Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Mi regreso a los Estados Unidos

I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got in around 7pm last night. Unfortunately, my luggage wasn't particularly interested in joining us just yet. It decided to remain France for an extra day. (There wasn't enough time between two of my flights to get it onto the second plane.) So Air France is bringing it back stateside for me today.
But I'm home!!!!!!!!! 106 days after I left, I have returned.
La vida es un ratico sin duda.

Monday, December 15, 2008

If you ain't Dutch...you ain't much.

I'm in the Amsterdam airport...the wifi here has a smaller fee than the wifi in Barcelona...if you're interested.
And I'm almost home.
I'll see you very soon.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

My last post from Spain

I'm coming home soon!
Four more days and I'll be back soon!

This is probably my second to last post in Spain

I only have one final left.
And then we have "commencement" tomorrow night. And then I'm completely done.

Sunday night, I'll probably be heading to a friend's apartment. Then Monday morning, we will wake up obscenely early and take a taxi (around 5:30am) from herapartment to the airport. Then she'll head off to Chicago and I'll head to Detroit.
I'll be flying Bilbao to Paris, Paris to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Detroit. I'll be getting back around 7:05pm Detroit time. If I get up at 5am Bilbao time, I'll have been awake for over 20 hours when I land. Oh I'll be a joy!

Also, I apparently went to Rome at just the right time. Heidi is now back stateside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cecilia might be happy about this.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I'll be home for Christmas

Two finals down, three to go....

And I'm sick. This cold just might kill me.
I need to go buy wine to bring home as gifts.

See you soon!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Six days left in Spain

Well, I had an interesting weekend. Once again I was home alone whilest my "family" went skiing. Except they didn't actually go skiing because it was raining all weekend. But I was still home alone.
Friday, I went to Santander with Jessica, her host mom Lourdes, Melanie, and Andi. It was gorgeous. Then I went to Burger King for dinner when I got home.
Saturday, I did homework until 5ish when Brenda, Natalie, and Alyssa came over. We ate pizza, watched 27 Dresses and had girl talk. It was delightful.
Sunday, I went to Mass and hung around the apartment feeling like crap. In the evening, I went out with Andi and Brittany to see the Christmas lights of Bilbao. It was very pretty and fun to see them.
Yesterday was a national holiday, Immaculate Conception. So Andi, Jessica, Melanie, Sarah, and I booked it out to San Sebastian to climb a mountain, see the sights, and eat some pintxos (aka tapas). It was wonderful.
And then I went home. When I got home, I had a major migraine that had been building for the past several days. So I took Imitrex and laid down while uploading pictures from my camera onto my computer. And then about fifteen minutes later, my host family came home.
And while Angel was taking stuff from the ski trip up to the attic, he saw my luggage and brought it downstairs for me. So now I can start packing. I'm really looking forward to going home.
I'll be home in less than a week. It's been an interesting experience over here and I'm glad I had it. But I'm really ready to head home.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Moments with the kids

Well, I only have 11 days left with my munchkins. Soon I'll no longer be the oldest of three children but the youngest of two again.
So now I will share some humorous tales of my little siblings.
Monday night, Daniela asked me where I lived. "You don't live here," she said. "In your house, where do you live? What floor is your apartment on?"
Umm...if I don't live here, what have I been doing for the past three months? Is this a really long vacation or something? I'm just curious.
Then I had to explain that I don't live in an apartment building. I live in a house.

Last night, I was in the kitchen eating peanut butter out of the jar when Gabriel walked in on me. He asked me what I was doing and then dragged me back into the play room where he had been playing with Carol. I explained that I was eating peanut butter and gave him a small taste. He loved it and he wanted more. It was grand.

During dinner, Daniela asked me if I lived in America or near America. She told me that she has an aunt who lives in New York, near America. I tried to explain everything but I'm not sure she understood at all.

I have to write a paper and a summary for next week. And I have exams next week. But then this adventure ends. It really has been a "ratico," a brief moment.
But while I will miss some of the people here, I'm really ready to go home. I miss UCO...and other things too. I miss petting animals.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

It's Raining on my Parade

Well, it's raining again. Angel thinks it's going to rain every day until I leave. Oh glorious!

I'm currently working on a list of books I want to read when I get home. It's mostly Peter Kreeft and C.S. Lewis. But hey, it's time for me to get caught up on some reading.
And I'm going to do some serious movie watching.
Basically, I'm ready to come home.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Not much to report

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm cold.

Monday, December 1, 2008

A Crazy Weekend

This weekend, I was home alone once again.
So I had to find ways to entertain myself. This is what friends are for.

Friday, I went shopping and out for churros con chocolate with Jess, Andi, and Melanie.
Saturday, I went to El Corte Ingles to buy some supplies to make Italian food. On the way to the sixth floor supermarket, I got my shoelace caught in the escaltor. Thankfully, a kind soul grabbed me and held me up while her boyfriend took my shoe off my foot and rescued my shoe. And then they were concerned about me. But I was fine. We all rejoiced.
Later that afternoon, I went out for coffee with Kayleigh and then we bought me a winter hat and matching scarf at Sfera. Then we hiked out to Casco Viejo...okay we took the metro. There we enjoyed churros con chocolate and then did some Christmas shopping. In the churros cafe, there were drunk middle-aged Spanish women singing and dancing and clapping. I asked the bartender if they did this often. He laughed and said no, just every Saturday and Sunday when they're drunk.
Shopping wise...I discovered two hippie-esque shops in Casco Viejo that had some great Christmas presents for friends. And then Kayleigh introduced me to the tea shop that has free samples of their tea. I will be returning to buy the last of my Christmas gifts there.
Saturday night, Jess, Melanie, and Andi came over and we had pizza and candy and watched Into the Wild the movie about the guy who moves to Alaska and dies.

Sunday, I went to Mass and then headed out to CV to get some pictures for a presentation on Basque religion that I have tomorrow. Later in the day I went out to Getxo (Get-sho) to Andi's place where she, Melanie, and I worked on our presentation for Basque tomorrow. And then her host mom made us churros con chocolate.
And then when I got home around 9pm, my host family was back. And I got to talk to them. It was charming.

This morning, I flipped up the the December page on the calender in my room and Daniela was thrilled to pieces because now there is a picture of a Christmas tree in my room.
And then Gabriel broke a necklace and Dani and I had to clean up after him.

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
But I'll be home in 14 days.