"Te echos de menos"

As the end approaches, I am starting to have mixed feelings. Te echo de menos, means I miss you! I love this phrase because it isn't a direct translation :) The past couple of days have been rough. I signed up for my classes for next semester at Winona State and it made me realize a whole lot of things.
1. I am graduating in ONE year.
2. I am student teaching in ONE year.
3. I only have ONE semester of schooling left.
4. I only have 8 more classes to take at Winona State.
5. I miss my family SO much. It's getting to that point, where I just MISS them SO much and there is nothing that anyone can say or do to fix it.
6. I miss NICK. It's hard, because I am used to being in Winona with him and always available to help him or give him advice.

However, I have a friend here in Spain that has helped me with ALL of this. This person is wonderful. Always there for me and supports me through everything... Today, they told me this..

 "Everyone has all these problems and you have no idea what people are going through. Have full trust that God knows exactly what he is doing. God doesn't want you to worry about what others are thinking, he wants you to be free from these chains." 

"When you give him glory you put him before you and you humble yourself. He desires the glory for your own good, when we give him glory, he gives it back." 

"Your actions, all your actions, add up."

"Your life is a daily choice."

"It's a daily struggle to do what God calls you."

"Live in the spirit and you will not live in the sinful nature."

Thank you. This person is incredible. When I am close to this person, I can feel my spirit growing. I feel closer to God, when I am near this person. Thank you. I am so proud of myself for traveling through this journey. There has been plenty of bumps and curves and I am sure there are going to be plenty more. BUT that is what is making me stronger and that is what I need; to become a better person. Thank you God, for giving me this experience, to become closer to you. 

Sierra Navadas, here in Granada. Thank You God.
I see you in all aspects of my life and so thankful for all of them. 

Comer Para Vivir No Vivir Para Comer

One of the first weeks here, my host mom kept saying to me, "la comida.. comer para vivir, no vivir para comer.." She means eat to live and don't live to eat. This saying is very true. Eat when you are hungry and eat to live, don't overindulge and don't binge eat. We have had many conversations about food and diets. It is very interesting here in Spain. They look at food in a different way. Everything I eat is homemade. They even make the jelly, we have on our toast in the morning. Meals are very important to Spaniards. Every morning (desayuno), I have toast and coffee. After three weeks of the same thing, Sam and I asked, "Do you think we could have something different for breakfast, maybe cereal, yogurt, eggs?" Our host mom was like "Oh no, toast is for breakfast, everything else is not a breakfast item." Sam and I looked at each other and were like "Okay, well that's that. Toast it is." We have lunch (al mediodia) at 1 o'clock every day. It is ALWAYS a surprise. For the most part, it is getting better. At first, the food was incredibly difficult to get used to. It is very plain, plain, plain. There is not much flavor other than garlic, salt, and olive oil. It's good, just plain. I miss my spice! Spain has a very Mediterranean diet. Spain is the number one producer of olive trees. Which produces a whole lot of olive oil, therefore we eat it with everything!! One of my favorite meals is whole grain toast, with olive oil, cheese, and tomatoes. I could eat that all day long! We eat salads, vegetables, eggs, potatoes, chicken, pork..etc. Everything just tastes different. We don't have ranch, salsa, bbq sauce. Overall, it is much healthier than in the United States. The olive oil is amazing (it took me a long time to get used to it though..), the vegetables are marinated in a tomato sauce or garlic sauce. We eat a lot of soup, but it's more like broth. Like veggie broth or a chicken noodle broth type. Lunch is the big meal. It consists, of a soup, meat, grain, veggies, fruit..etc. Whatever you really want to eat, but they just eat more during lunch time. Dinner (la cena) is usually around 8 or 8:30, which is SUPER early for Spaniards. Typically, people don't eat until 10 or 11pm. I would HATE that! We talked to our host family about that and they said they never eat that late because it is horrible for your stomach and digestive system. Thank the Lord for my host sister Yasmin, she is a pharmacist and helps us all out on the whole diet, eating healthy, and when we should all be eating!! (Thank you Lord!) Dinner is a lighter meal a cheese omelet, veggies, a tunafish sandwich, my favorite toast/cheese/tomato combination. I have really started to enjoy the way they eat here. It makes sense. Eat a lighter breakfast, a bigger meal during the day, and then a light dinner. It is a lot healthier for your body and digestive system. I have always been a snacker, so I always have a piece of fruit or nuts during the day to help me, because I never eat a huge lunch, I just can't do it. It has taken awhile, but I am adjusted to the food and so is my stomach. I have to say, I haven't had nearly as many stomach problems as I do in the United States. That just tells you how unhealthy our food is there.. all the preservatives!

Some famous dishes here in Spain.
1. Fried Egg, Rice with tomato sauce over it, and hot dogs (I DON'T TOUCH THOSE)

2. Tortilla de Patatas (very famous, eggs and potatoes it's kind of like a casserole, it's okay not my favorite thing in the world, but I eat it because it is SO popular here.)

3. Spaghetti or Chicken Stroganoff (I will eat these, they are really good. They even make the spaghetti with soy meat (sounds really weird, but I LOVE IT))

4. Pizza (it's made with tuna and onions or ham or mushrooms)

5. Fried Eggs or Omelets with Vegtables

6. Paella (they have never made it for us, but I ate it in Nerja SO amazing!!)

7. Salads full of tomatoes and apples (olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar for dressings)
8. Croquetas (YUCK, I will not touch these. Fried dough with mushy stuff inside. Hate them, however I feel really bad because my host mom makes them from scratch!)

9. Lots of Soup or Guiso (which is like stew, I love these. They are usually made with lentils, beans, and lots of vegetables. My host mom has finally realized that I love spice, so she now gives me some hot pepper to put into these dishes :)

10. Arroz con pollo (chicken and rice mixed in a red sauce with peppers and vegetables.)
11. Also, they are in love with ham! You see it everywhere!! I have tried it and I know it is a huge part of their culture, but I just really don't like meat!! You see these everywhere...

Here is a little bit of what I have been eating for the past couple of months :) 

Life Changing

Last weekend, our program toured the famous Alhambra here in Granada. The Alhambra is a famous palace that was constructed during the 14th century by the Moorish rulers. It is a huge attraction here in Granada, it is the one of the most significant and well known Islamic architecture. The decoration was beautiful!!

The cold is here, finally. I have missed pants, long sleeves, sweaters, and boots. However, I don't like the rain that we have been getting. Last week, I think it rained almost every day or at least it was cloudy. I don't like those days, maybe one day like that, and then I need the sun. I love this fall weather, the air is crisp and just the perfect temperature. Fall is my favorite time of the year, so I need this temperature. I wish I had my big hoodies and sweat pants here in Spain. I can't wait to snuggle up!
This week we have midterms! I had three this week and one presentation. I had literature, writing/oral, and grammar midterms. Today, I have a presentation in culture on weddings here in Spain. I really enjoy the culture class, even though I am not to fond of the professor. I love learning about the culture and learning the differences between Spain and the United States. I volunteer twice a week at a private elementary school here in Granada. I absolutely love my time spent there. Students here are expected to learn English, it is a requirement. Therefore, they love when students from the States come into the classroom and just talk. They listen to everything I have to say and they practice speaking with the correct pronunciation. Yesterday, we talked about movies, songs, and food (differences between Spain/Europe/United States) SO INTERESTING!!!
I can't believe it is November. This time is flying by, I keep saying that, but it really is!! November, is going to fly because I have a lot to do for school, 2 big presentations and other things. I have a couple excursions planned with our program (hiking trip and horseback riding). I really want to check out the Sierra Navadas before I leave Spain as well. I feel like there is so much I want to do and time is running out. However, I am not going to view my last weeks like that. I am so thankful for my time here, I am loving every moment and soaking up everything I can. I will try to taste a little bit of everything here in Europe. BUT I know I am going to want to come back. I love it here. I love the culture and the people. This experience is changing me every single day. I learn something new every single day. I am so proud of myself for making it here and pushing through the hard moments, but it really is worth it. I am growing and becoming so strong. This experience is changing my life...

Ciao Bella

Italy, was beautiful! I never wanted to leave. My friend Lauren and I left Thursday morning around 2am. We took a bus from Granada to Madrid, then a flight from Madrid to Bologna. We arrived in Bologna around noon. Before this trip we only had our flights booked, we didn't have a hostel or hotel booked. So when we got to Bologna we kind of just looked around and found a pizza place to eat. It was delicious, we had a margarita pizza! We hadn't eaten in the 15 hours so we were STARVING to say the least. Also, the owner of this restaurant, helped us out a lot. He called a couple bed and breakfasts and even got us a deal at one. However, when we walked to the the hotel, it was a.) old and creepy, b.) didn't have wifi, c.) the lady was strange, and d.) we weren't saving that much money (even though that guy helped us out a LOT.) SO at that point, I looked at Lauren, and said "let's go to Florence." We walked to the train station, looked at tickets, and bought one. The public transportation is amazing here. We hopped right on the next train and arrived in Florence 45 minutes later. The train ride was beautiful. The scenery was gorgeous, all the changing colored trees, openness, it reminded me of home. We got to Florence. My friend Amy, who is a student in Granada, just got back from Florence so she had recommended to stay at the Archi Rossi Hostel. When we got off the train from Bologna, I asked the first person I saw where it was. The lady that helped me was so cute. She pulled out her iPhone, typed in the address, and pointed us on our way. I am telling you my first impression with people from Italy is amazing. They are so sweet and very helpful with everything!! Most of them speak English too!! After we found our hostel, we crashed. We hadn't really slept the night before so Lauren and I went pretty much right to bed.

The next morning, we woke up and had breakfast. The hostel offers free tours around two parts of the city of Florence. We took a tour in the morning and saw so many cathedrals, old mid-evil castles, and walked the streets of Florence. We crossed the "Ponte Vecchio" bridge, a beautiful sight of Florence. Oh my goodness, it is breath taking. After the tour, Lauren and I walked and walked and walked. I thought for sure we would have gotten lost, but we really didn't. We saw so many markets, stores, restaurants..etc. The tour guide said that you can walk the entire city of Florence, from one point to one point in about 25 minutes. I think Lauren and I covered a majority of the city the first day. We ate a cute little restaurant and I had a red pepper and eggplant pizza, amazing! All the food is so fresh and doesn't make you feel gross after. I am convinced that it's the fresh oils and home baked breads :)

The second day, we woke up and had breakfast again. We took another free tour of the second side of Florence. BEAUTIFUL :) I am in love with this city. We went to the Academia, the museum full of Michelangelo's artwork. The huge sculpture of David, was amazing. You could see every last detail of his body, every vein, rib, and muscle. I feel I have a better appreciation of artwork after that museum! We had lunch at another restaurant. I had veggies lasagna, a fresh green salad, and bruchesta, :) SO good. I loved every last bite!! We wanted to go to the Duomo, the cathedral and walk up the 400 stairs, but we arrived one minute too late. Last night, Lauren and I had some wine, gelato, and pizza.

The third day, we went to the bus station and purchased our bus tickets back to Bologna (for Tuesday) and then bought our tickets to Pisa for Monday. After that, we walked around and around. Florence is known for their leather. So there are so many markets full of leather purses, wallets, bags..etc. We ate lunch at a little panini restaurant. That afternoon we took a tour of the Chianti region. We traveled to the town of Castellina in Chianti. In Castellina there were so many stores full of typical Tuscan products, (oils, wines, breads, sweets, etc.). We visited a beautiful estate where we got to participate in a guided tour of wine cellars and got to hear all about the stages of wine production. The wine cellar was beautiful! It was underground and so unique. I guess it has been shown on some movies because it's so different and beautiful! The landscape up in the Chianti region is to die for, the sights are incredible.

Finally, on the fourth day we went to Pisa. I absolutely love the public transportation system here in Europe. It's so easy and simple. Buy your tickets, hop on the train/bus, and you are in the next city. Pisa was nice. Lauren and I had been in Florence for three days, so we were ready for a little change of scenery. Pisa, is a little city, with not much more than the leaning tower of Pisa. However, it was still nice to walk around and look at what the city had to offer. We ate lunch at a really cool restaurant. It was super tiny, but had all homemade food. I had spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and olive oil! SO good. All the food in Italy was amazing. I had pizza like six times, pasta twice, and gelato twice a day... NOT kidding. The last night, Lauren and I went to a gelato place really close to our hostel. We met the owner and talked to him for awhile. I was kind of having a rough day, a long list of events had happened and I was just off. My camera broke, atm card wasn't working, things will Winona State were messed up..etc. Anyways, it was just an off day, but I swear God works in magical ways. This little man at the gelato place just made my night. He sat and talked about how to make gelato. However, he took the conversation to the next level. He said "Here in Italy, we work because we love what we are doing. I love making gelato. I love seeing the reaction of peoples face, I love hearing what they have to say about it. Yes, you girls just gave me 5 euros for this gelato, but if that was the only reason I worked, I shouldn't be doing this job. You must work for love, the beauty and passion of the job, not for the money." At this moment, I was almost in tears and just so happy. It was just an amazing moment and it was everything I needed at that moment. When we walked back to our hostel, I had an email from my advisor saying that everything will be fine at Winona State, Thank you Lord. I am so blessed.

Overall, my trip to Italy was amazing. I saw beautiful sights, ate delicious food, learned a lot about myself and a new part of this world. I can't believe how independent I have become and how much I have grown. Yes, every day brings its own challenge, but it's what you do with this challenge, and how you react to this challenge that counts. I am so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing support group, bless your souls because I don't know where I'd be without all of you.

Un Beso.  

Sevilla & Cordoba

Sevilla

The weeks are flying by! This past weekend, I traveled to Sevilla and Cordoba with my program, SOL. On Saturday, we went to Sevilla and took a tour of the city! What a beautiful city, I love the big city feeling. We toured the Cathedral in Sevilla, what a beautiful sight! We climbed up 35 flights of floors to view the entire city of Sevilla, we saw the Plaza de Torros from above and a whole lot of Sevilla :) It is such a gorgeous city.

That night we went out and had all the traditional food in Spain. I wish I would have taken some pictures for you all. The food is so different here, it's crazy. It has taken awhile to adjust to it, but I am really starting to enjoy it. We had potatoes with a red sauce on it, a sweet salad with goat cheese and figs, fried calamari, fried eggplant with red peppers and red onions, croqetas (which are basically fried dough with some meat and mushy cheese inside, I HATE them!), there is ALWAYS bread on the table, and we had this amazing almond chicken with potatoes. I have been sick, so on Saturday a couple of us just went out for ice cream and then headed back to the hotel. On Sunday, we woke up and had a beautiful breakfast, I kid you not, it was the biggest complimentary breakfast I have ever seen, in Spain. It was full of meat, cheese, eggs, bread, bread, muffins, bread, yogurts, sweets, fruit, teas, coffees, juices..etc. It was awesome! Definitely stocked up on the fruit while I was there :) I love ALL the fresh fruit!!

Cordoba, such a beautiful city!

Sunday, we traveled to Cordoba. A cute town, about an hour and half away from Sevilla. It is another big city, but it is more for people to retire (not kidding that is what our tour guide said.) It had a lot of tourists and tourist shops. It was way different than Sevilla, but it was still very beautiful. Religion was a huge topic we hit on this weekend. I am learning SO much about Christianity, Judaism, Islam..etc. In Cordoba, the city is literally split into two areas. There is a street called, San Fernando, and it separates the Christianity and Muslim religions. On one side of the town there are Cathedrals and then on the other side there are a Mosque. The street literally separates the two. There are only a couple "big" streets in Cordoba and this is one of those. The Mosque that we saw was unbelievable. It was beautiful, all the detail and time put into a building is incredible. It was very interesting listening to the history put into this building. I am taking an Islamic Culture class right now, it is probably one of my favorite classes!! I am learning SO much. I didn't know anything, their religion is incredible. It really opens my eyes and makes me view life a different way.  It is unbelievable how naive I was before entering Spain. It's a big world out there and I feel a lot of people (especially the younger generation) doesn't know anything outside the US. I wish I could bring everyone here, I wish I could buy you all tickets and bring you here, I wish so bad my family and friends could see this amazing place. It is FULL of history.

This week is going to be quick!! I have three days of school and then off to Italy with my friend Lauren :) I am so happy & grateful for this experience!! I feel so lucky to be able to travel all of the world. Everything is going great over here. I miss Nick and my family and my friends, however the time really is going fast. It's almost November! I can't believe it!! I keep telling myself one day at a time. It is starting to get cold here :) Yesterday, it was really rainy and windy. All the people from California and Texas are like "Oh my gosh, it's SO cold." All of us girls for MN & WI, are like this is NOTHING compared to where we are from. We are used to negative degrees :) I miss you all and love you all!! Thanks for the support and prayers, they really are helping! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful support group! Thank you!! I will update you all on Italy when I return. Pray for safe travels :)

Half Way Point.

This Monday was the half way point. I have made it half way through the semester and I am still alive. The beginning was rough and difficult, but I am pushing forward and every day seems easier. Granada, is amazing. Spain, is amazing. I love it here. This week we have a full week of school, our first "full" week of classes. I try to fill my day because it gives me less of a chance to allow my mind to wonder and miss home, the states, family, etc. With that said, I am volunteering in a school here in Granada. I volunteer twice a week, one hour each time. On Tuesdays, I work with 15/16 year olds and then on Thursdays I work with another group of children. On Tuesdays, we just talk, talk, talk, talk, ALL in English. This Tuesday, we read a story out loud, practicing pronunciation. After, I worked with six students and just talked about holidays, vacations, and differences between the United States and Spain. This opportunity is wonderful. It's very interesting to see the differences between the US and Spain while in a classroom setting. Things are very different. They don't have Elementary, Middle, and High School. Grades are broken down into ages. For example, "primary" school is broken into ages 2-6 years old. Also, children start to learn English at the age of five, and it is a required subject for all students to take! Yesterday, I got a job!! I will work with two girls, Marta, 15, and Carmen, 12 and just tutor them in English. I love it, my first day was yesterday! Every week I will just practice with them and talk about different situations (what would you say at a restaurant, movie theater..etc.) The girls love English, it's their favorite subject here in Spain. I wish we had this in the United States. I think it would be beneficial for children to start learning and understanding a different language at a young age! I know, in my future classroom and house, I will be incorporating Spanish!!! This weekend I am heading to Sevilla & Cordoba. Two bigger cities in Spain. I am traveling with my program and it should be a great weekend!! This weekend is Homecoming at WSU and my family is traveling to UW-Stout!! Good Luck to Luke & Nick this weekend, I will be there in spirit, I sure do miss football!!!

A Reason. For. Everything.

Things happen for a reason. We met people to help us see a new perspective on life. We travel to places to see new cultures, concepts, and find inspirations. We cross paths with thousands for some reason. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. My question is why is it hard to find that reason? Sometimes I search and look for that reason.. and just can't seem to grasp it. That's the problem, we don't know. We don't know, we don't know what the end point is or where it may be, we don't know how we may stumble upon that reason or we may never find the reason, however it's the journey, it's the path, it's the road that is important. This is what I am finding here in Granada. You may not do well on a test, you may meet people that are complete opposite than you, you may struggle with a different language, you may got lost and can't find your way, I sense my mind and body exploding at these points. This is where and why I am growing so much. I am developing a sense of relaxation, a sense of empathy, a sense of love that allows me to slow down and enjoy life. Look at life from a different point of view. Life isn't about winning or knowing all the right answers. It's about learning, growing, expanding, and changing. I am so proud of myself for who I am becoming and how much I am growing.

I found a song this week that I can't stop listening to.... "Life Goes On"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq2Mq4gnKoY&feature=fvst

My life is amazing here in Granada. I am so grateful & thankful for this experience!! I miss my family, friends, Nick, and my life in the states. However, it's already the middle of October & this time is flying by. I keep telling myself one day at a time and I just look forward to December when Nick is coming :) Breathe. Smile. Life is good. Thank You God.

My Mom. My Best Friend. My Sister.
I love her and miss her strength, presence, and
courage. 

My brothers, love & miss them. They have grown up and become such strong men. I am so proud of them! 

My Dad. Some may say that I am exactly like him & they are right. I miss his humor, our laughs, our jokes.. He is such a great father, full of wisdom, love, and support. I miss you Dad! 

My Best Friend. "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to
be 100 minus 1 day so I never have to live without you"
Through thick and thin, until the end. Forever & Always.