Nougat Pillows=Asombroso.

Today I woke up from 8 glorious hours of sleep to go to school. I had history first period today, and I hate to say that I didn't pay attention much because I just could not stop journaling. I realize this is not good, but I couldn't help myself. I wrote six pages today. My journal is nearly halfway through. Crazy. I have really found a love for writing in the short time I've been here. My journal is my vice. It contains all of my thoughts and I would be lost without it now. I made another list throughout my day:

1. There are tons of mirrors here. You always know how you look.
2. I have salad for dinner almost every night. Last night it was just tomatoes and onions with oil and vinegar. This is very typical. Very Mediterranean.
3. You flush the toilet with a button on the top of the toilet. One on the side just seems silly now. Haha.
4. Some kid got yelled at in class today for not paying attention. The kid next to me was asleep...and nothing.
5. BESOS! A kiss on each cheek every time you meet someone new. I've had to kiss a lot of strangers in the past three weeks. It's a good thing I don't really need personal space.
6. The USA's entertainment industry freaking rocks. Most of the shows and movies here are American with Spanish voice-overs. Spongebob and The Simpsons are EVERYWHERE.
7. I realized today why most foreigners haven't heard of Dr. Seuss. He's a poet. All in rhyme. You can't translate that!
8. I eat Nougat Pillows for breakfast. It's a cereal with chocolate squares filled with chocolate nougat. I found a cereal that I love! They are great.
9.The town shuts down for lunch. This is like 2:30-5 that some places are closed. It's still so bizarre to me.
10. I forgot to mention in my blog last night that at the parade Natalie and I were attacked by part of the festival. People dress up and wear huge heads on their head and they go around and hit people with this sponge on a stick like thing. I thought he was going for my head so I put my arms up and he hit my but like three times. Nat got it worse though.

So I am sick from not getting enough sleep. I tried to nap twice today and I could not fall asleep either time. I don't understand this. I'm tired! I feel like I could sleep for days! But no. Maybe I just need Chancie for naps? Perhaps. I miss him. I miss him so much. But I think he's happy. He still sleeps in my bed all the time. He is so precious. My little best friend.

Today I had a cream cheese sandwich for almuerzo. It was great! My favorite bocadillo so far! I've never had a cream cheese sandwich until today. I was telling Natalie this and she said she has them all the time at home. I was shocked. Does anyone at home do this? I want to know. Have you been hiding this from me for years?!

So when I write my blog I usually skim through my journal entries for the day because they include my thoughts and what I did...but these six pages are mostly about chap stick. My lips were so chapped today. I ran out of soft lips a week ago so my mom put some in my care package that STILL ISN'T HERE. Please hurry up Spanish Postal Service. I need my soft lips and cookies and magazines...and more importantly my watch. I have to be a creeper and look off my classmates' watches to see how many more dreadful minutes until Economics is over. I don't understand my teacher at all in that class and it is my last class of the day on Mondays and Thursdays. Ugh. I still don't have this schedule memorized yet. It's different every day!! I don't have that much more room in my brain...it's being taken over by headaches just from listening. The language gets a tiny bit easier every day but I still feel like I should know so much more by now. It's frustrating. When I go to the library for study hall I head to the children's section and read their books. That's my level right now. Tonight I went to Senora B's webpage and worked on some Spanish websites that I used in her class. They helped. I'll just start small and keep practicing and practicing and practicing. That's what it's going to take. I'll just be persistent. It always works out for me. Eventually.

Tonight I'm going to eat dinner and then Skype with my Mom and Brandi. This is the longest I've gone without Skyping my Mom. I think that is why I have been more emotional (that and the fact that I don't know how to take a freaking nap) these past days. Then I can sleep! Tomorrow is my long day. I have two extra hours of school tomorrow, but that's fine because it's good practice.

I hope all is well at home. We had a fabulous football fin de semana (weekend...sorry I had to keep the alliteration going). Go Dukes and Buckeyes!! Speaking of Buckeyes--I've never been more excited to be attending school there next year! I've started my application! I really do love Ohio. There is no place like home. But, on the other hand, there is no place like SPAIN. I'm here. In Europe. Eating dinner at 10 and speaking Castilian and walking everywhere I go. I joined a parade the other night! Who does that?! Anytime I say that I miss this or that and am homesick know that yes, it's hard. This is the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'm in Spain! I'm hanging out with friends and eating in Turkish Kebab restaurants and joining parades and dancing in the streets! I mean you have to feel the rain to know how warm the sun is, right? My life is and always has been amazing. Asombroso. 

This is a video of the dancing in the street and the picture above is me with a huge part of the parade. There are people that make those costumes dance. It's amazing. You have to watch out though!

Te quiero Estados Unidos! Te extrano! Besos de Pamplona!