Dear Time in Spain, SLOW DOWN! Love, Me

Hello! I hope those of you in Minnesota are enjoying your heat wave! I am headed to an even better heat wave here in Spain tomorrow, if you think 30 degrees is good, try 60, yay! Myself and 13 other study-abroaders are traveling to Valencia for the weekend. We must catch the four-hour bus ride from Madrid to Valencia tomorrow morning at nine. Therefore we are taking the 6:30 am bus to Madrid to Segovia. I love you all so much that I am forgoing sleep in order to keep you updated, you must be honored! Anyway we have a short one-hour trip to Madrid and then we need to pick up two of the girls that went there today to take care of some computer business and then Mediterranean Sea, here we come!

Last night our school hosted an American Fiesta equipped with the most stereotypical American food and music ever. Yep, you guessed it hamburgers, hot dogs...french fries and Gaga. We were able to mingle (mostly in English, unfortunately) and meet other students that go to our school. We haven't been able to meet many other students since our classes are only students from CSB/SJU. We exchanged a few numbers and made some more friends! It was fun meeting so many new people and eye opening as well. Every student that I talked to was at least bilingual and most of them were trilingual, and some even know four languages! I told my host mom that and she made sure to inform me that my school, IE University, is a internationally renown school and a very prestigious university. That's pretty cool I guess! Anyway, one of the girls that I met is from Valencia. Since I told her we were visiting there this upcoming weekend, we met this morning after my 9:30 class for coffee so that she could tell us all the city!

There is so much to do that I am excited about. Apparently many people travel via bicycle and she said that we should rent them and ride from our hostel to the coast. Did I mention I love to bike?! She also told us where all the great shopping and clubs are located. There is also a very famous science museum and aquarium in the city that she recommended we visit! Yay, I am excited!!

Also this past Monday I started my volunteer project teaching English at an elementary school. The students and teachers are absolutely wonderful and I think they will really enjoy having us in class. We need to speak very slowly though so that they can understand us--too bad I can't ask my professors to do the same. And while they're at it, try and lose their accents, too so I can finally understand what they are saying!!! So every Monday and Friday I go volunteer for about an hour each time. I also found out that this elementary school is the same one that both my host mom and her children attended. I think Sonsoles was really happy with that coincidence!

Well I hope you all will think of me as are climbing into bed tonight while I am already starting my day at a wicked five o'clock in the morning! I have a long day of travel ahead of me, but I am excited for the memories and subsequent stories that this weekend has in store for me (and for you all). In the meantime, please ask God or someone to please slow time because it is slipping right out from under me, thanks! Until next week, adios!!