Al-Andaluz (Andalucía): Land of the Vandals

I just got back from probably what was the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. El Alcazar and La Mezquita en Córdoba and La Alhambra and La Catedral en Granada. La Mezquita was so beautiful. There were so many columns and it was very tranquil. What is neat about it is that it was once a mosque and now it is a Catholic Cathedral.
Granada, Granada, Granada, te amo. Granada was absolutely beautiful. La Alhambra is a huge fortress, castle, and city all in one. It´s been around for over 900 years. It was used by the Catholic Kings and the Arab Califas for centuries. Granada was the last Muslim stronghold in Spain at the end of the Reconquista and it was there that the Muslims gave up their power in Spain. Also, we went to the Cathedral. How come there is nothing that magnificent in the United States? It was fairly new, built in 1687. The Cathedral I go to was built in 1013 I believe. The last place we went to was the Real Capilla de los Reyes Católicos. I got to see where Ferdinand, Isabella, Felipe el Hermoso and Juana la Loca are buried. If you don´t know who Ferdinand and Isabella are, they funded Columbus´ voyage to America. You can thank them for our great nation. Juana la Loca was their daughter and she was married to Felipe. She was crazy because of all the centuries of incest within the royal family. With that being said, everyone is in my prayers, and I hope all of you are doing well.

¿De dónde eres?
¡Andalucía, OLE!

So on Friday, we went to Toledo, the capital of Castilla La Mancha. To say it was incredible is an understatement. We went to the La Catedral de Santa Maria and saw some of Greco´s paintings. This week, we are going on an overnight trip to Córdoba and Granada.
I suppoe you are wondering what my normal day is like. On the weekdays I get up at 8.30 and leave for school around 9.05. It´s only about a ten minute walk to the school. From 9.30 to 4.00 I am at school. Then I get home around 4.30, take a siesta (amazing concept) and do my homework. Around 6, I go out with my friends to the Plaza Mayor for Helados Moran. It´s the best stuff ever! On the weekends, I am allowed to be out with my family until 1 AM and we usually cut that curfew pretty close. We go have dinner with various people and every Saturday, we have lunch (at 3:00) with Pascual, which is another name for grandma. I go to Mass on Saturday evenings in the Cathedral. It´s nearly the same, but there are not just the stragglers walking in during the homily;there are people coming in at the final blessing. Spaniards are known for never being on time.
I like my host family pretty well. My dad, Carlos, is the easiest to talk to. My mom, Rita, kind of gets frustrated when I don´t understand what she is saying. But, what can I do? I like my siblings, Carlos (16) and Andrea (15), but they are out until odd hours of the night with their friends. I went out once with Andrea and her friends and they taught me to play cards. I´ll buy a pack of Spanish cards and I will teach you guys how to play. But, sadly Carlos and Andrea are leaving for Ireland on Thursday. They get back the day I leave.
Anyway, I am heading out to the Plaza Mayor and all of you are in my prayers!

Vivemos en la casa de capulla.

So this Helados Moran....Yeah, they do put something in that ice cream. I think I am addicted. Anyway, we actually started doing work in our classes today. And unfortunately, we are doing a week over the preterite versus the imperfect. It is an understatement to say that I am only a little tired of pret. vs. imp. after spending practically a whole school year on it. And we are doing the same thing with SER versus ESTAR. I mean, how hard can it be to distinguish Condition, Emotion, Location, and Position from something permenant? I don´t know either. Anyway, it´s off to the Plaza Mayor :)

Well...

Well...I can unerstand a bit of what is being said to me. The accents are really different and they don´t even say the whole word. And then I have to process what they are saying. Oh well, I´ll get used to it. Today was our first day en el colegio. We took a test to be placed into different groups. I forgot 3 years of Español. i don´t know how on Earth I managed to do that, but I did.
So over the weekend, my host family took me to Alarcos, which is a hermitage on top of a mountain. They put the Virgen of Alarcos(Mary) on an altar and they carry her from the city to the top of this mountain. Then they stay there all night and pray. It´s pretty cool. Then Monday was a holiday and we went to their house  in a small town 20km away. It was a lot of fun, and don´t worry, I didn´t forget about you guys at home :) You´re in my prayers

Arrival

We got into the Madrid Barajas Airport at 8 in the morning after a ridiculous flight. It got delayed an hour because of the weather. The flight took forever and there was a little turbulence. At least they gave us blankets :) We arrived in Ciudad Real a little after noon and since then, I have not understood a word that has been said to me. But, that´s what I am here to do. My host family is great. The only problem is they have really thick accents and they´re hard to understand. To top it off, I can´t seem to remember 3 years of Spanish. The only words I know are "si", "vale," and "no entiendo." Well, hasta luego :)

Goodbye...

So in 2 days, I will be on my way. If I did not get a chance to say goodbye to you in person, this is it. Thank you to everyone who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. All your support has really helped over the past 9 months. My life has already been changed and I know that in a few short hours it will change even more.

Things I WON'T Miss
-My phone
-Roncalli
-Lassie barking at Ginger
-Drama
-Bipolar Indiana Weather
-Fast Food
-Mosquitos
-All of the AP work I have been slaving over (hahaha)

Things I WILL Miss
-My best friends (I LOVE YOU GUYS)
-The family unit (You know, you guys are kind of really important and I love you even more than my friends)
-Roncalli
-Lassie barking at Ginger
-The Piano (How will I ever survive?)
-The Flute (NOOOO, STEFANO! I CAN'T LEAVE YOU)
-St. Martins
-Watching "Tangled" All the Time

Again, thank you to all who have supported me. I'll miss all of you.

Whatever it is, you and the Holy Spirit can handle it....

Packing

I am pretty sure that packing is the most dreadful task known to man. How does one go about fitting 7 weeks of clothes and books into ONE suitcase. It befuddles me.

So you're doing what?

So I have gotten the question: "What are you doing in Spain." Well, here's your answer.
I will be living with a host family and taking classes. My host family is kind of like my family here at home. My host dad, Carlos, is a nurse, just like my mom. My host mom, Rita, is the auxilary administrator at the local hospital in Ciudad Real. I have two host siblings: Carlos (16) and Andrea (14). I will be going to school during the week. Hey, it's an honors program; you have to show your knowledge. On a few weekends, I will be taking excursions to places like Granada, Cordoba, Toledo,el Almagro, and Madrid. On my free weekends, I will spend time with my host family at their weekend house located 20km outside of Ciudad Real. I am so excited to go! The best part is that I leave on my birthday! Feliz Cumpleaños a mi :)