¡Viva España!: Make every second count...

Who would have thought I would have fallen so in love with the Spanish culture and the city of Toledo?! I knew I was going to love it, but I didn't realize it was going to be this hard to leave. This past week has been difficult because we all are thinking about going home, trying to do last-minute things here in Toledo as well as study for finals. These three things basically occurred in that order as well...with studying being the last thing on my mind.

This past week Spain had two holidays, one on Tuesday (Constitution Day) and the other on Thursday (the feast of the Immaculate Conception). While everyone else was fiesta-ing it up, us, Americans were stuck studying and taking finals. We all think that if we are living in the Spanish culture, then even we should be able to celebrate their holidays..at least don't make us take final exams!!

On Monday was another day at the hospital all day. It was kind of an "off" day again with a lot of my patients no where to be found. However, I did get to talk to a new patient who is awesome! I was a little nervous at first because before Doctora Quintas introduced me to him she warned me that he cries a lot and is very depressed. The part that makes me nervous is that it is harder than you think to try and help someone in another language...it would be much easier (obviously!!) to understand and talk something through in English. However, this patient was not sad at all and actually enjoyed talking to me too (at least I think and hope...it seemed like it anyway). He is older and a little harder to understand and he warned me that I must speak loudly for him to hear because his "ears aren't too good!" He was coming up with topics to talk about as well which was nice because with a lot of my older patients I have to constantly come up with new things to say.

On Tuesday I just had a review session for a final exam in one of my classes in the morning and had the rest of the day free to study. Yea right! Who studies? Especially when you have a whole day free in Spain and it is 10 days before you head home! I went running with Alison (a girl that goes to Notre Dame and also attends my school)...I showed her the track because we have been meaning to go there/run together all semester and we just found time now. It is so hard with our different schedules and traveling and such. She fell in love with the track and the park, just like I did! There were quite a few people at the track with it being a holiday since no one had to work and were all exercising apparently. Then, Elizabeth and I decided we wanted to go to the Army Museum. We have been meaning to do this since one of the first or second weeks, and I actually tried to go with Laura but we got denied free entry because we don't have a Carnet Joven (we were supposed to get this...it is just like a student discount card...and we all applied but I guess the Spanish government ran out of money so we were not able to get them this semester). However, because Tuesday was a fiesta the Army Museum was free for everyone. Of course I agreed to go with Elizabeth because, like I said earlier, my other option was studying. Yuck!

The museum was very interesting with everything you can imagine in it! We were there until they closed and STILL DID NOT get through everything. It was super cool too because some of the original rock was in the building...I guess I should probably mention that the museum is located in the Alcazar (used to be a castle back in the day). It was also interesting to look at the uniforms and how they have changed and become more complex over the years. I wish I could have taken more photos, but they were prohibited in basically all but one exhibit.

Then, on Wednesday, I went to the track to do my workout and there was not a soul around, just me and my maintenance friend who talked to me again this week and when I was leaving he asked if I was going to be back tomorrow! Of course I am :) The much cooler temps this week have people staying in later I guess because usually on Wednesday mornings when I go it is packed with runners and with kids in gym classes. It was kind of nice to have the whole thing to myself though.

And then I finally decided to start studying! I went to the library (which is also in the Alcazar) and actually was pretty productive. Elizabeth and I had a presentation that night in our Conversation class about Navidad in Spain and she wore a Christmas sweater and my host Mom gave me a "fiesta shirt" because she didn't have anything Navidad for me to wear. It was quite the sweater, let me tell you what. On Wednesday night is when I kind of started freaking out because I realized I knew basically no information for my TWO finals the next day. Don't you just hate that feeling? (Sorry Dad for using the word, "hate.") Luckily, my host Mom gave me well wishes and said good luck before going to bed that night because I definitely needed it.

Turns out I really didn't have anything to worry about, as usual. My exams went fine...at least my Cultural Heritage one did...my Art one I am a little sketch about, but whatever, it is over and I am finally done with that class! My only regret with my classes is that I wish I would have taken a grammar course. It was so hard though because then I would have had 5 classes and an internship, and I also wanted to learn more about the culture and spend time with my host Mom and with taking 5 classes I just would have been working too hard! Although it would have been good practice for next semester; I am going to be in for a rude awakening with 3 Psych classes (one with a lab) and a GS 12 class that hopefully won't be too much busy work.

On Thursday night after taking my two exams I went home and treated myself to some mazapan, a Spanish Christmas candy that is to die for! You are all in luck because my host Mom and I are going shopping this afternoon for some mazapan so I can bring some home and share! I also bought turron and pulvorones yesterday to bring home. I'll be able to share if I don't eat them all within the next few days! ;) They are sooo delicious so it is going to be hard to control myself. I, then, went on an epic run through the streets of Toledo. I went slow because it was just a recovery run, and I just tried to take it all in. I went down one of the main roads and the Christmas lights were on all the trees lining the street. It was absolutely gorgeous! I am going to miss the beautiful scenery, that is for sure!! To top it off I felt good which is always a plus. After that Elizabeth and I went adventuring to look at all the Christmas lights around the city that had just been turned on that Tuesday (their Constitution Day). Although it was very foggy the lights were still very beautiful. All they need is just a light (and I mean LIGHT) dusting of snow to top it all off. They also have put up an ice rink in the Plaza de Ayuntamiento so we watched some people ice skate which was hilarious! I think we are going to try to go sometime next week :) My host Mom says she thinks it costs around 6 euro an hour to do it...a little expensive but who cares!

Yesterday (Friday) Elizabeth and I went to the mall to do some shopping because we are both not ready to say goodbye to that mall yet...WE LOVE IT! We, also, did some shopping for our family and friends at some of the stores in Toledo and the Christmas market in Zocodover. After a long day of walking and shopping we went and saw "El Gato con Botas." Such a cute movie and we understood everything...I understood better than when seeing "Tin Tin." I came home and told my host Mom this and she said it might be because they used more of a Mexican accent than a Spanish one.

Last night at dinner we had steak. Needless to say I was in heaven! And my host Mom gave me a gift...it is a Toledo book with a bunch of pictures in it! She said, along with the photos I have taken, that I can use this book to show my family and friends all around Toledo since none of them were able to make it here. How nice was that? :) It was awesome looking at the book and recognizing the photos in it.

A few additional things:

-It has legit gotten cold here this week. Wearing my winter coat and hat and gloves I am still freezing.

-I have started to pack up some of my things. Sad. I am going to miss so much about Spain and the people that I have met here! It will be weird not seeing the people everyday that you have been seeing for the past 4 months. I am most definitely not ready to say good-bye to my host Mom either...or her cooking!! It is going to be hard to thank her for everything she has done for me these past few months...helped me with homework, cooked all my meals, gave me traveler tips, cleaned the house and my room, did my laundry, introduced me to locals, taught me more about the Spanish culture...just to name a few.

-This week Monday is my last day at the hospital and Tuesday is my last day teaching English. I better prepare myself for all these good-byes.

-This week was the week of tourists in Toledo!! Holy cow! I have never seen so many people with maps and cameras around their necks. With having two fiesta days this week my host Mom told me that a lot of people just take the whole week off and go traveling which brought A LOT of people to Toledo. My host Mom told me a story about how her sister, Pepe, is in Cordoba on vacation and Pepe randomly ran into my host Mom's friend Angel (the same Angel that went to China...he sure is quite the traveler!)

-I was able to sit down and talk with some of my host Mom's friends again this morning and I met a couple new ones, including Bruno who is from France! Him and I talked a lot since we were the only two where Spanish is not our native language and he knew some English! He drank a drink called "optimum bruno" and got a kick out of that. He asked if I wanted to try some but declined because it was a very thick beer. Gross!

-Tonight get ready ladies and gents because IT IS THE GAME WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!! Real Madrid vs. F.C. Barcelona! We just heard on the news that tickets are going for a thousand euros...no big deal. I can't even imagine haha I think Elizabeth and I are going to go watch it in a bar somewhere and I will be sporting my Messi jersey (I still need to go buy that this afternoon!) and my Real Madrid scarf. My host Mom was telling me names of bars that are pro-Real Madrid and pro-Barca so I know what to wear when we walk in one. I don't want to get beat up!

-My host Mom cleans the house and washes my sheets so often! Spaniards are so clean! Even on her day off on Thursday because of the fiesta she cleaned. I usually make my bed everyday here because it is just what they do so I have become accustomed to doing this too... because let's be honest in the states I never make my bed. Well, the other day I woke up late and didn't have time to make my bed because I had to leave for class and I got back home and my bed was made...my host Mom made it for me. I felt really bad then and thanked her a whole bunch when she got back.

-I think my host Mom and I have found a vacuum for me to use for my vacuum-sealed bags in my suitcase. She called up one of her friends, Pilar, and is going to go over there later today or tomorrow with her car and pick it up. Thank goodness! This way I MIGHT not have to buy another suitcase which would be awesome.

I will see you all next weekend! It will be a bittersweet next few days here in Toledo :) Can't wait to see everyone again.

Much love,

Meg