach English to her boys with Sam they wanted to take us out. We went to a place to get drinks and tapas. I got some drink without alcohol that tasted like grape juice. (At first I thought it tasted like apple cider, but they said it was grape.) I have never actually gone out for tapas with a Spanish family, so it was really fun! The boys just ran around outside and would come back to grab a tapa every now and then. We just talked with the adults and then another family came up and talked with us for a long time. It was so much fun! We just talked about girlie stuff and the guys talked about...who knows...whatever guys talk about. (Maybe the Real Madrid vs. Barca game) I loved talking with them and the best thing was that I could understand everything!! The other lady was Carmen and she loves to talk and it's pretty fast, but I was so excited that I got it all and could respond. I guess I've learned more than I thought.

We talked a little about the book Twilight, because Sam and Ester just finished reading it. Then we got on the subject of the new movie with the actor from Twilight in it and how all of want to see it. I asked when it was coming out and they said it is out...so I said let's go! ahah So we're all going today. I'm excited to see Carmen again she's so funny. I probably wouldn't be in such a hurry to see it at home, but I thought it sounded fun with them! We are going to go see it today at 6!

It was about 10 by the time we finished tapas. I hadn't seen Julia all day so I was worried that she would wonder where I was. I hurried back expecting to find her eating dinner, but she said she had just gone out with her friends and she wasn't really hungry. She said I could help myself so I grabbed a banana and was on my way again. That night were invited to our friend Stephanie's house to play cards. She lives on a military base because her padre is the Coronal. We played a game I'd never heard of before. We called it "Ahh Heck". I think it's my new favorite game. I'm just getting the hang of it, so I'm not good at all, but it's fun! It's like a game of solitaire with community piles. Have you ever played? If not, I'll have to teach you. I walked back to my house about 2 am. It was a very eventful day! I loved every min. of it :)

Saturday, I went out with Sam and we bought a few gifts for people at home. I still want to get a few things though. It's so fun to buy things for other people. I really didn't do much after that. However, at 6 I met my intercambios, Becca, and Sam and we made our way to the mountains. One of my intercambions, Aranzazu, climbs this mountain all the time. She was prepared with maps, sunscreen, water, Gatorade, and snacks. I didn't realize we would really be scaling a mountain. It was tough. At first, it was a steady incline, but soon we felt like we were rock climbing. As we got closer to the top, our breaths got shorter and our strides longer. I thought I saw the top, so I started singing, "We're half way there", but I was so wrong. At that point we were about 1/4 of the way there. When we finally made it to the top, it was BEAUTIFUL! We could see the mountains all around us and little Segovia was just a spec below us. It was hard work, but vale la pena. It was the perfect ending to the trip! When we got up there we took pictures, rested, and replenished ourselves for the way back down. By the time we got back down, it was almost dark. We watched the sunset as we walked down. That was definitely something I'll never forget.

At the end, I said good-bye to Aranzazu (one of my intercambios) for the last time. When we were walking down I told her I'd been listening to the music she introduced me to all week. It was a guy called "Mika". He's a singer from London. I really like him, but I told her I also wanted to find some actual Spanish music. Everyone listens to English music here. She gave me a suggestion and I said I'd look into to it. However, when I was saying bye she reached in her car for something and she came out with two CD's. She let me have Mika and David Bisbal! It was so sweet of her. I was so excited and have been listening to them ever since. (Like right now!) It was hard to say bye to my intercambios. Over all I had a great time with them. I thought we would still meet on Tuesday like every week, but since I have to study so they said this could be our last meeting. It was the perfect ending. I feel like it would've been harder to say good-bye if we had one more meeting.

After the mountains, I went to a bar to watch the Real Madrid vs. Barcalona game with a lot of people from my class. It's like their Super bowl, so all the bars were full of people. It was so fun! Most of the people in Segovia fans of Real Madrid, but a lot of students in my group like Barca. It wasn't a very good game for Madrid. The final score was 0-2, Barca. I know my professor is not going to be happy when half the class shows up wearing Barca shirts on Monday! haha The game was so fast. It's 90 min., but they always keep the clock running. It's not like watching American football at all.

Today, I actually started packing. I realized, there's so much I didn't need to bring. I have no idea how I got it all here in the first place. It's worse now, because I have more than I came with. I also studied, cleaned my room, helped Julia send e-mails to some of her former students, and spent time with Sam's family again. I thought I would just be going to the movie, "Recuerdame", with them, but we can't go out on Sunday without going for tapas. (Ps. it wasn't my favorite movie, It was okay. It was a bit of a tear jerker though. Yikes!)

After the movie, we went with Carmen to her "Finta", which is pretty much a backyard she shares with her whole family. Most of the flats here don't have yards, so the cobblestone streets become the playground for families. However, we learned tonight that people buy pieces of land for their run around areas. This "finta" had a pool, tennis/basketball court, lots of yard to run/ride bikes, and a little house (but they told us it's not to sleep in). They spend a lot of summer days and celebrations there. It was someone's birthday. The whole family was there, so we had no idea who's birthday, but we got to partake in the cake! hah And I must say it was really great. "Que cumples mucho mas!" (Thats part of a song they sing after Happy birthday and it basically means may you have many more!)

When they finally rounded up all the kids, we went out for tapas. I had no idea how long we would be and I was planning to study when I got back, but I figured, Hey you're only here once! They asked me if I'd ever seen the Alcazar (castle) at night and I hadn't, so we went to a place with a great view of the castle! It was a like an old tavern, very Segoviano they told me. It was a wonderful end to our last, eventful weekend in Segovia.

I learned a lot about Segovia even this last weekend. There is really no place like it. If you ever have the chance to visit Spain, please stay a few days in Segovia! The people and small city are wonderful. I will miss it dearly. However, I know there is no place like home! Ta luego :)

Semana Santa con Samantha!

This past week was Semana Santa or Holy Week, which is the week before Easter. A lot of schools/businesses close for the whole week to celebrate the holiday. We didn't have classes on Thursday or Friday so Sam and I decided to enjoy the warm weather at a beach! We were originally thinking about heading north to San Sebastian, which is right by the France border. However, we wanted a relaxing time without plans and with sunshine, so we made our way to Alicante. According to my intercambio it's like the Florida of Spain. Many retired couples move there and it's always full of tourists.

We left early Thursday morning on the bus to Madrid, to the metro, to our bus to Alicante. That was our last long trip transferring transportation like that and I can't say I'll miss it. However, it is nice to have something as fast and as cheap as the metro.

I spent a lot of the trip there and back looking out the window at God's creation. Spain is really beautiful. Even though it is a lot smaller than the US it has probably just as many terrains. I was in Valencia, which was my 5th out of 17 regions of Spain to visit. A lot of the trip was actually flat fields with olive trees, wind mills, and grass. Then as we got closer to Alicante, it became mountainous again; rocky mountains with the occasional cactus, which definitely reminded me of Arizona.

The bus stopped half way to Alicante for us to eat our bocadillos. When I got off the bus it was pretty chilly. I was worried that Alicante wouldn't be much warmer. However, when we finally arrived, I had to take my sweater off. It was warm and sunny, just what we were hoping for. Even though Sam and I were traveling alone at this point, we weren’t anxious like we have been in the past while traveling. We had no time schedule to follow and whenever we had a question we just asked. There were even a few times we weren't sure if we had passed our bus stop or not, but when we asked again we found that it was the next stop. Phew...perfect timing! Sam knew as soon as she saw tall buildings that we were getting close to the beach. However, I don't remember the last time I've been to a popular beach so it was all totally new to me: the tourists, people speaking English everywhere, the boardwalks, the tall buildings, the sounds of the ocean, and everything was so vibrant!

When we got to the hotel I was so excited to find that it was right along the coast.
We were all ready to check in, pay, and get settled. However, there was a little problem. The first thing they asked for were our passports and neither of us had them. Up until that point we felt so prepared. After trying to get a hold of our parents for awhile through e-mail, phone, skype, facebook, and Matt (Sam's boyfriend), we got it figured out. (Even though I'm all the way across the world.. It's nice to know I can get in contact with my family pretty easily!) The rest of the weekend was worry free!



Soon after we got checked into our rooms, we made our way to the crowded streets of Alicante. It was about 8pm and everyone was out enjoying the fresh, sea air. It's normal for families and friends to meet about an hour before dinner and go out for drinks and tapas(appetizers that usually come free with drinks) so there was that crowd. There was also touristy crowd (us), and the crowd out for the processions. To celebrate Easter they have parades with elaborately decorates floats with the cross, and Mary. The people carry the floats (I'm not sure what else to call them) are all dressed uniformly in what seem like choir robes. There are also men dressed in the same robes and also wearing masks the come to a point above their heads. They are a bit scary, like the kkk masks. Yikes! Kids also participate, but they are cute and carry candy in their pockets for anyone who holds out their hand. I was kinda nervous to hold out my hand. I thought they would say, "You're too old!" But I decided to go for it and as soon as I held out my hand I got a little jolly rancher looking piece of candy! :)

The next two days were a routine of nothing! It was great. We spent time reading and listening to music while enjoying the beach. I wasn't even going to try to go without sunscreen on the Mediterranean. I made sure to apply and reapply several times. I've learned my lesson. However, I forgot the backs of my legs. DUMB! The rest of the trip I had lobster legs..but the worst part was that it hurt to walk. I tried to ignore it though because nothing was going to put a damper on my trip to the Mediterranean! The next day, my legs did not see the light of day. However, I think there were enough half naked bodies on the beach to make up for my lack of showing skin. Bleh- That's one thing about Europe that I won't miss. ha

Since we would be spending Easter Sunday traveling back to Segovia, we wanted to make sure to recognize the day and give thanks, so we decided to get up early. We walked down to the shore to watch the sunrise. It was a bit cloudy, but still beautiful. We sang worship songs, read John 19 & 20, and prayed together. It was definitely an Easter I'll never forget. However, there's nothing like being with our families. We miss them and are getting excited about coming home so soon.


I know this trip abroad has been a huge blessing! I have learned a lot about different cultures, languages, and myself. Even before I was certain about coming, I was asking God to give me a BIG reason to come or not to come, but that never happened. I had the desire in my heart and God opened the doors. I thought I would learn huge lesson from the trip, but I think I have been learning several little things that will stay with me for life. Even just depending on God before anyone else. I still have 10 days here and I am trying my best to soak it up!

I have to go.. Our (Julia) "favorite" Thursday night movie is on. See you all so soon!

Megan..."La de la Terraza"!

You may have noticed I'm not blogging as much anymore. I'm happy to say it's due to the wonderful weather we've been having in Segovia. (Except for today-ha) I don't remember the last time I had to wear my winter coat! I have been walking around during the siestas and visiting new places. It's been great!
This past Tuesday, I had a few presentations to work on so I didn't have time to go outside. However, I decided to eat my merienda (snack) on our balcony. I grabbed a kiwi, which makes me think of summer, shut the sliding door and sat down on the balcony to enjoy the sunshine. When I finished and decided to get back to work, I tried to open the sliding door, but it wouldn't budge. I was LOCKED OUT!
At first, all I could do was laugh at my predicament. I was stuck on a small apartment sized balcony with nothing but a kiwi and spoon. I thought, what in the world will Julia think!? haha
I decided to use my time to exercise, count red cars, count bald headed people, and sing songs! (There were actually quite a few bald people within 5 min., 42) However, after awhile I began to worry. It was about 6pm and Julia wouldn't get home till around 7:30. Then I remembered it was Tuesday and she always goes out with her friends till around 9:30. That’s when I really started to freak out. It was getting cold as the sun set and I thought I might just be stuck forever. I was not only stuck, but also missing my intercambio with a few people. I told them just a few min. before I got stuck on the balcony that I would be meeting them at 7. However, that wasn't going to happen and I had no way of letting them know. I thought a few times about calling down to the people on the street, but I knew they couldn't do anything. Even if they did get up to Julia's apartment the front door was locked so they wouldn't be able to help. Like my nephew later suggested, I thought about climbing down. However, I was on the 3rd story, which really means 4th in Spain. (The first floor is 0) I was officially trapped. I felt like I was in an "I love Lucy" episode. Except my mom said it would be "I Love Megan"... Oh my!
I spent the rest of the time hoping and praying that Julia would for some reason still come home at 7:30. As the time was approaching for her to come home I kept a look out for her, but I never saw her. I started knocking on the door just in case she was home. (I couldn't see because of the curtain on the other side) But nobody came to my rescue. I decided to sing again and as soon as I did, the curtains started moving! It was Julia to the rescue!! She gave me the funniest look I've ever seen. Oh man it still makes me laugh. ha She motioned for me to come in, but obviously, I couldn't. She let me in and then I told her the whole thing. She said, "Como habla la gente". (she thought people were just talking really loudly, but really it was me singing on her balcony!! ha) I think at first she was trying not to laugh, but I was laughing when I told her. After she asked if I was okay, she started cracking up. She had to leave to meet her friends, but that wasn't the last I heard from her. After she got back from the bar, she called me in to eat dinner. She has a new name for me though, Megan.."la de la terraza". (The girl from the balcony) hah She told me that she told all her friends. hah Of course she did! She said they felt sorry for me, but I'm sure they were cracking up. haha I would be!
The next day at school, one of my professors asked me why I didn't show up to my intercambio. I guess Jesus (One of the guys I meet with for the intercambio) called my professor to ask if she knew where I was. So I proceeded to tell the story to her. Most of the professors were in the office so pretty soon almost everyone knew. hah My Grammar prof. pulled out some jokes today, but I think that's the last I'll hear of it…at least, for a little while. However, I'm pretty sure Julia will never forget...la de la terraza! :)

A PLETHORA OF PiCTURES

I figured out how to post a link to my photos! If you want to see our spring break photos scroll down and there should be a link on the right hand side of my blog. (look for the picture of the cross!) Well...I guess you have to have a snapfish account to see them. What a shame! However, it's free! (this is no plug)

Bob's Your Uncle!

LONDON!!
Okay, I'm finally getting to this blog. Hmm..where to begin!? Our flight was delayed a bit to London so I was worried that it wouldn't even happen. I was going to be really sad to miss out on seeing London and Jenna. However, an hour later we were on our way!
We flew over the English Channel. It was such a clear day we could see boats doting the shore. When we landed in Gatwick we took a train to Victory Station, which according to my mom, has a lot of history.
Mom took charge on this trip with the transportation and housing arrangements. We weren't sure exactly how to get to our hotel, but it was no problem… we simply asked! (I was loving ENGLISH!) An older lady on the bus said to my mom, "Oh don't worry dear, it's just one stop after mine." Most the people we came across in London we're very helpful.
Our hotel was my favorite I've stayed in so far in Europe. It was old and Victorian looking. Our room was very flowery. It definitely reminded me of an old tea room. (I wouldn't want to live there. However, it was a fun atmosphere for our stay. We had two french doors from floor to ceiling that opened up to our balcony. From our balcony we could look out and see Hyde Park, which is bigger than Central Park in NYC. It was a beautiful view and we had three sunny days in London to enjoy it.
After we got our internet working, we got a hold of Jenna and she came over right away. (Earlier that day, she went to see if we had checked in yet, but I told her the wrong hotel. I felt awful, but she found us in the end!) Jenna and I explored the streets of London, including the famous Oxford street with all the shops. Then we took the tube (Yes, I did get to hear "mind the gap" with the great British accent!) to get some food and see her flat. We decided to stop in a pub near her flat. We ordered, but the lady at the counter could barely understand us. We weren't sure if she was speaking English herself, but we got it figured out. There were a few men on the other side of the pub speaking in a thick Scottish accent. It was fun to listen to them. When we finished, we went to Jenna's flat and I met her flat mates. They seemed pretty nice, but I guess I walked in on WWIII, so as soon as Jenna packed her bags we left for my side of town.
When we got back mom was a little worried about us being alone in London, so we didn't even have to ask before she said, "Jenna's staying!" Jenna was out stowaway so the next day we smuggled her some breakfast and were out the door. We got on a double decker tour bus to view the city. We saw Big Ben, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the Thames River, the Crown Jewels, the London Bridge (which isn't falling down), and much more. Jenna and I sat on the top even though it was a chilly day. After all, it's not every day you get to ride a double decker bus!
That night, we ate at our hotel. Our Waitress, Jessica, was so nice and very talkative. She asked where we were from and told us to pack her in our suitcases. She said she'd love to go to America some day. We asked her where and she named as many states as she could think of, except IN. Then she asked where we were from and when we told her she said, "Yeah, there too!" hah She was fun.
After dinner, we played rummy (Which was only Jenna's second hand and she won!) and said bye to Jenna. The next morning mom and I took a walk in Hyde Park where the squirrels and pigeons will attack if you're not careful. It was a beautiful sunny day! People we're using the park for all sorts of things: Painting, walking dogs, running, biking, soccer practice, tours, or just a morning walk. I couldn't believe how big the park was. It even has monuments from the kings and queens of Great Britain. If I were to live in a big city I would have to have a place like Hyde Park to get away. (It kinda reminded me of 101 Dalmatians when the owners of the dogs met in the park. I always thought that was so unrealistic, but after seeing Hyde Park with all the people walking dogs, I believe it! haha)
I would love to go back to London some day and stay longer. It was a great trip and well worth the hassle. I know this trip meant a lot to my mom especially with grandpa's history working as a chef in WWII in London. (I understand he made a mean fish and chips! ) And it was always grandma's dream to come. I know mom had them in mind the whole time! We ended the trip with a cup of tea and many great memories:) -I also picked up a few slang words from my London stay…
Brilliant = cool
Cheers= Hello, Good-bye, (anything else you can think of..)
Bob's your uncle=So there ya have it, there ya go!
Chips= French Fries
Loo = bathroom

Mom Meets Madre!

On Tuesday March 2nd, mom and I made our way on the train back to the Italy airport. Then by plane to Madrid, the metro to my bus station, and from the bus to Segovia! It was helpful that I've had to do that many times before. The bus ride to Segovia was dark so mom didn't get to see the pretty mountains. I led my mom up the hills to Julia's piso. It felt like the first day all over again, because I was pulling mom's big rolly suit case and I thought we'd never be there.

When we made it to her house, Julia's was very excited to see us! She was so welcoming and already had dinner cooking. My mom talked and I translated the whole night. It was a bit tiring, but it was fun to have both of them there. I learned a lot about Julia too, because mom asked a lot of questions from the beginning! We ate food that's very typical in Segovia. Like Sopa Castellana, tortilla de patatas, pan, y natilla. Basically soup with soggy bread and meat, eggs with potatoes and onions, bread, and pudding. Most of it is pretty good, but it's all very bad for you.

The next day, Julia left the house and we set up a surprise for her. Mom brought: 2 place mats, 2 napkin holders, 2 hand towels, a candle, Indianapolis magnet, a recipe book for tapas, and dough to make sugar cookies! We set that all up while she was gone, wrote a thank you note in her tapas book, and made the cookies. We struggled with the cookies because she has a convention oven and we weren't at first sure how to do it. Then we had to make sure to convert the degrees to Celsius and change the amount of time they were in the oven. So I ran to computer from the kitchen reading about temperatures, times, and convention ovens-the whole time worrying that she would walk in. haha Basically it was a lot more complicated than a little break and bake package of cookies should ever be. But it turned out great and she was very surprised!!

That day we walked to the aqueducts, the cathedral (but I made my mom promise we wouldn't go it), and to the castle. We went inside the castle, read about each room, and climbed the tower! There are 152 winding steps up to the tower. It's a bit of a climb, but we made it. Afterwards, mom kept calling herself Barbara Juan Bravo. (There's a statue in Segovia of a hero, Juan Bravo) It was great to show her where I've been staying and to see her excitement.

That night, we took Julia out to the restaurant of her choice. We got ready and set out on the town. I hadn't been out with Julia since the first week I got here. It was fun! We got to the restaurant, El Duque Maestro Asador and tried to decide what to do. She kept asking me do you want to have tapas down here or go up to the restaurant. I said up and then she would ask if I was sure, and I told her whatever she wanted to do was fine. However, it took us awhile to figure it out. Mom wasn't sure I understood right, but I'm pretty sure I was. It was a really nice restaurant and since it was Wednesday, we were the only ones for awhile. We all got different types of fish and it was fun to try each others. Mom also got langostinos, which looks like crawfish. She had no idea what they were and she wasn't going to eat them, but Julia insisted. She even went so far as to cut them up for my mom! Haha it was funny! At the end Julia told my mom she would have to come back to Segovia and my mom said, " if you cut up my langostinos again, I will." hah They were funny together.

That night it was already time to pack up again! While mom and I packed, Julia made us sandwiches for our travels. It was so nice of her to open her house up. It is definitely not their custom to invite people over, so it was extra nice of Julia. I'm so glad my mom got to see and experience where I have been staying!

My favorite part of Segovia: having my mom there!

Bongiorno!

Hello all! I apologize for taking forever to write. I have been procrastinating because I know this blog is bound to be a long one. I just got back from a wonderful spring break with my mom, my real mom that is!! It might be hard to break this down, so bear with me por favor.

AIRPORTS:
Madrid-Barajas
Rome-Fiumicino
Madrid-Barajas
London-Gatwick
Madrid-Barajas

TRANSPORTATION:
Madrid-taxis,metro,buses
Rome-buses,trains
London-buses,the tube,trains

FOOD: It was good!hah

FIRST PART OF SPRING BREAK:
On Friday February 26th, Sam and I went to the Madrid airport to pick up our moms. They were a bit delayed so we waited for what seemed a life time. However, it was only about an hour. (Nothing compared to 2 months) We were worried they didn't know where to go after getting their luggage, so we wanted to run through the doors to find them ourselves, but we weren't brave enough. When they finally came through the doors we were SUPER excited! We ran through the crowd to greet them with big hugs. (My mom wanted me to give her the traditional dos besos too!ha)I knew everyone was watching, but I didn't care...my mom was finally here!! It was such a blessing that she got to come! Not soon after, reality set in. We were still in an airport and had the whole adventure still ahead. We ate lunch and said good-bye to Sam and her mom for awhile, we would soon be meeting them in Rome...So we thought.

Our first flight of many, was soon cancelled. I was so frustrated and worried. I worked so diligently to get all of the details worked out, but I soon realized I was not really in control of them. We found out, at least at the Madrid airport, they don't do as good a job as keeping you informed. It was a bit frustrating. After waiting in several long lines, the airline gave us a hotel for the night. We took a taxi to the hotel, which was a new experience in itself for me. When didn't expect the hotel to be very nice, but it was! We walked in to a huge lobby with beautiful decorations. It felt like we were already in Rome because it was decorated with roman statues and paintings! We were given free dinner and breakfast. After all that, I feel like it couldn't have worked out better. God was definitely taking care of us. We were well rested and ready for travel! According to Sam and her mom, our hostel was awful so we changed our arrangements right away.

When we got to Italy, we had to take a train to Rome. We got there in the evening and there were a lot of people at the station. (There were a lot of people everywhere) We were pretty nervous because we didn't have any place to stay for the night so we just started wandering Rome! Picture to women with a big rolly suit case and backpacks looking lost in a big city. (Not a good idea) But again, God was taking care of us! We decided to find the first nice looking hotel and walk in. When we did the concierge was very helpful. The rest of our stay he helped us book tours and find places to eat. He said his English wasn't very good, but it sounded great to me! (Especially after hearing Spanish for 2 months!) I was surprised to find at least one person in almost every store we went to could speak some English.


Since we lost a whole day in Italy, we were trying to make up for the time so we decided to do and hop on hop off bus tour. We got to ride a double decker for the first time and see a lot of ancient Rome. Our first stop was to the Coliseum and the forums. I can't believe I've actually been there now! We went inside and looked around for a long time. Every time there was a sign my mom stopped to read it, so I learned a lot more than I would have by myself. I learned that the Roman's attacked Jerusalem in 70 a.d. and the loot they got from the temple funded the Coliseum. Also, a lot of the material they used to build the Coliseum is from the temple of Jerusalem! That was so interesting to me, but at the same time it just made the Coliseum seem that much worse. I’ve heard a lot about the mob who enjoyed the entertainment at the Coliseum, but I’m sure there were a lot of people who stayed as far away from the Coliseum as they could. We also saw the ruins of the forums, where Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Brutus once visited.

In Rome we also saw Vatican City, the Fountain of Love, the Pantheon, the Fountain of Trevi, the Spanish Steps, the Catacombs, the first church that Constantine dedicated to all the persecuted Christians, the holy steps, and tons of tourists!! I learned a lot about history and it was really great to actually see all of these things that I've only read about. It would take forever to write about all of them, but I'd be happy to tell you more, just ask!

My favorite part of Rome: The Coliseum, the Catacombs, the gelado, and picturing how it was back when the apostle Paul walked there!

A taste of Home!

This past weekend was the first for some time that we didn't leave Segovia. It was nice to have a chill weekend at home. On Friday we didn't have school so I got to sleep in till 11 and I had a completely lazy day. I'd forgotten what that felt like. Sam, Teddi, Allison, and I decided to take the bus up to the mall to see a movie. We ended up watching Tiana y el Sapo (The Princess and the frog). When I told my family that, they sorta laughed because it's a kid's movie, but I told them it was easier for us to understand. However, I think we just really wanted to see it anyway! Why not, right?! It seemed cute! :)

Then Saturday finally came around, aka Jenna and Mrs. James arrival to Segovia! They were suppose to come in by 10 O'clock, but they forgot to reset their clocks an hour ahead from London to Spain time(I'm sure I would do the same), so they came in on the 11 o'clock bus. (Jenna is a good friend I met my freshmen year of Ball State. We also did Mission Indy together this past summer. Ever since then, we've been pretty close! She is now studying abroad in London and on her spring break. And Mrs. James is her wonderful mother that is visiting her from home!)

I half jogged/sped walked to their hotel to meet them. Sam and I had planned to do the traditional dos besos (kisses on the cheek) when we met them. However, right when I saw them I forgot everything and took off running to get a hug! I miss hugs, so it was so great to get a big bear hug from Jenna! (We found out later that they were planning to do the same thing with the dos besos. hah)
We showed them our small, pretty town pretty much in one day. At least, what we know of the town. We showed them the Cathedral, Alcazar (castle), Aqueducts, many little shops, and cafes. We talked for a long time in the cafes we took them to. Jenna seemed to be dumbfounded that we had to buy something in a cafe to hang out outside of the cold. It stinks, but it's true. She said she felt like she was eating half the time she spent in Segovia.(I could probably do a whole blog on Spain food...we'll see!) I guess that is true...good thing we walk so much!! That night we played eucre in her hotel. I'm tying to get better at my eucre skills while in Spain, so the Indiana people will stop getting on me about having to review every game. haha (John Hicks- this is for you!)

When we all met to eat Kebap's together, Mrs. James informed me that her credit card got eaten by the same stinkin machine that ate my card. Avoid the "CAJA MADRID"! She didn't seem to be too concerned about it, though. I was impressed that they didn't really depend on us much to order their food or speak in Spanish for them. (At least for the most part.) They did really well! It's cool to see how people can communicate even without language. They left Monday morning while I was getting ready for school. I wasn't too sad because I will be seeing Jenna over my spring break! Their hotel is really close to our school so every time I pass it, I think of them. It was fun to have them here and show them around. I feel like it was great practice for when my mom gets here!! Mom told me out of Rome, London, Madrid, and Segovia, she is the most excited about Segovia! I was surprised at first, but then again...it's mom I shouldn't be surprised. I know she likes the little quaint, historic places. :) It will fun to be with a person with the new excitement I had the first few weeks here.

This past week was review for midterms. I just now finished with my last midterm! I'm so happy to be finished. (Stacey, I almost said done) They weren't very hard, but the worst part was not knowing how to prepare. We don’t have any other tests, but have midterms and finals here. They were mostly opened ended questions so we wrote down what we knew about each question. I won't have to worry about anything over spring break, so will be nice!

Please be praying for my mom and Sam's mom as they leave Indianapolis to Philadelphia to Madrid. (They are taking the same flight we took) Please pray for their safety and that the flights will be on time. They are worried about a snow storm in Philadelphia, but so were we and we made it just fine! I know God is in control of it! I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE HER!!! I can't even imagine how I'll feel when I get to see you all at home again!!

SPRING BREAK PLANS:
-Rome, Italy (Fri. Feb. 26- Tues. Mar.2)
-Segovia, Spain (Tues. Mar.2- Thurs. Mar.4)
-London, England (Thurs. Mar.4-Sat. Mar.6)
-Madrid, Spain (Sat. Mar.6-Sun.Mar.7)
(Sunday morning Spain time, mom will be flying home by herself and I will take the metro/bus back to Segovia) Thanks for your prayers! Till we return!!

No pasa nada in Granada...

Last Saturday, February 13th, Teddi, Sam, Becca, and I set out for Granada at 8am. From the very beginning it was an adventure. Saturday morning I got a phone call from Sam about 7:50 asking me if I was almost at the bus station, I wasn't even close. I was still in my house trying to unlock the door. When I finally got it open, I sprinted the whole way to the bus. I had never been happier to be sitting on that stuffy bus to Madrid!

When we got to Madrid we took the metro to the right bus station for Granada.(We usually have to go Madrid if we want to catch a bus to another destination in Spain.) The first time I rode the metro was fun, but I noticed everyone's faces on the metro were just moody looking. No smiles. The first time decided I would be really happy. However, I found the second time I rode the metro, I too fell into the metro moodiness. ha I've learned to stay out of people's ways, everyone is usually in a hurry. We got to the right station without any problems this time. When we arrived in Granada it was pouring. We walked to the hostel, where Stephanie and Allison were already staying and they let us in. I was anxious to see what our first hostel experience would be like.

The hostel was called "Casa Maria". The location, price, and breakfast were great. However, there was loud music at night, our room was moldy, and the hostel owner was never there. (the worst part was probably the mold.) But what can you expect, when you're just looking for a cheap place to sleep? The location and price definitely made up for it! While we were waiting for the owner to show up, Becca decided she wanted to walk around outside, so Stephanie went down to unlock the door with her. However, they came back because they couldn't get it open...so we all went down to open it, but it wasn't going to budge. We thought we were trapped forever! But Allison came to the rescue. She was still outside so we threw the keys out the window and she let us out! That happened several more times during our stay there.

That night we all decided to go out and get Tapas, which are like free appetizers if you buy a drink. I have heard going to different bars to get tapas is big in Spain, especially in Granada, so we decided to go out and "blend in" with Spaniards. However, keep in mind this whole trip was during Carnival. (Carnival is like our Halloween. Kids dress up and get candy and adults just party like crazy. Carnival is right before Ash Wednesday and lent so that people can get their partying in before they have to give things up. It sounds kinda counteractive to me, but it's interesting. We did get Monday and Tuesday off of school thanks to this holiday.) So because it was Carnival, Allison insisted on dressing up like a cowgirl. I was proud of her for being the only one to dress up! -Picture a group of 5 American girls being lead around the city by a cowgirl! haha I'm sure it was a sight :)

Sunday Sam and I met with my friend, Kelsey from Mission Indy. She studied in Granada last semester and decided to come back. She took us to her church. It was great to be with her and see some of the things she has been experiencing! Now I will be able to relate more with her stories from Spain! The church service was great, but Sam and I had a hard time understand the minister’s accent from Andalucía. It's probably like going from Indiana to South Carolina for people in Spain.

After church, Becca, Sam, Teddi, and I made our way up some steep hills to a famous outlook called, El Mirador. According to one of our professors, it is one of Bill Cilton's favorite spots. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but when we got to the top, I was speechless! It was soooooo beautiful! It was a view of La Alhambra (which was a Muslim palace, which is now a huge tourist attraction)and huge snow capped mountains behind the palace. When we looked down we could see miles and miles of city. That has definitely been my favorite thing I've done in Spain! (Like I said, I love nature!) I kept thinking of my dad saying, "You might wanna take a look around, because you might not ever see this again!" That used to be so annoying to me when I was little, but I have realized it is so true! (Oh no- I'm starting to appreciate my parent’s advice. hah!)


That night we decided to find a place to watch Flamenco dancing. They have flamenco performances all around Spain, but Granada is known for it. We found information about flamenco performances in our hostel and decided to go with the cheaper option. The address was not a street we recognized so we decided to ask the security guard in Burger King for help. (Yes, they do have security guards in Burger King! ha) He pointed to a rather large section of the map and said, "This is the flamenco region." So- basically he was no help. When we did find it, it was on a tiny back street. We found it just fine, but it sure didn't look like any tourist attraction. Teddi, Sam, and I were scared to even go close to the door, but Becca went up to it and opened it like she'd been there several times before. (Brave Soul!) I'm glad she was there, because I probably would've turned around before I opened that door. The performance was suppose to start at 11, but didn't start till 11:40. (I know we're on Spanish time here, but even I have the decency to warn people if I'm going to be that late!) hah The performers consisted of: a violin player, guitar player, drum player, 2 singers/clappers, and one dancer. It was so good! The dancer was a tall man with long greasy hair. (If I were to see him walking on the street I'm sure I would say- he looks like a flamenco dancer! hah) The performance was so cool and even better since it wasn't touristy. I felt like one of the locals. (Even though someone asked if I was French-ha) I will never forget that night.

Monday: Sam and I woke up to make our way to the Alhambra. We bought our tickets in advance, because everyone goes to Granada to see the Alhambra. Last year it was the most visited tourist attraction in the world! I have yet to read the history on it, but I hope to soon. We climbed big hills to get to the entrance. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens and towers. My favorite part was climbing the towers and seeing the mountains surrounding the palace! Most of the Alhambra is outside, even inside the palace there were rooms without ceilings. It was suppose to rain all day, but it held off for our visit! I don't even know how to begin to describe it. However, Sam and Teddi said the gardens reminded them of the jungle at Disney world. (I've never been to Disney world, but the gardens sure were magical) I would go back any time!

The rest of the night was free time. We played rummy in Burger King, because you didn't have to buy anything to be there. We also went to three different ice cream shops. We've decided we are going on a tour of ice cream around Spain. Sam and Teddi got frozen yogurt at Yogurlandia, I got ice cream at the futbol cafe, and Sam got a blizzard at the classic Burger King!

Tuesday: Was our day to check out of our moldy hostel. We were all packed up and ready to get out the door. BUT the door was in the way!! Once again, none of us could open the door. It was taking a lot longer than normal, and we had a bus to catch...so Teddi grabbed a hatchet! ha I thought she was going to chop the door down, but she didn't. She just used it as a wedge. However, that didn't work. We finally found another set of keys that did work. When we were all out the door we threw the keys inside and never looked back!! haha I'll not soon forget my first hostel experience!

On the way home I was amazed by all the different scenery. At one point there were olive trees and around the next corner we were in a huge rocky canyon. Then there were plains with sheep and mountains with snow! Spain is much smaller than the U.S.,yet I'm pretty sure they have every terrain we have, if not more! It's beautiful!

Granada was the longest time I've been away from Segovia. I wasn't sure how the four days would turn out, but it all seemed to come together. It has definitely been my favorite city and weekend in Spain..so far! I was so excited to return to my own room, Julia, and la mama. However, it felt so weird not to be returning HOME home. I thought about all the other people on the bus and how they were probably getting excited when they started recognizing things close to their home. It made me think of Indiana and how much I miss it! I can't wait to sing "Back home again in Indiana"...I even miss the flat corn fields. Wow! I never thought I'd say that. I am thankful for this experience and I know I will appreciate living in the United States much more when I actually go home.

Thanks for reading! (Ps. the title means- no worries in Granada)

Southern Spain & Super Bowl!

Around 7:30am February 5th, our class left for Andalucía, which is a region in southern Spain. It took about 6 hours to get to the city we were staying, Cordoba. However, it was so worth the trip. It was like going from Indiana to Florida! In Segovia, we had 40 degree weather and in Cordoba, we had 70 degree weather! It was "increible"! For the first time, I felt fine leaving my winter coat on the bus.
We arrived in Cordoba around 1:30 and got settled in our hotel. Sam and I were roommates and so excited to have a room and bathroom to ourselves. We were really excited that we didn't have to worry about how long we took in the bathroom. However, we did decide that making sure we take short showers and turn off all the lights whenever we leave a room is great practice for living off campus next semester.
As soon as we were settled in, we toured the town with Edu and Marian. They are some of my favorite professors so it was really fun to have them giving the tour. They know a lot of history and have fun explaining things to us. Sometimes Marian would want to add something to what Edu said, but she was practicing not interrupting him-hah. Therefore, if I happened to be next to her, I got my own history lessons.

I'll just mention a few places we visted: a mosque, synagogues, cathedrals upon cathedrals, castles, and beautiful gardens. I might've mentioned this before, but I have found that I like nature a lot more than buildings. (Hence why I don't name and describe all the buildings we saw.) I loved walking through the Arabian gardens, which were outside a castle. The gardens looked like they take a lot of work to keep them looking nice. The trees were tied with wire to make them grow like columns. I'd only seen gardens like this in movies, like "Aladdin". The gardens also reminded me of a book I've read, "A Voice in the Wind", which is based on bible times in Rome. I love looking at the scenery and imagining what it must've been like hundreds of years ago. I learned that southern Spain is known for their olives. We drove by thousands of olive groves. I've never seen anything like an olive tree before. They are short trees with dark wood and silvery leaves. To give you an idea of what they look like, I would say it's like seeing a bunch of apple orchards lining the hills for miles. I know Paul mentions going to Spain in Acts. I wonder if he saw all the olive trees!?
We got back to Segovia on Sunday around 7:30pm. It was a long weekend, with great weather and a lot of walking. It was interesting to me how different Segovia and Cordoba are, since Spain isn't a very big country. The weather, people, and language were all very different. For example, instead of saying "gracias" they say "gracia". I guess that's not extremely different, but it's one of the only things I could pick up from them. ha
Sam, Becca, Teddi, and I will be heading back down to southern Spain this coming weekend. Next Monday and Tuesday is Carnaval, which is a holiday somewhat like Halloween-except school is cancelled! We will only have school Wednesday and Thursday next week. Then Feb. 20th-> Jenna will be visiting Segovia with her mom! I can't wait to see her!!


LOS COLTS/LOS SAINTS
I watched a live feed showing the colts make it to the super bowl. I was so excited and knew I wanted to watch the game here along with a bunch of other students from Indy. Our site director called a bar close to our school and asked them to stay open for us. So a bunch of dedicated students made their way at 12am on a Monday morning to watch the super bowl. We all brought snacks and sang the national anthem with all our might! It was cool to have a group of people from all over the US to watch the game together. It was also fun to think of all the people watching it back home. However, I did miss watching it with close friends and family. The girls and I decided we were each other families for the night. The annoucers were speaking Spanish (Big surprise!), and there were no commericals. It was like we were at the game seeing all the time outs and everthing. We were all kinda disappointed about that. By half time, I was exhausted and few of us decided to call it a night. We waited till the half time show, which was very disappointing, and then we left with the colts ahead. I thought for sure we had the saints, but I guess I was so tired, I forgot what they can do with a whole half left. It was fun to watch it for a while, but I am glad I went on to bed instead of watching the colts lose. Oh well-It was just fun to be able to watch Indy’s team play. I look forward to watching the super bowl in the US next year. I’ll probably think- Oh wow time flies- a year ago I was in Spain! :)

Passionate people..

Guess what I found out the other day...?
According to our site director, Marian, Spaniards may seem like they are yelling and fighting a lot, but they're not. They may raise their voices, cut one another off, and get very close to each other's faces; but they're not fighting! They're just opinionated and passionate people!haha
When I commented the other day about Julia, her sister, and la mama "talking intensely", now I know that they're just passionate and opinionated. :)
In my opinion, that should be one of the first things in the -things to know about studying in Spain packet-(which doesn't exsist..yet)! :)

Preparados, Listos, Ya!

It is now the start of my fourth week in Spain. I actually have time today, so this might be a long entry.

Like I said in my last entry, I am getting used the routine here and it feels like home (at least as much as Spain can feel like home). I noticed today in my classes, I was no longer translating what my professors said in my head to English. I don't know when I stopped doing that, but that's encouraging to me. It's almost been a month and I feel like there's no way I'm going to be where I want to with Spanish when I leave, but at least I can see some improvement!

This last weekend was my favorite in Spain so far. On Friday, we technically had classes, which is rare here. However, it didn't seem like a regular day of classes at all. For grammar we met in a cafe and talked and played card games. We played a game like spoons, but instead of grabbing a spoon we smacked our hands in the middle of the table and said, "Burro", which means donkey. Our professor would call out "Preparados, listo, ya"(ready, set, go) and we would switch cards. I like the spoons better, but it was fun I hope to find the cards here and bring them home. For my civilization class and European Union class we went to the Castle here in Segovia. They call it the Alcazar. It's my favorite castle I've seen so far, which is nice since it's in my city. I think of it as a mix between a castle and palace. It has a lot of history. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella lived there and supposedly this was the castle that Christopher Columbus came to ask for money for his voyage. (I'm pretty sure that's what my teacher said) I thought that was pretty cool! In literature class it was just the same old stuff. I don't think the prof. knows that the other classes actually have fun every now and then! ha

That night was probably my favorite night in Spain. I bet you're expecting something grand...we got to hang out at a friend's HOUSE! (Sorry to disappoint-nothing huge) My friend Allison's madre said it was okay for her to have us over. It was so nice to hang out, watch a movie, and eat junk food! We just had a girly night and it was great! People here think that's weird, so I was surprised when her mom said, "our house is your house!" We definitely hope to go back there sometime.

Saturday was our trip to Toledo, which is about 2 hours south east of Segovia. We took a bus to Madrid. From there we got on the metro to get to the bus station that could take us to Toledo. It was a bit confusing, but we finally got there around noon. Toledo is a lot like Segovia- Small with quaint buildings and stores. We walked around a lot! It was a beautiful day so we found a spot by the river and just relaxed for about an hour. Then, we decided to leave early for Madrid. There are always things to do in that big city! We took advantage of the last days of the huge sales in January and walked around some more. (By the end of the day I was so sore) We ate dinner at McDonalds, which I actually look forward to here and we made our way back to Segovia. Fue una dia completa!

Sunday was a lot more relaxed for me. I woke up that morning because Julia got a call around 8am. Then when I woke up to start the day, she was gone. Her younger daughter, Diana, was having her baby! I got ready for the day and I went to church with Sam and understood a lot more of the sermon this time. I ate with La mama, Mirian(Julia's oldest), Jose (Mirian's husband), and Diego(their son). It was fun to have them around. They come a lot on the weekends. It's a lot more like my house when they're around. Around 4 Diana had her baby girl, Alejandra. Everyone rushed to the hospital to see the little one, and the house was silent! I had never had the house to myself before. I loved it!! I fixed my own food, and turned up my music a little more than I usually would. Overall, it was a great weekend! :)

Today is a beautiful sunny day. (Sorry I can honestly say I do not miss the Indiana weather)I just got done eating lunch. Julia wasn't here. I asked la mama if I could make her anything, but she wouldn't have that. I made a sandwich for myself, but when la mama saw me she told me that wasn't enough. She said I should've told her I wanted to eat, but I was honestly fine. She started warming chicken for me, pouring my drink, and slicing my bread. It was nice of her, but I want to be able to help out sometimes too. I got to eat by myself, which was nice, but I don't think that will happen again.

Now la mama, Julia, and her sister are in the kitchen talking intensely about something. It sounds like they're yelling at each other, but I don't think they're mad. They talk so fast and never wait till the other one is finished. Wow-if only you could hear them! ha

I have been busy planning for spring break. I got the news this past week that my mom can come visit me! I am so excited, but I have been working hard to figure out our traveling plans for the week. It looks like we will be heading to Rome, Segovia, and London! I never thought I would actually be planning a trip like this, especially my sophomore year of college. It makes me actually feel pretty responsible. However, it is a bit frustrating at times. I am nervous about all the transportation, but I think we can do it! Mom will be traveling with Sam's mom over here, but making her way back solo. I'd appreciate your prayers for safety in that! I miss you all- Thanks for reading!

I live in Spain!!

It is now the start to the third week here in Segovia. It has taken awhile for me to adjust to the schedule, but I think I can now say I'm set. I was in the "I'm ready" phase for a long time, but I'm pretty sure I am now living in Spain. WHOA! (That's a picture of the door to my piso)



My reasons for this statement:
3 weeks seems more like living than just a trip...
-I've gotten lost a few times.
-I can now make it to and from places without getting lost. (Most times)
-I can go to the grocery store by myself.
-I can go buy pan for Julia.
-I can joke around with Julia.
-Days have become pretty routine.
-I'm okay with wearing boots outside my jeans! ha
-I found my favorite cafe.
-I have said "Taluego" while passing someone on the street.
-I'm kinda getting used to the kissing on the cheek greeting.
-We found a church to attend on Sundays!
-I have eaten some weird form of Pig-and I somewhat liked it!
-I watch pasa palabra-favorite game show of Julia & her mom-& get some of the answers!
-I'm understanding more-espanol that is!
-I'm loving the siesta
-And eating lunch at 2 and dinner at 9:30ish has become normal.

I have to read my book for literature so I don't have much time to write, but I definitely feel like I'm adjusted. However, I won't say it's always easy or that I don't get homesick. I miss you all and the US. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! Teddi, Sam, and I meet for bible studies each Tuesday and we decided to start each day reading Psalms. I loved what I read in Psalms 8 the other day. Especially, "Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in ALL the earth!"

3 Castles, 2 trips, 1 weekend!

A lot has happened since I last updated my blog. Things here have definitely been getting busier. I actually have homework that takes some time, commitments-like English lessons, and just fun things-like excursions. I love keeping everyone updated, but I haven't really had time to myself, so I took a little break.

Where to begin..? Well, Friday we didn't have regular classes. There was a scheduled excursion to "la ruta de los catillos". I'm not sure the name of the town, but we were a little less than a hour east of Segovia. That morning Julia had my lunch sitting on the counter. I had two bocadillos(sandwiches)and an orange! It's great to have someone make my lunch for me! Well, my mom still made lunches for me sometimes in high school-so I guess it shouldn't make me feel like a little girl, but it does! haha I love it!! :) Then, I met the others at the statue of the loba (she wolf) and we were off on our little tour bus. On the bus, I felt even more like a kid. We all talked about what we had in our lunches! HAHA Sam's mother gave her a box of chocolate cookies to share with us all- bless her!! hah To have chocolate in my possession is rare here.

Our first stop was to a winery. We learned all about the process of making wine and how long it takes. This place made 3 different types of white wine, which are very popular in Segovia. The bottles are cheap since they are made here, but they said in the U.S. it's very expensive. (I honestly don't understand why… it was pretty gross-shhh!) Sam and I had a little sip and it was worse than medicine to me. (and I hate syrupy medicine) I guess I won't have to worry about spending my money on that!

Our second stop was to the first castle, "Castillo de Coca". It was huge, I couldn't believe that people can actually say- Oh yeah; take a right at the castle and go through two stops signs and you'll be at my house. I can't imagine living in the same town as a castle. It seemed so out of place. However, I'm sure it was very important to people back in the day. I learned the difference between castles and palaces. Castles-are for protecting and are built for defense. Palaces-are for celebrations, show, kings and queens-all the stuff you see in movies. I didn't realize that, even when heading to the castle. I was picturing, the Palace like in "Princess Diaries", but boy was I wrong! ha Both the first and second castles we saw on Friday were obviously built for defense. The first one had a moat around it, but no water. I learned none of the castles in Spain have water in their moats because there is not a river that can filter water into them.

When we went inside, I felt so small. The walls were huge!! The first castle reminded me a lot of "Lord of the Rings". There were so many different levels, and I'm sure secret passage ways! It made me wonder -How did the people even begin building the castle!? We were told we would be climbing lots of stairs, so I wore my tennis shoes, but they didn't tell us what kind of stairs. These stairs were winding, uneven stairs used also for...you guessed it-De-de-de-DEFENSE! hah I felt almost as if I was crawling up the stairs. I would not want to be this castle’s enemy. They would have had me at stair one! We climbed all the way to the roof of both of the castles. It was beautiful. However, I refused to get close to the edge! At the end of those excursions I was knocked out. I think they are just training us for the excursions to the mountains!

After some sleep, I woke up Saturday morning around 7 to make my way to the bus station. It started out as only me, but soon grew to 8 other students traveling to Madrid for the day! I told a few friends that my friend, Kelsey, would be flying into Madrid Saturday and I wanted to see her. I thought it would be great to have company and they all thought it would be fun so they decided to come. I was pumped to have a group of 4. Then by Saturday morning we had 8!

I was so proud of Kelsey for making it to Madrid and finding our bus station in the huge city, even though she didn't think it was such a big deal. :) It was so great to see her! I hadn't seen her since the last day of Mission Indy, August 1st. She had been in Spain the whole semester before, so she kinda knew her way around Madrid. We visited the Royal Palace-which was more like the palace in "Princess Diaries", the Gardens-which is bigger than central park and beautiful, and went shopping in the busiest city I have ever seen! Madrid is huge and has A LOT to do, but I am so glad I am studying in little Segovia. Madrid would be so overwhelming. A lot of the locals in Segovia told us to be careful with our belongings in Madrid. Everyone kept telling us not to get robbed, which wasn't comforting. However, I had my money pouch-thanks to Stacey- and I was fine all day. It was a really fun day that went by so quickly.
This past weekend was packed. I hope to leave some weekends open to just spend some time in Segovia. I'm trying to keep in mind that my time in Spain will go faster than I think. Thanks for reading!

Good days, bad days, and the inbetween

Exactly one week has passed since I had to say good-bye at the airport. That actually feels like a long time ago, at least, longer than one week. A lot has happened since then, along with so many emotions. The second day of classes this week was even better than the first. I talked with the grammar teachers and they said I could do either one, and I chose the intermediate! I’m so glad I did. I really like what I’m learning and the professor is so helpful! It’s review right now, which I’m thankful. However, I hope one day I won’t have to review. [Professor Luis took us to the Market today, which happens every Thursday from 9-2. They had lots of fresh produce, fish, clothes, and flowers. It was so colorful! Even though it’s a market, I learned they never barter. I guess that’s good to know! I definitely want to go back.] I also got my first letter on Tuesday, which made my day!  Then our site director told us a little about internships. She said each week we could teach English and get paid a little bit. I was thinking I have no idea how to teach or where to start, but when she explained it would be loose and just for kids I was excited. To top it all off, it was Sam’s host mom that wanted two people to teach each of her kids. Not only did that mean I would be with Sam, but I would get to go over to her house!! We were hoping to find some way we could hang out in our houses, but none of us wanted to ask our host families. (If you didn’t read the earlier blogs, people in Spain go out to spend time together. It’s weird to hang out in someone’s house to them.) Now, Sam and I teach Martin and Juan at 7 on Wednesdays and Thursdays! I’m so excited because I was missing kids. I thought the day couldn’t get any better, BUT it did. After we talked with Marian, we found two papers from former students giving directions to 2 protestant churches. We were hoping to find one soon-and it was pretty much put in our hands, which is such an answer to prayer! (I shouldn’t be surprised!) More people are interested in going with us than I thought. A group of us are going to check one out this Sunday. We hope to get involved with the people of the church so we can know the community more while practicing Spanish!
Anyway, that was just Tuesday. Not all days are great. (But, I don’t have to tell you that) Wednesday, was just one of those “blah” days. Basically just a day that I spent missing people and feeling bad for myself. Lots of people are planning big trips while they’re here or lots of little ones. I would like to travel, but not a lot. I want to be careful with my money. I thought I would be the only one not traveling every other weekend, but I’m sure that’s not true. I just need to find others to encourage, instead of looking to others to encourage me. I’M IN SPAIN FOR HEAVEN SAKES-who needs to travel!? I still haven’t gotten to know most of the other students, but each day I get to know one or two more. We have about 24 here, but I guess I have a while to get to know them.
I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with my route to and from the school. Now I don’t have to always be looking for familiar sings and shops. I can actually look around and enjoy my walk. I don’t usually wake up thinking, I can’t wait to walk to school, but when I get to school I feel refreshed. I’m glad I don’t have the choice to walk or ride in a car. One of the first things I learned in school is that the people here are like people in New York. They don’t greet or smile to just anyone. If they say anything, it’s to people they know or have met a few times. If you say hi to them and you don’t know them, they will think Do I know her? When they do greet people, they don’t usually say hola, they say “Taluego”-which means see you later. Most the time they have no intention to stop and talk. The first time I walked to school, I was smiling at everyone who looked at me.haha I don’t do that anymore. Someone said Hola to me today-and I have to admit, I did think “have I met him?” I hope it doesn’t rub off on me, because I really appreciate a smile or wave.
Even though people here don’t seem very outgoing or social on the streets, if you take a look in the “escapates” or windows of the cafes you find that’s where the people are. I have noticed some of the same people in the same café at the same time of the day. I guess they have their favorite spots-and if you’re brave enough to walk in, you will quickly be able to tell that they are enjoying themselves immensely. I do like the feel of all the people walking on the streets and meeting in the cafes. It’s more open, rather than staying cooped up in a house and never bothering to meet the people around you. There are so many customs I like here that I wish I could bring home. However, there are many things I don’t like as well. There’s no one place that’s perfect-I miss home while I’m here, and I’m sure I’ll miss Spain when I come back. Life is so temporary, for that and many other reasons, I’m so glad to have a relationship with God! -Thanks for reading!!

PS>HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIE MICHAEL/best friend!!

The first day of classes!

Bueno- here I go again, another entry! I have so much I want to share with you all, I wish you could experience it for yourselves. I probably won't be able to keep writing every day, but I'll keep ya posted when I can. Classes just started so I don't have any homework, yet!
I woke up at 5:36 this morning and could not fall back asleep for the life of me. I hope that will change soon! Then my alarm didn't go off, but I heard Julia's loud and clear so I woke up and I had 20 min. to get out the door. Julia was waiting in the kitchen to show me what to eat and then get back to bed. She was surprised that I had a class so early. She pretty much said there's the cups help yourself from now on. She doesn't have to work until 3:30 in the afternoon. What a life! A professor today said, Spaniards don't live to work they work to live. They sure know how to live it up with the siestas in the tarde and fiestas at night.
At our orientation, they told us we could go to all the classes if we wanted to change anything we didn't like. My first class started at 8:40, art history. I decided I really like the professor, but there are better classes to take. Then we had a quiz in grammar to see if we test in advanced or intermediate. I'm honestly hope I get intermediate. I'm not very good with grammar and I want to get better. Next, we had culture and civilization. I really like the professor. (For those from Covenant he reminds me of Don Andres!) We touched on the land of Spain and the differences in each region. He made it really interesting and compared it to the US a lot. To my surprise, there are many similarities. The rest of the time was pretty much spent talking about Madrid real- his favorite soccer team. He said if you like a different team, he have to duke it out with you! "They're not just in love with the game they're passionate about the game!" haha Then we had the Union of Europe class with Marian, the site director. You guys just have to meet her to understand, but she's very animated, fun, and she wears lots of make-up. She made class a lot of fun. She taught us about where the two last names come from for people in Espana, and I totally understand now. Their names never change even when they get married. For example, if there was a girl named Maria Ortega Gonzales and she married Juan Diego Ibanez there kids would be (first name) Diego Ortega. They get the first last name from the dad and the second last name from the mom. This is only in Spain. It was so interesting to me. Also, I learned that if they're married they wear their wedding ring on the ring finger of their right hand. (I have a ring on my right ring finger..I keep changing my mind about changing it. It could come in handy. ha) After, those three classes I went to the apartmiento and met Julia's daughter, Diana. She's pregnant with a girl and due any day now! It's so exciting!! It's Julia's third grandchild, but first girl. Around 4:30 I went to my last class of the day, Literature. AY, I think it will be the hardest. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take it, but Sam and Teddi convinced me. I know it will be good practice, but I hope it doesn't take up too much time. We are reading 5 books, 2 poems, 2 plays, and watching a movie. We will have papers to write too.
After all the classes, I got to take part in a salsa lesson! It's mostly girls so I was partnered with Sam, but it was great! I leaned Pa-Pe-Pi-Po-Pu, which should tell me a lot, but I don't really remember. haha We learned how to step and count 1-2-3 5-6-7. And it's VEERY important that you make a sound with your heels when you step down. They are teaching every Monday, so it should be fun! It's especially fun to watch them dance. Now, that I have more of a schedule I think time will go faster.
It's time for the episode of "La Senora", a show that Julia is very excited about. I don't know what it is, but she wants me to watch. I hope I understand some of it! Chao-
PS.the picture is of our little school. It's two class rooms, an office, bathroom, meeting room, and huge entry way with lots of stairs. (I'm already out of breath when I get there, so I don't get too excited to be inside until I'm up the stairs.-And I thought Ball State was a lot of walking-ha!)

Wandering Segovia, literally...

Hola todos!
It's only my second full day in Segovia and I already feel like so much has happened. Yesterday, I walked with Julia to my school for the orientation. For some reason, I don't usually get excited about orientations. I think it's because it implies that you're in a new situation, and so it's going to be awkward at times. I thought we would have to play weird get to know you games, but we didn't! I was actually really glad to see the students again after being separated for the night. During the orientation we were introduced to salsa teachers, our professors, our site directors, and a CELL PHONE! (Even though I don't want to use it much, I feel much safer with a phone.) Our site directors told us what to do and not to do with our host families. I really wish they would've told us this before. For instance, it's not polite to take off your shoes. Always wear shoes or slippers. Also, there is not as much water in Espana as in the states, so we have to take fast showers and not flush each time we use los servicos. Electricity is also very expensive here, so whenever I leave my room I turn out the light-even if only for a second. Another thing which is harder than I thought it would be, we can't hang out in our houses with our friends. In their culture they go out to meet there friends. After we learned about customs and our classes, we took a short tour of Segovia. Our professors never want to hear English, so we spoke in Spanish the whole time. It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I bet I made lots of mistakes talking with my friends.

After orientation, la mamas were waiting for their host students.(after going to and from school with Julia she seemed to think I would be fine finding my way the rest of the trip-ha!) We all went back to our houses for comida (that's what they call lunch) and decided to meet at 4. I've had to get used to eating lunch around 2 or 3 and dinner around 9. It hasn't been too bad yet, but it might be when I have to eat breakfast around 8 in the am. We always eat every meal with the families. And I can guarantee that there will be a slice of french bread at each meal, as well as fruit offered for dessert. I have had plenty of mandarins. I think I like the order of meals, because there has been nothing else consistent about this trip so far. I never know what to expect.

Later, a bunch of student from the program met at the aqueduct to tour the city together. I took lots of pictures. They are all on my facebook account, if you want to take a peak. We walked around for a long time, because we didn't want to go back to our houses alone. It's always fun to be with them and we never run out things to talk about. We are usually sharing stories about our experiences with our families. We would go in stores every now and then to warm up, but we didn't stop in them for long. It's no secret that we aren't from Segovia-It's not like the color of our skin or hair gives it away. There are people here with blonde hair and blue eyes, but I'm pretty sure everything about us screams tourist- we stay together, we aren't as artsy/fashionable as them, and I'm not gonna lie-we mostly speak enligsh (right now-sorry to disappoint). I told Julia that and she said, "No you need to speak Spanish." She's so right-and we will, soon! Then when we were too cold to stay out we decided to go back to our houses for dinner. On my way back, I walked with Teddi, but I have the longest walk so I wasn't with her for long. As I said "chao" to her, I kept walking straight. After awhile, I no longer recognized the shops and street. I was lost-great! I didn't panic though, I just crossed to the next street over and thought I was okay. However, when I saw a pizza place for the first time in Spain, I knew I was on the wrong street. I decided to try one more street over, and there was the lovely Tienda de Chollos (I have no idea what it is, but I was never so happy to see a familiar store) I guess getting lost wasn't all in vain, because I found a beloved pizza place- I could go for some “American” food anytime!

The Adventures Begin...

I made it, I'm with my host mom, in Segovia. Even with the hills, roman aqueduct, and Spanish speakers all around me; it's hard to believe I'm here. A little less than 48 hours ago, I was still packing frantically and dwelling on so many "what if's". I was really worried about all the snow delaying our flights. However, God is good and he got us here safe and right on time!-No pasa nada- no worries. :)

It was hard to say goodbye at the airport. There were lots of tears and uncertainty, but we had to press on through security. It was great to have Teddi and Sam there with me. It would have been a lot harder traveling by myself. Our first flight to Filadelfia (that's how they spell it here)was short. I read my notes from friends and family, which was so encouraging. I'm so thankful I have all of you. I miss you all already. I'm so glad I'm not alone. God is my strength and my shield through these lonely, scary times.

We didn't have much time to get to our flight to Madrid. It was a huge airport so we ended up having to run! When we got settled, I was by Sam and a window. We watched a movie and tried to sleep, but there was no comfy position- and I tried multiple. Sam and I probably got a total of two hours of light sleep. We had dinner on the plane, but it seemed like it was time for breakfast right after dinner. One minute I was looking at the moon out my window and the next I was seeing the sunrise. It was gorgeous, but I was too tired to welcome the sun. When we were an hour from landing, we could look out and see Spain. It's very hilly with mountains here and there. The land is dusted with snow right now. It's beautiful! This world seems so overwhelming and huge to me, but in reality we are so tiny. And God cares about each of our tiny selves. That's a huge comfort to me. :)

When we got on our bus to Segovia, I met most of the other students. Everyone seems like they're in the same boat-very excited/nervous and clueless about a lot. I tried my hardest to stay awake on the ride, but failed. However, what I did see of Madrid looked very modern and crowded. The city is huge with many apartments. There are not very many people here who live in houses. When I woke up, I felt like I was in Narnia. There were snowed covered pine trees and huge hills surrounding our bus. If I could compare it to a state in Los Estados, I would say it's kinda like Arkansas or Tennessee. (Big hills, rocky in some places, and I feel like it might look like a desert without the snow and pine trees.) I love it. (If you know me, you know I love mountains. Why do I live in Indy!?haha) I didn't let myself fall back asleep after seeing that.

When we arrived in Segovia, we met up with our host moms right away. Even though I was excited to meet Julia,it was intimidating, especially since we were separated from the others. When I met her we did the traditional kiss on both cheeks, and I think I passed that test. I guess it's not that weird. Although, I would like to teach them a hand shake. (those who know me, know I'm not a touchy feely person:) I had my huge suitcase and we had to walk 20 min. to Julia's apartment or floor as she calls it. I was struggling up many hills. I have a feeling I'm going to get lots of exercise.

Julia lives in a 4 bedroom floor with 3 bathrooms, a living room, long hallway (which is scary at night), porch, and kitchen. It's very nice and clean. Everything sparkles, but that's probably because her kids are all grown up. Her mom lives with her as well. She doesn't really say much except for "AY madre mia", which I take as Oh my. At first, we didn't talk much, but when she asked me questions for the most part I understood. I just have trouble asking her questions and answering. I wonder what I sound like to them. hah

Julia got to meet my sister, Chris, through Skype and she told Chris she would take care of me like I was her own. It was very comforting to hear, and I think that's when I started getting comfortable with her. There have been exciting and hard times already. It's hard to be alone, but I know I can always depend on God. 2 Corinthians 2:9-has been an encouragement to me these past few days. I love you and miss you all.-If you read all of this-WOW-Thanks! Take care en los Estados :)