My life in Spain

So I have been meaning to sit down and write but every time I go to do it I just get too overwhelmed because I feel like I have to write about everything so then I just decide to do it another day (this overwhelmed thing is something that im working on getting over). But then Bre threatened to fire me from the blog so here I am! But warning, this may be long but I promise I wont give useless details! Im going to split it up into sections to make it easier.

1. Life with Christina (host family)
She is AMAZING!!! She is an awesome cook (so are you mom) but every meal is homemade because everyone goes home for lunch, the siesta, but instead of napping they make a really nice big lunch, rest and watch the news and then the parents take their kids back to school around 5ish and then parents go back to work until 8. That is why their schedule is so different. Things open much later here, so lunch is anywhere from 2:30-4:30, then dinner is from 9:30-11 and then people stay up until all hours of the night! Basically Spaniards dont sleep! Which almost demolishes my hopes of ever being a Spaniard! But back to my host family, she has a 15 year old daughter that I was so nervous to meet because I thought she wouldnt like me (I heard spanish girls tend to not always like american girls). But she is super nice, kind of shy at first, but she is becoming more comfortable around me and talking more. I also have another student living with me, Megan. She is from Iowa and goes to a super small college but is SUPER nice! We are very similar in many ways which is such an answer to prayer!!! Summation: I LOVE where I live and my host family!!!

2. School/Classes
I am only taking 12 hours which is 4 classes, so I have 2 a day and they are each one and a half hours long and all in Spanish! The teachers are really good though and know to talk slow and enunciate their words so it is not too hard to understand them, whereas people on the streets speak very differently. They drop their "s" from words so "fiesta" turns into "fieta", which none of us knows what "fieta" is so that has taken some getting used to. But people have said that if you can understand Spanish in Granada then you can understand it anywhere! I'm still working on fully understanding my teachers but one of these days i will get the whole no "s" thing! Summation: love my classes and teachers, they are kind of long, kind of make my head hurt but I am learning a lot!!!

3. Random stuff I have done
I will try to not repeat the stuff that Bre has already mentioned, but we went to the Alhambra!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! This palace that is in Granada from before the Catholics overtook Spain! It is really fascinating! Then Kelly turned 21 last Wednesday so we all went out to the discotecas (night clubs) for her which was fun! We went to a flamenco show which was really cool! It is A LOT harder than I imagined! I thought you just randomly moved your feet and clapped things in your hand but it is way more than that! It was really fun to watch! I went to a soccer game where Granada played another team which I already forgot!!! SO FUN!!! I LOVED it!!! The fans are insane!!! There was a really bad call, i dont know soccer so I cant really have an opinion on this, but the whole Granada team was yelling at the ref on the field and fans ran down to the bottom rail by the field (where our seats were) and started yelling! Coolest, but kind of scary, moment of the game!!! And Granada won which was really cool to see!!! Then me, Bre and a girl named Shelby, goes to ISU but is studying abroad here for the semester, ventured out to an Evangelical church we have heard about! It was so fun! All the songs were in Spanish as was the sermon, but thankfully it was a basic sermon so I kind of figured out what it was about...i think! But I really enjoyed it so I have found a church in Granada!!!

4. Lord's provision
So I have always wanted to study abroad so in my mind I assumed the transition would not be hard at all because this is something I have always wanted to do...wrong! It is an amazing experience but the first few days with my host family was really kind of hard. But it has showed me yet again that I need to rely on the Lord! That I can't rely on myself and my own strength, because I'm just honestly not that strong! The Lord continually shows me that He will always provide! He has provided a wonderful and welcoming host family, a great roommate, wifi in my apartment(trust me...SUCH A BLESSING), safety, great new and old friends, a church, the miraculous ability for me to not get lost here...yet, and just a feeling of peace and comfort in such a foreign place. I have only been here a week and a half and I have already learned so much!

Sorry for this SUPER long entry. Things will settle down and the entries won't be long i promise! I love and miss you all!!!! God Bless!!!