So, I’m back!

I got home on Thursday afternoon, and unpacked almost all of my stuff that night. It’s funny to be back – in some ways, nothing has changed. My house looks the same, my town looks the same, my dog’s gotten a little bigger, but that was to be expected. The thing is, I have changed so fully and completely. I feel like I’ve seen so much and everything’s… the same.

I was supposed to go to DC this week but I began to feel very anxious and overwhelmed on Friday night/Saturday morning and decided to cancel it. I feel as though I’m expected to behave a certain way in those kinds of situations; and I’m not sure I can guarantee that behavior. I’ve decided to ease in and see people more on a one-at-a-time basis – it’s overwhelming to be back; and I have ALOT to catch up on – in the news, in pop culture, in peoples’ lives – and to go and do a huge chunk of it at once in a 3 day time span was overwhelming and making me super-anxious. I pride myself in being well-informed about almost everything going on and I feel like I know nothing, and that scared me. It’s sad that I won’t see so many of my DC friends as soon as I had hoped, because I really do want to see them, but it’s better this way for my mental health – to ease myself in instead of jump headfirst. I’m well aware I sound like a crazy person. But I swear to you it’s true!

Some things I’ve missed – the ability to walk down the street and not have to worry about being sexually harassed; things being in US$ instead of Euros (seriously, it sucks to have to deal with that horrid conversion), to not have to worry about being pickpocketed – although old habits die hard! I had to remind myself not to leave my purse across my lap when we went out to dinner with my Grandma Sunday night because it wasn’t necessary.

I’ve been e-mailing back and forth with Ma Carmen and Manuel, which helps ease the feeling of missing them. They are such awesome people.

It’s extremely, extremely strange to be back. Things have changed so much for me, but stayed the same for everyone else. I used to always be on the same page with everyone in my life, more or less – and now it feels like I either skipped a paragraph or leapt a chapter ahead or something. We’re in the same book, but the pages are different. That’s a horrible metaphor. But I know it’ll get back to normal eventually.

The most upsetting thing right now is having no definitive summer plans; and that feeling of uselessness doesn’t help with the easing back in. I NEED AN INTERNSHIP/BABYSITTING GIG/SUMMER JOB, stat! It’s been this week’s project so far.

Well, here I am. My bags are packed and it’s my last night here.

I’m not entirely sure what to say. This experience has been incredible – it’s changed me for the better.

When I arrived in January, I was, let’s be real, a total mess. I was nervous, and timid, and sad about being alone, and afraid to go get a class of water from the kitchen. Even though I’m a junior in college, I hadn’t learned how to really be alone doing anything, how to adapt to a completely unfamiliar situation. There are norms expected of you when you enter college, and I knew those norms. There’s norms of study abroad too; but they’re not the same.

In the past four months, I’ve made myself at home in a different city, fostered a lasting relationship with two people – my host parents – who don’t speak English, traveled, learned about a new culture, learned about European recent history and the development of European Television, about Spanish History, and about the media landscape of Europe in political campaigns.

I’ve learned and grown more here than I ever could have at AU, and I’m so grateful for that. This experience wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be – I always pictured more trips, more nights out at bars – but it became something better than that.

It became a way for me to learn how to be independent, responsible, and an adult. I now know how to commute to school effectively (something that, aside from High school which doesn’t count because my mother had to wake me up, I’ve never had to do before); how to speak in Spanish (not fluently, but we’ll get there!); expanded my palleate – who knew I liked Tomato soup, meat ravioli, simple lettuce salads, or Almond Tart? – and I learned how to plan my own trips, make reservations, and basically fend for myself in a foreign country.

I’ve grown as a person to extreme amounts – learned how to handle adversity (like my backpack getting stolen), being alone (the crap social structure of IES), when things don’t go according to plan (Paris plane strikes; among many other things) and how to really reach outside of my comfort zone (living in somebody else’s home, taking a foreign metro system alone, etcerera). I understand myself better – I was talking about this with Jessica yesterday when we went to the Parc de la Ciutadella to tan, and she said something that really hit home – that, because she was away from home for awhile, she now understand herself. She stepped back, away from all her influencers – parents, hometown, home country, boyfriend, what have you – and did something different and new. She didn’t cut her ties with her old life, but she’s more sure of herself than ever, and has adjusted her world view accordingly. She’s right. Distance has made me more confident, more sure of who I am and how I function and all of those kinds of things.

I’m afraid that when I get back, my newfound independence will leave me entirely. I’m hoping that’s not true; but I’m so afraid old habits die hard. Reverse Culture shock is going to be a B to get used to.

MaCarmen & Manuel made us our favorite dishes that she makes for dinner last night; and we all laughed and talked and generally had a good time. Rachel left this morning. I leave tomorrow at 8:15 AM – 11.5 hours from now. It all seems pretty real. It hit me this afternoon as I zipped up my last bag and I started crying. It’s sad to leave it all behind; because unlike DC, or NY, I know that I won’t be back in a couple of months. I’ll likely be back in a few years. And it won’t be the same – the city will change drastically, Manuel and Ma Carmen will have new girls living with them.

Tonight, we all dressed in our Barca shirts and watched the game. They needed to score two points to make it to the next round of playoffs, but they only scored one. A bittersweet ending. But Ma Carmen was SO sweet – made us pizzas and coca-colas, pastries, grapes, and little mini ice cream cones. Not a tear was shed, although we all felt it. Right before dinner, MariCarmen came in to my room and told me that she and Manuel would drive me to the airport tomorrow morning. After that, I started crying like crazy. They have been so kind to me, and like – it was just too much. Lauren and Jessica came home towards the end of the breakdown and we had a group hug and discussed how lucky we were to be placed with Ma Carmen & Manuel and to get the opportunity to get to know each other.

But, on the bright side, I am going to stay in touch with them. In fact, we just exchanged emails moments ago. I plan on inviting them to my wedding, on coming back to visit hopefully in a few years’ time. My relationship with them is one that I think will continue and last – they are genuinely caring people, which is such a wonderful thing.

I don’t know how to end this blog, because ending this blog feels like wrapping up yet another part of my abroad experience, and I don’t know if I want to do that. But I know I have to. I know that, in order for this experience to be special and once-in-a-lifetime, it has to end eventually. I know that, in order for my relationship with Ma Carmen & Manuel to blossom even over time and for us to stay in touch, I first need to move out of their home. I know that, in order for me to come back here and visit all my old haunts a couple of years down the road, they need to become my old haunts. I just wish the departure date wasn’t tomorrow!

There are so many small things I’ll miss – Manuel rolling his ciggerates with his rice paper and tobacco without artificial ingredients on his little machine; the little conversation after dinner every night – “gracias para cena!” “a ti, vosotras, buenas noches” “buenas noches!” – the extremely nice homeless man outside La Caixa @ Placa de Catalunya who always says good morning, the Asian man outside Sushi Wok who chases me with menus on my way home, the mean lady who works at Capabro and looks at me funny whenever I buy something, bocadillos, sangria, the accomplishment of an easy conversation in Spanish, outdoor cafes – all of it.

Regardless, It’ll be nice to be home – with friends and family, in my own room, in my queen size bed, watching Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and drinking Diet Dr. Pepper and having a REAL slice of pizza with actual sauce; being able to watch TV online without having to download sketchy programs that may or may not be messing with my computer. I just have to keep reminding myself that!

OK. This blog has to end eventually. I’m aware. So now is as good as time as any, no? Adios, readers. I’ll be updating you a little bit as I get home, unpack, and get used to American life again – but this will be my last Barcelona entry. Savor it, people.

It’s the final countdown…

According to the countdown on my dash, there’s only about 30 hours until I leave 524 Gran Via for home. I don’t know how I feel about this.

I’m a bit anxious and uneasy about returning to life in the states – I feel like I’ve changed quite a bit – I think for the better – but I wonder if people will like the newer me. I guess, if they don’t, screw ‘em, right?

Regardless, I’m very anxious about returning to life-as-usual. I usually look towards summer with longing, and now I just want to stay here, with the beaches and parks and spain. I realized why it’s so difficult for me to leave – I can come back, but things will never be exactly the same. I’ll never live with Ma Carmen & Manuel again; and I’ll never have the opportunity to do this again. The fact that it’s over scares me – life is moving, zooming, past me. And that makes me nervous.

Regardless, I have to go to sleep. I have a final at 9 AM tomorrow morning. Afterwards, I’m going to come back here, pack the last of my stuff, go get lunch, take my second final at 3:30, and come back here afterwards for my final dinner here with Carmen, Manuel, Jessica, and Lauren. My hope is that it’s not the last dinner we ever have together – One day, a bit down the road, I hope we can all reunite and have dinner again.

OK, off to bed for the last day – this is surreal.

Repacking my life into suitcases: It’s even harder the second time around.

So today, I walked my favorite walk – from Placa de Catalunya down Portal de l’angel to the cathedral to el Born to Parc de la Citudella and did studying out my wazoo down there. I came back in the early afternoon to try to get some more studying down to less avail than I had hoped.

For dinner tonight we had Grilled Cheese & tomato soup – one of the things we taught Ma Carmen how to make. She is so adorable, and so sweet to all of us, I can’t stand it. I am going to cry my eyes out when I say goodbye to her & Manuel on Thursday. They’ve become my surrogate parents in a different country – asking me how my day was, telling me to pick up my room for the cleaning lady (they do it here too, nutso bagutso), cooking for me – it’s been an amazing experience living with them. God bless the person in IES who decided to place me here instead of in an apartment as I had initially asked for. Sometimes, I am dumb – asking for an apartment was one of those times.

Tomorrow night, she’s going to make us all our favorite dishes that she makes – Frankfurt Ravioli; Hand-made Hamburgers; Pechuga de Pollo; Croquettas; Ensalada de Ma Carmen; Tarte de Almendrias; you name it, she’s gonna make it. She told us not to eat lunch. haha.It’s our last night all together tomorrow – Rachel leaves Wed. AM.

Tonight I started packing – Jessica tapped on my door and said, “I’m starting to pack now” and invited me to join her; which I’m glad we did it at the same time, because it’s really a sad thing to start doing and to do it alone is like doble sad. I only have to pack my clothes, which I think I’m OK with – all of my stuff fits on one shelf and one drawer and I have a huge duffel bag to put it all in, so I think it’ll work out.

OK. Have to study for this midterm for another 20 minutes and then going to bed so I don’t get there late!

More tomorrow after our last whole-family dinner tomorrow, I’m sure.

Dia de Sant Jordi – Roses, Libros, y Dragons

So yesterday was the Dia de Sant Jordi, the holiday of the Patron Saint of Catalunya. The story goes like this:

In a city, there’s a dragon living in a cave where the water supply for the city is. Every year, the people of the city need to go and distract the dragon with a sacrifice to get to the water supply. First they offer a sheep, and if that doesn’t work, they offer a maiden; which they pick by basically drawing a name out of a hat. One year, the princess’ name is the name drawn out of the hat.

One year, the name chosen is the princess’. Good ol’ Jordi (George in English) slays the dragon, and from the dragons’ blood, roses grew, one of which Jordi gave to the Princess. The motto is “a rose for love, a book forever” – it’s a beautiful holiday, and an opportunity to seriously see Catalan nationalism at it’s highest.

Anyway, yesterday, I woke up and started studying for my Spanish final – I was still in bed in my PJs, drinking a cup of coffee, when Manuel came in with a rose for me (and all of my roommates) – “it’s tradition”, he said. I gave him kisses on both cheeks and was so touched.

I then had my Spanish final until 1:30, at which point I exited IES and decided to take full advantage of the day. I called Jessica & Lauren (two of my roommates) and we met up in Placa de Catalunya. The whole area was absolute chaos – book stands were set up outside all the major bookstores (El Corte Ingles, Happy Books) and all up and down Las Ramblas. We perused a ton of different book stands. I tried to find a book with the story of Sant Jordi in Spanish or if I was REALLY lucky in English, but ALL of the books were in Catalan! I guess that’s what I get for trying to buy a book on the day of the Catalonia Patron Saint. We bought all sorts of fun stuff – I got a sticker of snoopy carrying the Catalan flag; a bunch of teas typical of Catalonia; and we went to Happy Pills, which is a store that sells candy gift sets you make yourself – it’s like personalized gift shopping. It was really pretty fun. We had some lunch by Port Vell near the Born area at this delicious Italian place; and Jessica and Lauren got Manuel The Adventures of Huck Finn in Spanish. I had already gotten him The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, one of my all-time favorite books and my usual summer read.

We gave him our books at dinner last night and he appreciated them so much. Jessica and Lauren got MariCarmen a copy of A Walk to Remember, and I got her a little tiny box of Happy pills because it’s so fun and colorful. We had a delicious dinner of (MY FAVORITE) Frankfurt Ravioli and grilled chicken; and for dessert we had… drumroll please… HOMEMADE CHURROS!!!! Ah oh my god they were so good. Fresh and just insanely delicious. We had a really interesting conversation about Franco and life and growing up under Franco’s rule, and the recent resurgence of Catalan pride and how Dia de Sant Jordi has come back in full force since Franco’s death.

Today I went to a few flea markets with my roommate Jessica – I love those markets. They’re just always so much fun, and I get so much flavor of Barcelona life – there’s antique pins; old Catalan guides to Spain; paintings; the whole shebang. We got some Gelato and walked home from Las Ramblas, talking about how odd it is to go home.

It really is strange. It hit me today, as I submitted another final paper, how soon I’m going home. Don’t get me wrong – I’m excited to see all of my USA readers – but I am going to miss so many things about this place SO much. MariCarmen’s generous attitude, Manuel’s ciggerates and teasing, Juc’s claws digging into my back on Sunday mornings, the smell of fresh Croquettas, the giggles coming from next door, my insane Spanish Professor who smiles like a Pedo, the ability to buy fresh-baked bread on my way home everyday without skipping a beat.

I’m going to save all of that for a final entry, though. My last night here, I’m going to sit down for a moment and type out some reflections. For now, I’m going to go get some Turrones in Universitat.

¡Adios!

I am attempting to start and FINISH a blog entry. Wish me luck.

So don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, dear readers. I’ve been attempting to sum up my feelings in my what I think at this point can be qualified as practically my final hours in Barcelona, and I just can’t.

School is insanely stressful – as is typical for Finals time – It’s almost as though my professors know how hard it is for me to leave and are trying to make it easier for me to go, haha. Last Week was full of prepping for the week of literally no sleep I’m receiving now – trying to do some pre-research for papers to write; make sure I have all my notes to start studying for finals; and even was complete with a (now hilarious, then infuriating) interaction with my Spanish Professor.

See, my class is technically this weird level between beginners and intermediates. We’ve all taken Spanish throughout high school or for a semester in college; so we know the very very basics; but we’re trying to master things like speaking in the past tense or more complicated vocabulary. Unfortunately, our professor sucks. Sorry, Raul, and I hope you don’t find this before you submit my final grade, but you are a horrible teacher. He has literally taught us nothing that was on our exams (they make one exam for everyone in 102, my level, regardless of teacher) and 88% of our time is spent discussing either a. what we did last weekend or b. what we’re doing next weekend or c. Raul’s new girlfriend. All of which are fascinating topics, but will not help me learn Spanish. All of the Spanish I’ve learned here is through my interactions with my host family, and my time exploring Barcelona and speaking with the people here.

Anyway, Raul’s a pain in our asses and on Friday, a day when 50% of the class was absent, he tells us that he’s assigning us a presentation and a field study to complete (which, FYI, was supposed to be an in-class endeavor, but Raul forgot that our final is on Friday; and therefore our class ended on Friday. REALLY RAUL? YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT DAY SCHOOL ENDS? Jesuuuus). Now, I am usually very put-together and when it comes to school work, will just take whatever’s thrown at me. But I SNAPPED. at that point, the countdown to home was in the under-two-week phase, and I STILL have a to-do list of things I want to do here before I leave in (yikes) 9 days a mile and a half long. I started snapping at him in Spanish, telling him how stressful the end of this experience is for us – balancing school and soaking up our last days of this experience – explaining, in SPANISH (!!!!!!) how this is really his fault, since he forgot the semester was ending, and not mine, and I didn’t see why I should be punished.

So, after all that, I thought he would apologize or something or say “I understand but we have to get this done.” and instead, he started making fun of me. And as we left class for the day, I said, “Raul, you are a horrible professor.” and stormed out. He thought I was joking and chased me down the stairs poking me and saying “you loooove me” to which I turned around and replied, “Raul, I do NOT love you, nor will I ever love a professor who can’t even keep enough track of his class and due dates to realize what his students can and cannot handle.” This wasn’t said in Spanish, but everyone in my class was pretty impressed. Although Raul still thinks I was joking. I guess that’s a good thing, since he has yet to submit my final grade and all.

Anyway, this week had two presentations yesterday (Spanish and a 45 minute outline of the formats of electoral media campaigns and coverage in Media & Politics), a 10 page paper due today (on the role of the American Press in shaping American opinions of the Spanish Civil War), a quiz, a field study due (Spanish) and a final tomorrow (in European Television), a final on Friday (in Spanish), a paper due Sunday by midnight (in European Television), a take-home section of a final due Monday by midnight (in European TV), a final on Tuesday (Spanish History), and two finals next Wednesday (in European History/Media & Politics in Europe). Honestly, if I can just plow through this paper that’s due at the end of the week today and make some index cards, I’ll be in good shape.

I’ve decided that today and tomorrow I will just work my ass off and make index cards to take everywhere with myself so that, my last 7 days here, I just have to review my index cards, study for finals, and enjoy myself. The studying isn’t so bad once you’ve made the index cards, it’s just a matter of constantly looking at them, which considering they fit in my pocket, shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Anyway, enough about school.

As my last few days here creep up on me, I’ve found myself clinging to every moment. Last week we had our “re-entry” discussion with our CORE advisor, who talked us through what to expect when we re-enter the states. Apparently, I am going to have a lot of “cultural catching-up” to do, be frustrated, disoriented, and bored, which will lead me to snap at all of you; so I apologize in advance. I can believe it though. I’m already feeling anxious – I’m used to a different life now, one where everyday is more of an adventure. Hell, even walking home from school today, I helped a little Spanish boy up from where he fell and he hugged me and called me “guapa” before running back to his mom. I don’t run to catch a metro anymore; another one will be along in a couple of minutes. I spoke with ease today about the Barca game, Messi’s goals, how to get from one place here to another. I will miss all of these little things so much when I leave, I just can’t even begin to explain it.

This past weekend, Ma Carmen and Manuel planned a Sunday for us to spend together as a host family – Manuel, Jessica, Lauren, Rachel and I headed up to Tibidabo, a theme park with the most beautiful and complete view of Barcelona. It felt like a road trip, and I realized all of the discomfort I felt initially sitting somewhere alone with Manuel has disappeared. We all chatted easily with him as he smoked his hand-rolled cigarettes (another scent/thing I’m really going to miss) and he showed us around the old church also at the top of Tibidabo, pointed out the restaurant where Ma Carmen and himself introduced their parents to each other, the little girls in the same outfits (the same thing they did with their girls, Laura and Christina, when they were younger), and all the important buildings and monuments in Bar

When we came back upstairs to the apartment, Ma Carmen had made us a seafood and a chicken paella, compete with beautiful tapas and the most gorgeous cake I have ever seen, with a ganache frosting and white-chocolate curls as icing. It was delicious, and we had a wonderful meal, talking and enjoying each others’ company – Rachel’s boyfriend, Nick, came over and it was just really nice. I decided that Ma Carmen’s paella is the last Paella I want to eat. I want to remember my last Paella as that one – one with most of the people who, I would say, I love most in Barcelona. For dinner she set out some fruit and pasta, a light meal after a heavy Paella meal.

The other day, Carmen and I attempted to make my Grandma’s Mandel recipe, which I had translated into Spanish. It was 90% successful, but because we used orange juice without sugar, it tasted a little off. We also used a little too much flour and the chocolate didn’t distribute perfectly, but we’re going to make them again tonight.

OK, I’d love to babble and babble more and more about my past few days, but I really have to get back and finish this paper and write out my last few index cards I need to finish. Expect a few more entries as I try to sort through my feelings about leaving and describe the ending activities.

Hasta Luego!

Today was definately a day you could only have in Barcelona.

So today I went to the beach with my roommates – it was a really great, fun day. We left around 1:30 and picked up some beers and chips at the Capabro, and then booked it down to the beach. We didn’t get off at Barceloneta, which is the “beach” subway stop – it’s full of tourists – and instead went one more stop by Cituadella/Villa Olympica, which let us off further down the beach, by the Frank Gehry sculpture, and is near a small amusement park and the “Catwalk” club. It was a great spot – full of locals and quite a few other study abroad students, many of which we knew between our two programs. We sipped on beers and laid in the sun and listened to music, and Rachel and Nick joined us a little later and the partay continued. I got quite a tan, which is pretty exciting. The beach is beautiful, particularly today – not a cloud in the sky; almost 0 breeze – awesome.

Tonight Ma Carmen & Manuel are in Montpilier having dinner at Carmen’s brother’s house; so she left us a TUB of macaroni (seriously, it’s huge) with sausage and tomato sauce and a DELICIOUS looking cake, and we’re planning on heating it up and taking advantage of the fact we have, essentially, the apartment all to ourselves (since Carmen & Manuel aren’t coming back until tomorrow morning) and watching the Barcelona v. Madrid game on TV; which I have 2 Euros betting on in one of my classes, so Barcelona had best win 2-3, because I’d like to win some CASH MONEY, ca-chingg.

I’m also in denial I only have 19 days left here. I’m excited to see my friends and people from home, but I’m really really going to miss everything about this.

OH AND I’M LIVING IN THE AVALON NEXT YEAR OFFICIALLY OK BYE.

OK. I’m off to force myself to do this reading for my class and then hopefully have some dinner soon.

Brief Updates – Prague, Budapest, & back in Barcelona

Hey all,

Prague and Budapest were beautiful. Prague was pristine, but breathtaking, although it wasn’t as modern as other cities simply because it didn’t put up resistance during WWII or the Communist Regime. Interesting. We took a bus to Budapest, which was beautiful in a much more “real” and very different way, in that people actually lived in the center of the city which added a whole different feel and attitude to the trip. I loved the Baths and the Statue Park in Budapest, and the buildings were absolutely incredible in Prague. In Prague we took a tour of a Holocaust ghetto used by the Nazis for the Jews from Prague, which was interesting and very powerful… We met a family from DC and I’ll be contacting the son (in NY for the summer, goes to NYU) and the daughter (lives in DC) hopefully sometime in the near future.

It all feels like such a distant memory to me now anyway. When I arrived back in Barcelona on Sunday, Carmen and Manuel were here but my other roommates were not, so I tried to start unpacking and shuffling and organizing, but this room is so tiny it’s not as easy as it sounds. I can’t believe there’s only 20 days left here – it’s freaking me out. When I looked at this calendar in January, it seemed to stretch on forever, and here I am, with only 20 days left to check everything off this to-do list and write a ton of final term papers and presentations and exams.

This week, I’ve been trying to scramble ahead of my schoolwork, but it’s more difficult than it should be, even thought the weather is cold and rainy. I’m ready for some weekend!

Hi Loyal Fans/Minions!

Full update on Prague/Budapest when I return on Sunday evening.

For now, satisfy your Becka-news-craving with my post up @ The F Bomb, a blog for young feminists, about what Studying Abroad has taught me about becoming a more well-rounded feminist.

Holla.

http://thefbomb.org/2010/03/how-studying-abroad-taught-me-to-become-a-more-well-rounded-feminist/

A week of Homework, Projects, & Grilled Cheese

So this week has flown by me before I knew it!

My weekend was very relaxing and much needed. I took a moment to reflect at some point over the past few days, and I’ll admit I didn’t do as much traveling as I had initially hoped. I wanted to go to Berlin & Venice, and those two just never ended up happening. But I really am OK with that. I think, for me, it’s more important that I studied and learned the culture inside and out, because I can always go visit a city; but I’ll never be able to replicate the experience of living in a foreign country with so much time to myself – at any point in the future, it’d likely be for a job which would be vastly more time consuming. Plus, I won’t ever have the opportunity to live with a host family again, and I think it’s interesting to see how my relationship with them has evolved over time and how their day-to-day life goes.

Speaking of travel, I’m meeting mom & Emma in Prague this Saturday and we’re going to Prague for a few days and Budapest for a couple of days; and then back to Prague to catch our return flights. Arielle & her friend Danielle will be there next weekend (when we’ll be back to catch flights), so we’ll hopefully all meet up for dinner or high five across from some praguian monument. or something. Apparently Prague has the best bagels, which I am SUPER pumped for. Haven’t had a bagel in 3 months!

On Monday, Ma Carmen made us … DRUMROLL PLEASE…. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Heinz Tomato Soup. OMFG SO GOOD AHHH. Before dinner, Lauren and I were saying that Carmen will probably put some delicious spices or something on them that will make it like 12304823049x better, and sure enough. She did the research and got AMERICAN CHEESE at El Corte Ingles; and we helped her make the soup. All in all, it was a really fun evening – Carmen&Manuel loved their sandwiches and kept exclaiming how easy it is to make. Fingers are crossed for a time # 2…

Tuesday & Wednesday were just your run-of-the-mill days. On Tuesday I found a copy of The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy in Spanish, and snatched it up. I haven’t decided whether to give it to Manuel on the Day of St. Jordi, a holiday here where guys give the women in their life (moms, daughters, etc) roses and women give the men (husbands, dads, whatever) books which is a week before I leave [:(] or to keep it for myself – apparently on the day of, they have loads of vendors all over the streets, so I think I’ll walk around and decide that day if I don’t find like another really awesome book that I think he’d enjoy.

Wed. night we asked about their previous inhabitants, and they talked about them and showed us pictures – Ma Carmen said that she still Skypes with Brooke every once in awhile, and I WANT TO DO THAT! I’m going to miss them so much when I leave, and I can’t imagine how fun it’d be to do that once a month or so, haha. They received a letter about Jessica and Lauren before they came (IES didn’t tell them anything about us), and in exchange Jessica and Lauren had gotten a letter about them, and they kind of exchanged letters. Manuel thinks Juc’s name should be in the letter, and I think we all – including Juc – agreed. He is a member of the family. hahah

Anyway, today/this evening is all about finishing this paper so I don’t have to do it when I get back – and so that I don’t have to worry about it over break! – and tomorrow I’m going to hit up the jewlery market that only lasts until April 4 (before I get back from break) to see if there’s anything worth looking at. Then Saturday I leave @ 6 AM to catch my 8 AM flight for Prague!