I Miss The Mountains.

      It's been a little over three months since I've last blogged, but it seems like just yesterday I was writing all about my adventures all over Europe. A big part of the reason I didn't write very much at the end of the exchange was because I was dealing with very personal experiences. Saying goodbye, I have realized, is not an easy thing to do. So basically the my last entries would have consisted of sob story after sob story. Maybe.
    After all those goodbyes, I am now back in the states. It feels good to be back home, to be with my family and friends, to drive my car, to see Chancie...but, and there's always a 'but', it is not always easy. Before I begin to write about how I miss my other life, I want to say that I am very happy to be home and that I am extremely excited about starting the next chapter of my life at OSU this Wednesday. Now, back to the 'but'...I do miss my life. My life. When I see people for the first time they usually ask me how my 'trip' was and I reply with, "absolutely amazing," and they smile and the conversation is over. Not always, but often. I guess I'm struggling because I want people to know that I had a life over there and that while the conditions weren't permanent, my experiences and the people that I have met will have a permanent place in my heart. And that's just it. They're always on my mind, my friends and memories, so I always miss them.
     I realize that this blog is completely all over the place. We can blame that on the time: 1:20 am, and my lack of writing for three months. I was just feeling really nostalgic tonight as I looked back through photos (I had a problem with my iPhoto and thought I had lost all my photos, so I had to spend quite a while trying to figure that out...but I finally found the pictures and imported them back into iPhoto. So, throughout this process I saw all of my pictures from this year). My pictures brought back such great memories. So I miss the beautiful mountains that surround Pamplona and all of its beautiful parks and cafes. I miss my friends and our crazy conversations and our way of truly understanding each other. I miss my host families and their generosity towards me and making this a great experience. I miss the culture. I miss speaking Spanish. I miss walking everywhere and using public transportation. I miss dancing. I miss my other life.
      Having said all this, I want to add that I am so happy I have all these memories now. I am happy that I have loved my exchange as much as I possibly could. And now that all of this is out there, I am ready to finally finish packing and get ready for my next adventure at Ohio State, because by the time next summer rolls around I am going to be blogging about how much I miss my life there, too, and how I can't wait for fall. This is just how I get. It's been a bit of a challenge trying to find my balance again, just as it was for me a year ago in my first few months in Spain. I've tried to keep the stories to a minimum, because I think people get tired hearing about people they don't know and places they haven't been. I don't know, but I seem to get this vibe from time to time. I talk the other Pamplonians (exchange students in my city) quite often. Almost every day in one form or the other. We are all still connected, and we all still care.
    Now I must force myself to stop writing because I have to babysit in the morning. My parents keep telling me that I'm not getting enough sleep as it is and here I am at 1:40 writing about how I miss dancing in Spanish clubs. Silly. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts. Besos!
    

Easier.

      My life used to be easier. I'm sick of making decisions. It's a shame that it happened so soon, because this is only the beginning. I'm going to move to one of those super tiny and remote islands in the South Pacific. You can only visit if you bring bug spray and Resee's and a good attitude. I don't want to solve any more problems at the moment. I want to take the next little boat to my little island and listen to music and eat ice cream until I get super fat but only it won't matter because there will be hardly any people. Or problems. Fabulous! I'm definitely going to bring my dog Chance because he's cute and friendly and I miss him so incredibly much. I think I'll have a zip lining course installed in the trees. That'll be fun. Oooh and Elton John will come have a special performance there and I can sing and listen to musicals all I want without anyone telling me to shut up. Yep. Reality was alright, but I'm over it. I'm going to San Sebastian tomorrow, so I'll just catch a boat from there.
     I actually really am going to San Sebastian tomorrow. I need a day to escape the stress of being here at the moment. Im excited for a day at the ocean. I can wear my new bathing suit, listen to my music, and tan. That's close enough to that imaginary life I just created. I hope the water is warm enough to swim in! Ciao for now.
    

Tabby Kat.

     This past week has a been a crazy one, that's for sure. It's been filled with stress, lots of time out of the house, and goodbyes. On Friday night we all had to say goodbye to Tabea. We went to the Animal Park and sat in our circle and wrote in each others' journals and laughed. After awhile it began to get cold so we moved to Rob's to eat French fries and hang out one last time all together (for now, at least). We played our favorite game that we like to call "mostly".  Mostly is where you say "Who is the most likely to _____." And then we all point at the person we think is most likely to do that particular thing. We also really like to play "Who's who?" Which is just placing ourselves in pop culture/fictional characters. So basically we like to talk about ourselves? I think that's what this is getting to....hahahaha. I always fall into the mom/big sister/wants a family/will have 14 kids and live on a farm/looks like a watermelon in that pink and black shirt category. So that's fun.
    After our time at Rob's we all headed back to Tabs' apartment so she could say goodbye to her host family and we could get her luggage. Her luggage was incredibly heavy, but it was only about a 10-15 minute walk, so we survived. The harder part was actually saying goodbye. We all love Tabs so incredibly much. We've talked about this recently and it's as though we're more than just friends: we are soul mates. We all complete each other so perfectly. I couldn't possibly love them anymore than I already do. So you can imagine how the goodbye was.

     Three days later and I really miss Tabea. I spent so much time with her this year. She is such an amazing woman. I love her to death. I know that we will see each other again...and it may even be this summer, as crazy as that is. I hope it's soon.

Life Goes On.

     What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Life isn't always cupcakes and butterflies and I'm realizing this more and more with each day. Bad things happen to good people all the time and we live in a world where politics can be more important than ethics. It's sad. But it's life. And it's all worth it. Sometimes we feel like giving up when it seems as though the whole world is caving in on you...but we keep fighting. The fighters fight 'til the end. We come out stronger and with more life experience. In a way it's almost a good thing because we learn to appreciate the good things in life so much more. Like eating mint chocolate chip ice cream on a sunny day and playing with your dog in the yard. The little things. They're the best. They're worth it all.

Prontisimo.

      Prontisimo in Spanish means extremely fast, or soon. That is how I feel about what is going on at the moment to some of my exchanger friends. On May 17th all of our host parents received an email from the Rotary member who is the head of exchange in Pamplona. The email stated that those of us who are in Segundo Bachillerato (senior class) will end their exchange on May 20th. At that point it was up to the host families if they wanted to let us stay longer, with permission from our parents in the U.S., taking all responsibility of we students until we fly home. The Rotary here states that we are no longer their responsibility. Three days in advance. The 20th is tomorrow. I am very fortunate to have the host family that I do, because they are willing to let me stay until I leave for the Euro trip with my family (June 11th). On the other hand, some families are not so willing to let us stay in their houses. My friend Tabea is boarding a plane to her home in Germany on Saturday. She's been packing and planning and printing out tickets. She can no longer come to Malaga with the rest of the group, but she's handling everything really well. She is so excited to see her family and friends again in Germany, but sad to leave Pamplona, and as we like to call ourselves, the Pamplonians. Now, Mitchell's situation is a bit more problematic than Tabs' because his current host family says that he must leave on the 20th. There are no flights out of Pamplona before then with such short notice. He needs a place to live. By tomorrow.
     With all this said, I can now tell you what how we've been spending our past couple of days. All of us have been calling home telling our parents to write up permission letters, get them notarized, scanned, and sent to our counselor stating that we're basically no longer exchange students. That was the easy part. Tabs sat in an internet cafe yesterday with her computer in front of her and coffee in hand. We all met her at the cafe and talked in a state of shock once we heard the news about her early departure. We don't want to see her go. Not yet. We were supposed to have a month left with her. Our Tabby Kat. We then left Tabs to talk to her mom and figure things out while we went to the supermarket and a million places down town looking for flyers with places for rent for Mitchell. We got quite a few numbers and held on to them to call later. Natalie and Mitchell went home for lunch and Elle, Athena, and I went to a store to get some bread, cheese, yogurt, and cereal for lunch. We walked to our favorite park and met Tabs there and ate our lunch. We stayed there for hours forgetting about all these problems and laughing about all of our memories while we created more. It was the perfect lunch. Later,  Bex, Nat, and Mitch met us there and we talked while Becca drew cheebies of all of us (cheebies are little animated pictures of people...I don't know the right way to describe them...) and they are so cute!! After an hour or so we left the park to look at hostel prices for Mitchell. On the way I fell for no apparent reason...until I looked down and saw that my new shoes had broken. It was only my second time wearing them so I was sad. Bex reassured me we could super glue them (thank goodness...they were 30 Euro). We went to lots of hostels and found out that they were all pretty expensive...about 30 Euro a night. That's really expensive for a hostel. In Madrid we paid about 12 Euro a night. The we all split up. Mitch and Elle went to another hostel, Nat and Athena went to put money on their bus cards, and Becca and I went to buy super glue. We all met at Athena and Mitch's bus stop. Becca fixed my shoe and then we all went home for dinner. I had fried plantains, cheese, and a banana smoothie. It's one of my favorite meals here :)
      Last night I received the "okay" from the guy in charge here saying that he received the permission from my parents and I can travel and basically do what I want...(because he is not responsible...) Tonight we are all supposed to meet our counselors at 10 in the evening (that's right...PM....seriously?) to get our insurance fund of 400 Euro. I'll be happy to have that money and to be done. I have had an absolutely incredible experience here. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I can't say it was because of the Spanish Rotary. I was told before I came that the Rotary was not strong. I was asked if I was a strong person and I replied "yes, of course." It's a good thing I am...and it's a great thing that I have amazing exchange student friends here. I don't believe that it is acceptable to throw a student out on the street with three days notice. I don't think that is ethical in any way. Now my friends are in such a pickle (Athena decided this was the best word :P haha). We are making the best of it though, and still having a great time with the time we have all together. Que pena, que pena. Have a nice Thursday everyone.

Bittersweet.

     My year is winding down. It really is starting to come to a close. My friends here are so excited about our Malaga trip at the end of the month and all of my family back home is ecstatic about coming to Europe to visit me and travel and I can't help but not feel a thing. Once I board that bus for Barcelona to see my family, I will have said goodbye to a very special host family and six of my best friends. The weight of this dreaded heart ache gets heavier and heavier with each day. On the other hand, I will be so thrilled to see my family again. I'm counting on it being the best moment of my life...but when set next to all of the depressing goodbyes everything just evens out. I feel so neutral. It's just a very bittersweet situation. So for now, I'm just excited about this moment. I know that I love my life at this moment in time and that is enough. I go crazy when I let all of these other thoughts flood my mind and then I start to freak out...which is never good.
     This year has been beyond my wildest dreams. It's been difficult and wonderful and stressful yet absolutely amazing. I am living my dream. I am speaking a foreign (well not so foreign anymore) language and living in a country an ocean away from my hometown and I did this without not knowing a single person here before September...this is what I've wanted for so long and I'm so happy that I've been blessed with this chance of a lifetime...but I know this is just a chapter in my exciting adventurous life. I don't know exactly what the content of the next chapters will be, but I think I know some of their titles. I needn't worry about all that yet. Tomorrow holds something new and exciting for the Spain chapter: I'm going to jump on the trampoline at Mitch's house with Athena and Tabs. This may not sound like a big thing, but trust me, there are bound to be many funny stories from it.
     I'm happy with today and excited about tomorrow. And that's enough.

Perfection.

     At this moment in my life I can't help but think, "is this what perfect feels like?" The only way my life could get better is if someone offered me and Emily camel rides for tomorrow. Other than that, I feel like this is the life. This is what I signed up for. This is what I signed for with BLUE INK on four different applications, endless papers, and visas forms. After everything I have been through, I can say it was more than worth it. I feel so happy I could cry. So would you all like to know why I am so happy? Well I'm going to tell you anyways. (Isn't this fun? I can do whatever I want on my own website)
     Since I last wrote I found out that I finished school today. So I am officially done with high school forever. It's fabulous because I now have the rest of the month to hang out with my friends and do what I want. It was a surprise to me though. I thought I had to go until May 26th. YAY. I'm so happy that I'm finally done.
     My friends finally came home from London and I waited at the bus station for them and ran and hugged them. I was so happy that they were FINALLY home. 12 days is a long time. I'm so happy that the whole group is back together. That same day I got my Easter package from my mom which included socks, Easter candy, a spoon bracelet, and buttons. I then made 4 button bracelets later that night.
     On Saturday we had a Rotary District Conference in San Sebastian. We went to this gorgeous mountain top/seaside hotel and mingled and ate pintxos until we had to speak a little bit about ourselves in our smashing Rotary Blazers filled with pics from all of the world. I love them. After the conference we went to a Sidraria, which is a big restaurant with giant barrels of hard cider with long tables. The Rotary members kept telling us to have more sidra, so that we did. Lunch was a lot of fun. After lunch we went on a walk through San Sebastian and met up with our friend Andrew who lives there before getting on the bus and heading home. On the bus rides there and back we played "Who's who" by placing each of us in famous characters in pop-culture. We like talking about ourselves....That night I went home to an empty house so I showered and then got a call from my host family asking if I was hungry. They brought me home an entire meal from McDonald's. It was the first time I've had anything from there in months. And it tasted pretty alright :)
     Since Sunday was Mother's Day I spent it at home with my family. We went on a two hour bike ride with my host aunt and uncle's family. We rode to the park and sat and talked there for awhile. Once we were home I gave Nuria, my host mom, the card, lotion, and button bracelet I made for her. That night our power went out that night for a minute and then came back on in every room except for my host parents' so Nuria asked if she could bring the sewing machine in my room and sew there since there was a light. Of course I said of course and she sewed sheets and pants while I wrote in my journal. It was so nice because we just talked the whole time. She then noticed my colossal collection of jewelry and got excited. She said that she also had a lot and she brought all of it in my room to show me! She ended up giving me two rings and a bracelet. (The other day I was doing the dished after lunch and she gave me a bracelet for no reason!! So sweet!) She then asked if I could make one of her bracelets smaller, so I did. It was pretty easy. I love my host mom so much.
     Yesterday I went shopping and bought new shoes and a skirt. Today I also went shopping and bought a bathing suit. I'm done with shopping for a little while...Tonight for dinner we had this amazing squash soup with cheese and french fries in it and it was so amazing! After dinner I helped Juan Diego with studying for his tests tomorrow. At first he was really shy, but then he really opened up and we had such a fun time. He's adorable and sweet! (He's seven, by the way). After studying I washed the dishes and then my host parents came home from grocery shopping so I helped put the groceries away. And after, I knew my life was perfect. I'm not just living with this family: I am a part of this family. That's the best feeling as an exchange student. Feeling wanted and included. I feel at home here. I'm oh so happy. And now I'm oh so tired. Goodnight everyone. Besos.

SING.

     I need to sing. Really loudly. For a long time. I went to Tabs' house this evening and watched Burlesque for the second time and it left me wanting to sing at the top of my lungs. Like really sing. Belt, if you will. The good news is that tomorrow I will be able to. I found out today that I have exams tomorrow and Friday this week and then I am done with school in Spain. How's that for good news? Anyways, I'll be able to sing because I don't have to be at the school until 12:40 for my history exam, which means I have the house to myself all morning which means I can run around the apartment in my underwear and sing if I want to. We'll see. :P Haha. So, as of Friday, I am officially finished with high school forever. It won't be too hard for me to say goodbye to school here. It's difficult and boring for me, although it did provide me with a lot of journaling and reading time. And, you know, helped with my Spanish...just a little bit. Kidding. It helped incredibly. The biggest thing is that another chapter in my life will be closing. I'm actually going to college. Finally. Am I ready for this?! Gahh. But seriously, I'm really excited to go to Ohio State this year. I'm so happy with my decision. Well, that's all my news for now. Ciao!

Less Than Two Months.

     What a scary thought. I have had to change my ticket for home to July 1st instead of July 9th due to San Fermin. The Rotary does not want us to be in Pamplona for the running of the bulls this year because 1. Most families leave on vacation so we wouldn't have a place to stay and 2. It's a little dangerous. Both of these rules make sense, I just wish I would have known this back in October when I scheduled my flight back home, not to mention my excitement about being here for San Fermin. Oh well, not this year. I'll be back. That's for sure!
     So with my last two months I am going to have the absolute time of my life! I'm going to Malaga as soon as school lets out at the end of the month and then I'll return to Pamplona for my final week here before my family comes to visit. We'll then go on our vacation and I'll stay in Belgium a few days after they leave with Livy (I hope...I need to clarify this with her first!) and then I'll be back in Pamplona for one evening with my 2nd host family. Then they will take me to the airport the next day. It's a shame that I won't be with all my friends on my last night here, but I would have had to say goodbye at some point. And in the end, I wouldn't have changed a thing. We've lived a great exchange together. Even though my Spanish isn't all it could be yet, it's still pretty good, and I'm going to keep up with it. I have my life to perfect it, but I only have so much time with all of my friends here, together in our city. It's not our fault they placed us 6 Americans and 1 German with fabulous English all together! Anyways. I'm happy.
     I should also take this time to say how much I adore my new host family. I've only been here a week and I've adjusted almost completely. It just keeps getting easier. I swear. My host mom is such a fabulous cook, I can't get over it. I enjoy everything we eat. I love all of the Ecuadorian food. I'm so happy that I'm in my ninth month and I'm still trying new things. How great is this? Other great things about my day:

1. My 7 year old host brother told me that he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.
2. I found out that I don't have to go to school on Monday and Tuesday next week. Woo!
3. Talking to Tess on facebook made me really happy. I laughed a lot.
4. I went to the supermarket across from my building to get some flour for my host mom and found it to be amazing. I'll be going back there in the near future. I mean they had every type of Milka chocolate bar that they make. My favorite it Choco Swing! And they have it!
5. . . . I get excited way too easily.
6. This isn't about my day, but I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo yesterday and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a new book to read. It's one of those that gets your heart pounding and you literally cannot put down the book or you will have serious issues...those are truly the best.

     It's time for me to get some rest. Mitchell, Elle, and Natalie come home from London tomorrow after two weeks. I can't wait to see them. I've missed them so much. Besos. Ciao moo cow. (I made that up last night....can I say that?)

Change, the Future, and Growing Up.

      It seems as though within the last week there has been so much talk about the future. There are weddings, college decision making, and ends of school years, graduations, and the end of exchanges. I can't help but be completely freaked out at by whatever the future has in store for me. Now is the time. My exchange is nearly over and I'll have to say goodbye to my life here and jump right back into my other life, back in Ohio. And it's not even that I'm not looking forward to going home, because when I get to see everyone again, hug my grandparents, play with my dog, sleep in my own bed, drive my car, and sing at the top of my lungs without a single care in the world, I will be ecstatic. I think I am just living in so much fear at the moment, which isn't usually my style. It's almost as though I am afraid of the fear that I am experiencing in my life. I am so afraid to say goodbye to my six amazing best friends here in Pamplona. I know we'll all be together again, but when? I am so afraid to choose a major and answer people when they ask me what my goals are. What I want "to be." At this moment in my life the best response I can provide them with is, "Well I want to see the world. I want to understand other cultures, other ways of life, and embrace the moment and use my knowledge and experience to help others in need." Okay. So I have that. But where does that lead me? To extremely expensive plane tickets and weeks off from school/work? But then I think, well I want a family. I want a family just as badly. Is there a happy medium? When someone hands you the map of your life, which direction do you choose? What if I want to go Northeast and Southwest at the same time?
     I really thought that this year would give me the time to think and I would have my life plans all figured out by now. Who was I kidding? I have had all the time in the world to think, but this has just made me expand my horizons even wider and think of all the other possibilities. I don't know why I am freaking out so much. But I had to get this out of my system. It feels good to release all this fear and just embrace the moment. I'll make the critical decisions as they come up in my life. All I know is that right now my map is pointing to Pamplona for an evening with three of my best friends.

My Third and Final Home in Spain.

     On Monday I switched host families for the second and final time. This is now the third family I will have lived with for my year here. It was pretty hard to say goodbye to my last family because we were so close, but I came in with a positive frame of mind. It took awhile for Enrique to find my new house in Rochapea. Apparently the streets are really confusing here. Once we finally found the house, my new family helped me move my things into the room and I said goodbye to Aurora and Enrique. I  got a little teary eyed...which means I actually cried. Haha. I just really love them! Once I got into my new room I started unpacking. I spent the next two hours unpacking. I have a lot of stuff. Two suitcases, a carryon, and a backpack. But it is a whole year, so whatever.

     Now that I've had a few days here I can tell that I am really going to love it here. My room is really cute. It's the perfect size and I think it's my favorite room yet. I feel really at home here already. I have a host mother and father and two younger brothers. They also have a daughter in France right now. They are all so nice! They are really laid back and they keep telling me to make myself at home. It's so nice! Also, the food here is incredible. My family (host family) is from Ecuador so it's a combination of Latino and Spanish food. I have had lots of yummy soups and the best part: tostones. Fried plantains. My favorite food from the Dominican Republic!! They are so amazing. My host mom is such a fabulous cook. Also, I live close enough to the city that I can walk or take the bus. It's ideal. I'm so happy. I've had a really great transition into this family. I feel so lucky to have had the great host families that I have so far. It's been incredible.

FRANCIA!

      This past Thursday through Sunday I was in France. I went to France! For the first time in my life. I have now been to Spain (duhh), Portugal, Belgium, and France. I like traveling. It's my hobby. So. France. I went with my second host family and another family. The other family has a daughter (17) and two younger sons. On the way to France we stopped at the milk factory that the dad of the other family works at. The parents all marveled and I couldn't help but think, "it's just milk..." But it was fun anyways! I just thought it was funny at how amused they were by the production and packaging of milk. After the factory tour we headed to Lourdes. There were appearances of Our Lady of Lourdes in the mid 1800s so it's very famous and very beautiful. After our quick visit of the small city we headed to our destination: Cauterets. A small skiing town nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains. The town itself was so cute and beautiful.
     We went skiing on Friday and Sunday. The conditions were not very good since it was so warm. Frankly, I was afraid of falling off the mountain and plummeting to my death on more than one occasion, and I'm a good skier...I promise. I did have fun though. It felt great to feel so free. And the views were absolutely breath taking. We were literally on the top of a mountain in the South of France in the end of April.
     On Saturday we couldn't ski because it was raining, so we went to a spa instead. What a relief because my entire body was sore from the day before...plus the bed was hard as a rock and I didn't get much sleep. At the spa we got to go in the two heated pools. The pools had jets everywhere and they were like luke warm hot tubs. One was outside and one was inside. It was amazing. There would be chairs in the pools with jets everywhere. It was so relaxing! And then we went to the saunas. It was a really perfect day.

     While in France I also went ice skating and watched a lot of movies with Julia and Nora on my computer. That was fun. I had to translate some things and it made me feel happier about my Spanish abilities :) I had a good time in France, but was homesick for Pamplona, my exchangers, and my family back home. I was happy to come home again.

RIP Akeelah.

      It was a Wednesday evening in Zuasti. I had the house to myself and my bedroom window was open...I went to the bathroom and came back to Akeelah. Akeelah the bee. I named him this of course (you've all heard of Akeelah and the Bee? The movie?) Anyways...he would crawl on the floor and I would be behind him with my shoe and get all freaked out because what if I missed and made him angry for my attempt to end his life and then he stung me? I'm terrified of bees...So I just let him do his thing while I do mine and he sort of just buzzes around the room for awhile before settling in on the curtains. At this point he won the battle for the room. I let the window open and then turned off the light and shut my door in hopes that he would fly out and leave me in peace. I checked back a few times and he was still there. So then I call Brandi and ask her to help me decide what to do. She gives me suggestions but I brush them off because I don't think any of them will work and then she says, "Alex. Just let it go." Then a smile spreads across my face. "Just let it beeeeee!" Then I begin to sing my version of "Let It Bee" to my sister. I laughed. She didn't. To add to the puns, Akeelah, and I swear this is true, started to rock his but from one side to the other. The bee dance? Perhaps. He's a Bee-Gee!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Okay, back tot he story...I then went downstairs to eat dinner and I came back and Akeelah was not there. I did a thorough search of my room and could not find him. I told Aurora about all of this nonsense and she said that he must have flown out the window, for sure...because bees make a lot of noise. I kind of doubted this because Akeelah is a special bee. He's quiet and minds his own business, but he looks like he could take on a fella. So I checked my bed for the third time and then shut my window and my door before going to sleep. The next morning I wake up and go to my bathroom, which is right across from bedroom. I see Akeelah lying on the ground in front of my bathroom door dead as a doornail. I spared his life for him to just give up and keel over in my bathroom? The poor thing. Pobrecito. I hope he lived a good life. Rest in peace, little man. It was nice while it lasted.

Funny Friday, Splendid Saturday.

     On Friday I predicted my evening to be as uneventful and predictable as they come, but I was wrong. As soon as I finished eating lunch, I went to my computer to check facebook (duhh) and saw that my cousin Emily was online and asked if she could skyoe since it had been ages since the last time I had talked to her. She immediately replied, "YES!" and I then became overwhelmed with emotion and talked to her for the next two hours about what has happened in our lives the past two months. Times flies with Em and me. At one point during the skype date, my friend Natalie messaged me and asked if I wanted to enjoy the evening with her in Pamplona. I had to tell her no for two reasons 1. I need to unpack from Belgium (still) and 2. I was already in sweats...once this happens on the weekend you usually don't change it til the next day...am I right?
    Instead of unpacking like I should have I watched Sex and the City and made button bracelets. I really enjoy time with my buttons. I realize that saying that may make me the lamest 19 year old ever, but at least I'll admit it and embrace my inner (and not so inner) nerd. As I sat there making bracelets and watching Sex and the City and listening to music, I heard my host dad singing karaoke in the next room. Just belting at the top of his lungs. The best part was that he started with a few Elton songs (Don't Go Breaking My Heart and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and then moved on to my personal favorite performance of the night, You Raise Me Up. I sat in my room laughing. And laughing. Aaaand laughing.
     To prolong the packing a little bit longer I decided to take a shower before dinner. After my shower I was called down for dinner. I come down the stairs and hear some lady with a strange accent speaking to my host parents. My thoughts were, "Mierda! I'm in sweat pants and my hair is wet...and of course no makeup. Fabulous." So I met this lady looking my best. After she said one sentence I knew exactly where she was from: England. The lady was super nice and funny and it was great to have her there for dinner. Her accent just made me laugh so much. I'm not saying that my accent is that great...but this was just funny. Her Spanish is better than mine though. So whatever. Haha.
     On Saturday I woke up and decided that I should finally unpack my suitcase and unpack I did. I just had a really relaxing day until I caught the 9 o'clock bus into Pamplona to meet my friends for dinner. We ate sandwiched and met my friend Becca's friends that are visiting from home. It was a great night. We laughed and ate chocolate and churros outside little cafes and enjoyed the nice weather. I walked home (to the apartment) around midnight and then watched Sex and the City until I fell asleep.

      This morning I caught the bus back home and then I went to church here in Zuasti. A very typical Sunday. The weather is so beautiful today. Bye everyone! Besos...

A Week With My Sister.

      Well my friends, it's been long enough. I am finally going to tell you all about my amazing week with Livy in Belgium. I know that I have yet to write about the Rotary trip, but I'll get there. Maybe I'll just write about that once I'm back home or something. Maybe I'll find the time and motivation then. I hate to say it, but Sex and the City has really been pulling me away from my blogging...it's like a drug.
    Now on to Belgium! I think I've already written about the first two day there, so I'll start with Friday. No, just kidding. I remember where I left off now! I went shopping with Livy's sister on Thursday and we bought headbands and smoothies together. It was so much fun. After shopping I met up with Liv and we went out to eat. We sat at a little table for two over looking the water. Oh-so romantic! The food was fabulous. I ate a chicken and vegetable wok and Livy had a salad. After dinner we went to a chocolate bar and had some of the most amazing ice-cream ever. It was covered in chocolate, caramel, and walnuts. Heaven. That night we sat on her couch and started catching up. It was the first time we had spent just talking and nothing else. It was so nice. This is what Alex and Livy time is all about. We went to bed pretty early that night because Livy had a test the next day.
     On Friday we woke up, ate breakfast and then I journaled while Livy studied. I then walked into town and ordered Subway for lunch. SUBWAY. Subway. Suuuubwaaaay. I put everything on it. That's how I like my subs. A little bit of meat, tons of veggies, and some oil and vinegar. I took it home in a bag and ate at it at home with Livy. She didn't have much for lunch because she had a swimming exam just a few hours after. That was my first sub in 7+ months. I was so happy. I didn't want to have to finish it. But like they say, all good things must come to an end. A few hours later Livy left for her exam (which sounded impossibly difficult) and I went to her computer and named all of her songs on iTunes that I gave to her but weren't named. I had fun singing along too. Once Livy came home and said that she had passed her exam (YAY!!!) we headed into town to sit in the sunshine in the center plaza with all of the tables and bars. I ordered a must-have raspberry beer. Livy said that they were amazing and she was right. It was nice to just sit and talk and enjoy the nice weather. I felt so European.  That evening Livy's older brother picked us up at her apartment and took us to their home. She gave me a tour of the house and I then met everyone in her family and made homemade pizzas with them. They were delicious. After dinner we watched the movie Troy and then talked until we both fell asleep.
     Saturday morning Livy woke up early to study and then I woke up for breakfast with the whole family. We ate fresh bread with everything! Sprinkles, nutella, jam, cheese, butter, pate, and probably a few more things I'm just forgetting. Oh yeah, speculoos! Yummy stuff. After breakfast Livy and I took the bus into the city to do some shopping and grab a drink in the plaza. That evening her family picked us up and we all went to Brussels. In Brussels I did some market shopping, chocolate shopping, and postcard shopping. I found the most perfect gift for my Aunt Patty and I cannot wait to give it to her! It's so perfect. Once we saw all of the touristy things, we searched for a place to eat dinner. It's not too hard to find where all the restaurants are considering there is this section of town where they are lined up one after the other with table outside and inside. You walk through the crowded streets and smell every spice fill your senses and you are tempted by every restaurant. It was crazy. We finally settled on a fancy restaurant and I ordered chicken with mushrooms and gravy over a biscuit. It's very typical Belgian food they told me. After our fabulous dinner we of course got ice-cream and ate it on our way back to the car. The ice-cream is amazing in Europe. Simple as that.
      On Sunday we went to the Atomium, an iron atom magnified 165 billion times. It was used for the World Expo of '58 and we were able to go inside and take pictures from the top. I was very impressed. It was so shiny! That afternoon I saw my first ever field hockey game. The highest mens level from Livy's club was playing. I really enjoyed it. It was a fast paced game and that made it very enjoyable. After the game people spend an hour or more socializing and drinking. Once we were finally home Livy and I made the salad for dinner and her mom made the steak and fries. This is really typical Belgian food and it was of course just as amazing as everything else in Belgian had proved to be. We then went to our room and watched The Holiday (one of my favorites...I brought it with me to Spain haha) and then went to sleep.
     Monday morning Livy and I got ready for the beach! We took the train to Knokke. It was chilly so we kept our sweaters on the while time. We went to a cafe and ate crepes and hot chocolate before walking and talking on the beach for hours. We took the train home in time for dinner with the family. That night we started watching The Da Vinci Code but stopped in the middle because Livy was tired...but I was wired. I was so wide awake and into the movie but I didn't want to watch it without her. So we went to bed but I couldn't get it off my mind so I made her tell me stories about butterflies and cupcakes.
     On Tuesday we made waffles! Lots and lots and lots of sugary waffles while listening to Glee blaring in her kitchen. It was amazing. That day we also finished watching The Da Vinci Code. We watched a lot of Glee and then we watched Eurotrip and laughed a lot. It was a lazy day for us...but completely wonderful.
    Wednesday was a sad day. I had butterflies all day. I had to say another tearful goodbye to my best friend. It's always hard. I don't handle goodbye all that well. Like Livy said last year, "I've learned so many things this year, but goodbye wasn't one of them." It was tough, but I got through it and now I am doing just fine! I miss her, but I know that I get to see her again in June. Thank goodness!

     Well now that my fingers are about to fall off, I must say goodbye. Tonight I'm going out to dinner with the Pamplonians and then staying at the apartment. I'm excited as usual. It should be a good time just adding to the number of inside jokes and laughter that has made this an amazing year. Besos everyone!
    

In Belgium!

     Right now I am in Livys apartment, using her keyboard, completely unable of figuring out how to make an apostrophe. So bear with me. Last night Livy and her dad picked me up from the airport and as soon as I saw her I was running and screaming and then we hugged for the longest time. On the way home we stopped to get Belgian fries and they were absolutely amazing! Then her dad said goodbye and dropped us off at her apartment, which is amazing. Later two of Livys friends came over and then we went out. It was so nice last night so a lot of people were out. We danced in the bars and the music was so much fun because they played a mixture of new and old stuff. At one point they played Wannabe by the Spice Girls and I dont know if I have ever been so excited! After we had enough dancing we came home and showered and went to bed.
     This morning Livy bought fresh bread and we ate it with honey, cheese, jam, and chocolate sprinkles...but not all at once haha. Livy just left for class and I alm just hanging out until I go into town to meet her sister. I am so excited! Begium is really beautiful already.
     Its crazy how simple everything is..its like no time has passed and we are just best friends living together. Its the best feeling in the world. I am so incredibly happy. Besos.

My Sister.

       I leave in about 30 minutes to go see Olivia! I'm taking a bus to Zaragoza, then a plane from there to Belgium. I couldn't be more excited! I'm a little stressed about finding the right bus from the bus station to the airport, but I know that really won't be a problem. I've traveled so much this year that I think I know what I'm doing by now. If all else fails, there's always a taxi. Haha. I can't believe that after ten months I'm going to see her today and give her a hug and get to see what her life is like. I showed her mine for ten months last year. I just wish I could stay longer than a week. I'm already dreading the goodbye. But hopefully I'll get to see her again in June!! I'm just so excited!! I'm all over the place! I'm now going to make some CDs for us to listen to while I'm there. I'M GOING TO BELGIUM!!!!!

The Best Weekend # I've-Lost-Count.

      I was just about to title this post "The Best Weekend Ever" but then I thought back to last weekend and the one that is coming and it occurred to me that I have had so many amazing weekends in my life and so many more to come. This is a good sign, no? I'll have so many stories by the end of this year. I created a quote last summer that goes like this: "I want to live so much that I never have to tell my grandchildren the same story twice." I'm not sure if it's quote book worthy or something like that, but you know, it just struck me.
     So my weekend. My fabulous weekend. On Friday evening all of us Pamplonians met at the bus station. Athena and I went in and bought all the tickets for San Sebastian for the Saturday and the rest went off to Eroski to buy the groceries for the night. We all met up at Becca's bus stop and took the 7:40 to Gorraiz. Well, most of us. Tabea and Natalie had to stay behind and catch the next bus because we forgot to buy tortilla chips. That night we made guacamole, spaghetti, tortilla de patata, and churros. Some combination, right? After dinner some of us went a walk because it was so nice out. Then some of us watched the first act of RENT. Everyone was falling asleep though. We finally went to bed around 3 and then woke up at 6 to get ready for our next adventure.
     We caught the 8:15 bus for San Sebastian and met our friend Andrew (he lives there) there at 9:30. Of course we were all tired so we had Andrew take us to the first cafe we could find. We drank coffee and ate tortilla de patata to wake ourselves up and give us some energy for the day. After our time at the beautiful cafe Andrew took us to his apartment so we could change into our bathing suits. While there we managed to break the elevator but I really don't think we did anything wrong. The buttons would just not work. The thing wouldn't open after pushing all of them and at that point I suggested we just try to pry the doors apart. It actually worked. We ARE smarter than the elevator. Score. We took the five flights of stairs up and met Andrew's host family and saw his amazing ocean view out of the living room window. It was amazing.
     At the beach we laid out in the sun and talked and buried Tabs in sand and then talked some more. We never get bored with each other. That's the incredible thing about our friendship...our family. Once it got too cold to stay on the beach we headed for the bathrooms to change and was yelled at by the physco bathroom lady. Apparently you are NOT allowed to change in that bathroom. Sorry. We headed out of there and straight for a pintxo (tapas) bar where we at tortilla de patata and enjoyed our last hour or so of San Sebastian for the day. After this we walked to a park where Natalie and Elle had fun going down the slide while Becca took their picture. At 8:30 we were all on the bus back to Pamplona after saying goodbye to Andrew.

      We all went home as soon as we got back to Pamplona. I got to stay in the apartment alone last night. I found Mean Girls on TV in English and was thrilled. I then ate some Nougat Pillows, took my shower, then headed for bed. It was so nice waking up this morning from ten hours of sleep with no interruptions. I took the bus back into Zuasti then went to mass with my host dad. Since then I've been skyping and watching Sex and the City. I helped Aurora make tortilla de patata tonight. She taught me how! I'm so excited to try making it on my own now! I love it so much. Now I am ready to get some sleep. I have another busy day ahead of me tomorrow. Three days till I'm in Belgium with Livy!!! Besos :)

Querida Taylor, Mi Cari...

     I'm just going to skip writing about school today. It was pretty uneventful. I studied lots of Spanish and wrote lots of Spanish and ate an amazing cheese bocadillo. Yep that's it. I took the bus home after school after meeting Mitchell and talking to him for a little bit about his day before we both depart for our bus stops. This week Mitch and I agreed to speak in Spanish together. Actually, every week during the week is castellano and on the weekends, English. I get so sidetracked...could I ever be a writer? I would have people all over the place and I mean this is just about my life. Can you imagine if I tried to come up with a story and then try to have people understand what is going on in my head? Now, back to my day...once I got home I climbed the stairs and saw a letter lying on my desk from Aunt Bevie, Taylor, and Morgan. Three letters! They were all fabulous. Taylor told me that she checks my blog everyday and that I need to keep up with it. So this is for you Tay. My cousin, my sister. I love you, and I miss you so much. I'll be writing you soon my loveeee :)
     Today it was only Alberto, Enrique, Mile, and I at lunch. We had  rice with chicken and peppers. It was so good. Mile is such a fabulous cook. During lunch Enrique asked me how many letters I've received this year because it seems as though I am always getting them. Hahaha. It's true, I do have quite a few (thanks to everyone who writes me!!!) and then he asked how many people I write to and I honestly don't even know. Quite a few. I think I sent out about 35-40 Christmas cards. Dios mio. But there is something so special about receiving a hand written letter, or a postcard. It shows that a person went out of their way to make something more personal. I like that.
     After lunch I grabbed my bathing suit, cap (it's required...I have a big head and it's so hard for me to put it on), and flip flops and headed for the indoor pool in Zuasti. It was so nice. There were only about 5 people in the pool the total time I was there. While there I did laps which were actually tiring and then sat in the hot tub before going into the sauna. I had such a relaxing time there. I was all by myself and it felt good to think quietly...I mean I have the chance to do this often (school), but it was different for some reason. My mind felt clear when I left.
      Once I arrived back home I had a three hour skype date with Tess. It was like we were just hanging out, which was incredibly nice. I mean talking about random things until your ear falls off is what best friends are for, right? Tessie and I had a great time. After we said goodbye I headed down stairs to make dinner (frozen pizzas...score) since my host parents are gone for the night. Alberto, Julia, and I ate and then I showered. Now, here I am, in between episodes of Sex and the City, which has become my latest obsession. I swear, I am not like this in the states. I usually don't watch this much TV...pero bueno, no pasa nada, verdad? Espero que si.
     It's time for bed now. I have to make sure I get up on time because I have to make sure my siblings are up on time too. I am la jefa while my host parents are away. Hahaha. Buenas noches! Besos. I love you Tay! P.S. When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause girl you're amazing just the way you are.

Madrid!

   Okay everyone, let's go back to March 1st!!! I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be too detailed about the trip since most of my memories consist of inside jokes with my friends and all the little things that make life fun. While in Madrid, we went to Starbucks to fulfill Becca's six month craving. I ordered a caramel machiatto and was in heaven. MOre than 8 oz of coffee at one time? This was near insanity in Spain. In that same day we saw El Prado museum with some of the most famous works of art in Spain. I loved it. I saw Las Meninas finally! I swear we studied that painting for years in Spanish class with Senora B. We also went to Parque Retiro. It was really beautiful. That night a few of us went to T.G.I. Friday's for an all American dinner. It was fabulous. We ordered the appetizer sampler and got to have a little bit of everything. Our waiter, Bruce, was from Hawaii and he showed us a good time. Haha. After dinner we headed back to the hostel, showered, and headed for bed. Mitch and I were in a separate room than everyone else, so we got the chance to meet Simon, a German visiting family in Madrid. We talked to him for a really long time that night and it was hysterical because he was the exact opposite of Tabea. He contradicted everything she had told us about Germany. He also told me that I had an accent like a girl from "the land." This meant a Southern accent hahah. He told Mitchell like he sounded like he was from Scotland. I was perfectly okay with all of this because he was attractive. And it was funny. The next morning in Madrid we woke up and got breakfast at McDonald's (yes, we were hitting up all of the American restaurants in Madrid while we could...it was a bit ridiculous) then headed straight to El Reina Sofia, another art museum. While waiting in line, I saw my mimi-me. A little girl (in the picture above) looks just how I looked when I was that age. It was crazy! So I was creeper and I got a picture of her. I couldn't get over it. Now, back to El Reina Sofia, this had the works of Picasso, including La Guernica, which depicts Picasso's view of the Spanish Civil War...also the painting that got him kicked out of Spain. No big deal. It was a huge painting. I was really excited to see it. After seeing what we could in the museum we headed back to the hostel. On the way back we spotted a Dunkin' Coffee (same as Dunkin' Donuts) and Mitchell and Becca decided to order some coffee while Elle and Mariel kept going on towards the hostel. The rest of us waited for them. Turns out Dunkin' Coffee likes to take their sweet old time...after 15-20 minutes they finally finished making two cups of coffee and we could be on our way. We were really pressed for time at this point and had book it back to the hostel because Mitchell had the keys to our room which we need ed to check out of by 12. Towards the end it looked as if we weren't going to make it, so I grabbed the keys from Mitchell and started running down the Gran Via in Madrid. As I was running Nat asked if I had the keys and I threw my fist up in the air and at that moment I felt as if I was in the Amazing Race, or something special like that. It was a nice moment...but I got over it quickly and focused on not getting hit by cars. In the end, we made it on time and were not charged any extra...thank goodness. We then took the metro and met up with all of the other exchange students in the bus station. :)