Well this past April, 2 marked the two month mark of my study abroad experience. It’s truly scary thinking about how quickly this is passing. I keep thinking of everything else I need to do, things I need to see, and meeting more Spanish friends. Every time I think about how fast time is going, I get a little depressed because leaving Madrid will probably be the saddest day of my life. Think leaving Purude without ever returning for a homecoming. Although I know I will remain close with the friends I have made here, it will not be the same as a simple metro stop away meeting for dinner in Sol. Although, if I start traveling as much as I do on the weekends here, a flight to California, Wisconsin, or St. Louis doesn't seem that bad.
The week after Barcelona, my Mom and a good family friend, Marsha, made the trek all the way to Europe for a few days. It was so good seeing them and I was very excited to show them around my new "home." We were sure to do all the touristy things in the city as well as just take time to relax at the Park or dinner somewhere in town. I think they were impressed with everything I showed them but I know they went into this journey without knowing what to expect. I hope they were able to see why I have fallen in love with this city and why it will be hard to leave. We took a day trip to Avila and Segovia where we had a tour guide that spoke in Spanish and English. It was great to see some of the smaller and historic Spanish cities rather than a huge city like Madrid. They had some wonderful Cathedrals and many historic features in each city. The castle Alcazar of Segovia was one of the main influences for the design of Cinderella's Castle in Walt Disney World. It was beautiful on the outside that had a great view of the city, but when we arrived we thought it was the original castle that was now preserved into a museum. However, the real castle was burnt down in 1862 and was rebuilt to the same style as it was before it burnt. That was a little disappointing but it was still great to see. I was glad to hear they returned home safely and I had a great time showing them around Spain.
The week after they left we had mid-term exams. I believe all of them went pretty and am glad they are over with. Now most of my classes have a big project left and our final. I need to start getting those things together that way I’m not waiting to the last minute to finish everything so I can enjoy the end of my trip.
On Friday I went to the airport to pick up two friends from Anderson, Anna Duquaine and Jacqueline Brown. They are both studying in Brussels and are visiting Madrid for the week. We spent most of Friday together and mainly just talked about how fortunate we are to be able to have this experience. We are thankful for our families support in our decisions to study abroad and how much more we have grown and matured as a person. Coming from Anderson you are almost stuck in this little "bubble" and forget there is a whole other world out there from Anderson, the state of Indiana, our colleges, the Midwest, and the United States for that matter. We get so caught up in things from each of those bubbles and you have to wake up and realize there is so much more out there in this world. Each of us will always have a little Anderson in us no matter where we go or what we do with our lives. It may not be the most glamorous or desirable city in the world, but I appreciate the things I have learned and the experiences I have had growing up in that town. All three of us will be back in Anderson for the summer and we are already planning on frequently getting together and mope about how much we miss Europe.
We have the week off of school due to Santa Semana Easter holiday and I will not return until April 14. I am planning on going to the beach with my Senora (Rosa) and her daughter (Maria Jose) on Wednesday to next Monday to La Manga, Spain. It is a small beach town that is along the Mediterranean Sea. Since it will be just us 3 and Maria Jose's 4 week old baby, it will be a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. I also have trips booked to Rome April 16-19, Lisbon, Portugal April 24-26, Brussels to visit Anna and Jacqueline April 30- May 3, and possibly France the week following.. but I still haven't booked it yet.
Sorry for all the random things in this entry..
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