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| Its amazing... How fast time can go.. This summer flew by, as, of course, it always does.. But with a little more velocity this time. It seems like it was just 3 weeks ago that I arrived in Madrid. Spain has been such a wonderful place to be this summer... I don´t think I could have handpicked a better combination of the way things went. ISA was amazing, The excursions, and Granada, and most of all, the group of girls I bonded with the first day in Spain... Its been wonderful..
I do have to say, I am content with the time I have been here, and am also ready to head home. The 40ish degree days..... About 103-107 F,have started to wear on me. I am excited for full air conditioning, carpet, my bed, and chips and salsa... And of course, I can´t wait to see everybody.. I have about... 1 day and 5 hours left before I leave Granada, Then about two days of traveling.. but I hope to sleep through a lot of that. In any case, time for my last real 4 hour class.. Take it easy | | |
| London was AMAZING... Oooh... we got off the plane, and wow... it was great to have everything written in English...And it was so easy to get around London, There are actually street signs (something Granada is in dire need of) and we could ask questions and understand the answers.... and everyone was nice and helpful. It was a great little weekend away. It was really a laid back weekend. We didn`´t go with much of a plan , and just kind of wandered from area to area. Did some of the tourist things of course. I really like the Tate Modern art museum and the Vinopolis wine tasting... and just wandered the rest of the time, it was really quite nice. We did manage to miss our flgiht back to Spain though......But luckily, Libby found a chidlren´s play place we could sleep in at the airport... and so we flew out the next morning.
I have to say it was a bit tough coming back. Which was mostly because I was exhausted and we stepped out of the bus station to over 100 degree weather... and it took a day or two to get used to Spanish again. Otherwise, its been great. I had a really great time wiht two of my friends last night just sitting out on a few plazas drinking Sangria and talking. I leave Granada exactly two weeks from today. I find it absolutely crazy that I´ve been here over 7 weeks. well I´m off to class. Hugs and kisses!! | | |
| So there is a park about 5 minutes away from my house that is absolutely amazing. I can run there in the mornings or the evenings, and it is absolutely gorgeous. People seriously from the ages of 0 to 90´s are out in this park. They have wonderful fountains and roses and other flowers throughout the park, and a creek, and stone and dirt walkways. There are palm trees and evergreens and this wonderful tree with red leaves. I can run there, walk there, read and write, people sun bathe there, and a few nights, we have gathered to drink Tinto there. Its amazingand very well upkept.. and it doesn´t close untill about 1... There is the international music and dance festival going on in Granada these weeks and a couple nights ago there was live music in the park. It was absolutely great. There first was some funk reggae type of music, and then a group of 4 women vocalists. I heard an African lullabye and then went home to sleep, perfect.
This weekend was great. I went to the beach a couple times, and found some great stuff to buy at a craft fair. It was a little sad to say goodbye to the others, but not too bad, and new beginnings are always fun. I´m excited about this next month. Especially for my London trip, I leave in two days!!!!!! | | |
| Okay, quick emotional outlet... So I´ve been pretty stedy the entire time I´ve been here, no major homesickness or stressful things...But I´m starting to feel a little sad. Welll starting out, yesterday I woke up at about 7 to get my plane tickets booked for London, and then afterwards, to spend several hours in a review session I have to do for July. We then studied some and took our final for June, which was tough (ended up that I did fine) but it still through me off. Then, Last night we had the ISA last of the June session fiesta. We all went out to one of our usual bars , and then later, many of us went on to one of our usual discotecas. Came home about 6 and got up and hour and a half later to shower and head to 5 hours of review session.... Then home for my last lunch at the houe with Aimee.. then back to school for a little end of class fiesta with our two amazing proffs and the 9 girls in my class. And now... at 1030, all but 8 of the ISA group leaves Granada.. thats about 70 people, 3 of which have been in my very close group of 6 people, and 1 of those 3 is Aimee, my housemate, and other half here. We´re about to head out to dinner, and then to the bus station to drop them off... And running on an hour of sleep, I´m guesing the emotions will get to me... i about cried last night when talking with my friend Nikki, who is leaving. I look forward to next month, and being in london next week will help a ton, but its still sad. Its amazing how close this group of 6 has become in the past 5 weeks... I couldn´t have asked for better... and I´m really thankful that 3 of us are staying for July. I´m guessing next month will be a little more laid back, more culture.. live music, museums, exploring Granada, and blending in with the locals a bit more. Which is going to be great in its own way.. But this month has really really been amazing, my friends, the other ISA participants, my city, my program, the directors,my excursions, my professors and class, everything I´ve figured out, I couldn´t have handpicked a better way for things to turn out... I feel extremely lucky... But off to the goodbyes Hope all is going well! | | |
| So this week has been AMAZING! We went to the beach sunday, always a great time. Tuesday I woke up and ran, and than later that morning I went to the Arab baths where we had an hour long bath and a massage...So relaxing, and my feet were finally clean!!!!!!! Tuesday night Aimee, Nikki, and I went otu with some ISA´s and had a great time. Took some pictures with a gorgeous bartender. Wednesday, I had lunch with friends at a great little sandwich restaurant and headed to class. My friend Libby and I have been planning to go to London sometime in July and yesterday, she mentioned that the wimbledon is going on... So we did some quick planning and booked planet ickets to London for next the first weekend in July.. the Championship weekend.. No way we would ever actually get in, but the atmosphere has to be amazing. I´m psyched. And to make the day just perfect.. as Aimee Veronica nad I were walking back to the casa, we passed the big gothic cathedral at about 11 or 12... and there was a live symphony concert gonig on.. absolutely amazing. Its been such an awesome week. My final for June is at 4 today, Wish me luck!!! | | |
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