Living Thee Dream

I am writing another blog so soon because I want to tell you all about my wonderful adventures to Lisbon, Portugal this past weekend.  I need to write while it is all still fresh in my mind as to not forget any of the epic things that happened!!

On Thursday, as I mentioned in my last blog post, we had Thanksgiving dinner at the fundacion.  As promised, it did not disappoint.  We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and something that I think was supposed to be like stuffing but I'm not entirely sure.  It was all very good though, and they even had the dining hall decorated with candles and everything.  No cornucopias though :(  I might have to bust one out for Christmas this year since I was deprived of them on the real holiday!  The only disappointing thing was no pie, of any flavor.  We did, however, have apple turnovers that were delicious!

After eating Elizabeth, Anny (another girl from the fundacion who was going to sleep in the airport as well before heading to Barcelona) and I caught the bus to Madrid and started what turned out to be quite the night sleeping in the Madrid airport.  With being sick pretty much all week I was just exhausted and by the time we got to the airport it was almost midnight.  Elizabeth and I didn't go through security right away because Anny was flying out of a different terminal and rather than just abandoning her to sleep alone in the airport we decided to go through security in the morning.  Anny is a "pro" at sleeping in the airport as she has done it countless times this semester already so she showed us where she always pitches camp, in one of the cafes near check-in.  I was surprised by the amount of people who sleep in the airports, travelers that is.  But, I was also surprised at how little homeless people there were around...hardly any...I was expecting many more.  Anny showed me how to make a "bed" by pushing 3 chairs together so I did as instructed and ended up sleeping for about an hour and then again for an hour and a half.  In order to ensure not getting anything stolen I put my money and my passport in my pants.  Elizabeth ended up staying up all night because she couldn't fall asleep and played countless games of solitaire...thanks for the deck of cards, Mama!  We, also, ran into Fernando, Tita and Hector (some Puerto Ricans from the fundacion) that were also sleeping in the airport and flying to Rome the next morning.  Fernando and I had a rap battle and Tita did her ever popular imitations of people speaking Spanish!!  We got a kick out of that, as always.  It was an epic night for sure with A LOT of laughs...laughing at things that probably really aren't even funny, but are at 3 in the morning running on a few hours of asleep while in an airport.

Before we knew it, it was morning and time for Elizabeth and I to go through security and for Anny to find her terminal.  Airport security in Europe is a joke compared to in the states.  You don't have to do hardly anything!  With that being said, Elizabeth and I wandered around the airport and got a little snack before heading to go to our gate in order to kill some more time.

After figuring out the signs in the airport we found our terminal in the "retro" part of the aiport haha  I took my dramamine and all was good on the flight over...only a 50 minute flight and they are an hour behind us so you gain an hour when going there.  We landed in Lisbon at around 9am which felt like noon seeing as how we had been up basically all night.  We took a bus from the airport to what they call the City Center and then got off to find our hostal.

First, we did some meandering around the city and fell in love with it instantly!  So much beauty everywhere!!  I kept saying, "oh my goodness, we are in Portugal!" and "can you believe we are really in Portugal?"  We checked into our hostal which was gorgeous and cheap, even better.  We ended up sharing a room with 4 other people, but they were all pretty great.  After getting settled into our hostal and putting our bags down we decided to go do some more adventuring.  We ate waffles (the same kind as we had in Salamanca...yummy!!) at a restaurant for breakfast and ate lunch at a local cafe.  I got a ham and cheese sandwich/panini that was similar to something you would order at Panera.  It was very tasty and the workers were so kind to us!  They even gave us a free dessert that is popular in Portugal when we were done eating!  I loved it, but Elizabeth was a little indifferent about it.  It looked almost like a fruit cake with fruit and nuts and was very sweet tasting, kind of like a cinnamon roll.

Then, we went and climbed this tower (and by climb I mean we took an elevator!) and witnessed some amazing views of Lisbon!!  It was very windy at the top and slightly scary...I failed to mention to Elizabeth before going up that I am afraid of heights.  After, we checked out the Rio Tejo (or what the Spanish call the Rio Tajo)...it's the same river that runs through Toledo, basically runs right through my backyard so that's kind of cool.  That was gorgeous and we saw an awesome bridge that looked like the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.  Actually a lot of the time I felt like I was in California, straight out of a scene from Full House!

Our next thought was to go to the torre (tower) of Belem, but in order to do this we needed to take the trolley or the tram or the bus (so many forms of transportation!) because it really wasn't within walking distance.  Everything in Lisbon is very spread out.  We decided to get on the trolley (from 1955, mind you).  I think there were room for like 10 people on that thing.  Elizabeth and I ended up getting separated while in line to get on, and I ended up getting on, but Elizabeth did not.  However, I did not realize this until about 10 minutes later and immediately (naturally!!) I start freaking out.  I try to call her and text her and then remember that our very trusty Movistar phones do not work unless we are in Spain.  Well, hello, we are not in Spain anymore...therefore I have no idea how I am going to get a hold of her.  I decide that I am going to get off on the next stop and just watch for her to go by in the next trolley.  I waited for about 10 minutes and I just happened to turn my head at the right time and see Elizabeth on a bus.  I crossed the road without really even looking to try and catch this bus!  Well, success!  I got on it and Elizabeth and I were reunited again!  Now I know how a lost little kid feels.

We ended up getting off the bus, then, a little too early before our desired stop (thanks to me!), but it was all okay in the end because we discovered this great coaches museum.  There were so many and this museum was filled with so much history!  It was actually really interesting.  One coach from one of the Kings (I forget the name.  Maybe Philip?  or Carlos?  they all have the same name.) had 2 bullet holes in it from when he was assassinated.  And we could even take pictures in the museum which was awesome because usually that's prohibited.  After we were done with the museum it was starting to get dark already, even though it's only like 5 at this point, but on the clocks of Elizabeth and Meg, it is at least midnight haha!  We tried to take the bus a little further to see the torre of Belem, got off the bus at a super sketch bus stop and walked on a super sketch road.  We couldn't find where to cross the road to get to the torre because there were all these fences since that is also where the train goes.  We ended up just seeing the torre from a distance...but it is kind of curious because it is built right into the Rio Tejo...kind of interesting.  And it was interesting to see it all lit up for night, as well at the Monestario de Jeronimo.  Thankfully, we did not get robbed because I did fear for my life for a bit there while trying to find the darn torre.  To celebrate this we stopped at Starbuck's to warm up a bit and sit and reflect on our wonderful day in...where are we again??...OH YEA, PORTUGAL!!  It was awesome because they had Christmas songs playing and Christmas decorations up which was perfect for the day after Thanksgiving.  It made Elizabeth and I feel very festive.  We took the bus back to our neck of the woods and went back to our hostal.  Instead of going to a restaurant to eat we decided to participate in the event that our hostal was putting on...and that was a dinner with a type of sausage that is very popular in Portugal (I forget the name of it though.)  It was kind of like barbecued/smoked sausage and then there was bread as well as some ham and cheese.  It was very tasty...Elizabeth and I had a lot of fun!  And Elizabeth liked the wine they offered ;)

After dinner we changed into our pajamas and had a movie night in the awesome tv room at the hostal. We watched Ocean's 11 and just hung out.  It was nice to have a relaxing night as well as to watch a movie (an American one, nonetheless!) because I haven't done that since coming here.

The next morning we woke up a little too early.  I set an alarm but forgot to change my clock back an hour haha!!  So, rather than waking up at 9:30 we actually woke up at 8:30.  Either way, that meant we just had more time to adventure!  We ate an amazing breakfast at our hostal...scrambled eggs, toast with jam, and also had some granola cereal (but it didn't compare to the SNC caf, kind of disappointing.)  After breakfast we took a train to a nearby city, about 40 minutes from Lisbon, to Sintra.  It is the land of the palaces...they have a total of 4 palaces there as well as many many other things that we were excited to find out about.  The whole time I was there I felt like I was in a fairy tale...a little girl's dream, that's for sure.

We took a bus up to the Palacio de Pena (National Palace).  It was an interesting bus ride...a very narrow windy, cobblestone road.  I felt like I was on an African Safari tour bus or something.  We made it to the top, no problem, bought our tickets and entered the palace.  Two words.  LOVED IT.  No words can describe how awesome it was; you just have to experience it for yourself.  Elizabeth and I had a field day here.  And obviously the Queen's house has to have good views...we could see the Atlantic Ocean and saw many 'Merica planes!!  We could even point out Lisbon from one of the Queen's patios.  After touring the inside we walked around the entire thing by walking on the patio...360 degrees of beautiful views!  Life was rough in Sintra, let me tell you what.

Elizabeth and I got a little snack and enjoyed it by looking at the breath-taking views of Portugal.  And I even got chocolate milk....REAL chocolate milk!  None of that Cola-Cau or Nesquik stuff...this was real chocolate milk.  I was in heaven!  Top that with a muffin and I am one very happy chica :)

After that we took the bus half way down to the bottom...got off half way so we could do some exploring by walking.  At this point, it is getting dark so we decided to head back to Lisbon.  About an hour later we found ourselves at this random seafood restaurant with 2 other people we were sharing our hostal room with.  One girl, Isabel, was from Australia and was super nice!  She worked in the hotel management business and didn't like it at all so decided one day that she was going to leave for 5 months and just travel.  She has already spent almost 3 months in Italy and time in Madrid and Sevilla before coming to Lisbon.  After Lisbon she is going to hit up Northern Portugal and then Northern Spain (Bilbao and San Sebastian) and then she will be going to Switzerland for Christmas and then Germany.  She is living the life!  I envy her so much!  The other guy we were with was Ricardo or Richard.  He's actually Brazilian, but it studying in Porto, Portugal.  He was very nice as well and it was nice to have a Portuguese translator with us!  He was really funny too...he said he doesn't like the word "beach" in English because he always says the "b word" by accident hahaha so we always had to help him.  At the restaurant I ordered baked cod.  It was good, but I didn't eat much of it because they drowned it in butter....gross!!  Everyone else really liked their dishes though so that was good!

After dinner the 4 of us went walking around the city a little more, and it was so strange because it was so quiet, there weren't a lot of people around.  Very different from Toledo!  Also, another curious thing is the hour at which things close...much earlier than in Spain!

Elizabeth brought up a really good point and that is how much of the Portuguese culture we had observed in just being there for a couple days.
-Portuguese bus drivers are even crazier than Toledo ones--didn't know that was possible!
-A lot of the Portuguese are rude...with some exceptions of course.
-It is kind of a dirty city, and I'm not going to lie, after dark I didn't really feel safe.  Not a lot of streets are properly lit.

Later that night we just kind of hung out in our cozy hostal with our new friends.  I finally tried tea...because it was free at our hostal and Elizabeth loves it, but come to find out, I'm not really a fan.

We called it a night and headed to bed because we had a 4:30am wake up call.  We had to take a taxi to the airport and I feared for my life several times in the 15 minute drive.  The taxi driver was crazy and going highway speeds on a residential road.  It was nonsense!!  We made it in one piece, though and were in for quite the shock when the pilot said, as we were landing in Madrid, that it was 1 degree...just above freezing.  What?!  Sooo cold!!  I know, I know...I am in for a rude awakening once I return to Wisconsin.  :)

I was very sad to leave Portugal.  2 days is not enough time to see everything, that's for sure!!  But this just means I NEED to return someday, that's all!  Easy enough.

As the Portuguese would say...Bom dia (Good day!)  I hope you enjoyed reading yet another blog!

Love you all!  And see you VERY VERY SOON!

Elizabeth and Anny in the airport!

welcome to Lisbon :)

the view down the street from our hostal

the tower with breath-taking views that we climbed

the stairs of the tower

I was afraid to get too close to the edge.

We spotted an America shirt!!

typical Portuguese dessert...looks gross but VERY TASTY!

el Rio Tejo

one of the coaches in the museum...the wheel was bigger than me!

if you look closely you can see the 2 bullet holes

el monestario de jeronimo

the gorgeous train station

worst map ever...

Elizabeth and I before entering the palace :)

this rock even had an arm rest!

the very colorful palace!  

you can see the sun reflecting off the ocean in the distance

I could get used to this view!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

First and foremost, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all :)  This day, and even this week, has been harder for me than what I would have imagined.  Even though my family is so great and helped me celebrate my favorite holiday in August before I left, I am still missing all my family and friends today.  Since I am headed to Lisbon for the holiday weekend, my host Mom reassured me that there is a great mall in Lisbon where I can celebrate Black Friday!!  Also, currently I am at my school and a bunch of us are watching the Macy's Day parade online.  It is actually streaming online pretty well, and someone even had a tv cord so we hooked the computer up to the TV to make it bigger!  And tonight we are having Thanksgiving dinner.  I am very excited, but also a little nervous to see how it is...they better not screw anything up haha and I am hoping for some sort of pie, maybe even pumpkin!

Last week was a very busy week for me here in Toledo.  On Tuesday I taught my English class, and it was interesting to say the least.  I knew that this week I was going to be on my own because the teacher had a conference to attend, but I did not know until about a half hour before I was supposed to teach that I was completely on my own for lesson plans as well.  I didn't realize how hard it is to maintain some level of control when I barely know any Spanish and when they barely know any English.  They had sooooo much energy, and I had really no control over them.  One of the little boys, Daniel, is just too funny...I catch myself laughing at him all the time, when I know I shouldn't be ;)  For snack, he wanted a chocolate candy bar type thing so he breaks the chocolate piece and plops it into his milk and tries to eat the chocolate out of the milk like a dog.  Hilarious!!

Last Wednesday I helped at the local library here, along with a few others from my school, with a program called "Let's Play in English."  It only lasted an hour and was for people of all ages.  We had a few different stations...I was in charge of "ropa relay" which is where we said a piece of clothing and then they had to run to the pile of clothes, put the article of clothing on and then run back to the start line.  Another game was twister so they could practice their colors, hands/feet and right/left.  We had a puppet station for the real little kids, and then also a game of memory going on to practice different vocabulary words.  Then at the end we played the "Cupid Shuffle" and danced along with them so they could also practice their directions.  It was a lot of fun!!!  I am very glad I decided to help out with it.  We also sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" as well as "Jingle Bells" before saying good-bye.

Also, on Wednesday night we had a talent show at the fund!  It was super fun!  I didn't participate because let's be honest I do not have a talent to perform haha but it was a lot of fun to watch!  And even though we are already so far into the game, it was interesting because we got to know more about the people here at the fund as they performed their talents.  

Last Friday we had an excursion to Segovia, Spain which is about 2 hours away from Toledo.  Here we saw the Alcazar and got a guided tour of the palace.  I really liked our tour guide (he is a history professor here at the fund)...he spoke slow enough, and I understood everything he was saying!  I learned a lot too...it was all very interesting!  We also got a guided tour of the city and saw the very famous aqueduct that is still standing after so many years!  Finally we ate lunch..we had something that was like a beef stew and of course ate bread.  It was delicious, as always.  When I got home from the excursion I came home and my host Mom invited me to come with her and one of her friends to a new bar that was just opening that night.  I turned down her offer (very dumb idea.) because I wanted to get some homework done because I kind of had a lot going on this week, but of course, I got nothing done Friday night so I should have just went with my Mom and her friend.  Her friend came over to our house to meet up with my host Mom...she was very nice!  And spoke to me so I could understand...always helpful.

On Saturday I woke up bright and early to take a bus to Madrid and then take another bus from Madrid to Salamanca.  I was very excited to go to Salamanca because some of my friends from the fund had gone to Salamanca the weekend before and said how much they loved it.  I absolutely loved Salamanca as well!!  I have a lot of favorite cities in Spain because they all offer something different and are all very unique, but I think it might be my favorite city in Spain as of yet.  When we arrived we checked into our hostal and the man working at the hostal was very nice.  He gave us a map of the city and marked some "hot spots" on the map for us to go adventuring to.  We went and visited the cathedral (both old and new) and even found the astronaut on the cathedral.  We, also, walked by a lot of buildings that Laura and I thought were parts of the University, but not so much!  haha  All the buildings looked the same...all the same color and everything.  After the cathedral we did some more wandering and wondered into the Roman bridge.  I, also, found a track (a pretty crappy one, but still...) next to the Roman bridge.  I was in heaven!  :)  Once I found a track I knew I could live in Salamanca!!  They had a lot of great running trails too...I wish we would have had more time there.  We also walked through a very gorgeous park.  I really liked this park because it was the perfect size...a lot of the parks here are almost too big...I get bored.  haha  Even though it was pretty cool and rainy, Salamanca was still just as beautiful as ever.  On Saturday, we also went and visited the church of San Esteban.  It was huge and gorgeous!  And the nice old man working the ticket booth gave us a discount because we were students...even better!!

Since we really hadn't eaten all day, I am pretty much starving by this point, so we decided to find something to eat.  We ate at a restaurant across the street from our awesome hostal called Cuatro Gatos (Four Cats).  I got chicken paella...yummy yummy in my tummy.  For dessert I also ordered a hot chocolate with strawberries in it!  So good.  How have I not thought of doing that before?  After dinner, we decided to meet up with another group of people from the fund visiting Salamanca as well, to witness the night life of Salamanca.  My host Mom filled me in that the night life of Salamanca is great due to the University there and a "younger" atmosphere.  We went to a pub/restaurant and had some drinks and then went to another club type bar.  It was so packed and so hot in there, it was obnoxious.  It was a lot fun though.  At the first place we went to we met a guy that was from Brazil, the bartender.  He was super nice and once he found out we were American he played "American Woman!"  haha  Such a classic.  He, also, played a lot of other random songs in English for us...well, for everyone I guess, because a lot of the people here (especially the younger ones) listen to music in English.

On Sunday we got up early and went and checked out the Plaza Mayor and then went and visited the University (the oldest in all of Spain).  So, now I have seen the oldest and the second oldest Universites in Spain.  The University was probably my most favorite of the trip...it was so incredibly interesting!  We, then, ate at a little cafe for breakfast before going to the bus station to catch the bus.  I ordered waffles and a coffee (not sure why...I don't even like coffee!  haha) but it was actually really good!  I loved the waffles...I thought they were homemade, but Laura reassured me that she saw them take them out of a package :(  boo.  haha

This week started out a little rocky for me.  It was hard to see everyone's statuses about going home for the holiday and whatnot.  But then I remembered that I only have 3 weeks left here and need to take in every second of it!  I will have many more holidays at home with those that I love!  I need to remember that :)  It definitely helped that I was able to skype with my Mom this week, received some awesome Thanksgiving cards and received packages from my Mom and my grandparents.

Teaching English was a lot better this week...there was much more control in the classroom because Nuria (the teacher) was back!  It is awesome to see how much the kids have learned, even just since I have started teaching.  The kids definitely bring something new each week.  They also shared with me these things called pipas.  It literally translates to "sunflower seeds," but they are kind of like breadsticks  with sunflower seeds in them.  So tasty!  I know Jen and Dad would like them!!

Also, at the beginning of this week, we had a problem with hot water in our apartment complex.  I woke up on Monday morning bright and early and started my week with a freezing cold shower.  I didn't know if it was just a fluke that I had cold water so I didn't say anything to my host Mom about it.  I got home from working at the hospital and my host Mom asked if my shower was ice cold.  I was like, YES!!  I'm glad it wasn't just mine haha  After talking to some of the other neighbors and after a pretty guapo neighbor came to our door to ask me about our shower, we figured out that no one had hot water.  My host Mom told me to not take a shower because it was going to be cold and that the next day they were going to call someone to fix it.  I told my host Mom that I really wanted to take a shower because I had ran and had a presentation the next day that I really didn't want to be all gross for.  My host Mom is such a sweetheart because she heated water up for me on the stove and I washed my hair in the bathroom sink and washed my body in the shower by using a sauce pan.  Genius idea.

Also, I have a bad cold this week and my host Mom is very concerned about me haha even though it is just a little cold.  She made me a concoction of hot milk, honey and some sort of alcohol.  That did help my sore throat a little bit, and then she made another concoction for me with herbs and honey for my stuffed up nose.  With heating water on the stove to take a shower and my host Mom making me concoctions for my sickness, I kind of felt like I was living in the olden days this past week!!

Today, after our Thanksgiving dinner, Elizabeth and I will be taking a bus to Madrid, spending the night in the airport and then taking a very early morning flight tomorrow (Friday) to Lisbon, Portugal!  I am very excited :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!  I hope everyone has a great holiday!  And GO PACK GO!  I will see everyone very very soon!!

a Japanese dance at the talent show

the palace (Alcazar) in the distance in Segovia

the castle :)

the aqueduct

it was so amazing!

milk truck!  haha i don't know, i thought it was funny

la casa de las canchas (the house of the seashells) in Salamanca

in front of the cathedral doors

this car was made for me!!  clearly!

my delicious paella

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca

the oldest library in all of Spain (part of the University)

on the right is Doctora Quintas (the psychiatrist I work with at the Hospital) and the other two women are like the secretaries or administration for the Psych department of the hospital 

only one month left in the most beautiful city :(

Instead of writing a Spanish paper in Spanish, I am choosing to write a blog post in English.  Homework can always wait, especially in Spain!!  And, let's be honest, I am the queen of procrastination, but always manage to get it done sometime.  

This past week was relaxed, but very eventful.  We are getting down to crunch time now, folks.  I can't believe I only have one month until I return to the states.  Ever since the beginning of the semester my friends and I have always said...."oh we need to do that before we leave" or "let's go see that sometime..."  Well, now we have a totally different mind set as the days we are in Spain are becoming fewer and fewer.  Now, I just do things even if I have homework and buy things/spend money without really hesitating.  I am only in Spain once so my bank account can suffer a little and my homework can definitely wait!

On Monday the day at the hospital was a little boring because, again, a lot of my patients were MIA or were in x-rays and whatnot.  I did get to talk to my English-speaking patient though!  We always try to start the conversation with him speaking in English and me speaking in Spanish, but it always ends in all English.  haha Oops, English is just so much more convenient.  And he, even, gave me homework to do for next Monday.  He was telling me about a very funny American comedian, and he wanted me to watch a few clips on Youtube and then report back with how I like him.  Also, he was asking me why the Cowboys and the Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day, and I had no clue so I told him I would ask my Dad or my sister (the football pros) in my family.  Also, on Monday, before my class at 7:45 I went running and found myself running in pitch blackness, due to daylight savings time.  I'm not a big fan of this time of year, but it was kind of cool to get a run in in the dark and near the river.  

On Tuesday, I went adventuring with Elizabeth.  We walked down from the Plaza de Zocodover and went and adventured around the Puerta del Sol.  I like adventuring with her because since she is a history major she always knows historical facts for everything!!  I didn't have much time to adventure though because I had to go teach English.  The English teacher was late because she forgot the keys to the building so we started class a little late.  We practiced the alphabet, body parts and writing numbers.  The kids also ate jell-o and got a kick out of that.  Most of them liked it!  This coming Tuesday I am going to be on my own teaching because Nuria (the teacher) has a conference she needs to attend.  A little nervous...so hopefully the kids are on their best behavior!!

With not having class on Wednesday until 7:45 at night I usually try to do some more adventuring during the day.  Usually I go to the track in the morning and get my workout out of the way, and then I have the rest of the day to do whatever.  Even though I had a presentation on Thursday that I hadn't even started yet, I decided to go adventuring with Laura.  She wanted to go to a cafe (Central Perk) that is just like the Central Perk on "Friends."  Our friend, Alyssa, has gone there and told us it was awesome so we wanted to go and see for ourselves.  It just so happens that Central Perk is over by the track so I was able to show Laura around.  She loved it and said she felt like she was in a whole different city because she had never been over there before.  With our trusty map and our travel smarts, we found the cafe in no time, even though Toledo (and all of Spain, really) fails to mark any streets with street signs.  

Well, Alyssa was right!  Central Perk was awesome!  On a big screen tv they had episodes of "Friends" playing over and over, and they even had the couch and 2 brown chairs set up just like they are in the show.  There were pictures hanging on the walls of references to "Friends," like pictures of New York and Smelly Cat.  It was just a cozy little cafe which was perfect to visit on Wednesday because it was cool and rainy outside.  I got some type of coffee drink, and surprisingly it wasn't that bad.  It was very sweet though!  And apparently had a lot of caffeine because I found myself wide awake and twiddling my thumbs in my bed at 2 in the morning.  

After my class on Wednesday night and after my host Mom and I ate dinner, I finally decided to start my presentation.  I had to read an excerpt in our book and then make a powerpoint presentation on it and present it to the class.  Well, long story short, I didn't have a clue what my excerpt said without my host Mom's help!!  She was so helpful and sat down with me and we went through it word by word.  I actually learned a lot too.  After I made my powerpoint and wrote out what I was going to say, she edited my notes, and I practiced giving my presentation with her.  My host Mom saved the day once again :)  I don't know what I would do without her.  

Thursdays here are always quite busy because I have 3 classes with awkward breaks in between them.  It really isn't enough time to go back home or do homework or go on adventures so I usually just sit outside in the plaza near the fund if it's nice out or waste time inside the fund.  For my art class we went and visited a convent.  It was actually pretty interesting, and the nuns that were there seemed very nice. After classes were all done, I went with Laura and Elizabeth to McDonald's because they love the Mc Flurries here (I guess they're different!) and the ice cream cones (they put a kit kat in the cones here!).  I never get anything, but it is still fun to go with.  Laura and I, then, did a bit of adventuring and then later that night we went and got tapas at a new restaurant that we'd never tried before.  Here, in Toledo, and in the suburbs of Toledo, they are doing a contest with a bunch of restaurants.  Each restaurant has a sponsored tapa that you can buy for 2 euro, and then you can vote on which tapa you liked the best after going to a few different restaurants.  We plan to go to a different restaurant each week until the contest ends.  The restaurant we went to this week was quite classy.  We had to sit outside because there wasn't a lot of room inside, but it was okay (even with the cooler temps) because they had heat laps under the umbrellas!!  The tapa was fish (cod) in a sauce and then, of course, bread.  It was very tasty!  I, also, got tinto de verano, but I've gotta say, I think I like the tinto de verano at Enebro's better.  

On Friday, I woke up bright and early, and went on an excursion with others from the fundacion to El Escorial, which is a little Northwest of Madrid.  It was so beautiful!  And, unlike the Palacio Royal, it was not buzzing with tourists which was actually kind of nice.  We got a guided tour of everything, and it was nice because our tour guide (from the fundacion) spoke English, too, so if we all looked confused or  if it were words we probably wouldn't know he translated them to English.  I liked that because I felt like, afterward, I actually got something out of the tour.  Sometimes after a lot of Spanish like that I tend to just tune out the tour guides, and then I am not learning anything at all.  Today, El Escorial is a library, a university, a high school, a convent, a church and a museum.  How cool would it be to attend high school there?!  Also, this is the place where a lot of Kings and Queens and  royal families are burried and was once the palace of Felipe II.  The exquisite detail was explicable, like mainly everything here in Spain!!  I just don't understand how they can paint such detailed paintings of things on ceilings...it just blows my mind.  The library was probably my favorite part of the whole thing, with the church a close second.  We could only take pictures outside and in the patios so unfortunately I could not take any pictures of anything else, but you all should google El Escorial to take a look.  

We also ate at this very good restaurant where we got served a 3 course meal.  First was pasta with spaghetti and meat sauce, then was the main dish of a huge steak and steak fries (very American and I LOVED IT!!  finally I get a steak here...) and for dessert it was kind of like a crepe rolled into what looked like a burrito with custard on the inside.  It was soooo delicious!  Soon after eating we headed back as it was almost a 2 hour bus ride back to Toledo.  

On Saturday I got up early and headed to the track, only to get confused with the buses once again.  I don't think I will ever get the bus schedule right!!  I thought the bus came at 9, but turns out it didn't come until 9:20 so I sat at the bus stop and froze my butt off!  Eventually I made it to the track and got my workout in, which is the only thing that matters.  After, Elizabeth and I were headed to Madrid for the day.  It was such a fun and relaxing day...I loved it.  First things first--going to the theatre and buying our Rey Leon (Lion King) tickets.  We were crossing our fingers that they still had tickets available for shows when we were still going to be here and turns out they did!  We will be going to see Lion King the weekend before finals.  It will be a nice study break!!  After buying the tickets, Elizabeth really wanted to go to Starbucks because we don't have one here in Toledo.  I ordered a hot chocolate with caramel, and it was to die for.  I don't know if they have that in the states, but if they do, that is going to be dangerous for me come January!  We sat in Starbucks for awhile and people watched (secretly...from the windows on the second floor!) and just relaxed and took in the sights of Madrid.  Then, I went to the Reina Sofia and Elizabeth went to the Prado.  I absolutely fell in love with the Reina Sofia...it is so much different than the Prado.  The art in the Reina Sofia is much more modern and up my alley.  Although, don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy the Prado as well, they are just two very different museums.  

Since we neglected to eat lunch, after the museums we were both starving, so decided to get a little muffin snack at Starbucks before taking the metro to the bus station and heading back to Toledo.  A successful day in Madrid it was :)  And back to Toledo in enough time to eat dinner at our houses (that way we save money!).  

Today, Sunday, I have just been watching some Spanish tv and working on loads of homework.  Or, more like, "working" on loads of homework.  It is that time of the semester I think...just don't feel like doing any school work anymore.  Nonetheless, school work in Spanish.  

Just a few side notes:

-My host Mom washed my running shoes in the washing machine, and they look like brand new!  Such a good idea.

-They don't have water towers here...instead they have water fountains and that is where the water comes from.  (I asked my host Mom this because I was curious.)

-We are pretty sure that the mountains you can see going from Toledo up to Madrid have some snow on them!!

-Some stores in Toledo have started putting Christmas displays up and I just have to laugh at some of them because they have fake snow.  Pssshhh, Spaniards don't know a thing about snow.  They should come visit Wisconsin!  

-My English class shared palmeritas with me this past week.  We don't really have anything like them in the states but if I had to describe them it would be kind of like a cross between a cookie and a toast and they're kind of sweet.  Hard to explain!  They are pretty tasty though!  Nuria gave me the whole box so I could share them with my American friends because she couldn't believe we don't have anything like it in the states.  

-I love that taking siestas here is such a big part of their culture...makes me feel less guilty when I take them...like today!

-One of my friends, Anny, went to Germany last weekend and bought German sweet bread and shared some with us one day at lunch this week.  It was so good!  I was so full after lunch, but of course, I couldn't turn down sweet bread!!

Well, I think that is pretty much my week in a nutshell.  I probably should get back to writing my essay seeing as how it needs to be 3 pages, and I have one sentence written.  

Spanish love to everyone :)  LOVE and MISS YOU all!!  xoxoxoxo

overlooking part of Toledo

La Puerta de Sol...the old entrance to the Plaza de Zocodover

Elizabeth doing some investigating on our adventure!

the gorgeous patio of the building where I teach English

El Escorial in the distance

part of El Escorial..it was too big to capture in one photo!

the clouds/fog were so cool

chicas bonitas :)

i attempted to step on as many crunching leaves as possible!

the beautiful gardens of El Escorial

this one is for you Ted!  a Guinness sign

welcome back to Madrid

I spotted Santa in Madrid...a little early though!

a veteran's memorial 

they love fountains in Madrid!  and I love looking at them!

  

Adios España, Ciao Italia!

As always, there is SO MUCH to catch up on.  Even more this time though because it has been about 3 weeks since I have updated my blog!  In that time I have done so many things that I thought were never going to be a reality a little over a year ago, and look where I am today!  This is still all so surreal to me, even after being in Toledo for 2 months.

A few weeks ago I participated in a 6k road race through Casco Historico (the old neighborhood of Toledo, where I live)!  I was a little nervous to do it just because I would be running up and down many many hills and would be running on cobblestone roads.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity though!  I ended up trying to sign up too late, but after talking with someone (Jose Luis) at my school he pulled some strings, and I was allowed to run the race unattached, or in other words, without a number and a chip.  Jose Luis was actually signed up as well for the race and was going to not run the race just so I could run in his spot!  He is so thoughtful!  I insisted that I was not going to do that, and in the end, all worked out because I was still able to run!  Since I was running unattached I don't know and will never know my official time or place but that's okay because I was just doing it for fun anyway!  The atmosphere was so much different than in the states.  There were SO MANY people everywhere cheering and yelling, "corre, corre!"  And "rapida!"  I've never seen so many people lining the streets of the entire race route cheering...it was incredible!  I was thankful enough to have my host mom cheering me on as well as 3 of my other friends, Elizabeth, Alyssa and Laura!  After the race we went and got ice cream in the Plaza de Zocodover to celebrate me not dying during or after the race :)

I, also, went to a program at the local theatre here in Toledo (el teatro de rojas).  The program was called "Zona Cuerpo" and was interpretive dancing done by 6 people from Cuba.  It was very interesting, to say the least.  It definitely made you think, and I found myself relating a lot of the dances to things happening or things that have occurred in my life.  The dancers' costumes were very interesting as they were wearing practically nothing.  With this being said, I was taken out of my comfort zone a little bit, but reflecting back on my experience after, I am so glad I went and saw the program because I think it affected me in a positive way.  Although it took me out of my comfort zone, it expanded my perspective on a lot of things.

In my English class two weeks ago we learned all about Halloween!  We learned some vocabulary words and learned more about the American traditions that go along with Halloween, such as dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating.  The instructor asked me why we say "trick-or-treat" or the significance of the phrase, and I really didn't know what to tell her.  To be honest, I have no idea why we say it; we just do!!  Before the kids got their snack I made all of them say "trick-or-treat!"  They had a lot of fun with that.  I also helped them review some vocabulary words for their test in school.  It is interesting because a lot of the words they learn, such as granny and grandad, are British words and not American English.

The week of midterms was very stressful!  I feel as if I really haven't done much the whole semester (because the classes here are much more relaxed than back at home!) and then bam!  Hello studying :)  haha  I spent a lot of time in the library, and my host mom was very helpful with helping me studying and editing my essays for me.  I survived midterms week which meant I could treat myself with trips to Barcelona and Florence, Italy for the next 6 days!!

We (Alyssa, Laura and myself) left Toledo on Thursday night, took a bus to Madrid, and then got on an overnight bus from Madrid to Barcelona.  In retrospect the overnight bus idea is a great one, but in reality not so much because we all know how great sleeping on a bus is!  Doesn't work out so well for most of us!  And if I go deaf within the next couple years I am blaming the lady behind me who was puking the entire 8 hour bus ride.  I had my music up all the way, and my travel pillow was acting like earmuffs around my ears.  It was terrible, although I did feel slightly bad for the lady.  When we arrived in Barcelona around 6:30 in the morning it was dark, cold and pouring rain.  And none of us brought umbrellas because there was no room in our backpacks.  FAIL #1.  After conquering the Barcelona metro we decided to try and check into our hostal so we could dry off a little and take a nap.  The staff at our hostal were all very nice and let us sleep/stay dry in the lobby because we weren't able to check in until 2 in the afternoon.  We waited for the rain to let up a bit, and then decided to begin our adventures.

Our first stop was the Sagrada Familia.  It is a beautiful church with impeccable details!  Your eyes just get lost when looking up because there is so much beauty you want to look at all at once.  The church was built by Gaudi with a Gaudi style, but sits unfinished because Gaudi never finished it before his death.  Right now they are in the process of finishing it, but according to my friend Emily, they haven't made much progress on it since 2007!!  There was a huge line rapped around half of the church just to buy tickets, but it went pretty fast.  After the Sagrada Familia, we were feeling pretty hungry so we stopped at a small, local cafe.  It was very tasty food...I got a tuna sandwich with chips.  I love the tuna here!

After that we went and explored the Park Guell which is also Gaudi inspired.  Park Guell reminded me a lot of the Alhambra in Granada.  It covered a lot of ground with a lot of steps and inclines...making it very tiring to walk with a big backpack on your back!  It is always so worth it though to see all the beautiful things!  There were incredible views, too, of all of Barcelona and the Mediterranean!  My pictures definitely did not give anything justice.

Then we went and visited the FC Barcelona stadium.  My most favorite thing that we did/saw in Barcelona!!!  And we just so happened to be arriving at the stadium at just the right time because the players were just walking out from the locker room onto the bus to leave town for their game the next day.  Pretty sure I even saw #10, Messi!  I tried to take as many pictures as I could!  We, also, went into the official store next to the stadium, and I was in heaven!  Too bad everything there was way out of my price range!  It is was fun to look though.

After dinner (I ate a blueberry muffin that night!  SO GOOD.) it was time to make our way to our hostal.  Our hostal was just off of Las Ramblas (the main street of Barcelona).  We were all very nervous to stay in our hostal because we were sharing our room with 7 other girls and also sharing a bathroom/shower with everyone on our floor.  Each of us had just stayed in private rooms before with private bathrooms so this was a little different for us.  Saved us a lot of money though.  I slept with my backpack, purse and my prized possession, my running shoes, because I didn't want them to get stolen by the others in our room.  There were lockers available, but you had to provide your own lock and none of us had locks so the last resort was just sleeping with our stuff!  Luckily nothing was stolen, and the other girls in our room were nice and pretty respectful, trying to be quiet when coming in for the night and when leaving early in the morning.

On the second day in Barcelona we went and visited the Olympic grounds!  My second most favorite thing!  The metro did not go very close to the grounds so again we did a lot of walking and climbing!  They love stairs in Spain!  Maybe that's why everyone is so skinny!  haha  We saw where the track is and the baseball diamond as well as the swimming pool.  I'm not sure if you can run on the track or if it is just strictly for Olympic training athletes, but it is possible to swim in the pool.  In fact we saw many people swimming!  It kind of reminded me of a YMCA because a lot of families were there.  How cool would that be to swim where Olympic swimmers swam?  I wish I would have had my swim suit with me!

Next stop was the beach :)  We took the metro and the tram to get to the beach, and then walked along the Mediterranean coast!  What a sight to see!  Even though it was cloudy and quite cold, it was absolutely beautiful.  The waves were huge--a surfer's paradise!  In fact, we saw quite a few surfers braving the cool temps.  It was so relaxing and peaceful.  I wish I would have had the time to go for a run along the beach...I saw many runners, and it made me super jealous!  It definitely gave me the itch to go running.

By this point, we were very hungry and decided to eat at a restaurant called Pans & Company.  I've always wanted to try this place, but turns out that it's nothing special.  I think I've wanted to eat here because the name and the atmosphere remind me of Panera, but in actuality, it's nothing like it.  I got a tuna salad (with corn!).  They put corn in all their salads here...sounds kind of gross, but actually very delicious.  Clearly I was obsessed with tuna in Barcelona.  haha I am just realizing this now.

After we got some food in our stomachs we walked through the Gaudi neighborhood, which again, elicits the style of Gaudi.  That was very interesting, and I am so glad that we had the opportunity to sit on a park bench and just take in the sites.  When traveling sometimes I think we forget to relax because as tourists we are trying to see everything that the city has to offer in just a couple of days.

Next, we took a shuttle bus to the airport and were ready (almost!) to fly to Pisa, Italy.  I say "almost" because I realized after packing my bag that with the airline that we were flying with you can only take a bag that is 10 kilos.  I was almost positive I was over this limit because I brought my laptop along in order to charge my camera.  FYI: best investment for travelers is a camera charger that you can plug into the wall.  Anyway, I started unpacking my bag and put on 3 shirts along with a sweatshirt.  Alyssa and Laura took some of my things as well in order to lighten my load.  Everyone near us in the airport got a kick out of my wardrobe...as it included quite the color pallet.  After checking in we learned that they really aren't very strict with the weight limit at all and me wearing 3 shirts was not necessary.  Oh well, better to be safe than sorry.  Also, I had SUBWAY for dinner in the airport.  Yum!  It's the little things like Subway that I miss.

It was only a one hour flight from Barcelona to Pisa so we arrived before we knew it.  We sat in the very front seat of the airplane, almost like first class!  We had to run for that seat, mind you, because with Ryan Air they do not have assigned seats.  When the gate number comes on the screen at the airport everyone runs to the gate and forms a line, like an hour before boarding.  It's crazy!!  We then took a bus (eventually...it arrived about an hour late) to Florence.  While waiting for the bus Laura realized that she was so infatuated with the cool gadgets in the Florence airport that she forgot she set her purse down (with passport and everything in it!).  She ran back to the bathroom, and luckily it was still there with everything in it.  Something we can laugh at now, not so much at the time.  Also, when arriving in Pisa it was so awesome because there were so many people waiting for family and friends and some even had signs greeting their loved ones.  It was so cool to see, but also a little bittersweet at the same time.

Once we got to Florence, it was almost 2am, dark, cold and scary.  After getting off the bus at the bus station we all felt like we were in the ghetto, a not-so-good part of Florence.  We were planning on meeting another SNC girl who studies in Florence because we were staying at her apartment.  Apparently, we did not have the Italian area code right and our Spanish phones were not connecting to the Italian one.  After debating about what to do we decided to walk to the McDonald's to see if we could get free wi-fi to see if she was online to get ahold of her that way.  Turns out no wi-fi so we walked to a nearby hotel, which looked not as sketch as some others.  We asked the guy who worked there what the area code was and he said he didn't know (who doesn't know their own area code?) and said he didn't know where the University was either.  This man was a big help...  We proceeded to walk to another hotel, and the man working there was much more helpful, told us the right area code, and we got ahold of Brittany, finally, after we were all practically in tears!  We were all devising a plan C to check into a hotel for the night and get in touch with Brittany the next day.

The first thing we wanted to do when arriving at the SNC girls' apartment was shower!  Take a nice, long, hot shower!  It had been awhile since we all showered (Greasy, Slick and Itchy!) since our shower at the hostal consisted of just face wash and water because none of us brought shampoo, conditioner or soap (no room in the backpack!).  Also, I had to use my night shirt for a towel because I didn't bring one!  Oh, the things you do to get by while traveling!  After a good night's rest we woke up the next day and went to a market that is somewhat similar to the market in Madrid.  Things were very cheap and vendors were very willing to bargain!  Many of the vendors were very pushy though and jumped right on you when going up to their stand.  We had a joke that there was a buzzer or light that the vendors could see once someone walked up to their stand because they would be no where to be seen, and then all of a sudden pop out of nowhere!!  haha  Alyssa and I were models many times for scarves because the vendors would just put them on you, and then of course you're going to like the way it looks on you and then have buy it!  Then, we walked around the city some more with Brittany, our tour guide!  Along with Brittany I met two other very nice girls from SNC, Megan and Alexis.  On Monday the girls had class so Alyssa, Laura and I did some exploring of the city on our own.  I ate at Gusta Pizza one night for dinner--I got pizza and it was so tasty!  After ordering the man gave me Italian kisses and said, "ciao bella!"  (hello/bye beautiful)  Ahhh, that will never get old!!

We also saw the duomo which was absolutely beautiful!  Another night we ate at Dante's and I ordered ravioli which was to die for, let me tell you what!  If I studied in Italy I would, hands down, be 50 pounds (at least) heavier when getting back to the states.  For breakfast each day we ate at this really cute cafe, Mamma's Bakery.  It was such a cute and cozy place with very nice people!  I got a bagel with cinnamon raisin and walnut cream cheese.  So delicious...I really miss bagels too.

For Halloween we ended up going to the 99 cents store and buying costumes.  Brittany was a witch, Megan was a devil (until her horns were stolen by someone!), Alyssa was a soccer player, and Laura, Alexis and I were kitty cats.  We went out to some of the bars and my goodness, Italians love to party even more than Spaniards!  I didn't think that was possible.  It was a lot of fun though :)  At the clubs we saw a lot of American students which was a little different than here in Spain.  After the bars and at like 4 in the morning we went to what they call the "secret bakery."  They do not advertise that they are a bakery, and you literally have to find the bakery by smelling!  AND I WAS FINALLY REUNITED WITH MY FRIEND ASHLEY!  She is also from SNC and is on the track team with me.  It was so great to finally see a familiar face!!

I, also, saw the house that the Jersey Shore cast lived at as well as the Pizzeria they worked at!  That was really cool!  And, I hate to admit it, but I definitely ate gelato every day I was in Italy...tried a different flavor each time too.  The last day I wasn't going to get any, but then there was mint (for the first time since we arrived!) so I took that as a sign that I needed to get some!

On our last night the girls took us up to a great viewpoint and to where the fake David is located.  It was so beautiful up there :)  I fell in love instantly.  We were able to witness the sun setting up there as well.  We went into a very old church too which had mass going on for All Souls Day.  It was nice to kind of attend a mass, but also just to sit in the pew and reflect and relax a bit.  When we got back to the apartment the girls cooked us dinner.  It was so good... I wanted to lick my plate at the end!  It was really fun preparing food all together too!  Alyssa, Alexis and I did a little photo shoot with our Ciao Bella shirts :)  We watched "Sound of Music" after dinner and enjoyed each other's company.  Italy was so beautiful; none of us wanted to leave, but the morning quickly approached and we found ourself on the train back to the Pisa airport to head back to Madrid.  After arriving back in Toledo on Wednesday afternoon I was pooped!  What a week of traveling it had been :)  And it was back to the grind with classes as I had my conversation class on Wednesday night.  It was kind of nice though because I only had one class Wednesday, and then one class Thursday and it was the start of another weekend again.

On Friday Laura, Elizabeth and I braved the pouring rain to head to the mall and movie theatre.  We saw "Las Aventuras de Tin Tin" in the theatre!  It was a lot of fun and was pretty easy to understand since it is a cartoon.  We weren't the oldest ones in the theatre either...go us!  The theaters here are much nicer than in the states!  The screens are bigger, the chairs are more comfortable and there is a lot more leg room.  After seeing the movie we went and shopped!  I got a sweater, a pair of jeans and some hair bows for my hair.  I love all their stores here...I wish I had a bigger budget and more room in my suitcases for everything!!

On Saturday I worked on some homework, and then walked around Toledo with Alyssa, Laura and Devan (another SNC girl visiting Toledo from England!).  Despite the pouring rain, Toledo was still just as beautiful as ever.  We walked part of the wall which was awesome because I have never seen the entire city lit up yet from such a great view.  We wanted to go on a hike, but were nervous because it was raining and dark and didn't want to slip on the rocks.  I still want to go hiking, though, before I leave so hopefully it stops raining some day!  It is so curious because for the first month and a half of being here it was sickening how dry it was, with not a single drop of rain.  I thought I was living in a desert.  And now, as of late, in pretty much all of Spain it has been raining quite a lot.

Today (Sunday) I went to a Real Madrid futbol game :)  Before even coming to Spain I told myself that the one thing I REALLY wanted to do was go to a futbol game so I stuck with this mentality and bought tickets spur of the moment on Thursday.  Elizabeth and I went, along with some others from the fundacion.  The only down side was that because we bought our tickets so last minute we had to sit alone.  It was still A LOT of fun though!  Real Madrid won, 7-1.  I am watching the news right now with my host mom, and when they were reporting about the game they said it was a "festival of goals!"  Cristiano Ronaldo (#7) is like God to them here!!  He is ridiculously good....AND ridiculously good looking! ;)  He (Ronaldo) also was awarded the gold cleat before the game which, according to my host mom, signifies that he is the best player out of all the teams!  The atmosphere in the stadium (every seat was filled...all 85,000 of them) was very similar to that of when I ran in the race here...everyone cheers and has so much compassion for their team.  There was a certain section, complete with whistles and a drum, that started all the cheers and then everyone in the stadium (even those in the nose bleed section, including me!  haha) would follow along with the cheers.  Each person got a flag on their seat and waved it whenever there was a GOOOOOOOLLLL!  There was a lot of flag waving at this game!

Just a couple side notes:

-I have failed to mention this as of late, but I am part of a study here at my school.  There is a grad student studying here and for her dissertation she is doing a study on the pronunciation and answering of questions in Spanish.  Also, she interviews us several times throughout the semester. It is actually really fun, and I will get paid 20 euro when I am done.  It will be interesting at the end to hear my pronunciation and how it has (hopefully) gotten better from the beginning to the end.
-My host mom "yelled" at me for eating grapes like a bird.  I can't just pick one and eat it...I have to take them off in bunches.  haha I don't know...I say what's the difference because she doesn't even like grapes so it's just me eating them!  She's so funny!
-The other day people were talking about me at the bus stop and how I wasn't wearing enough clothes for the cold weather.  Then, the old man reassured the old lady that I was going to run and that I didn't need to be wearing a lot of clothes because I would be running!  And I am from Wisconsin, 60 is not cold!!
-My host Mom taught me a little trick with bananas.  She wraps them in newspaper and puts them in the fridge and that helps them stay longer.  So far it is working...I am very impressed!  I am going to have to do that in the states because you all know I don't like a brown banana.
-I am also still learning so much about the Spanish culture!  A couple weeks ago my Mom and I went for a walk on a Sunday and she told me that it is part of tradition for Spaniards to have a cerveza (beer) on Sundays before lunch....so like around 1 or 2.  My host Mom knows everyone so we saw some of her friends at a cafe/bar and sat down and had a drink with them, Juan (the lawyer) and another very nice lady that I can't remember her name.  Juan smokes 4 packs of cigarettes a day and the lady and my Mom liked to talk about books a lot.
-Ever since coming here my Mom has tried to get me to read.  She said that even if you don't like reading you should read at least 10 pages a day then you will have read an entire book in a year.  I got the book, "Eat, Pray, Love" from Elizabeth and my Mom saw I was reading a book and I'm pretty sure I made her month :)  She was so happy!  And then gave me a Spanish novel to read.  Woah, a little too far, Isabel!  haha
-the weekend before finals Elizabeth, Laura, Elle and myself took a break from studying and went to a small town called Consuegra to see the Don Quijote windmills.  It was super fun but we didn't have a lot of time there because on Saturdays there is only 2 buses that return to Toledo, one at 1 and one at 6. We didn't want to return as late as 6 so we kind of had to rush to make the 1 o'clock one.  It was kind of like Heritage Hill with a guy dressed up and acting like Don Quijote.  For some reason, I got really car sick on the bus ride to and from Consuegra.  I think it may have been with all the roundabouts and the stopping, going, and slowing down all the time.
-Laura and I have been getting tapas (appetizers) quite often at Enebro's, a local cafe/bar in Toledo.  The tapas are so good and so is the tinto de verano (it is wine with something else...doesn't even taste like alcohol, tastes more like a kiddy cocktail!)

Thanks to all that have sent me cards/ packages!  All of my friends here get so jealous of me because I receive cards and packages so often!  I really appreciate it :)  Thank you, too, for paying as much as it costs to send things...I know it isn't cheap to send packages all the way to Spain.

GO PACK GO!  And I hope the Dolphins can pull out a win one of these weekends for my patient who is a Miami fan.

I hope all is well with everyone :)  I miss everyone LOTS, but can you all believe I will be home in a little over a month?  Where did the time go?

Don Quijote windmills

getting ready to run my first 6k in Toledo :)

at the Teatro de Rojas

the tower of the duomo in Italy

beautiful Italy

my delicious pizza from Gusta Pizza

fist pumpin' in front of the Jersey Shore house

Italy, by night

the Spanish SNC girls in Italy

the fake David statue

Elizabeth and Laura ready to see "Tin Tin" in the theatre

gorgeous Toledo

the Alcazar lit up at night

Real Madrid stadium

a full house!!

Real Madrid won!  7-1