My 8th Week (in Spain, 6th of classes)

This is more of a reflection on my time here rather than a description of my week because in reality I didn't do much of anything except go to class.

So Spain. So far I've really enjoyed my time here. I've really only dealt with 2 minor bouts of homesickness, and those really only lasted one day.

I'll start with my home. I love Loli and Jacinto. They are amazing people. They really do treat me like their own daughter. Loli calls me her "niña" (girl), and she even gave me some Spanish Emergen-C when I had a cold. She makes delicious food, and is constantly asking me if I want more or need something else.  She even told my mom that I'm "her daughter" right now. She gets really happy when I come home from my trips, and I am so happy coming "home." Though it's not my own house, and I always feel like I have to maintain a sense of politeness even when I'm feeling grumpy it's still a nice place to come back to. I would like to add to this section that as I was writing this she popped into my room and gave me a bowl of popcorn and a kiss. Really I couldn't have wished for a better family to be with.

School. I have 21 hours of class per week. Most days it doesn't feel like I'm in class for 4 1/2 hours each day. Recently though, as we have been traveling on the weekends, I haven't had much sleep in my own bed so it's been hard to have class for so long. I'm learning so much Spanish though. It has to be about 10 X better now than before I left. I really want to move up a level though so I guess if I buckle down then maybe soon I can be in 2BB or something along those lines. Art and Literature are okay. Both the teachers are nice, but I guess the subject matter isn't all to interesting to me. But they only meet twice a week, so I think I'll survive.

Friends. I have a few. I wish I had more. I've been trying to put myself out there, but I do feel overshadowed at times. I'm not shy, but I'm not 100% outgoing. I'd say for the most part I'm just kind of reserved and maybe too concerned about people liking me. In TANDEM it's difficult to make friends because they come for 2-3 weeks and then leave to go back to wherever they're from. So the few girls I've met so far and really liked have already gone. It's even harder to make Spanish friends however, since we're really never in contact with Spanish youth. I do have a language exchange partner named Fernando who is very nice. He told me he'd introduce me to some of his friends, so hopefully that will be successful. This is probably the one thing that stresses me out the most. I talk to all my friends abroad and hear how they have all these great friends from where they're studying and I'm definitely a little jealous. My circumstances are different however since I'm living with a family and not in a dorm or an apartment, and I go to a small language school as opposed to a University in Spain. Anywho, I do miss my Clarkies on many occasions.

All in all, I really don't have anything to complain about here. It's the experience of a life time and I'm trying ti enjoy every minute.