Where has the time gone!!!

GUYS! I am so sorry that I have not been a good blogger and kept you all in the loop.

So much has happened and I will try to do my best to fill you in. 

The week following my last blog post was midterm week, and they all went really well! It was kind of nerve wrecking because such a huge portion of my grades come from just my midterms and finals; there really isn't a whole lot of homework grades or smaller assignments. 

On November 7 we had an Intercambio (exchange) with some students who are currently learning English. Our directors brought us to a bar and paid for our first drinks while we spent time going back and forth between English and Spanish. 

My roommate Evy and I decided to go to Madrid and Segovia from the 13 to 16. On Thursday night we took Blablacar (a ride sharing service) to Madrid; our driver was a young guy from Taragona who travels around Spain doing work. 

Once we arrived in Madrid, we had to wait for my friend Miriam to come meet us at a Metro station. (Background info; Miriam and Alejandra are the two girls who I did an exchange with when I was in high school, they are both from Segovia and both currently study in Madrid.) Miri and Alejandra showed us the way to where Miriam's apartment was since the Metro system is HUGE in Madrid. We got some food and headed to bed pretty early. 

On Friday morning, Evy and I took a bus to Segovia for a day visit. We saw the acueducto, the Cathedral, and my personal favorite, the Alcazar (castle). It is such a beautiful, small town and it was great to be there again after 4 years! 

Saturday was spent exploring Madrid: Plaza de Espana, Gran Via, El Museo del Prado, Puerta del Sol, the Palacio Real, Parque del Buen Retiro, and the Plaza Mayor. It was a chilly but sunny day and we really got to enjoy the whole city! 

My next adventure was on Saturday the 22. Sol took us to the Alpujarras, which are three small towns located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They are known for their beautiful jarrapas, which are rugs/tapestries made from wool and different fabrics. We visited a telar and saw a woman in action making one on a loom. There were backpackers and animals using the same paths in between the towns, which were beautiful as the leaves were changing and falling. In the last town of the day I visited Abuela Ili chocolate makers; they have a store in the city of Granada, and I have visited them before (of course since I am a chocoholic), but it was great to see where the products are made! 

The 23 was an exciting day since my boyfriend, Danny, was arriving in Spain! I got to be his tour guide for the whole week and it was great to share my home for the last three months with someone else. We visited the Alhambra and it was my second time going but it was still just as amazing as the first time. It was so cool to see the gardens again and how they have changed with fall. 

On Thanksgiving day Danny and I cooked a small meal for my host family. We made stuffing and cheesy potatoes, and had some brie and jam with bread too. It was interesting considering that I don't cook all too often, but we gave it a shot and it made the holiday feel a little more like home. It is always hard being away from family on days that you would normally be surrounded by them. 

Danny and I spent Friday in Malaga, which is a city on the coast. It was both of our first time there so we got a map and explored to find everything we wanted to see. We got to visit the beach and the port, see the outside of the bull ring, and climb up to Gibralfaro and get an awesome view of the whole city and the ocean. Later we visited the Picasso Museum which was amazing to see, went inside of the Cathedral, and then headed to the city center. We were so lucky because it happened to be the first night that Malaga was turning on all of the Christmas lights! It was so much fun and the streets were full of life. For dinner we had some of the best paella I have ever had, at a restaurant that was on the port. It was such a good way to end our week!

This past week I had to give two presentations for part of my final grade. One was in my History of Spanish Cinema class and I presented about the movie Ocho Apellidos Vascos, which is hilarious. The other was in my Culture and Civilization of Latin America class, and I presented on neocolonialism, which is not so hilarious. Luckily, I did well on both, meaning that I survived without forgetting how to speak or getting booed at. I also went horseback riding!!! Woo!

This all brings us to now. Take a breath.

Of course I had to go have some fun last night at a few of my favorite places, Alhamar 30 which is a mojito bar, and the Poe, which is a lovely little bar where you can actually talk and relax (who would have thought?!?!) 

My time in Spain is winding down, but I have done so much and learned even more. I am getting ready to get home and see my family and friends, and celebrate Christmas. 

That ends our catch-up, I hope I didn't forget anything important! Tonight I am going to the center to see the lights in Granada be lit up for the first time! 

Until next time, hasta luego :)