Past few days in Salamanca

One more day of class, and then I'm off to Valencia for the weekend!! I feel like such a traveller...It's really cool to just be able to buy a ticket and go somewhere. I think it will be even cooler when I have a strong income source in the future, and then hopefully I can do this all the time in the States!

The little monsters struck again this week...They came into my room and I was doing my reading, so they asked if they could use my computer to use paint, so I said sure. They both layed on my bed with their feet basically on my pillow (for those of you who know how I feel about feet, this was a little rough...but I was good, I kept my cool with the feet situation). I had my feet up on the foot of the bed (and disclaimer, I was wearing socks, I was neither barefoot nor with shoes on, so really there was no issue) but the little tots are like "Rachel, get your feet off the bed!" And I was like, "why?" and they told me that feet are stinky...and I told them my feet were not stinky (cuz they weren't) and that their feet were also on the bed...response: "Rachel, do you know whose house this is? This is our house. This is OUR room. This is OUR bed. This is not YOUR bed"  my response: "Well, I'm the one who's sleeping here" their response:"that doesn't matter". I did not remove my feet from the bed, but I nearly kicked them out of my room. Then Ruben threw a ball at my computer and I just yelled his name, which I think scared him so he left (thank goodness). At this point I was quite flustered and unhappy, but it turned around so quick...why? Well, Natalia clicked on a song to play and started dancing in my room...so this very quickly turned into a dance to Miley Cyrus and Kesha party...which was really really great!! She said she wanted to pick a song (mind you, she neither reads nor understands English...). So the random song that she chose to blast from my bedroom was "Crazy B****" by Buckcherry...I didn't really know what to do with that situation...I was a little regretful at this point that I ever added that song to the library...and I also was really really hoping that no one in the house had ever learned english swears...cuz that would make this song quite a doozy...I tried to change it and she got really really upset, so I left it on...It was kind of funny in retrospect, but at the time, I was extremely uncomfortable...

Yesterday was a rough day in terms of meals...lunch was paella. Which is absolutely delcious in the chicken variety! But this variety had squid and shrimp with eyes legs and antennae all still intact. So that was an experience...Then dinner they started off with pate (its actually called pate mousse). (I like to think of this as whipped hotdog...Im pretty sure that's what it is. Its what it tastes like, its what it looks like...gag) So I tried like a tiny bit and was like, okay, that's enough of that. They tried to convince me to have more, but I was not gonna do that. Next dish was pizza. I had one piece of this sausage spinach pizza (which was decent) and then Jesus tried to give me a piece of ham and hotdog pizza...I couldn't do it...I just had reached my limit of eating foods that I don't like. There's this special insult for people don't eat a lot; something like 'comizque' or something like that. I think it's like how you might joke and be like, "gosh are you anorexic?" but they just say this word over and over and over. Then Natalia threatened to call my parents and tell them then I don't eat in Spain. And she told me they are going to be very mad at me. Mom and Dad, please forgive me for not eating anymore hotdog products last night...! 

But today is Wednesday, which is my second favorite day after Friday! So I have half an hour of productivity left and then Bible study!! And then I'm gonna do some more hw and get ready for Valencia!! Huzzah!! I think my mood gets bipolar here, but I think in a good way. Like I love that when the kids are absolutely obnoxious, that after an hour or so I'm good with them again. I love that when things are stressful the next day they're good again!

That's all for now!
Hasta manana!

Rachel

Beating the system (oh so good!)

Well it was one of those days where I slept until 1:30...(I think I've done that like two or 3 times in my entire life...and today was one of them) I was really glad the family was out when I woke up, so I went into the kitchen at 1:30 in my pajamas and had 2 cups of coffee (and then I put away the coffee and milk cuz I knew Maite would be coming home soon, and we wanted to eliminate the evidence that I didn't get up until very very late...). Then I got dressed and everything and started thinking about everything I have left this weekend in terms in homework...(that was kind of depressing, so I put on some peppy music and pulled out my paper outline). I started on the paper but got really frustrated at having no internet to look up the words I didn't know, so I kind of quit, and had lunch with Maite and Jesus. I decided I needed internet so I met friends at Cafe y Te to utilize their internet. (they normally make you buy something if you want to use internet...but today I got away with not buying anything!! I feel so successful in this moment. It's just really annoying to be told you have to buy something...it's understandable, but annoying nevertheless).  I successfully have finished my paper (or at least the rough draft), yup I'd say that's three and a half pages of sheer genius right there! (I just wish this was closer to the apartment...it was about a 25 minute walk...but oh well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose).

I still have lots of reading to do this weekend, but I figured I'd save that for when I head back to the apartment, and use this internet while I can! Oh fun fact: the kids from the Wake program to Venice are visiting Salamanca this weekend, so I saw some familiar faces, and met some fun Wakies! It's really funny, some of them I probably have nothing in common with, and I doubt we'd talk at Wake, but being here, familiarity goes a long way. So basically you have this bond that overcomes any differences, and you kind of talk and hang out like you're great friends, even if you've never met. I love that. In a place where everything feels so new and so different, (sometimes in good ways sometimes in bad ways) encoutering familiar things feels really great. (Did I mention yet how much I LOVE that they play american music?)

Jesus told me this weekend was gonna be cold, but it's like 55 degrees right now, so I guess he lied...hopefully it will just stay this temperature and only get warmer as the semester continues. (Fingers crossed on that one.) Well I suppose the rest of this weekend is going to be both productive and hopefully relaxing (so long as I am productive a little longer tonight, tomorrow should be good).

So I guess I'm off to do some more work! :/  But I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend! And as a little challenge; if today's not going so good, find something to smile about. I know that for me it's easy to sometimes forget how lucky and truly blessed I am to even be alive; I take a lot for granted and I forget to be grateful for everything I have. I sometimes forget that things could be so much worse. But we are all awfully lucky; to be alive, to have the people we love in our lives, to have comfortable-enough circumstances that we don't have to worry about things that a lot of people do worry about.

With all the love in my heart!
<3Rachel

Lazy Friday :) (the best kind of Friday)

I'm just going to recount my day, so that you can understand the greatness which just occurred. I woke up at about 10:30 and went into the kitchen and had a cup of coffee. Then I got back into bed and watched "Garden State" and ate an entire pack of chocolate wafer cookies (yeah that was not the healthiest life choice I've made...it happens...I also don't know if Im allowed to eat in my room...I probably shouldn't in bed, so we're gonna keep that one on the down low...and we probably won't repeat that again...). After that, I got off my lazy behind and showered... And since no one was home and therefore not using any water, the water in my shower lasted longer than usual! what does this mean? It means I now have 1 and a half freshly shaven legs! (woohoo!!) Yeah, the water still doesn't last forever, so we do what we can when we can...

Then I turned on a very classy music playlist of Kesha, Rihanna, and Bruno Mars and did my business hw. (yeah, who knew that I could be productive?) And then I made a to-do list (which I find awfully motivating...) Next, I cleaned my room and made my bed! (then I checked 'clean room' off my to-do list). Maite came home and made us lunch. (chicken and green mystery vegetable puree--I don't know what it is, and it didnt taste great...but I felt like it was healthy, which made me feel a lot better about my cookie-incident from 3 hours earlier)

Now I'm at the Wake Forest Center and I have been listening to 'Brand New Day' by Joshua Radin on repeat for about 35 mins...(please listen to it right now! You tube that!!)  I love when songs relate to life. Today is the perfect day. The weather is sunny and about 60 degrees. (it's supposed to get cold again, so don't be too jealous) But today so far feels perfect. Me and Mr. Radin are now going to conquer my to-do list together!! 

I might break down and go to McDonalds to use internet this weekend, but if not I'll be posting again on Monday! Have a beautiful weekend!

Amor,
Rachel

Artin' it up!!

At my house I don't have internet. Which I really don't mind (most of the time). I mean, it would make it a lot more convenient for things like when I need to use wordreference, but don't want to leave the apartment...or for skyping with people at a better time. But I think it keeps me from wasting endless amounts of time on facebook or youtube or just random internet searching. (or neopets...but that's probs one of those things I shouldn't actually mention, but I have no shame!)  But, so I find that I have a lot of free time (or more accurately open procrastination time...because there's always work to be done, by I choose to push it off and need something to fill my time) and so I have taken up drawing a lot...(huh?) Yeah, I found it's actually a great stress-relief slash time filler to just draw. So I thought I would share the artworks I have done until this point:



Lisbon- from one of the castles





Scary Aloe Vera plant- Sintra, Portugal





Sintra, Portugal (yeah, I'm scared to add faces)

So yep, that's what I've been up to! My host family told me again that I should try watercolor or oil paints...but I'm not really feeling that...But I will definitely be sketching away while I'm here. (So seriously, if Calloway doesn't work out, no can say I didn't put an honest effort into my back up)  
Also, sorry for my less-upbeat posts last week. That was a rough week...but I am back to my Spain-high and feeling GREAT!! Why? Well, yesterday I helped a woman who couldn't find the office where she had her doctor's appointment! (What?!?!?!? I helped a native Salamancan with directions...yes!!) Can I just tell you what a wonderful feeling it is to have someone ask you for help? It feels like someone sees you as something other than the stereotypical American tourist, and that feels pretty darn great.

And then today I went to my very first Spanish Bible study! (thank you shout out to Meredith!!) Which was amazing! This woman is so nice, and she speaks english and spanish fluently, so we had this crazy spanglish Bible study with me, a native salamancan, and a girl from Holland. (and the leader) And then she invited us to all kinds of things that are going on at the church. I love this woman. I love this Bible study. I love this day. I love my life. Thank you Spain. (Y de veras todas las gracias a Nuestro Senor)

Con todo el amor de mi corazon!
Benditos Sean!!

Rachel

Good old Salamanca weekend!!

One of my good friends from high school came to Salamanca this weekend and we did lots of exploring through the city. And then boom! Another one of my good high school friends coincidentally is in Salamanca (what?). Basically, I think what it boils down to is that Salamanca is amazing and people just flock here!! Highlights of the weekend: Picnic in Plaza Mayor (twice), finding this BEAUTIFUL park (which has a zipline...so yeah, that's basically gonna be my free time for the next 3 months), finding this pizza place with great wine! [Because nothing feels classier than pizza and wine (!)] Discovering that I can rent a bike for an entire year (or the remainder of the semester) for only 20 Euros! Exploring by the Roman Bridge...and last but not least: SO MANY PASTRIES!! (this would be a great moment for me to say that I am so glad that I do so much walking otherwise I legitimitely would've probably gained like 5 lbs this weekend).

At the AWESOME PARK!!!

Roman Bridge

Oh, something else really random, but just great: even though I've never exchanged more than a few sentances with the boy who lives the floor below me, I've decided we're friends. Why? Well, opening the apartment door is a real struggle...like the key gets stuck and I can't open the door. A few times I literally have spent like 5 mins. out there just trying to open the door. So one time I was coming home for lunch and I had this situation and he came up behind me and said hello and everything and I struggled a little bit more, and then just apologized and asked him to do it. So he did. Now for the past week and a half or so, everytime that I come back the door has been just barely open (you can practically close the door, but not let it latch if you do it carefully). So great! Stranger from downstairs, thank you for understanding my inability to manage a door...I am soooo grateful!!!

In other news: one of my classes today was GREAT! The professor said, "good" after one of my comments...that was such positive affirmation! I have a paper due in that class in 2 weeks, and I intend for it to be the best paper I have ever written in my life...I will maintain my "good" standing! HUZZAH!!! (Now I just have to work on earning that level of achievement in my other classes...)

Anyhow, homework time!! Hasta pronto!

Rachel

A weekend to Relax

Well, I finished up a very difficult week of class yesterday! (This week I'm feeling glad that I made it successfully through the week...I had a rough ending which resulted in my teacher telling me I hadn't read the play which I HAD read...and calling me out in front of the entire class...sad day)

But! Now it is the weekend AND one of my good friends from high school is visiting for the weekend, so we spent today wandering around, and we're going to continue for the rest of the weekend! It's so funny how it's sometimes hard to get together with people at home, but now I'm getting together with people in Spain, huh?????

Also, I thought I would reflect on things that I am really getting used to and loving:

1. Walking everywhere-- it feels so great to know that anywhere I could possibly want to get, I can walk to.

2. Ham- what? Yes- lunch today: ham sandwich, by choice...

3. Spray deodorant- yeah, sounds weird...but I'm thinking its cleaner, and I feel like I smell pretty darn good

4.  baguettes which cost only 20 cents...AMAZING

5. That I came here with 22 strangers and yet we somehow are comfortable enough to travel together live in close and odd hostels with them, and kind of tell them about anything that's going on...how cool is that? I wish my life could be like that with everyone I meet.

6. And finally the coffee. YUM.

All right, well I gotta wrap this up and head home! Have a great weekend!!

Amor,
Rachel

Because we ALWAYS have something to smile about

Welp, I've hit a slump a little bit. Everything here continues to amaze me, but I have been feeling a little stressed out lately. I spent dinner two nights ago listening to my host-brother talk about how I cut wrong, while my host-sister was kicking me under the table the whole time. I know how insignificant that sounds, but that is the closest I have come to snapping at the little tots. (Just compunding onto my mood made it awful!) And then yesterday we were playing soccer in the hallway and Natalia started being a brat and just wouldn't stop screaming at me. (She got really mad and just kept yelling "Tonta!!" which is like an equivalent to "idiot") so I just walked into my room and closed the door and told her I was done playing with them for the day. They didn't like that too much, but I was done listening to that... So I'm just feeling a little bit overwhelmed, and have just spent a lot of time over the past few days doing some personal reflection, and it's just been a long week. But having said that, I'm trying my very best just to stay optimistic, and I'm really grateful that there has yet to come a day where I haven't just about died laughing at some point. I know how blessed I am, and I love that even when things don't feel right I still can recognize how lucky I am and be filled with the joy of knowing that.

On the night after the kids were being obnoxious I just went back to my room and pulled out the lovely envelope of letters that one of my best friends sent with me to Spain, and pulled one of them out, and I would like to share what it said, because I was moved to tears in the most wonderful way, and I hope that this can touch you all the same way it touched me: (this is taken from a sermon that my friend heard)

"Agape. That's the New Testament word for love that I'm talking about- the kind of love that we're all longing for and nothing else even comes close. This is the kind of love that when demonstrated properly changes everything. It's an active and unconditional love. It's the kind of love that says, 'I'll never think of myself first; everything I do is for someone else'. It's the kind of love that says, 'I'll be rejected so you can be accepted; I'll be humiliated so you can be lifted up'. It's the kind of love that says, 'I'll sit this one out for the good of the team; I'll move to the back so my friend can move up front'. It's a rare kind of love that proves its merit by action, the kind that wakes up every morning and asks, 'how can I serve everyone around me today?' It's the kind of love that when there are 3 tickets to a U2 concert and 4 people want to go, says, 'I'll catch them the next time they're in town'. It's a motivational love that says, 'don't worry because I got your back; you can do all things with me on your side'. It's the kind of love that says, 'I'm with you always; I'll provide for you; I'll sit with you by still waters; I'll go before you in battle'. It whispers, 'I forgive you' and shouts, 'I'm your best friend!' It leads you to truth; it steers you from harm- it's a kind of love that won't leave you, that won't forsake you, that won't misjudge you, that can't be earned, that can't be bought. It's a rare kind of love that will tackle you to the ground so you won't fall off a cliff. This is the kind of love that is better than life, stronger than death; it's patient, kind- it always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Agape love is unmerited, it's unmoveable, it's unshakeable, undeniable, indestructible, secure, sensitive and straightforward. It's the kind of love that builds up, it seeks the lost, it befriends the enemies, it corrects, it guides, it comforts, it reassures. In the simplest of terms and maybe the most complete defenition, it's the kind of love that says, 'I'll die, so that you can live' ".