Lauren's experiences abroad

weired

2010-04-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

I JUST HAVE TO SAY I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT THE GRAMMAR IS ENTIRELY SCREWED UP IN THE POST FROM SEVILLE. i THINK WHAT HAPPENEND IS THAT IT WAS TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN WHILE I WAS WRITING IT IN ENGLISH,,SO THE WORDS ARE IN INGISH BUT IN THE ITALIAN FORMAT. SO DISSAPOINTING. I HOPE YOU CAN STILL UNDERSTNAD. I WILL HAVE TO RE-WRITE IT ANOTHER TIME.

CORRECTIONS: SERENITO SANDWICH...NOT SERENITY SANDWICH

FRIENDS FROM 'PAMPLONA' KRISTEN AND LISE...NOT HARMONY..OR WHATEVER IT SAYS.

correction

2010-04-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

sorry it's late and i'm tired since i've been at the colloseum and pallantine hill all day...i'm obviously not travling around canada..duh...ITALIA!!!! i'm tired...and there u can tell...oh dear.
goodnight.

The beginning of Semana Santa Trip: Seville

2010-04-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

It Has Been Almost a week that I've written ... I've been traveling this week and will begin my trek through two more parts of Canada starting tomorrow. I'm doing well, the However lenghth of the semester has hit me, the Lack of my family, and the little things from home or with my dog ... just 'the family unit' Lack is sinking into. I do not know if it's just today b / c it's Easter, But im definitely Gaining excitement to finish things up. That Probably I think this really healthy. I do not even want to think about Saying goodbye to my host family and my german girlfriends, and others that I've met along the way, However at the Same time, there are some i just can not wait to see,,, That Being the family unit. Thank goodness for skype, as i was SO saved to visit with all of theme ... even WAS lady barking into the room on Saturday night. So wonderful. These feelings I'm HAVING Also i know b / c I've Been accomplishing the things I've always dreamed of. You guys,,, Them I'm checking off the list. When the 'look at everything I've done ... all the places I've seen, it's incredible. Frankfurt Germany, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Hendaye France, Paris France, Barcelona, Madrid (Several Occasions), Toledo (Spain), Segovia (Spain), Olite (Spain) Salinas (pueblo-Spain), Seville, Rome, and now my trek across the rest of Italy to Florence beginning tomorrow until Sunday, and then on to Venice, it's more traveling and Experiences Than I Ever Could Have Imagined. It's hard to explain the emotions in my heart, it's as if to say, I'm sad b / c it's coming to an end, But It's to say I'm happy for what it has made me.
On Tuesday night, the two girls That I am traveling with and i Took the train from Pamplona to Madrid, in Madrid and then changed to an all night That We Took bus to Seville. It was very smooth - sleeping on the bus Is not the Same as the bed, but that's Another Thing .. benches from airport to bus seats, I've learned 'how' to sleep without a bed. We Arrived in Seville on Wednesday morning by 8am, and b / c we couldnt check into Our hostel just then, it was fabulous b / c the weather WAS absolutely perfect, the sun WAS coming up, and and we got to walk around the Mary Luisa park. The vegetation in it is just incredible. It is beautiful. We then Went to a small cafe near Our hostel and drank the cola-caused (hot milk with shock. Powder you add), and a bun with butter for breakfast. We enjoyed walking along the beautiful river, and then venturing into the older part of Seville, seeing the Plaza de los torres, doing Some souvenir shopping, people watching, and viewing places Such as El Alcazar, the Cathedral, the Plaza de Triunfo, and watchng to many ppl of the afternoon preparing for the Semana Santa processions. We napped in the afternoon During nap for about 2 hours, then got cleaned up and Went out to watch the processions. I "m telling you if this wasn't a religious / sacred experience, then i do not know what is. I Was incredibly moved. Seeing the nacerenos, the penitent, the Solemn people, quite, and dressed up as if it WAS easter sundy on Tuesday .... It Was Just breathtaking. The streets were so crowded at times you could not even go down one b / c there were so many people. For dinner, I Had The most amazing sandwiches and potato chips at this ethnic spanish restuarant That no-kidding Was a whole in the wall. I Was Glad That Kristen Joined me to eat there, and I Had the best glass of wine to Thus there as well. I Had to 'Serenity' sandwich, Which is Apparently 'the' best thing to get at the restaurant. Upon walking in, i did not know what to get, and now understnad Did not Recognize the vocabulary / descripciones on the menu .. But a very friendly young couple and Another Woman eating with Them there saw me looking at plate, and then asked the Them What It Was They Were eating, and the were so friendly, the Explained everything, and even insisted That I take a bite of Each of Their foods I know That I Could Try and decide what i like. Well I'm telling you, it WAS incredible, so i ordered Exactly What They HAD. The serenity sandwich Which Came with jamon serrano on top as well, potato chips That I Were So Good, free olives ( Also I know amazing), and the best red wine of my life ... I'll say it again .. so fantastic. I slept like a doll That night hehe. Our hostel WAS cute, But We Were surprised with the security b / c It Was Almost non-existent.
On thursday morning, i got up early, and Went for a run in the park The Same In Which We Had Walked The Morning of Our arrival (the Maria Luisa). It Was Such a so beautiful and wonderful experience. Despi The Fact That WAS my right lower leg Hurting me, i chose to forget it and Endure it b / c the park Aroused my senses to an extent That was overpowering to the pain. Were the smells incredibly, as everything and i mean EVERYTHING is in bloom, it WAS early morning-fresh sun-up just sort of sky, green everywhere, canopies of trees, hidden plazas with statues and graceful looking poses Placed Amongst the wildlife, The most pleasing-sounding and birds ... Were Better Than Their songs all the music i have on my ipod, to the Point That I Had to literally take off my ipod b / ci HAD to listen to the amazing sounds of nature to get the full experience. WAS to the grass dewey, and the group on the damp sand, but i laid into it anyway to do my physical therapy and Mat. It WAS an amazing moment and i needed it. After a shower and breakfast, we met up with Kristen Lise M and H, two of my close friends from Extremely harmony. It was wonderful to Have A Change Of Pace in Regards to spending time with Different People, as myself and the two girls I'm traveling with We Are Each Have found 3 very unique individuals who are very different. We toured the cathedral in Seville, and climbed the Giralda, Which is a large tower That get's to the very top. There Is a beautiful lookout of Seville in it's entirety, and it WAS breathtaking. You will enjoy the photos. Following, We Had a picnic lunch in the park and It Was alcazar about 80 degrees F and sunny. Absolutely beautiful. I Took off my shoes and socks, rolled up my pant legs, and used my jacket and purse as a pillow. WAS A distinct type of lilac in bloom, and smelling That put me in heaven. After about 30-40 minutes of off-on napping, Both Kristen's, myself, and Lise headed to watch more of processions, and Megan Went off to do her own thing. We ended up seeing two people who sang and how incredibly it WAS quite the Thousands of People in the Streets Suddenly Became. Even the Children. I Could not believe it .. It Was As If The Singer Had a microphone b / ci Could Them here perfectly. What Was I spiritually amazing about This Was That I Had Chills The entire time, seeing the candles, the faces of the people in the Streets, The Eyes of las nacerenos, the real 'faith' and spirit of Catholics and Christianity. I Had this incredible feeling connected-With All of These people-strangers, friends, foreigners, locals, all in The Same Streets, solemnly remember What Jesus did for us, And Also Celebrating His strength, courage, power, and incredible gift Given to All of Us. He blessed with me with a neat experience after this That I wish to not forget as well. Although I Could look at this as something Flattering, it is more of an 'aura' compliment b / c of the state of the young man. When the man singing on the balcony HAD finished His prayer-song, a spanish man about 65 years old Began Came up to me and speaking to me. I Had no previous acknowledgments with this person before, But When he asked me after 15 seconds of talking if i was de Espana, and I Said 'no' But yo body, 'I Can Understand' and puedo Hable (i can speak), h asked me for a favor. Behind HIM, He Pointed to His Son, Probably about 25 years old, medium height with dark hair and glasses, and well-kept. He Explained to me that he is handicapped and has a disability, But I saw During the procession, and just 'fell in love with me-or my appearance.' The father Continued to ask me if i would say hello to HIM, or just my name Tell Him. Before I Could even analyze the situation of His son, Said of the course, and the son approached and stuck out my hand. I Introduced myself by my first name, and wished a happy easter HIM. I TOLD HIM about studying in Spain, Being from the states, etc.. Whether he Understood the concepts or not, it was really sweet b / c We Were Able to communicate in Spanish, And When I finished talking with HIM, he appeared to be in awe. By this point the mother with the father and WAS Both Were Thanking me profusely for Under Their Breath Merely just talking With Their son, the father and Continued to tell me what the DID WAS Such a Good Thing. But really, what the Took Was the flattery from this That the recieved "Some are from my personality aura of 'friendliness' and wanted to talk with me. If I Could Affect at a minimum just one person a day in this Manner, Life Would Be More Than a success .. life has purpose for Them But Not Only for you When you do this as well. It was really neat, and it is this aura i hope i can bring to my Patients in the hospital someday, to less-fortunate Those who will serve in the country Their Some day.
Following experience this, us girls las Continued on to view murals in the northern part of the city, and then megan met up with us. We got caught by A Few more processions, But I'm telling you They never get old. I can not wait to show you the picures. We then Were planning on going to a local-but 'hidden' 'local' bar for an 11pm flamenco show. A Few of the girls Picked up food along the way quickly, But I Was So Happy That Kristen M wanted to go out with me. I figure, why buy food at the Quick Stand When You Can Actually Find It For The Same Price, have it cooked for you, Also be authentic, and Have a real-experience to enjoy it with the atmosphere. I guess for me the atmosphere is really important to make the experience good, i dont care how good or bad the food is. Kristen M and I sat outside the cutest outdoor table at the right in the plaza, the Night Life Was hussling bussling But at a relaxing and peace, and we drank a glass of wine, jamon serrano and ordered sandwiches, with The most amazing white cheese Could you image. It was fantastic. We Made It To The Flamenco show with ample time to share, and the other girls HAD saved us a seat. Our Friend Taiwain Basille met up with us as well (he studies with us in Pamplona and Seville in WAS too). We ordered a pitcher of Sangria, and dry thoroughly enjoyed the flamenco performance. I liked it better than no i thought i would, and i was amazed with her SO Ability to move her upper body so grace-fully while tapping her feet and forcefully know QUICKLY at the Same Time. The guitar player was perfect, and the Man Accompanying the flamenco woman WAS outstanding as well. It Was a free show-and i believe The most local, real flamenco seville You Can Have experience when you're on a budget. :) The night ended with Some chocolate from a small market on the way back to the hostel, Which hit the spot-thick white chocolate from Spain, and of course, my favorite White Chocolate with hazelnuts ... However choc.s right up there now hehe.
Friday morning myself with megan and kristen f and prepared to check out, and Went for a walk along the River Once Again As We HAD to be out of the hostel by 11:30 But HAD time to spare, we know Took in some-more sun, and Carried Our towels to dry. We are limitd space for this trip b / c We have one luggage That We Are and sharing it can only way 15 kg. Which is about 30-35 lbs. The company is very cheap for airline tickets, But if you are over weight in on luggage, They totally get you and charge you. Thank God megan has a weigher Weighing Specifically made for luggage, so We Had It Right at 15 kg., However we could not put wet towels in there b / c They Would weigh more .. I know we got some funny looks walking on the Sidewalks as Our Arms Were rack laundry dryers.
We Took a bus to the airport in Seville, and although WAS Our plane delayed by 1 hour, Flew out in-route to Rome with no trouble what-soever. That I just pray this will continue on Friday night When We leave Venice and fly with the airline company Same back to Barcelona. I Have Learned how to layer on many shirts to wear, to hide things in my jacket Such as extra pieces of clothing or souvenirs That Might Be weightful, and i have to eat the food ahead of time .. even if I'm not hungry in order to weigh less ... haha ... if That Makes Sense. NO, But It does to me I know I'll remember this hehehe .. It Was silly b / c we HAD to make sandwiches for food in the morning, and even though we'd just eaten lunch at 12 pm, we where eating Our 430 or supper at 5 pm again b / c we Knew we would not get anything else the rest of the day, nor did We have the room to bring it. We Arrived in Rome about 830pm, and Took bus to the center of the city. There We Were Able to buy train tickets for Our Florence (Which we will use tomorrow), and got on bus Another Which Brought us to a location nearer to Our hostel. We are staying in an old Nunnery, But The building is beautiful, the room has 5 beds in it But it is HUGE, we each GET a huge closet with a key so security there is very good, breakfast is very good, hot showers are , facilites are alway stocked and clean, and my bed is Extremely comfortable. More Than my comfortable bed in Pamplona. What a shame .. heheheh But I'm on vacation so i need to enjoy it.
Really though ... i know other's look at this as a vacation, But It's starting to get hard to llook at it like that b / c we aare in charge of so much; of What We Eat, Where we are going to sleep, how we are going to get here and there, keeping safe Each Other, Our purses in huge huge huge crowds of people, how we are going to pay for things (Our scattered money), with tricky travling-weight-limiting Airlines, etc., , it really is a lot ofwork. It's wonderufl, and i am so blessed to get to see so much. I would say it is more like school But without travling class home-work. The homework is to learn how to interact with the world, to think logically, to communicate Effectively with the other cultures to get along with people You Have To Be With Who are COMPLETELY Opposite Than You and hard to deal with at times, to watch out for you, take care of you (number one) Basically we can say responsibility and global-minded-ness. It'sreal-world living not only 101, But 202, 334, and I'd say I'm in 404 now. I "m graduating. I'm ready to go home, to hug my mom and let her spoil me with food, a back-rub, and a girls-night movie in bed. I'm ready to spend time with dad and well and lady. .. to get her kisses on my cheek, and just to be with my family unit. Do not get me wrong I'm happy and I'm experiencing ,,,,, The most amazing things, But Things Are coming full circle, and now not a day goes by That I dn't think about my return. I'm scared for it, I'm scared for how i will feel when i am home, how i will feel about the people there , my town, the Lack of my life spain Being 'Alive and Present' in my life. But I will adjust again.
Have I still 1.5 months left, and many wonderful things to Occur, But I'm ready to finish up classes for sure. Because it really is perfect to end i am looking forward to the trip to Lanzarote with my guy-friend, and then 3 days later i wil head home. I'm not looking forward to studying all summer, But It Will Be OK. I will jump back in and be fine.
As for now, I've Spent The entire weekend out and about in the ancient and beautiful city of Rome. I can not believe i leave here tomorrow Already to move on to Florence, But It Was a great experience. I know i prefer over Rome Seville (as do as Comparing cities), but i still Have two more to judge. I will write to you about Rome in the coming days. I must go to sleep.
Happy Easter: He is Truly Risen!
Amen
Lauren

Palm Sunday

2010-03-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day for los Ramos (palm sunday). Julia and i went to la misa (mass) at 11:45 and got our palms and stood outside in la plaza, where all the people were gathered. It was so beautiful outside. All of the priests walked outside (the procession) and the rest of the people followed. I was in awe b/c there were so many people. I've never seen so many people try to fit into one church,,more than xmas time. It was so cool, even the little kids were just dressed to adorable and behaved EXTREMELY well. Julia and i didn't get to sit next to each other but we could see each other, so every once and awhile i'd look over and smile at her. There where the cutest 2 little girls prob about 4 or 5 thathad to stand the entire mass with their mom and grandma (b/c there were so many ppl, ppl wer standing in the aisles) but i couldn't believe how well behaved they were. For the entire 50 min they stood and listened, and i would look over and smile at them every once and awhile, and they would smile back hehe,,but they were so well behaved. and their mom had them dressed so cute. My little girls are going to be just as well behaved someday if they have to stand the entire mass at church, and i'm going to dress them as cute too heheh. Oh i cant wait!
Julia and i had a nice photo taken of the two of us afterwards with our palms in la plaza...i asked a stranger just b/c i thought that we looked so nicely dressed, etc. We walked over to Maribel's house afterwards, and they had just gotten home b/c they spent the night in Salinas last night. We are all worried and frustrated a bit with Inoa, b/c in the last month she's lost 9 pounds, and continues to not want to eat. Maribel is so stressed (let only she is a biology professor so she has that stress and now Inoa), so Inoa was in the house, and we talked to her a little. I had a talk to her last night in Salinas, just the two of us, about how i regret doing some of the behavior when i was younger b/c now i am paying the price as i'm having such problmes with the bones in my legs. Man if i would have only known, i would have eaten and drank so much more milk. I hope that she shapes up. Julia's mad at her too. or more worried. we also think she is starting to suffer from depression. It is hard for me to see that b/c it reminds me of someone i know so well who went through that same thing with the same behavior. I recognize everything. It's so amazing how one grows and and changes and realizes however. I know fully understand the importance of when my mom would and does tell me "Honey i know because i've lived longer". I never wanted to believe her b/c i thought i knew it all, but really i dont. Those who are older really do know so much more, and man the things we can learn and take from them if we would only just listen and take what we hear as truth. I tell Ainhoa, but she doesn't want to hear me.
I came home after that, and i went straight to my desk to begin my finalizing for italy. I'm so stressed since we'll be gone for over 12 days, but everything will be fine. I was just mapquesting, doing some banking business, and making sure we know were we are going, have our documents, plane tickets, checking the weight allowances for luggage, things like that
Then this afternoon i worked on my research for the debate i'll have to give after semana santa vacation. This afternoon i went for a run in the park. I was just so mad b/c my legs hurt, but i sucked it up and just went b/c i was mad enough about it. Whether that was good or not..prob not,,i went anyway. God punished me though, b/c it started pouring rain...no kidding...like a downpour rain. I just laughed and kept going until i got to the bridge and i went under it and stretched and waited for the downpour to pass. It was actually really nice for me to just chill, think, and clear my head. Then, all of a sudden, the sky's cleared, and i saw a small rainbow. the sun came back out, and i went one more time around the park. I felt better upon my return :)
For some reason, i was homesick today, really missing mom, dad, ben and lady. I think it's just the anticipation since i know i'm going soon, and im just preparing my self for classes, leaving spain, saying goodbye, etc. It's not going to be easy eiether way i llook at it, b/c i don't want to say goodbye, but i also miss them. I got to skype with mom and it was so wonderful just to see her voice. And ben's too :) and dad. they are just going on with life like usual, but it is so comforting for me to see them. If i've learned anything about life since i've been here, it's this: regardless of how many friends you have, how many boys mis-treat you or hurt you, how many hardships or setbacks you've had to go through, and how many people you've made mistakes with, your family never stops loving you. They never stop caring, believin in you, supporting you, and caring for you. Even when you don't see it, they are still there, loving you and waiting for you to see them. If i could teach anything in this world, it would be this--because it is so true,,and so often we don't see that.
I got my hair cut last week--a real European style haircut. I couldn't look at the floor when he was done however b/c there was SO much hair on the floor omg. i don't even want to think about it. But guys i LOVE it, it is so much cuter..still long, but i have layers ALL over, and my hair has so much more body now! It has been fun wearing it down b/c of this, and it will be so fun when i get home to use my curling iron hehe . I really nice Spanish guy cut it for me at this peluqueria near my house. Now after all my friends saw it they want to go there too, so that is good. And it was so cheap..just 9,50 Euros! My friend Maribel from the med school (we go to class their together) came with me just since i was so nervous and wanted a good speaker to accompany me incase i needed help explaining. But we did a good job :)
Tonight i just finished some homework, so i think i will just go to bed since i will have a very busy day tomorrow with classes and preparations for the trip.
I wil bring my laptop along since i have to do some homework (unfortunately :( ) but that way i'll be able to update you as we go.
All my love,
Lorena Beatriz

Life just keeps moving forward

2010-03-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well,,,it's been almost 10 days since i've blogged. That's because i've been so busy traveling and preparing for Italy, teaching, writing papers, going out with my friends, meeting new friends, planning new travels, being with Julia, being with her kids and grandkids, walking in the park, eating, dancing with Ruben, talking with Marion, and dreaming right along as i'm having the most incredible experience of my life. Today we lose an hour, so it's really 1 in the morning instead of midnight. I am so tired b/c i came home at 4am this morning, but i went out and had such a great time with my german girlfriends and other exchange friends at a bar. Every Friday night they do a different cocktail special, and last night it was carribean, so it was enjoyable, and there was a lot of fun people there that i love spending time with. It was also cool b/c i met some knew people..including two Spanish men (who i must add were VERY handsome). This was good to just get out b/c i wasn't going to at first, but it was one of those nights were you are SO glad you did when you;re on your way home. It's so funny b/c these to guys are number 5 & 6 who ask for my number within the last 3 months. I guess that has just never happened to me with such frecuency like here,,but boy the one from Valencia is guapisimo. We will see haha. The music was fun last night too, and I was with my best friend Marion and her sister who is visiting this week, eva, saskia, jan, paul, skyla, her roommates, another concordia girl here visiting (that was so cool to see a familiar face i just hugged her so long haha!), Nerea, Leslie, Sharmaine, everyone. It was fun.
I slept so good last night, and slept in this morning. I hurried to get ready b/c Julia and i left to go to Salinas today to have a big birthday party for me and her son Carlos. I'm telling you, i think it was the best celebration i've ever had and i'll never forget this day. Last night, after just 1 caramel chupito (shot), 1 pina colada, and 1 baileys, i was still feeling 'nice' today..a little tired...but that changed once i got in the car. The sun was out, the most beautiful blue' tint to the sky i've seen, and mom...a straight line flying high in the sky. It was so fun to ride in the car in the back seat and just look out the window. I forgot how much i miss riding in the car! And the roads are so nice and smooth here. Julia's son Javier and his wife Angelina picked us up and we would meet everyone else there. Javier and Angelina are so good to me...i just love them. Between Maribel (Julia's daughter), and two of her 4 sons (Carlos and Javier), they treat me like their own...like part of the family. It is such a cool feeling and i'm so blessed to have this time with them. We got there, and the dads (carlos and Inaki (maribel's husband)) already had the wood fire burning in the beautiful backyard, a fire built in a pit in the wall entirely made of stone...so beautiful words can't describe it ..i took photos. The pig (ham) was cooking in there all afternoon. So amazing. Maribel and Ainhoa and Inaki (the 11 yr old son) were there, as well as Carlos' wife Eva and their kids Jon (18), Alaine (12), and Julin (7). I just love them. So us kids hung out this afternoon, and it was so cool b/c i got to play tennis with Ainhoa and Alaine, lay in the sun and look at the mountains, listen to the birds--and also nothing at all but the sounds of nature :) ,,smell the fresh air, feel the pleasure of my heart and soul all around me. It was just awesome. I wasn't even thinking of all the homework i have to do, packing and planning i still need to do, nothing...b/c it was just pure bliss/pure heaven. For lunch (la comida: this is the biggest meal of the day eaten around 2 or 3 everyday), we had an amazing traditional meal of Spain. I ate salad with olive oil, Anchovies soaked in olive oil with peppers and garlic that you put on bread, white asperagus, the best cheese i've ever eaten in my life (it was like really old, RICH RICH RICH tasting), and i think the best red wine i've had yet, from a vineyard right here in Navarra. Then, the dads brought in the meat, and it was like ribs from the pig (or that's how i'll describe it b/c we had to eat it with our fingers and bite the meat off if you know what i mean hehe). For dessert, Angelina had made Notilla (a custard that is SO amazing i just am in LOVE with it, and there are my favorite cookies that i'm addicted too in there. Its so good b/c then they are soft and have soaked up all the custard.) It's amazing. Julia had also made Hornijadas filled with Chocolate: so good...i am in love with this too. I still need to go to Beatriz and buy some before i forget :) Later one, we went on a bikeride all around the pueblo! Oh man it was so nice to ride a bike,,,i just missed that! and then we took a walk to a little pueblo about 20 -25 min down the road from Salinas. We walked along el camino de Santiago path, so that was really historically cool for me, and it was breathtaking the views. ON one side of me were pine trees, leaves, decidious trees, and familar smells from Itasca state park back home, and on the other side i was looking out at some breathtaking mountains just a reach away, a wine vineyard were the grape plants are placed in there perfect rows and look so precise, and at a little pueblo with it's lights starting to come on (since it was dusk), and of course the moon was out tonight (as if it wasn't already cozy enough!!!). We walked there and back in about an hour, talking, and then at times not saying anything at all. I really enjoyed talking with Alaine the 12 yr old grandson. He's really awesome and it was enjoyable for me to talk with him b/c he did a great job of explaining things to me, answering my questions, etc. we talked about deer, grizzley bears, what types of animals are here in their woods, school, classes, just great topics for interesting discussions. The stars came out when we got home, and they took me to a river just 5 min from la casa *the house), where there is a natural spring fallin gffrom the mountain and is known by the people as the place you can take a drink of natural real-earth water. So, it was my first time drinking actual 'water' from the earth without having been through any processes, and it was very good actually :) Then we went back to the house since it was getting a bit cold. By this point, after all the activity and fresh air, the sofa was SO appealing, and all the parents were sitting at the table still talking, smoking and drinking their wine, the kids in their own rooms (the boys playing piano and guitar in the other room, and Ainhoa on the coach with me finishing a wii game on the tv.). So i laid down thinking i would just relax, and you guys i fell asleep! Like a hard sleep, and it felt so good. The fire was crackling, and i felt like i was in that cozy house in our favorite movie the Holiday. The entire house (walls inside and out) are made of stones, so it is just SO amazingly cozy. When i awoke, everyone was really happy that i'd fallen asleep though hhe. I was a little embarrassed, but i just felt so at home and comfortable. For me to fall asleep like that..i guess i really know now i was feeling at home :) I thought to myself, why don't i do this more often at home in Moorhead. I really need too.
I had some more notilla and bread and meat for la cena (a little supper at about 1030pm), with some wine. My camera battery died right when i got to Salinas today :( , but lucky for me Javier let me take his camera all around with me and take as many photos of everything that i wanted, and then he's going to come over and we're going to put the photos on my pen drive so i have them! He is so nice. Then, Maribel and her daughter gave me this bag from Zara, and i just couldn't believe it ! (Zara is a very expensive but AMAZING GORGEOUS AWESOME clothing store here in Europe). We dont ahve them in the states...there is only 1 in NY. Anyway, when i opened it, they bought me a really cute dress grey European looking dress, and a really nice creme colored/hazelnut colored sweater. Seriously, maribel must have paid about 60 Euro for everything. I just couldnt believe it. I thanked them over and over profusely, and bless her heart she kept telling me,,here is the reciepts, and you know where Zara is so if you want to change anything you just do it ok sweetheart"...Then they all sang this song to me in Spanish about being a "sweet girl who they are happy to know and for this i recieve their loves and gifts"..I will never ever ever forget this night for the rest of my life. I know there will be great birthday celebrations, but what a unique, amazing way to begin the next decade of my life. I"ll NEVER forget it, along with these people. And i'm so happy, b/c since mom and i extended my time here, I'm going to go back out to Salinas in April or May b/4 i go to las islas canarias to enjoy the flowers and walk somemore..and def take a nap on that couch that i'm in love with.
Yes,,its been so long i haven't told you that i'm staying in Spain longer :) by about 12 days. It's really amazing how this opportunity came about, but my really great friend took me out on our weekly dates for supper again last week, but this time he presented an all inclusive trip to Lanzarote, an island in the canaries that is known for it's beaches and volcanoes and hiking, snorkeling, trails for biking, and warm weather. I couldn't believe he had already gone to the travel agent, found out all the information and cost so he could be ready for every question i would ask, etc. However, in the price covers my plane ticket, all the food and drinks i want, and the 5 star hotel that we'll stay at. I must say, don't get the wrong idea..he is my friend :)...we've been 'going out ' on casual dates for about 1 month, and he hasn't kissed me the lips hehe, so i'm VERY sure that his intentions are not for just one thing with me. He has gone to these islands before with his family, so i am very lucky b/c he has so much excitement he said to show me around and 'in essence' be a 'tourguide'. It is this big extra thing, but then like i thought, it isn't everyday that i'll have an invitation to do this, let alone be so close to the islands already. It would be alot more hassle and money to fly here just to do this from the States..and money is just money. I can't take it with me to the grave, i have my whole life to work, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am so blessed, and i can't thank you God enough. Thank you.
Last weekend, i went to Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia for a three day weekend with Kristen M and Kristen F from Concordia. We took in a bullfight in madrid on sat night, ate the most AMAZING food at a traditional spanish restuarant (paella, chorizzo, other unique pinchos like empanadillas de atun (tuna), bread, sandwiches, and of course sangrias. We ate there both fri and sat night. Guys,,,i' think im not losing weight anymore haha..and it doesn't help that my legs are back to the swing ofgiving me pain again. I'm hoping that the injections i can recieve in my legs this summer will help. Anyway, i will be back to eating normal soon enough, so i just am going to continue to eat and try and be open to anything presented to me.
Ha...my waistline isn't going to get too much help this upcoming week b/c we are going to seville on Tues night until Friday, then flying to Rome fri night, in rome until monday night, then train to Florence for 4 days, and then train to Venice for one night until we are back in Barcelona ..on to pamplona late fri/early sat morning April 9. It should be a trip of a lifetime as well, however i have a paper i'll have to write during my time :( and i'm stressed about packing. I still have 3 days though.
Anyhow, its passed an hour already so i best get to bed, but i'm sorry i've slacked with updating ou guys. life has just been so full and busy, but i love it that way, and i'm so happy. I happy to say too, that i am now sure i'll be ready to come home when it's time. It feels so healthy to have come full circle, to have experienced all these emotions, changes, and takes on life. But i'll be ready :) I'm getting there more and more with everyday. I am so blessed. Tomorrow i am going to church with Julia at noon and it is palm sunday (de los ramos) here, so i am excited for this. I will miss my family over easter, but guys i will have so much to share with you when i come back. It overwhelms me with how much i've learned, how much i now know about myself, who i am, what i want, what i like, what i can do, what i won't and dont stand for, and how lucky i am. The friends i have here, the family i have here, they ahve touched my life in a way that no other person or experiece could have done...they have brought out a Lauren that I love, that is truly me,,that i'm going to keep around forever. I can't wait for you to meet her.
Goodnight, and all my love,
Lauren

Busy day on 2 hours of sleep

2010-03-18T13:54:00.001-07:00

Hi all!~
I just thought' i'd say hello once more before i take off until Sunday night. We are going to Madrid tomorrow, then taking another bus to visit the small but cute pueblo Segovia. We are staying in a hostel in madrid Fri and Sat night, and it works out well b/c segovia is only about 30 min away. Then on Saturday, we plan on getting up early in the morning and taking another bus to Toledo, another pueblo that is supposed to be gorgeous. I'm excited!--even though i've been traveling non-stop. I can't believe i'm holding up as well as i am hehe. Sat night and Sunday we will relax in Madrid and explore..(we've already made our list of 'must-do's and then everything else is extra.). I already went to Madrid just yesterday with my culture and civilization class. It was a long day let me tell you--i really enjoyed it, but it was unfortunate b/c we spent about 9 hours in the bus for the duration of getting there and back, and got just 5 quick hours to explore. We crammed alot in though, and we got a tour of the Senate building (which was awesome), a detailed tour of the National Library of Spain (so cool!!..it made me actually WANT to study ..there! in a library like that!), and then we went to the National Museum of ARcheology. It was pretty cool, however i'd seen alot of that stuff already at the Louvre museum in Paris. We ate our packed lunches in the hot sun outside the library, and i'm telling you, we all came back with red noses and cheecks. It's so fun to look in the mirror and have color on my chest and face...and hands!!! I think Spring is really coming b/c it's warmer now and it's so nice. I can't wait to run in the park next week. Then when i got home, ok now this is going to sound crazy bc it is crazy, but i went out to a discoteca after ALL of that. And i got home at 5am. And i had class at 830am. And i went. and you know what's best of all, i've felt great all day!! I don't get it. I had so much going on tho, so i've been very preoccupied and busy studying and getting stuff done for school, dealing with cord. registration problems, packing, teaching, etc. So to go out and dance was a blast. i went with my friend David, and danced the night away. It was a Saint Patricks-themed party so there was a lot of the green hehe.
he walked me home & .... :-)
Today was a busy day b/c i had class at 830 and again at 10, then i went to the library, then home to work on registering. For lunch i had my favorite sopa del col once again, and then also these amazing meatballs in Tomato sauce with bread. God it was SO good to dip the bread in tomato sauce! something familiar. I took a 20 min nap, in which i seriously think i reached REM sleep mode b/c i'm getting so good at making use of oppportunities for quick sleep...and then i went to teach the little girls next door. It was so cute b/c there mom had just left (she leaves when i come hehe..! i'm like a babysitter too, but' i love to help her), and we played cards, hair salon..(mom they played with my hair and told me stories...god i missed you so much when they were doing this b/c that was me n u),, and then i helped the 6 yr old with her math homework. I'm so proud of her (Iraiti is her name). She was working on adding and subtracting today, and she's doing SO great. Then it was cute b/c the 4 yr old was sitting around the table trying to be apart of it too, and the 9 yr old sister was great at explaining too!
After i made a trip to the market and bought my favorite crackers that i'm addicted too for the weekend. I' also bought some carrots, choc, etc.stuff for the bus/backpack. I had dance class tonight and it went pretty good, but that was when the tired-ness started kicking in. It was warm though, but i got a good workout. I just can't wait till i have time again to go the ciudadela to work out. NEXT week for sure! I've just been flying around like super=woman traveler for the past 3 weeks, so i'm actually looking forward to a down week..even though i'll be studying and writing papers. That's my life in school here hehe..but i love school here! Ruben helped me afterwards correct one of my papers that's due next week so i feel better about that. I just have one more to write but i'll do that after this trip this weekend. Us 3 girls decided we're going to make it nice and relaxing, and not try to rush and see everything..but re-coup and just have'us-time' if that makes sense :) I'm very excited. I am in love with this country and this place in general. The ipod is all charged, and i'm packing my suitcases now. I can't wait to look out the window once again tomrrow,,i will also sleep hehe
Other than that, life is good. Mom, Dad, and Ben,& Lady, i miss you guys like crazy. I know it's been like 1.5 weeks since we've talked or 2, but i've been thinking of you guys more than you know. I've got another big round of postcards going out to you all from Barcelona, i just didn't get a chance to get to the post office today, so i'll hopefully go in Madrid this weekend. Just so you know tho..they're on their way. Anyway,,All is well..i'm just content at the moment..that is how i'd explain the feeling in my heart.
I think of you all alot, and thanks again for following me and thinking of me <3
All my love,
Lauren

accepting reality while living in a dream

2010-03-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

I just have to write again tonight, even though it's my 3rd time today. Today was just a heart-wrenching afternoon/evening, not in a bad way, but i want to write to save those feelings and experiences i had today b/c they are important to me.
This afternoon like i said was just beautiful, and i sat at my desk working on my paper, looking out watching the spaniards walk outside my window, carrying their jackets, the leaves green on the trees, and i just had to smile. Dance class was wonderful as always, but it is coming to an end. I have 3 classes left, and i just cannot believe how fast time flew. I swear to god this was the best thing that i could have signed up to do. NOt only did i meet a great new guy friend, but also my teacher is amazing, & i've never laughed so hard with my girlfriends and the other girls there in all my life. There is another session following that goes from April 8 to May 27, and i want to sign up so bad, but i'm just crushed bc i am scheduled to leave May 11, and i would miss 3 weeks (so six classes). I don't know,,i might still go and sign up just to be able to experience it more..and since it's the same teacher and my Spanish friends are continuing. I'm going to talk with Nerea on Thurs about the class (she's the teacher)
Then tonight my guy friend took me out again after class...it was so fun..we have a great time talking and he only speaks spanish, but it is so great for me. I have a really hard time trusting men in general now, b/c the majority of them i've been with have been absolute jerks, so my expectations are low for things to go anywhere, however i'm not exactly looking to make that happen either..I justfeel like now, whatever is meant to be will be and i'll just guard my heart and enjoy the ride at the same time. The "One" is gonna have to work hard i guess unfortunately when he finds me since of the 'jerk's i've met and passed time with.
After he kissed me on the cheeks and told me we will go anytime i want, i just walked home under the stars thinkingabout how awesome this is and has been for me. I was already feeling a bit emotionally/ or sentimental when i got home, and then Julia and i had a heart-wrenching conversation about when i'll have to leave. We talked about how i'm leaving earlier than the kids normally do here, and how it will go fast..but what really touched me was what she said after that. I told her that th day i leave i'm going to cry all the way to the United States..She looks at me and says "oh no..everyone cries, but once you get on the plane, you'll be thinking about your life back there". But then she continued" but i will be sad for a long time" She then continued..."You are so special to me" "When you are gone, i wont have a reason to get up in th morning b/c i won't have u here to make breakfast for" "I wont' have your clothes to wash, your sheets and bed to tend to, or hear your voice in the house".."YOu keep me company, and i am not lonely when you are here"..SErioulsy, we just looked at each other, and all i could think about was "God"..i mean..i would have never in all of my biggest and greatest imaginations imagined that i would find myself so much and fit in so well in this country, with these people. I think we both could have just cried at that moment, and to prevent it i changed the subject quickly an just said"well i stil have about 6 wks lef). but that is so short, and my heart breaks thinking about it already. Don't get me wrong, i love my life in the United.States., and i wouldn't trade my American citizenship for anything, however i have two lives now. Coming to spain, i found more than just a semester abroad. I've been living the culture of the Spanish, eating their food, speaking their language, listening to their music, following their traditions day by day; accustomed myself to this way of life, this way of thinking, studying their history and culture, celebrating their traditions, praying their prayers, dancing their traditional dances, and falling in love with the people. I have a family here, i have best friends here; a part of me is here,,and what is more important is a part of me has 'become' into existance here, a new part that i love, that i never knew existed; a part that i've found and i am so happy to have encountered. Just the way i think, the way i interact with the people, the way i look at the world and what i have, what i want, and what is important to me. It's unbelievable. For this Spain is a part of me as well. It is not a temporary trip or study that i will leave or lose. I will return, perhaps frequently, b/c there is more than a piece of me here. There is a girl here who i love, who i want to keep and take with me forever, wherever i go, whatever i do, whoever i'm with, in whatever country i'm in.
I don't know which road my life will lead me down, but the amount of gratitude i hve for the life i've encountered and developed here in Spain i'll never be able to measure, because it is immeasurable. And i am not going to keep it a dream, but acceptit and be thankful for it as a real-life reality that i can have for ever, and continue with.
I will accept reality when i have to, i will continue on with my life in the United States b/c i have a dream there too, i have people i love, who love me back, the best family i could ask for, and many things to be thankful for. But this is apart of me know too, in a large way, and i'm going to keep it that way. I think the two can complement each other. I will make sure the do
I will be in Madrid tomorrow at the governement buildings for my civ/culture class, but i'll fill you in in a few days
all my love
LB

Love the one's your with

2010-03-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh you guys,,,the weather here has been absolutely wonderful for the past two days..i'm telling you yesterday (monday), it was probably 14 or 15 Celcius and now today i think it's about the same, if not a little warmer (16). It is wonderful. Yesterday i was a bit stressed bc a substitute professor for my lit class assigned us this paper to write, and he isn't even going to continue teaching our class. grr..and i have 2 days to do it..since i'm going to Madrid tomorrow (wed) for civ/cult. class, and then i am leaving again on Friday until Sunday night to visit Madrid again, Segovia, and Toledo. I've been stressing a lot about homework b/c it's really picking up, but then my friends and i myself remind me that it's ok, i just have to relax, i'll get it done, and i also can't worry so much b/c i'm in Spain, i need to travel, i need to see things, experience things, go out, learn, talk, and live the culture. I'm hear to study, but i'm hear to live and learn the culture and the country and the people as well. This i ahve to remind myself everyday. And goodness, you know like i said before when God closes doors, he opens them too. I've met two great new friends that are very different, but are so fun and unique in there own way. One of them only speaks Spanish, so when we go out on dates, etc, it is so awesome b/c he is so patient with me and is really intersting to listen too. We teach each other a lot. I also dance salsa and tango and chachacha with him, and it's a lot of fun. Then, i met a great guy through a friend the night of my birthday party, and we also have developed something fun. He's cool, and i' enjoy talking with him and..of course dancing too hehe! He's a daryl for all of you who understand that...like majorly. hahah. Anyhow, that's all i can say about that now, but it's really fun b/c my time here with these new friends really just rings true to one of my favorite songs..(the Blender's version) "Love the One your with"..you should just listen to it and the words...they are SO true.
I went for a jog/walk yesterday since i was angry with that prof, and let me tell you it really helped. it was exactly what i needed b/4 having to sit at my desk for the next 6 hours working on that paper. I laid in the grass and did my physical therapy, situps/pushups..etc..and had just a t-shirt and capris on..in March!! I love this! I slept so good last night!~
Today has been a pretty good day..despite the fact i got assigned another paper to write for a different class...grr...i'm getting ready to study science instead of writing all these papers..but maybe that's God's intention for me who knows hehe. B/c i have a lot of that ahead of me, however i'm getting good at these papers and i've got a format down.
So that's what i've gotta get my little but doing now, but oh..i just have to say I"ve been eating SO good. Julia has been cooking my fave foods so i am so lucky. Yesterday she made the sopa de col ( i have to get the other word...versa (con 'b' sonido, o repolla') for my future reference hehe! oh god it was SO amazing. I hadn't had it since Jan . Then today i had rice with chicken and carrots, but she surprised me with TORRIJAS for dessert! yes..yum!!! the bread that she soaks in honey and then fries with olive oil, then smothers in cinm. and sugar. I ate it with green tea. God i'm spoiled...Do i have to leave?//please no!!! ok...i'm not even gonna think about it.
Well, i'm gonna get a move on it,,and work on this paper. Tomorrow i'll be up at attem early at bus stop by 730 to go to Madrid, and then i'll be home by 12..it's so funny b/c David invited me to go out dancing, and i can't wait and at first i was sad b/c i dind't think that i would be back from madrid in time, but then like Marion told me...the dancing doesn't start until 1 anyway ha.
Well, we'll see how i feel.
Anyway, i'm gonna work, and then i have dance class tonight! I can't wait..and u know another reason too hehe..or i'll tell you later. Anyway,
All my love,
Lauren

Barcelona continued: Sunday March 14

2010-03-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read about friday/sat in Barcelona, you'll want to scroll down and read that part first, since i got too sleepy Sunday night when i finally got home to write about Sunday hehe! So now i'll finish her off now!
Early sunday morning, at about 530am, the rest of the girls came back from being out partying. It was at that point that i rolled over and was very happy i had gone to bed 5 hours prior :) I then woke by 9, showered, and packed up all of my stuff into the backpack that i'd packed..(by the way..dad,,the next time we go somewhere and i have to pack, you're going to say to me "Lauren, is this all you're bringing?! Wow!" b/c i've become a pro at packing enough things to live out of my backpack hehe for 4 days!!! I'm a real traveler now ha). Anyhow, we got to enjoy one more amazing breakfast of cereals and milk, toast and jelly, my favorite crackers that i'm addicted to, cafe con leche that is free!!!, magdelenas, and fruit (i didn't eat all of these things but i just have to list them b/c again,,,it was like i was on survivor just being handed free reign these options!!!). Then we met in la plaza catalan, and walked to take the metro to el parqueguelle. I"m telling you, this was my aboslute FAVORITE thing that we did. It was SO incredibly beautiful outside first of all, so the sun just made me SO happy. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun was SO warm. It must have been about 70 degrees and i was walking around in my t-shirt and jeans. We had to hike up a large hill to get there, but it was so worth it. Then we just split up and made a plan we'd all meet up again around 2, so i then began trekking around the park. It was literally like a small community (Gaudi the architect had intentionally planned for this region to be a neighborhood in which he would design all of the homes, etc, but it didn't really work out, so they turned it into a park). There are two buildings he designed right at the entrance, and then throughout the park there are beautiful stone structures/walls, bridges, a little cute house, and lookout structures that look out over ALL of Barcelona. YOu are able to see in EVERY direction. It was just SO incredibly beautiful. I took lots of video-taping with my camera and also lots of pictures. I felt like i was in a tropical state park to be honest, because there were palm trees, pine trees, deciduous trees, waterfalls, streams of water running along the paths, stone-made steps and bridges to cross..it was like i stepped right into a movie. YOu will have to look at the pictures i have on facebook,,and i'll be putting more up. I even got sunburned a little on my face hehe!!!--what a nice problem huh??!!. It was really awesome just to reflect and think about my life, what i'm thankful for, and things like this. It also really made me miss my parents since it was just so beautiful and breathtaking to look out over all of the city, i could see the Mediterranean Sea, and everything. I got tears in my eyes at one point, just because i was so happy. I can't explain it to you. I just got this feeling that i wanted to travel for the rest of my life. That i wanted to just stop dead in my path, pick up just my backpack with the clothes and shoes on my back, and just never quit traveling. It's hard at times b/c sometimes i get to thinking about my path ahead of me, and the long road i will need to continue on with my studies to achieve my goal, however, a good friend of mine reminded me that my life will continue on this road. he said life will move, and you WiLL travel during your studies. YOu can make time for it in the summer he told me. He is from Sweden and i met him on this trip--he was a very nice guy. But anyway, his advice was so true..yet sometimes,,when you have these breathtaking moments, that dreaming side takes over me..or i see a mom pushing her little girl in the stroller and her 4 yr old little boy with a cute little hat on walking with her and i just think,,"Man i wanna be a mom,,and enjoy stuff like this"..hehehe,,but i can't rush that. Don't get me wrong i am LOVING the way my life is now, being single and free to do what i want, but also don't get me wrong that i cannot WAIT for secure things in my life,,for certain things to have certainty, and then go..I can't imagine how i will feel when i have those breathtaking moments in the future while knowing what is of certainty in my life. ONe good lesson i've realized though, is that nothing really ever is certain, or for sure, so you just have to cherish every single moment you have with the people you are with or in the place that you are at. And that is what i'm getting to do each and every day that i am here in Spain, and it is wonderful. the people that i'm meeting, that come and go i our lives, it's really neat to be able to realize or understand what their purpose in our lives were, and for this how we changed from having known them, or knowing them.
After the park, i went with a few girlfriends from Concordia to a pizza place back in Las Ramblas. It was pretty good, not the best, but it was hot food/a meal, so of course i ate it. Then i headed back to the hostel to gather my backpack and got on the bus. We left Barcelona around 415pm, and arrived back in Pamplona by 1145pm..so it was a long ride, but i enjoyed listening to my ipod (singing and having to be asked to be quiet hehe), looking out the window, talking to Maite, Megan, and Kasey and laughing, sleeping, and eating my leftover pizza for supper haha.
All in all, it was an absolutely awesome, fun, quick weekend. would i go back?...DEFINITELY...in a heart-beat in fact. I loved Barcelona. It just has something about it that you can't understand until you go there and see it, and feel it. It's awesome. You'll see the pics.
I will close this blog, but i'll write another to fill you in on my last two days hehe :-) I should be studying this afternoon, but i feel compelled to write
xoxoxo

Fri and Sat in Barcelona...Sunday will be tomorrow so come back to read more!

2010-03-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hi to all! Wow,,first of all let me just say i've got to get back on track with blogging not just for your sake but for my sake as well. 5 days is a long time..and i've been wanting to write so bad that i have a list here at my desk in front of me from days ago ..in which i had dates or moments that i MUST blog to you about! So don't worry..they are coming..i just need to get the time to do it! I just returned from Barcelona tonight, and it's midnite now..12:01..so i'll try to start filling you in on the trip, and then if i get to sleeping and need to go to bed, i'll continue with where i left off in the morning! I must say though, it is so beautiful there,,i just absolutely LOVED it!! and definitely would love to go back!
We left on Friday morning around 10 am...and it was a group of about 35 people...about 15 girls from the University Navarra (my college) and then about 17 guys and 4 girls from the San Sebastian campus (studying engineering). It was a blast getting to know these people, and i met some Great, amazing new friends. It was so great for me! It was about a 5.5 hour bus ride, but i just LOVEd looking out the window, listening to music, and just thinking. This weekend really was awesome for the way that it provided me with time to think about my life, what i' have and continue to be learning, what has changed about me, what remains the same, what i'm thankful for, what i'm going to change in my life, etc. It was just really awesome :) Upon arrival, we unloaded our stuff off at our hostel, which was right off of the main drag in Barcelona (las Ramblas is this main drag street with awesome stores, mercados, interesting people, and also the most dangerous place to get stuff stolen), but anway,,,it was beautiful. And i was pumped b/c our hostel accomodations where wonderful..much better than what Kristen and I had had in Paris, (granted little do i know what this room cost since i just payed for the trip a fixed price), but anyway the room was quaint, and i was one of 10 of my old and new girlfriends on the trip. The boys had to stay in a different hostel (school rules). Anyhow, then we went on a walk down the main drag of Las Ramblas, explored a market, and walked down to the port where all of the boats where docked (this is the port to the Mediterranean Sea). (east side hehe). Anyhow, we just continued to walk around, and then wound up at a bar to eat potato chips and olives and drink (i drank water), but it was weired b/c this bar had closed their kitchen and it was only 9pm,,but that's early for Spain, so we then went to another bar after this since we all were hungry and wanted more food! It was fun b/c it was the majority of our large group, and we ordered 2 bottles of wine (the red wine was so good...better than what i drank in Olite),,,which i still have to tell ou about ..i took that trip last weekend hehe), and then others drank beer. However, i was so proud of myself b/c guess what i ate?...octopus and calamari! I really preferred the calamari, b/c the octopus was more squishy when i was chewing it hehe! It did have an alright flavor tho, and i just had to try it b/c i knew this bar is known for the seafood, b/c we are right on the Mediterranean, and when we walked in there was octopus sitting on the counter..with their tentacles, etc..i know it sounds gross, but this bar was so cool! I'm so proud i just did it..and to be honest, i wasn't afraid and i liked it! But that's another cool thing that's changed...the fact that i will try anything!!!--well PRACTICALLY anything hehe! Then me, Kristen, Megan, and Lise went to a McDonalds and bought icecream heehe..yes i know..i'm looking down guiltily as i write this..but we just felt like we needed it since we had the opportunity hehe! it was great fun! We all slept awesome that night. I"m telling you..i LOVED my bed there! I could have slept for 10 + hours in this bed..i was on the top bunk, but i had this cozy little light up there, and the mattress was more comfortable than what i have here,,(however it is very nice to be back to Julia's cooking and to see her !!).
Saturday morning, we had planned who would wake up in order to shower,,,so we had this domino affect that worked really awesome since there was only 2 showers, however i was really impressed with the bathrooms as well. They were clean, didn't smell, and it was just fun being with all my girlfriends. I felt like i was back in the dorms,,only with ALL of my best friends that i would want to be there (b/c that's what these girls have become here..we are sisters forever),,and it's just so fun meeting new ones too! Anyway, then we went to breakfast, and i'm teling you, i was just like a kid in a candy store. There was 3 kinds of cereal we could pick from (coco krispies, corn flakes (which i eat here every single day ugh..), but i love them now just cuz i'm thankful to get cereal in general,), and then this banana/nut ceral. Then there was juice, cold milk, toast and toasting makers, free oranges and apples, galletas (my new absolute FAVORITE COOKIES.) God you guys...this is off on a tangent but they are SO incredibly awesome..there's nothing to them..there just these plain think cookie-like crisps that have a honey flavor, but i'm telling you i eat them everyday. I don't think there's too many calories..hehe. but even if there is i don't care b/c i have never had anything like them, and then there was magdalenas (a muffin-type of thing) that is also SO good!!). Then, there was an open bar/cafe and i could order any hot drink i wanted, tea, cafe con leche, or whatever, so i always got cafe con leche (coffe with milk) since that is the typical type here in Spain. I think we all just went absolutely crazy with the food..even though it was your typicall continental breakfast, we all felt like we have been on survivor just WANTING these food..and being able to take and eat as much as you want!!!! i probably sound like such a little fatty hehe but seriously, i don't get to help mself to more breakfast when i'm here in pamplona since i'm served it and it's more normal to eat very small for breakfast ! (well brkfast is my favorite meal)! So no lie,,my friends were eating like 3 or 4 pieces of toast, we had strawberry marmelada, cafe con leche etc. i had two bowls of coco krispies and thought i'd died and gone to heaven hehe! ok..i'll move on..but you get the drift..the breakfast's we absolutely LIVED for!!!!! And it was in this huge room that looked out over the streets of Barcelona all lined with windows, so it was light and gorgeous in this room!
Then, we would meet the boys in la plaza catalana and then move on from there. It was this gorgeous, huge plaza that was filled with places to sit around it made of stone, many many many birds (often times we'd scream b/c a little kid would run into their flock on the ground and then they'd all take off towards us!!!), and two gorgeous fountains. The sun was so warm and the sky was so blue on sat..i couldn't believe the difference in weather between pamplona and Barc. it was like 60 or 65 on Sat..so beautiful. We had a tour of the Barrio Gotico by an Italian woman (friend of one of our leaders on the trip), and so she showed us this neighborhood. It was beautiful, and i took tons of amazing pictures of the thin streets lined with tall apartments in these old buildings with wrought-iron little decks off of them, filled with green plants and hues of red, purple, and yellow flowers peaking through. I seriously felt like i was walking right within a movie..far far away, that i'd always dreamed of being in. And it was real, i was alive, smelling, seeing, hearing, and feeling the moment. God,,this was my WHOLE weekend in Barcelona guys, and i'm teling you,,,amazing. I really needed this b/c i lost touch with myself for the past 2 weeks, and this trip was exactly what i needed. I found myself again, i got over a letdown with a boy, and really just returned to finding "lauren" which was SO awesome :) I just can't explain to you how awesome it was..and my understanding and rationalizing of things. i mean u just have this amazing time to think to yourself, to process things, to talk, to listen, to learn, ...it's incredible. I know who i am, and the neat thing is that no matter what happens to me, what i have to go through, or what i learn or see or experience, their are parts of me that will always be 'me' and it just feels so secure/safe & nice/good hehe to have that feeling. It's hard to explain to you, but i hope you can kindof understand. and then at the same time, while i'm experiencing these amazing trips, views, tours, etc, they are influencing who i am as well..it's such an experience. man...oh man...
One of the group leaders on the trip , Maite, became an awesome new friend to me! She is SO cool, and so much fun to be around. she's from Spain, and she works at the Univerisy of Navarra in the foriegn exchange student office, but she's 23 so we are all close in age, and DEF more like friends. The group was given some free time in the afternoon, so first we went down to the port with some of the other girls to lay in the sun, and then we split up, and Maite and i went back to las Ramblas, where we bought some gorgeous earrings made by this lady from Barcelona (SO awesome can't wait to show you!), and several rings. It was like this big craft-type thing,,but differnt. There was everything from flowers and food to jewelry, paintings, books, just so much. Megan was with us too :) Then we went and had some lunch, and i bought some awesome postcards i will be mailing to some of you hehe!! Julia was so awesome and packed me a tortilla de patata bocadillo large enough to basically last 3 meals haha (it was so big i almost couldn't fit it in my backpack in the beginning haha!), So i didn't have to buy lunch until today (sunday). Then we walked to this park, and took pictures, stuck our faces into the sun (mom just like u and i do !! and so for this i missed you!), and then walked back to plaza castillo. At four we met and then there was 3 different options of activities that the group could choose. I went to see la SAgrada Familia, this huge gorgeous church designed by Gaudi, the famous architect from Barcelona Spain. Barcelona is basically 'the home' of his work, so everything has this really eccletic, dreamy, sometime creepy-twisted look to it. Then on another hand some things are just absolutely gorgeous: mosaic-looking alot. The other options were to visit la casa mila (La pedrera): which is like an apartmente building he designed, or to el museu d'art contemporani de barcelona. I ended up seeing both the church (only the outside since the inside was gonna close in 30 min so we didn't want to pay for only short time), and then i paid to see la casa mila. They were both really interesting to see. I was bummed b/c my camera battery died for the house/apt tour, but my girlfriends promised they'd share with me. We got to even climb up to the roof of this place and look out over the city while the sun was setting. i"m telling you, i could describe this setting in another 2000 words to you, but i wont. but just know...it was awesome/incredible.
After this, some of the girls went back to the hostel to sleep b/4 supper b/c they were going to go out all night to party, but me and kristen, lise and megan went back to las ramblas. We went to a carrefour express (like a walmart sort of thing) to buy some snacks since it was only 7pm and we were hungy and knew we'd have to wait till about 10pm to eat b/c we were going to be meeting up with the group again. So we did this (bought diet coke, galletas, chocolate, fruit, and bread) and then went to a starbucks to sit since we were tired! Megan was able to buy her frappacino since she hadn't had one since! I had my coffee in paris, so i was alright! Then i was pumped b/c we quick ran in to H&M b/4 meeting in la plaza cataluna b/c i wanted to buy something for my hair b/c my new friend from Switzerland was going to teach me this gorgeous new way to fix my long hair (which she did today and i can't wait to show you!!), but i ended up finding my fave pair of skinny jeans that i found in SanSebastian. I"m telling u they are the best, so cute, and Pamplona doesn't have any. I wanted to buy another pair b/4 coming home hehe..so i was successful with that! i snatched them esp since they were the last in my size! and only 18 E! that's good for new and they will last me for years!
We all met then after and took the subway to this darker, scarrier part of town, but to this really neat , huge bar where we ordered pitchers of beer, and i had a pitcher of sangria with my 4 friends around me. Then we ordered food..it was like sandwiches with jamon, queso, and stuff like this..but guet this.. so me and the several ppl around me ended up ordering last, and they ran out of bread :( That sucked!!!! b/c i was starving and wanted some real food..but all we could order was patatas fritas! (french fries). so we did,,and they were greasy and good..but i felt so bad eating like that!---granted i hadn't eaten any for a long time..but still..it's like ive cleansed myself from them...so i didn't feel the greatest after. I did have a blast though talking and laughing with all the ppl here..we were at this long table. Then lise and i left b/4 all of them left to go party all night. I oculd have, but they were gonna stay out till 6am (and they did b/c they came into the room at 530 am this morning when i was sleeping n woke me up hehe!), and i just didn't want to have to cme back to hostel by myself earlier, so lise and i left but we took a little side turn b/4 we got back..i'll just say we found some dessert hehe (but it's a secret so we don't seem like little fatties!! ) I"m running tomorrow..or gonna try hehe!)
We got to sleep by 2 or 230am..so that was good.
Well this is only Sat, and Sunday (today in Barcelona) was even better, but it's 12:56, and i've just spent 56 minutes typing, so i must get to bed since i have 830 am class tomorrow :( however this is TO BE CONTINUED tomorrow and u will hear all about Sunday.
I wil be doing a better job of blogging now,,so you will be hearing from me! I have SO SO SO SO SO SO much to tell..b/c life is just so interesting here!
oh,,my nickname here i have to tell you is
"Lorena Morena" everyone call's me this..it's really kindof fun!
and "Conquistadora" this is b/c of the boys that have been interested..i'll have to fill u in on this tomorrow..but we just can't figure it out! They are lining up,,and my girlfriends bother me and say what is your secret tell us..etc etc..but i just don't know..but anyway i have some funny stories i will have to tell you definitely!
Until tomorrow,
All my love
Lorena Morena

Steps of "positivism"

2010-03-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Again another week begins, and a cold one at that here in Pamplona. We are in this 'incredibly deep' cold front that is expected to last about a week and a half, and boy let me tell you with the wind it bites. I pulled out the winter ski-jacket from Maribel today to walk to and from school, and even put the hood up b/c the wind was taking my hair everywhere. Today i had literature class from 8:30 am until 10 and i was a bit sad to learn that it was my last day with este professora. Me gusta ella mucha (i like her so much) she is my favorite. Her name is Palorma, and she is a graduate student here. I will be so sad for her to leave b/c she is just so caring, interesting, and such an amazing professor. I can't believe it..seriously she's one of the best spanish professors i've had, (next to Leonora Sillers :) but she is so positive and encouraging. I asked her if we could meet to have coffee sometime and she said next week, so i will meet her in Pamplona and we will talk. It's very neat b/c even though she is my professor, she is only a couple years older than me, and i think that we could be great friends. I really look forward to talking with her as well about writing: she wants to be a writer/teach writing, so,,,i want to talk to her about my book :-) !!
Conversation class was fine as usual, and then spent some time with marion, Eva, Saskia, and Melanie while they ate lunch. I love those girls. They are all from Germany (Alemania) and It's just amazing how these relationships can form. I feel so blessed. I walked to the post office today then after class to mail a letter to grandma. It's about a 40 min walk from the universidad, and b/c it's cold this was a bit uncomfortable, but i had my ipod on and sang the whole way. I think it was probably funny to the people around me because they were looking at me hehe.
Anyway, as I was walking through the park (la ciudadela), as i was looking down, i see this message written on the sidewalk that says..."Do well." It reminded me of those messages on the bilboards in Fargo that say "SMILE" or "SAY Thankyou" or whatever. So, it made me smile and i continued on.
Well then about 2 minutes down the way, i see another message that says "Be thankful". So by this time i'm intrigued, and it' became sort of a game! As i continued, i stepped across "Be truthful" and then "Don't stop". It really amazed me how something as little as this impacted me at that moment. Painted somewhat 'crooked' across my path, just these simple statements changed my whole tune for the day. It really goes to remind me that so often it's so easy to be influenced by others--at times negatively, but at times positively. Seeing something like this goes to show there are still good-hearted people in this world, and i think we need to see that more often. There are things i haven't written about in this blog, but someday you will know the whole story, and i can explain how some experiences here /influeces from others have impacted my life, and changed the way i see things, the way i think, and added to the amount of strength i have in my heart to move forward. I just want to explain so much to you! the most important thing, is i'm a better person for these things, and i am getting practice from the best situations, and the shitty ones too. It's almost like i train my mind...it's a bit sad at times b/c i think,, "well, i should have known this all along" when something didn't work out let's say, but what i'm starting to see is that it was more important that i took that path, that i through my heart out there, that i took the risk, despite the fact that it probably wont work out. At times i feel i should be more careful to protect my heart, but then how do u EVER experience the amazing things life has to offer if u don't ever take the risk? I think that is so important, and that is someting so grand i'm learning. So if/when im grieving, i think the best thing to tell myself is.."Yah but Lauren,,,think about what would be if you never even would have TAKEN that chance,,gone on that date, danced with him, taken the trip, said what was on your mind"!!! I would much rather have experienced and be sad for a short while then wonder and wonder and wonder for the rest of my life "What if"...All these moments i'm having are steps of positivism for me ...even if they hurt at times. You have to do things that scare you, (keeping your sanity of course) but you get what i'm trying to say. I also think there's a lot to be said for 'letting your "hair-down" sometimes'. More on this in the future.
This afternoon i took a 3 hour nap. It was amazing. I even crawled under the covers, and was so warm and cozy. I figured i'd sleep 1.5 hours or so, but i didn't set my alarm b/c i wanted to just relax. 7 pm i wake up and everything was dark outside, so for a moment i freaked. I wasn't sure if i missed classes, if i'd slept the entire night, or what! But all in all, it was good :) I never allow myself to do this when i'm studying at Concordia.
Tonight was interesting: i was able to talk with some friends, write, write, write, nd skype with mom and Lady for about an hour. It's always nice to have a piece of home :)
Im gonna cut this short now, but i promise this is only a taste of what is going on, and you will get more in the future :) I will still write about Friday and Saturday. I promise.
All my love,
Lauren

Los sujetos de mi alma

2010-03-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hey:I'm really lagging behind and i have SO much to write...so i will warn you that within the next few days there will hopefully be a LOT on here for you all to read :-) My reasonings for being behind include that Friday i went out with a new friend all afternoon, then to a fabulous/interesting theater production in a town on the outskirts of Pamplona in the night,
Sat i went to the pueblo Olite all day and absolutely loved it :) ( i will tell you all about this),
And then in the evening celebrated my birthday !It was the best celebration i've ever had and i can't wait to tell you about thattoo! Today i spent the afternoon with my best friend Marion in el parque taconera where we just enjoyed the sun (not the wind..it's gotten cold brrrr) and talked, walked, and then took a coffee at Cafe Iruna. It was wonderful. Tonight i then finished by going to mass, and spending the evening with Maribel and their family. It was so very nice. I will leave you with this poem i just finished writing for my literature class. It is due tomorrow, and i still need to write it out fresh on a new page (by hand), but i will translate it to English my best i can and let you dwell on this thought. or i should say thoughtS.
All my love, and until tomorrow
Lauren
"The Subjects of my Soul"
The subjects of my soul cannot be limited to one thing or idea
but rather a grand aura of ideas, of passions, of desires, and aspirations.
The subjests of my soul i'm not able to describe in one phrase or in two or three,
but rather in metafors, through grand visions
However, even these don't do justice to explain these subjects like they really are, and to explain how they really feel within my soul.
One subject of my soul is like an immense view of the ocean
my immagination moves with the waves
It moves with tenacity; never stopping..only and always moving forward.
My goals have no limits, like the horizon on the ocean
They are grand; they are difficult; they are beautiful; they scare me.
These goals will become my reality
however right now they are uncertainties.
One subject of my soul is to dream.

One subject of my soul is like a huge tree with it's thousands of leaves.
At times these leaves green and vibrant
other times brown and dry
Each and every one a special part of me.
There are moments in which varias leaves fall: they die
These moments are sad; cold;
a change occurs that I don't like; that i struggle with
I don't forget these leaves
My soul crys, my heart has pain
because i have lost a part of me, regardless of whether it was good or bad.
I know that a new season is already on it's way
but when?
How long must i wait?

One subject of my soul es patience; with friends, with family, with everyone in the world.
It's to love and to be loved
It's to find the 'One'.

One subject of my soul is like an enormous montain
My desires are at the top,
and always i am looking up; at how I will climb that beastly, sometimes ugly,
thing.
But,
What happens when I reach the top?
Am I able to cry because my endeavor is over?
Should i smile and laugh because i've conquered it?
Should i look forward, or should i look back? And how long can i spend doing this?
One subject of my soul is the exploration:
a trip
a study
a discovery
One subject of my soul is the 'unmasking' of life

With each day that passes, my soul gains new pieces of me
through people
through experiences
through places
With each year, my soul loses pieces of me
good pieces of me, and bad.

However, the subjects of my soul withstand it all.
The subjects of my soul are of dreams
they are of love
they are of the trip of life
they are of my discoveries,
my lessons
my failures.

No one can take these subjects of my soul
and for this,
I will always have
my individuality
and my identity.

A new decade begins, and i'll never forget the first day

2010-03-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

First, I must begin by thanking each and every one of you that thought of me today and or wished me well :)I can't believe how many called me, wrote me, and just surprised me in general. As of now, I've recieved 54 messages on my facebook, 4 phone calls, 2 texts, 1 skype, 3 cards in the mail...two of which arrived on the day :), and 2 celebrations..3 if i count the mini one we had after dance with Ruben ha!! This morning, it was a little hard b/c it wasn't the same not being home..but that's bc that's all I've ever known. I didn't have any plans, or any idea of my day..bt let me tell you, sometimes the unknown is the best b/c everything is a surprise, and wonderful <3 I will begin!
I know i lacked yesterday, so i will do today first, and if time i'll fill you in on yesterday too. As i said i'd been busy studying as i had a large midsem exam this morning. so all during breakfast i studied ,,but it was cute b/c when Julia walked in the kitchen, she gave me two kisses on the cheek, and tugged on each of my ears gently hehe! That is tradition here i guess on your birthday ! It was cute. then i was off to school :) My test was fine..it's hard to say how well..but we'll see. I was prepped as best i could do myself. Then i had convo class, and despues (after), i went to the medschool to sit in on Physiology! I absolutely loved it! I went with one of my girlfriends i met here early on at orientation. I don't see her a lot b/c she is a 3rd yr med student and she has to study a lot, but i'm going to audit this class now..(go and sit in and listen). It was all in Spanish of course, and there were probably close to 100 students in the class, but i was so in awe at how much of it i understood! When the doctor talked about Bowman's capsule, and the contracting Sodium and potassium and ATP in the valves of the heart, i was so excited b/c i was understanding this too!---remembering it from Dr. Rutherfords class :) So anyhow, it was very intense, but i really think it'll be good for me b/c it's going to give me another thing to wrap my mind around; another thing that will challenge me while i'm thinking...yet not causing me stress to actually perform and understand EVERYTHING.
When i left the university, I had recieved a phone call from my girlfriends and they all sang to me happy birthday on my phone. It made my day. i could have cried. they wanted to take me out b/c they said they'd gotten me gifts..so we planned meeting at our fave little cafe at 4. Then i walked home. It was so cute...bc when i walked in my room, there was a gift sitting on my bed that i didn't recognize, and Julia went and got the mail and gave me two more special cards from home..one from my family and the other from a close special friend. One of Julia's sons made me a disc of all of the Marisol y Rocio peliculas (movies). They are from the 40's or 50's and are old films that her and I love to watch. It was really specail he did this. I hope it works with my formatting i have. Also, Carlos andJavier called me too. And Maria Josefa in Zaragoza too! It was so fun to sit down and read my cards, and think, and just be in that moment. I then turned my comput. on and was able to enjoy some of the many messages too! One of my best friends called too, Marion, and it MADE my day to talk to her! I missd her today..and i only haven't seen her for 1 day. What will i do when i come home?!! For lunch, Julia made one of my favorite things..This vegetable dish that has califlower and this lettuce type of thing that has been soaked in water/olive oil, and something else..i know it sounds weired but it's so good. So I enjoyed that, and then i had chicken with bread. For dessert, she had made a tarta (cake)..she didn't actually bake the cake b/c she doesn't have an oven here, but she bought la tarta, and then she had poured this drink on it (it's a licor that DArla you would know but i don't remember the name..plus it's in Spanish hehe!), but anyway that makes it soft, and then she made a special creme (vanilla) and also melted chocolate for the top. It was different, but seriously cake is cake to me. Not the same as my annual carrot cake, but i wil celebrate with that when i get home :) Anyhow, so we took some pretty cute pictures, we laughedso hard that we started crying, and had some awesome conversations. Before she took the pictures, it ws so funny b/c she went to the cupboard and she pulled out all this bottles of licor and put them on the table to be in the picture hehe!!!! It was so hilarious you guys im not kidding! Then she gave me a shot of Pacharan, which is anise flavored licor. I really liked it, but she wanted me to drink it fast, so i did, but i would have loved to just sip it! It was so good! Boy did we laugh tho! YOu'll have to check out the pics on facebook and then you'll understand why hehe!
After lunch,, i got to skpye with my family. Dad and Ben were on their way out the door, but I got to talk with mom and lady for 1 hour! It was so nice...it's different bein away from my mama on my bday..especially since it's her bdy too..(well u know what i mean <3) anyhow, we had our time together, so that was nice.
Then, my girlfriends picked me up and we went to the cafe. They bought me cafe con leche, and we talked and LAUGHED o god did we laugh. I laughed so hard at skyla that i almost could have peed my pants, and my tummy hurt b/c i was laughing so hard and so long. It was SO incredibly good for me :) They all bought me chocolate,different kinds even!!!...and we have this huge joke about how i love the choc here..so of course that provoked more laughs :) Then to mke the night even more exciting, Kristen, Kristen, and I headed over to dance class. By this time the Pacharan shot had nicely given me a little silly-ness,,then added with some chocolate, and cafe con leche...dancing was great hehe! And my partner was there now..we've gotten to be really good friends now, and he's so fun, so that was fun too. And Nerea made it so fun tonight...God i love dance class..seriously,,then they had me laughing so hard i did start to pee my pants..oh goodness...! lol... Anyhow, after I interviewed Ruben for this class project i'm doing, and then Kristen, Kristen, he and I all talked for awhile. It was a blast! He is so patient and helpful to us as we talk spanish. It's so great to practice, and he teaches me a lot too!
Kristen and Kristen came back to my piso, and Maribel and her son Inaki came too, and we all had more birthday cake (tarta) and then..hahahah get this..Julia brought out more licor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it was different from the stuff earlier..Oh my god you guys...she was SO funny today! But we drank this peach-flavored licor and it was seriously my favorite new thing. So good. And she had a bottle of red wine, and something else...but we didn't feel like getting to that ! We all enjoyed talking with Maribel, taking more pictures, and then the girls left for home. Julia and I had la cena (just some soup), and we enjoyed talking about my day, all the wishes i recieved, boys (we talk about boys a lot haha!), and my life to come in my twenties :) It really is a very exciting time to come i think...and i am out of the slump i was last week. It really does feel different to be 20 i think..b/c i've changed..and i like the change..my outlook is open, free, optimistic, and the possibilites are endless. Its so excites me to think that if my life can change so rapidly in just 2.5 months, if i can meet so many amazing new people that can change my life is such a positive way...i can't even imagine what this new decade will bring.
Tonight, when i finaly got to my computer and was able to see my facebook, i still can't believe that i ha 54 messages, and to tell you that i am still recieving them. Wishes from Germany, Japan, the U.S., people from Spain here, ...so many wonderful people. I am truly so blessed and lucky for everything i've been givin.
One other funny thing i have to say..this is an awkward spot to write it but owell..so tonight while Julia and I were eating our soup and talking...you know what she says to me?!?! That of ALL the girls that have lived with her over the years, she has never seen one that has as pretty panties as i do!!!!!! At first i didn't understand b/c i didn't know the word for panties in spanish, but then as she explained to me i could only just giggle. I tried to explain Victoria's Secret to her, but i'm not sure she got it! Anyway, we laughed when i told her the only people that really get to enjoy them are me and then the person that washes them hehe! Owell,,, i only need to know they're pretty anway hehe!
Last night we enjoyed watching Mira Quien Baile. It was fun...i can't study though wen i watch, so i didn't get to see the end. Butthe test is more important anyway.. ha.
Anyhow, i guess i should prob get to bed..there are 5 more min of March 4 2010 according to my computer clock now, but again, i can't say enough how blessed i feel, and how Ready i am to start this next chapter in my life. Look out world, b/c here i come!
All my love,
Love Lauren

Crema de Cocoa, studying, dancing, and laughing, & living in the moment

2010-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Yes i know..that is a long title, but it really sums up my Tuesday :) Today was just..hum...a nice day :) I can't believe how they fly, but i've really just decided i have to soak this ALL up. Classes went very well today. I don't like my grammar class as much anymore,,,it just doesn't help me the way i need it to, but i'm studying it extra hard for this,,and then we presented our huge project in Civ/Culture class that we've been working on for 1 month. I thought that we did great!-and it feels nice to have it done with. Now we will get a new professor (graduate student) on Friday, since maria, the one we've had is done now. There are two students splitting teaching our class..but i really liked Maria !! Hopefully Beatriz is great too. Anyhow, after that i went to the library and studied until 2pm or so. It was good to continue to review these stupid confusing pronouns haha,,however i'm happy to say while studyingthem this afternoon they were coming right along. Today for lunch we kindof just had left-overs, but that was ok with me b/c i just cant eat so much all the time..so Julia gives me a hard time that i cause her to have left-overs..but i'd rather it be that way! Ha i still feel like i eat a ton! anyway, i least when i stood on the scale on Monday, it said i'd lost some weight, so that was a huge surprise since i'm eating more than i ever have it feels like haha..!! It's gotta be the walking, dancing, and running. Anyhow, i took a rest this afternoon on my bed that consisted of covering up with my wonderful blanket Julia's givenme here, my lovey, and my book. That lasted about 10 min and then i was out :) I got about 15 min of shut-eye b/4 my alarm went for dance.
Tonight was fun at Dance..Gosh i just love that i know i say it every time but i really do. im gonna say again, Nerea is SO AWESOME. Tonight my partner was gone :( but i had a blast anyway dancing with Nerea. We worked on the ChaChaCha, and then we started the Salsa! Ok..so ive finally found one reason it's great that my ass is so big...and that is b/c dancing the salsa with it is SO much fun! It's like you WANT your curves to be able to move your body to the music,etc. so i just love what i've got when i dance this hehehe..I guess maybe i need to dance salsa everyday so i can feel this way hehe :) Anyhow, it was great! Thursday i am excited to go back. I just wish i had it every day! We laugh so hard too, and it was funny b/c they were making fun of me that they thought i'd had something to drink last time b/c i was just smiling all the time and then i was like..absolutely not hah! Kristen and KRisten too,,,we all just smile! It's so awesome..the best medicine for anything. I forget about everything and just dance. Plus the music Nerea has is awesome. I'm so excited for Friday night to go to her performance! i"ll tel you more about that later!
Tonight it was so much fun when i got home. I love my host family SO much! Tonight, Maria Josefa is staying with us again b/c she had another checkup for her breast cancer today. I"m so happy b/c everything is good for her. She is the neatest women, and we enjoy talking alot. She was here for 3 nights last week as she was doctoring in pamplona, and she gave me the most beautiful crucifix with Jesus that she got from Jerusalem: her sister is there. It meant SO much to me. Now, every time i pray i holdit in my hands and i have it with me all the time. It's like he's with me then all the time. I even hold it all through church :) Anyway, it's so special to me and i will cherish it for the rest of my life in so many moments. Inaki (Julia's 10 year old grandson) was here too, with his Mom Maribel. Maribel was dropping him off to stay since she was going to her tennis team tonight. I love Inaki...This is so funny so i have to tel you what happened.
So normally during the week, Julia goes over to there piso (Maribel's) and helps with laundry, cooking, etc.. (i love this idea...hint hint hey mom maybe you could live just down the street for me to babysit my kids and cook and do laundry hehe) Anyway, so a few weeks ago, i'm sitting in the kitchen in our piso, and i see this pack of cigarettes sitting on the radiator. Im thinking..ok, what the heck,,first of all, Julia doesn't smoke, and 2nd of all, Why are there wet cigarrettes in a box drying in our kitchen on the radiator hahahah!!!!???!!! Anyhow, so i ask Julia, and she tells me that when she's at Maribels house during the day and she's cleaning or tidying, she will often times find these wet boxes of cigarrettes in the garbage. She knows that it's either Inoa (the 14yrold girl) or Inaki b/c they don't want their mom to smoke. Maribel smokes some times, and so she will have them on hand. So when this happened he first time i laughed. But then 1.5 weeks later, when i came home and saw another pack drying on the radiator again, i really had to laugh. But Julia just shakes her head. So ...where im going with this is today,,when i came home from school there was another box drying on the radiator, so tonight, as i walk in the door from dance and i'm standing in the living room listening to Julia, Maribel, and Maria Josefa talk, and Inaki sits at the table working on is homework, Julia says to me, "Lauren, ask Inaki if he's the one who puts the cigarrettes in water!?" And she says this to me IN FRONT OF MARIBEL!!!! I was thinking o god...and Inaki got this funny look/smirk on his face. He smiled and looked down and said well "yes Inoa and I both do it". Julia was mad at him b/c she was trying to explain how expensive cigarrettes are and how instead he should just give them to her and she will give them to her other son Carlos and his wife Eva since they smoke all the time. Oh my goodness!!!..so we have this argument going on..!!! Anyhow, i wish i could have had a tape recorder b/c it really was quite hilarious, however, Maribel had to leave, and the talking hushed down, and the i went to Inaki and in English (b/c no one else understands english sufficiently except for the grandkids snce they're learning it),,i told him good job and that it was good he was wetting the cigarrettes. I kindof felt like a bad-guy, going against Julia and Maribel, but really Maribel i think inside is thankful they do it, b/c she didn't seem to be nearly as mad as Julia. I don't think she does anything/punishes the kids for doing that. It might actually help her. Who knows..but anyway, he just smiled and said yes i know..he said he will catch her in the dark sometimes smoking..and then he'll flip the light and see her standing there...it's a little sad, but i'm glad they're tryng to eliminate it.oh wat a funny saga! I wonder how many more packages will be drying on our kitchen radiator over the course of my time here living with Julia heheheh! Oh how i love this drama, b/c it is just so different from what i'm used to in such a refreshing way.
Another i want to make note of..is that the people here are just so beautiful. I'm not kidding you i don't think i've ever seen as many beautiful people in my life as i have while being here in Europe. I just want to stay so i can somehow 'transform' hehe :) hopefully i take some back with me hehe!!
Tonight, i am all clean and ready for bed. by the end ofmy days i am SO tired, but i love my bed here. I've been sleeping so good now, so that is nice. If anything, i just am reminding myself to live in the moment. It's SO hard sometimes, but it's really what you have to do. I am such a dreamer, and i love to think about the future and what my life has in store for me, but i'm really realizing that you can't seek happiness in anything or in any place but only within the moment that you have right then and there. (Easier said than done) but i will keep up this :)
My new favorite (sinful) indulgence: Crema de cocoa: it's probably the fattiest, thing i could eat, but it's like pb here but choc. It's better..i don't need peanut butter anymore guys! haha. I eat this with a sppoon &or put it on crackers and i'm telling you it's so amazing. God i'm crazy. As long as i'm exercising heheh.
Julia made this amazing dessert for me today too..it was so good it was called Torrijas. It's Inaki's favorite thing too. You take dry bread (from the good long sticks of bread we eat here), and then cut it in some pieces, and soak it in milk and honey. Then she frys it in olive oil and an egg so that it gets a little crunch to it after it's soaked in the honey. Then she puts oodles of cinnamon and sugar on top of it. I'm telling you..So amazing with my cup of hot green tea after lunch today :) I'm a lucky girl. HOw did i get so lucky again to live with her. I can't count how many lucky stars i've been blessed with, and for all the rough, unfortunate things i've dealt with thus far, it's days or even moments like this that make up for it 10 times...and i really see first had what is most important.
I know this was a long one, but i hope you enjoyed it! I"ll cherish these blogs forever..it's my fast way of keeping a diary and i can type everything.
All my love to you,
Love Lauren

Estamos en Marzo

2010-03-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

We are already in March! Where is the time going! And i said i was going to go to bed two hours ago..so what the heck am i doing still up. Jeez when am i gonna learn. I just got caught up tonight bc i recieved the cord email that talked about registration so i was already looking through the schedules to plan my courses. Oh it's always so exciting to me.even though i can just sense the level of stress coming already hehe..It will be alright though :)
Today was a successful day. I didn't work out, buti got SO much done. I had a successful presentation this morning in Lit, studied hard core in the lib for 2 hours for my test thurs (on my bday hehe!), came home, ate lunch, then registered for my summer school classes, got to talk to dad on the phone today (yippee!), finished writing this long survey that i have to make and conduct, practiced for my presentation tomorrow, made our tentative italy itinerary, planned some concordia classes for the fall, and emailed several friends and family. I also tried to study grammar a bit more. Oh and i showered hehe but you didn't need to know that i guess! but all in all, good day.. Busy just sitting at my desk, but somtimes i like those days when i feel i accomplish a lot. I am doing better for those of you that knew what was up. This are going well, as i knew that there would be hard moments that would hit me here, but i've gone through enough to have the strength to climb any hill/or mountain, no matter how tall now and no matter how fast it decides to put itself in my path. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts and support :)
I hope that all is well with you! Today i was missing Ben a lot! hehe! I happen to see a picture of him and i just can't believe how grown up he is getting. That scares me..i've been thinking about when we were little a lot,,maybe that's why. Anyhow, that was what my mind was on today. Otherwise, i am so thankful for my amazing friends here, Julia, and every opportunity that has and is going to come my way. When God closes a door, he always opens a window somewhere too :)
All my love to you all,
Miss you,
Lauren

Sunny Sunday

2010-02-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

Today was probably the most beautiful day i've seen here in Pamplona since i've arrived. Compared to yesterday's wind and rain off and on, today, it was like i was somewhere in the middle of summer. Clear blue sky, no wind at all, sun all day. I woke up, and i'd slept SO good..the drapes here do such a good job of keeping your room dark that i didn't know if it was cloudy or rainy or what outside (that was what i expected). Then i opened them it was just such a mood booster hehe! I love sun! I had breakfast (im geting so sick of cornflakes so i asked Julia to get something else for me soon hehe!) and then i went to church. It was so nice..just to pray and immerse myself there and relax. I needed it and the gospel was so great today..it really gave applied to me :) and i think going just gives me the push, the courage, and the strength to take on everything in life..good and bad..i'm so glad i've gotten back in the habit of going.
After church, b/c the weather was just too gorgeous, i went running in the park again. It was so nice, and although it was a hard run, i felt so great afterwards. When i was in the park doing my physical therapy, i saw my car drive by! It was the first time i've seen it here in Europe, but you guys i must have stared at it for like 5 min!! hehe the entire time it was parked at the red light and then i watched as it drove away..same color, sun roof, same everything..I guess i miss my car heheh! That will come soon enough though! She's tucked away safe :) I was going to study in the park later, but i ended up just staying at my desk b/c i got so much more done. I had to study grammar and also work on a huge powerpoint presentation, but the sun was shining in all day. Also, it was so lovely b/c i got to drink a Coca-Cola light (Diet Coke) this afternoon. So refreshing, especially when you haven't had one in so long!! Tonight i went for a walk to my friend's Piso where we worked/reviewed our powerpoint. It was nice b/c i got to enjoy the weather again outside a few more times since i had to walk about 30 min each way hehe :)
Then i went over to Maribels' to talk with her a bit, and just see the family and then print off my notes for my presentation tomorrow. It is so comforting when i go over there..i don't know.they just treat me like another daughter which feels so good. I was so happy b/c i heard from my advisor today Dr.Rutherford..It was just nice to get the note from her..as i noticed it gave me a 'grounded' feeling ..a nice reminder of my goals and what i'm working for :)
I had to read a story tonight for my lit class, and other than that i just relaxed..i wish i could have gone to bed earlier but there was no way..just too many things to do to prepare for this week. This will prob. be the busiest week since it's mid-term exam time. I look forward to what the week brings however, and i am going to continue to look up and thank God for everything i've been blessed with. I heard from mom and dad today too..that was so wonderful. I am so lucky for them, and it was just so nice to talk to dad since i hadn't in awhile. !
Julia and i had a fun conversation at supper tonight. We could just talk and talk like i've said before. She is so cute..today she had on the cutest little outfit..i cna't even describe it ..it was this matching shirt and pants, and it was gray, but the softest material and then it had bunny rabbits on the shirt in just a small part. When i first saw her in it today, i couldn't help but laugh at her hehe..She is just too cute. How am i so lucky to live with her and to have met her?! I don't know but i will forever thank God to have had her in my life.
I better get to sleep..but tomorrow is a new day, and this week is a new week. Optimism, Smiling, Confidence, Drive, and Eagerness and Thankfulness..that is my game.
All my love,
Lauren

Dont worry be Happy

2010-02-27T03:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry that i have not written in a few days. Everyone has finally become very busy with midsemester papers, projects, and exams to prepare for and to be honest, it's sad!!! B/c it's harder to see them. I won't lie when i say that these past few days/or the week in general has been the hardest 'mentally' on me since i've been here. I think it was a combination of things, but i do such a good job of worry about things, so from now i will approach things with the 'Don't worry be happy' motto when i start to analyze something (you ALL know how good i am at doing that!) haha. Plus, i think what is starting to happen, is as i continue to learn the differences in people, i have to understand that not everyone is going to be exactly like i expect them or do or act like i would expect them to act..b/c maybe what i've always known is not what is common for them to do in their culture..so with that...it's an adjustment. I find i really have to think 'loosely' if that makes sense..or not have any set assumptions or ideas and just go with how things are. At times that can be very hard b/c you just don't know how things will turn out, u just have to go with the flow. I think that is SUCH a good life skill that i will and am getting the opportunity to practice. It's still difficult though.
On a brighter note, i did have a wonderful night out on Wed night with my girlfriends from Concordia. We went to the bar call Singular, and we had such a blast dancing and singing (hehe and we hadn't drank anything ha!) I really just needed to get out and let my hair down with my girls..and they are so good to me and for me. We all are. We can talk about anything, and our worries, and we all understand each other b/c we are all going through similar emotions if that makes sense. (to a certain extent). I went out on Thurs and Fri as well for short whiles, and it was alright--just too much smoke for me in those bars. Thurs i met up with some ppl who are med students here, and i was talking with them and i'm going to go to their classes with them at the clinic next week. I'm excited for this since "believe it or not!!" i've been missing med/science topics alot!!! I guess i should! hehe. Anyhow, that will give me another outlook and something to learn and think of also.
This morning i woke and went to tutor the little ones. I just am so enlightened and rejuvenated when i get to work/be with them. They were so good today, and we read books, played head, shoulders, knees and toes, and learned about the names of different animals (with the younger ones). The older sister and i read a book about cities in the world, and we covered Paris, New York, and Amsterdam. It was lovely, and she is such a great reader. Next week i'm gonna bring my laptop to show her my oodles and oodles of pictures of Central Park b/c we talked alot about this today. Oh how i love Central park..man,,def one of my favorite places on this earth.
Today i will study until lunch, or try to work on my powerpoint presentation, and then this afternoon i may go shopping for a few hours to the mall with my girlfriends to get out. It is just nice to look and be with them :)
I am getting very excited for Italy trip, and Megan and Kristen and I are going to continue planning this when Meg get's back from Morrocco. She is there this weekend with her mom b/c her mom came to visit :) I told my mom i wanted her to come to visit hehe..god that'd be so awesome but b/4 i'd left we'd decided no. But now i just want to show her SO much and teach her and introduce her to all of these amazing people and places. Thank goodness i can talk to her through skype. My time here has really strengthened our relationship and made it for the better :) and i am so rejuvenated after i talk with her b/c she grounds me and reminds me of what is true . I love you mom.
Probably my favorite part of this week was dance class. Oh how i wish i could just have it every single day instead of just tues/thurs. I love the teacher Nerea, she is so bubbly and funny, and so nice, and i laugh so hard during the class that i start to cry sometimes hehe and my face turns all red and all the kids make fun of me haha! It's so good for me though, just to let loose and dance. I just love it, and i'm really getting to be great friends with the ppl in the class. I especially like dancing with this one guy in our class b/c he is so funny..he tries to practice his english with me..and whenever he see's me he says "Hello how are you", and i'm like well you can talk to me in Spanish i DO understand haha! but it's complicated talking about dance-moves together ...i guess it's great practice for me though! Anyway, i love it, and i love the Tango. I'm getting SO much better at it, and Kristen F and Kristen M are too. It's just so much fun, the music is awesome, the danceroom is gorgeous, with one side all windows that look out over a huge park withlights, and part of Pamplona. (so i feel like i'm kindof in some cool studio hehe). We open the sliding door, the cool breeze comes in, and i just never want to quit. I think this is prob one of the best things i could have done for myself while being here,,and i almost didn't do it! I'm SO glad i did. When i get home i'm going to continue with it so that i don't lose the skills, because now i'm getting it down! I just have to find someone who will go out with me for a night and dance hehe!
Mercedes gave me the weeks worth of newspapers today so i am excited for that, and i am just sitting here drinking my green tea. it is rainy and windy again (what's new haha!), but when i think of it i will take this over 20 degrees farenheit and oodles of snow anyday. I prefer this kindof winter. Yesterday i went for a run in the ciudadela (central park here) and i had capris, a t-shirt with light wind coat, and my running shoes! that's it! Gotta love that, and the sun was out and it was about 50 or so i would say. So nice.
Anyhow, i am thinking of you all, and i appreciate your prayers and support always. I miss you, but am growing so much here..it is good for me :)
All my love,
Love Lauren

Invicible

2010-02-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today...or i should say tonight,,,was a nite i will not forget. My day was nice too though :) I had grammar and culture/civ class this morning, and then i had cafe con leche and tortilla y patata y worked on our group project with my wonderful friends Marion and Maja in Faustino's (that's the name of our cafeteria :) ) I swear to God that's one of my FAVORTIE places here hehe just b/c i have so many wonderful moments with my friends, the food is SO SO cheap to buy and SO good, and it's such a cozy setting (you've seen some pics :)
Then, around 230pm i headed home, but went for a walk around the corte ingles/downtown area, and finally found this quiant, but AMAZING store that' ive been looking for for the last week hehe! It is a store of the coolest, more beatiful jewelry, scarfs, purses, ...basically 'Lauren haven!!!!" that i've ever seen in my life..reasonably priced too! So ....hehe i bought myself my birthday present(s) today... early presents hehe. I bought the most gorgeous ring and two bracelets...so it was fun to just treat myself. I will def be going back there though to buy gifts for mom, friends, etc b/c its just so fun. Then, to make matter's even better, i started talking with the lady that was working there, and it turns out she is from Pamplona, studies at the public university (so we don't go to the same university), but she was SO nice to me and wanted to know how i was doing, etc. So we talked, i told her how i'm doing here, loving a lot of things, and then b/4 i left she say's to me.."Here i want to give you my name and number so you can call and we'll have cafe or you can come to my piso and we can cook and visit".! It was just the coolest, random thing. I was NOt expecting to meet a new friend, but it was like a double birthday present! hehe...She is SO awesome and fun to visit with, her name is Slvia, her boyfriend was studying in New York, but now he's back here, ..but anyway,,i'm just so happy to have met her, and i think i'm gonna call her this weekend. I love how you just never know when life will put a new person in your life, and had i never gone walking and found the store, i would have never even met her! So i'm so glad i did!
I had dance class in the early evening, and what was SO much fun about this was that there was only 4 of us students there..plus the teacher Nerea..so it was me, Kristen, the other Kristen hehe, and Ruben. He is so fun too! So we danced chachacha for an hour, and i swear, i just laugh so hard when i'm there. I just love this..it's another one of those situations i just feel so blessed to be in b/c i'm meeting real Spanish people, learning, and just being happy. Then, it was funny b/c for the next hour, we sat in a circle and visited! We talked about food, desserts, Ruben explained to us how to cook some things (he's 21) and then Nerea told us of some bars and good places we can all go out to practice the tango and chachacha and the other dances we are learning. Then we left!..so even though we didn't practice Tango tonight, the night was awesome! The four of us are going to go out sometime and dance and have a drink b/c it was so fun talking!!!
Then, as i was walking home tonight, i got just this provoking feeling to drop everything and run. So that's what i did, and i'm telling you it was the best run of my ENTIRE LIFE!. I went to the ciudadela, and it was already dark out, but it must have been 55 degrees farenheit, 0 mph wind, a moon softly hidden by the clouds, and the lights of the buildings, the park, the cars, and a few stars lighting my way. The other thing is that i've never seen so many runners in one place at that time of day in all my life. It was just so fun..it was like i entered runners world..and as i was going, i'd look into the eyes of a runner passing me by, and we'd just exchange this gaze of pure happiness..that of which only a runner knows. Im telling you, tonight was a major mile-stone for me, because i ran for 35 minutes without stopping a single stride, and without feeling 1 ache or pain in my leg. It's been over 8 -9 months since ive felt this good, and then with the broken leg, etc,,i can't tell you what it meant for me to do this--and feel so good at the same time. I just went. What i love so much, is that when i'm running, i'm free, i'm independent, i don't need anybody, all i need is my legs to carry me, my eyes to guide me, and my ears to give me the pleasure to hear (tonight is was Taio Cruz, MJ, and Mariah Carey,,with a mix of more of my fave songs!)I just reached that point where i could keep going, going, goin, and yet i was waiting for that ache, for that strike of pain that i've become so accustomed to, and it never came. I swear to God, i had a smile on my face for the entire time, AND i think i was even singing out-loud haha. Oh god! thank you God :) I'm just so thankful to have legs that work, and to be able to do this. Even if not everyday, and if not 26 miles, i can do 35 min, and i still get those endorphins. I don't need anything else when i can do this..it just gives me strength, courage, confidence, and independence. It's my medicine, and cure for all.
When i was home, Julia had prepared my favorite chorizo with bread and a tomato in olive oil. Then i at an amazingly fresh apple, drank a ton of water, and had some amazing Spain chocolate hehe :) God ...it was a good night..there really is only one thing that could have made it better..but i will get to be with him soon :)
Until next time,
All my love,
Lauren

Early Edition is on!!!!

2010-02-22T13:35:00.000-08:00

I just HAD TO MAKE THIS OTHER POST because im sitting here and i was watching the olympics, and i changed the channel and Early Edition with Gary Hobson is on t.v!!! I LOVED that show when it was a series on regularly! Mom and Ben i hope you read this so you know i am watching it! and thinking of all our nights we watched it together hehe! (it's funny cuz it's all in Spanish!)
Just had to tell you xoxox
Love you,
Lauren

hazelnut chocolate, tortillas de potatas, and more of Julia!!!

2010-02-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

Today was just a regular day :) but a good day! I had my literature class at 8:30am and i just love that class. It is so interesting, and the stories/books/poems, etc that we read i love. My professor is the best too, she is my favorite so that probably helps ! hehe! Anyway, after i went to the library to study until noon for my conversation class. I studied my grammar with Marion while she studied her economics. I got my bank account today; and it was cool b/c for opening it they gave me a ton of really awesome gadgets for my computer. such as a new jumpdrive (4 gb), a mouse, a small keypad with numbers that i can connect to mylaptop and use, an ethernet cord, and a bunch of other goodies. It was a fun surprise. I had lunch with julia..and boy was this interesting. haha..so what happened was she had cooked spaghettie and then some meat for me today with peppers. The meat was tenura (the daughter of the mother cow), but the meat wasn'tall the way cooked through (or i thought)...so since i've been so sensitive to food the last month, i decided to save myself and instead of risk getting the stomach flu again i'd ask her to cook it more. Well, she kindof didn't understand why i wanted it cooked more but i explained and said i just was being cautious to not get food-sick again! I was very nice and apologetic, and kept thanking her for how good everything was and how much i like it, but just needing it cooked more. So she did, and it was better...but then the entire conversation during lunch was about how we don't like rare meat bc it' scares us hehe. Ha i wish i could have recorded this conversation...it was hilarious!
This afternoon, i worked on some grammar homework again, and am almost all caught up from France..but grr prof gives many worksheets hehe! I can't complain though..b/c it could be worse..like labs or something haha! nah i like her class.
This afternoon, it stopped raining, so that was nice b/c i went for a run in the park again. I've been feeling really great, so i'm thankful, still being very careful. Then i walked to the post-office to mail some of my postcards to friends. You know, why can't the U.S. post-office's be open until 8:30 pm like they are here monday thru Friday?!! I was hurrying there to try and make it b/4 6 b/c i thought they closed then, and then i get there and it's 8:30 ???!!! haha i'm lovin this...Did i mention that i think i'll just stay here ? hehe jk..but god that crosses my mind every day now hehe!
Tonight i finished my portion of the group work for our group project we have, and then i talked with my friend in Germany. She was in a bad accident, so i can't come to visit her anymore, but that is ok b/c i have places i can and want to visit here..i just pray for her recovery. Julia is so funny: while i was in my room tonight, she hollered at me to come in the living room..and so i did and she wanted to tell me about the case on telediario. Ok, so this show is a talk-show where one lady (she's like judge judy) solves or helps to solve other people's problems. It's so funny b/c it's all young people from the south of spain (or so Julia says but she should know b/c she's ALWAYS watching this!), and they have relationship problems. Well tonight, she had to tell me about this case where the boyfriend left the girl after 7 yrs of dating and now wants her back and she has a new byfrnd etc..mucho mucho drama!!! oh man i can't stand watching the show, but i just stood there and listened to her tell me and watch ...it's just so funny b/c she get's so into it!
hahaha
But she made one of my favorite things for la cena tonight. She made tortilla de potatas and then we put them on the best bread so it's a bocadillo (sandwich). yum,,then tomato with olive oil (tonight she set the salt on the table for me to put on hehe :) and then i had kiwi. So good! For dessert, we had tea and i had this awesome hazelnut choc that i bought here in Pamplona. I"m telling you i'ts just my favorite..i have to be careful how much i eat of it hehe! but it's so good! i will definitely be buying a supply of this b/4 i come home...if i come home hehe (jk i have to!)
Anyway, the little ones brought me the newspapesr today, so i have those to read, and i also started twilight (crepusculo) the book in spanish. I can understand 95% of it, so it's fun...i figured i'd give it a shot again since everyone here is crazy about it too. I started it a year and a half ago but got bored, but we'll see what happens. i'm doing it more for the practice!
Tomorrow i have 2 classes, work on group project, and then i think i wil study in afternoon. I have dance class in the night, and then there is a dance party later on but i will have to see if i go to that..I need to do somethin fun to get out and be with people :)
All my love,
Lauren

On the plume

2010-02-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

I am listening to Erin Brockovich soundtrack online b/c that is the mood i am in. Today there was nothing special about my day until the night. Last night was awesome though! I cooked for philippe and it turned out fabulous! I made him scalloped potatoes and ham (which was really simple but tasted so great!), and then choc chip cookies! IT was a bit interesting finding all of the ingredients, but we managaed hehe! The only thing we didn't buy was baking soda, but surprisingly the cookies spread out ok and rose a little,,not like normal though! We still loved them. It was so awesome just hanging in his kitchen, having U2 on in the background, cooking while he stood over my shoulder or next to me watching, helping, talking to me, hehe :) Can i say again how nice it was?!!! ok..u get the point!! but i could go on and on hehe..i'll stop though!
Anyway, today i woke up early to finish my part of some group work for culture/civ class: consisted of researching: Then i walked 30 min to Maja's piso on Iturrama and Marion and i and Maja put together our research into our final draft: things look really well. We will finish things up this week, turn in the copy to our prof by friday, and then present on Tues 2nd of march. I can't believe it's already the end of February. That makes me so sad. Therefor i am just living up each and every moment! I went to Meg's piso for my grammar notes i missed in Paris, and then went home for lunch. After that i prepared my lit paper and then Julia and I went over to Maribel's piso. It was so nice b/c i stayed there from 4pm until 9pm..Maribel helped me correct my paper, i was able to get somemore of my notes from the computer, and then i watched the basketball game with Ainhoa and Inaki after Julia and Maribel and Inaki (dad) left. It was so fun b/c they are brother and sister and just remind me of me and Ben. They put this huge table cloth out on the little living room foot table, and we ate leftovers for la cena...hehe..but it was such a fun feast im not kidding! Ainhoa made crepes with choc with her crepe machine, (so good), then we had some spaghetti, there was chicken, we had bread, an amazing salad we made with tuna, olive oil, corn, and asperagas, and then water and some drink that is like power-aid. I couldn't help but miss Ben b/c they remind me of he and I wen we are home and just have feasts in the kitchen b/c mom and dad aren't home hehe! We watched the basketball game of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and it was reall intense but fun to watch. FC BArcelona won and that was the team we wanted..it was just so relaxing. We cleaned up everything ( i couldn't believe how well they take care ofthings...they are not your typical lazy kids, but were prompt when we started to take things back to the kitchen hehe) It was cute! Ainhoa borrowed me "Crepuscula" which is Twilight..in Spanish, so i am going to start reading this for good practice. I'm excited.
I came home and just showered and am relaxing now. I'm tired--but looking forward to what my week will bring.
All my love,
Lauren

Gorgeous day

2010-02-20T02:15:00.000-08:00

I love the fact that i have to squint to see this screen b/c the sun is so bright this morning as i write this hehe! It's so wonderful b/c it's been raining and cloudy all week and today when i woke up the sun was just bursting from the sky, and the sky is clear today :) After my tummy settles from breakfast, the park and it's sidewalks are calling my name for a run (ipod is charging now hehe). It's been over a week so think i'm ready!
Yesterday was a great day. I felt SO good b/c i ended up having my surprise exam in Culture and Civilization class, but i NAILED it..and so i just needed that to remind myself that i can be fine even after being sick and missing classes. Plus i did study really hard so i'm glad i didn't get any wrong ! I also finished a big paper that i'd been working on all week, so that felt good and i will hand it in monday. One of my proff. was sick so we didnt have class which kindof helped me more b/c i went to the library to work more...so good!
Julia cooked something rare yesterday that i didn't like too much, but i ate some of it anywy: it was rice that had chunks of fish and egg in it..it was bland, so thank god she has pepper so i just loaded it with that and then it was really spicy so all i tasted was the pepper and i tried not to think about the other combination of stuff eheheh. And i ate bread of course to add more 'thick' substance ha! I spent my afternoon studying more, working on our big research project for the culture/civ class. I got a good portion done so i was happy. I'll finish my share today since i have a nice relaxing afternoon. I tutored the little girls yesterday at 6pm, and it was cute bc they wanted to play dress-up..in their very own words... "America's next top model" haha when they said this i couldn't believe that they even know what that show is heheheheh!! They are 9yr old, 6 and 4 hahah!! But it was the cutest thing..then to make the lesson work i was the judge and when they walked out they had to tell me about their outfits...ALL in english! It was adorable! They did a great job! Then we played doctor's office, and Leire the 9 yr old dressed up as a doctor and i was the mom bringing my two little girls to see her for their health problems..this was great b/c we could practice vocab of the human body! :) They are so cute...got a little roudy at the end, but all in all, it's worth everybit of my time!!!
My night got even better b/c i got to spend it with Philippe. We hadnt really seen each other since b/4 i left to Paris since our weeks were so busy studying. He is in 9 courses, and they are ALL really hard, so he has so much work to do. But i really respect him for that and his work ethic, because that is how i am too. Anyway, i went to his piso, and we looked at pics and watched youtube videos from his country and culture. Then we got to cuddle a little :)He took me out for a drink and it was so nice..we went to a bar that wasn't too busy and just talked for about 2 hours,,,just the two of us. It was so nice...i am enjoying getting to know him so much; it just clicks you know!?! I've just never felt that way with anyone hehe! I just have to soak this all in and enjoy every moment i have with him :) Then he walked me back to my piso, and i love that too b/c we walk through the park and talk all the way home :) Tonight i am going to cook for him..i just hope i can find all of the ingredients hehe!
That is all that's new,,,but life is good :)I can't complain!
All my love,
Lauren

Recollections with Julia

2010-02-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day :) I've been busy working on a paper for my literature class, so that is what i did during my afternoon. It was so nice b/c the sun was out today, so while i' was working i had the sun shining on my face,,,,so nice :)
My classes were fine this morning, just recieving more and more homework! haha..It's like someone turned on a faucet now and its just piling on !!--but thank God it's the weekend soon and i can be refreshed. I have some tentative plans for my evenings, so i am looking forward to that!...i hope that they work out! Last night , Wed night i don't know what was wrong with me but i was feeling sad, but Julia and I went to church and it was so nice. It is amazing how that can bring me up. Being Ash wednesday, we recieved the blessing with the ashes on our heads, and then the regular mass. It still amazes me how fast mass goes here. They are finished in 35 min. Afterwards, we went for a walk together around the neighborhood. It was raining a little, but it was not enough to be uncomfortable, so we justwalked and talked. It was dusk, and yet so cozy and i just felt so much better. I have to ask again, "How did i get so lucky to meet her and live with her". She is my grandma here, and we just 'click'. She knows i've had a stressful week, and it's cute b/c she has been giving me little sweets, or taking time to do little extra things which mean so much. Last night, i was stressed about some homework and so i was working in my room all night. When we got home from our walk, we realized our building had lost power, so that kindofstressed me out more b/c i had to study/work on my paper with VERY little ability to see hehe! she had been telling me of this show on (very similar to dancing with the stars in America) and it's called Mira quien baile. It was on at 10 pm until midnight, and she had said i should watch it with her. It was cute b/c at 10 i was def not done, but she made a spot for me on the couch next to her with my laptop and papers and said, you watch and then on commercials you work hehe!! Itwas wonderful. Of course i didn't get as much done as i could have, but our time together was priceless..and let me tell you it is so much fun for me to watch the dances now b/c i am learning these same ones..Salsa, Tango, ChaChaCha, and Bachata. The costumes were amazing, and of course lots of eye-candy hehe! So this was wonderful...! I think we will get into a routine of watching this each wed night now. The country votes at th end of the show, and then 1 pair wins and the money they win they donate to a Spanish org. in need, for example poor families or kids, etc. It's cool!
But tonight, i had dance class. I was so tired for some reason.i think just b/c i've had to work so hard on this paper. But i am finally getting the Tango. Tonight it was so fun to just move to the music, or i should say 'skate' b/c that is what you do. And i just love the songs myteacher picks for us to dance to! It's also fun b/c the other people in my class are all getting the hang of it too, so it makes dancing together really fun. It amazes me how far we've come in just 2 weeks! It's awesome! Could this be a new passion of mine?!?!? I think i'm almost 99.9% sure hehe!
AFter i've just been working on this paper, sending emails, etc. My cena was so special tonight. AGain i just couldn't wait to blog about my conversations with Julia. I have to say i think it's one of my favorite parts of the day..getting to visit with her. She is so patient with me, she understands, and i just speak my mind, she listens, and then she tells me what she thinks! Then i do the same for her, and she is SO wise. I have so much respect for her. Tonight we talked about how much times have changed for the youth today. Julia wishes she was my age now today as she watches everything that i do :) She told me that when she was the same age, everything was a sin, and she had to go to confession every 8 days. She said kissing and or dancing wih a boy was sin, lying was a sin, forgetting was a sin, curling your hair was a sin, many many many things. It was just so interesting to listen to her. She told me about her first kiss with her husband (boyfriend at the time) and how she had to keep it a secret b/c it was a sin ! Then we talked about heaven and hell, and if there really is a heaven, and how weare intersted in being cremated and not buried. She wants to be cremated and put in Salinas. We laughed then b/c she says to me..well why do they say there is a hell that you can burn in if many people are cremated anyway! I laughed b/c she makes points that are valid and so true! She also made a good point when i asked her if she thinks God will come back to earth b/c we were tlking about how things are troubled in areas. She said "Well, when you think of it one thing i find really interesting is that the priests always preach that heaven is so good, that we'll see our loved ones and live so happily, but the priests don't want to die: we all seem to guard our lives here on earth." This is true, and so we had a deep discussion about this.
It was just nice for me to get my mind off other things are relax. We could talk and talk and talk and talk but i have to study hehe! She then goes to watch telediario on t.v. or to bed :) Tonight i have to study somemore in case i have my culture exam tomorrow. I don't like it b/c the proff doesn't say when we will have a test, so that makes me have to memorize all of these provinces and comunidades autonomas and know the other things,,but all in all that is better that i learn them now instead of have to learn everything at the end of the sem for the exam.
Anyway, I am sorry if i bored you with this blog, i just wanted to write about my conversations with Julia so that I never forget them :)
I hope all is well, and thank you God that tomorrow is Friday!!!
xoxoxo
Lauren

Home in Pamplona :)

2010-02-17T03:47:00.000-08:00

Today i will write to you a lot because i have a lot on my mind :) It is raining here in Pamplona; alot but it's a relaxing rain, and i guess that is a good thing b/c i really don't need to leave the house today and i have a lot of homework to catch up on so that is my plan..plus a lot of memorizing!! I guess it's time i tune up these skills for when i return to take anatomy hehe :)
To finish up with where i left off in Paris, our trip was absolutely amazing. I learned so much just about life, the culture, and the beauty that there is to be seen and experienced. Like i said before, we experienced so many emotions, but really we decided on 3 life lessons that we were going to take with us; those being 1. Life is now, every day, so we must live it in the moment. 2. If we ever doubted that there was a God, we don't now after all of the miracles that occured moment after moment. He looked out for us so much, and we'd pray and things would work out, we'd find the bus, subway, get in free to things, being safe; just basic things that we'd prayed for on our trip, and everything went so smoothly. 3.Be open for new-ness, surprises, chances, risks, and the un-expected. This really came in to play at the end of our trip.
It was very unfortunate, but on the way back on Sunday night i became 'deathly' sick on the train. At first i thought it was motion sickness b/c we were in this small little room with 4 bunkbeds where we'd started to sleep, but at 4am woke up and knew i wasn't good. To make things worse, the bathrooms were lockd, so there i am running up and down the small, tight hallway looking for a place that i can throwup. It was awful you guys haha! So i ended up sittng in the hall to try and settle myself while Kristen went back to bed; luckily i just had spit to come up (not enough food in my tummy) but still. So miserable. We traveled all night, took the topo back to San Sebastian, and then the bus to Pamplona. Upon my arrival, i went straight to bed where i slept the entire day, only to get up to shower (which was the most difficult task for me..i couldn't even get my clothes off ? ) i honestly dont know what happened, but i couldn't move, let only talk. (that hurt too). Thank god i had skype to type a litte with Philippe and my mom <3 Later on, i figured it was food poisoning, but the weired thing is that Kristen never got sick, and we both ate the same things, so who knows! I may never know!--but all in all, i am so thankful to have my strength back and be going to classes now. I went back yesterday, and although i have a lot to catch up, i will be fine :) There are some pictures on facebook from the trip, but only half! i posted 135, but i took around 350! When i return you'll see :)) All in all, it was incredible. Paris is definitely the city of love, and i know, or i should say i WILL return someday with the love of my life..it's just too beautiful and romantic too :) Mom,, you and i will also take a trip there! you'd love the shopping, the sites, the chocolate and desserts, and the view xoxo
Now back in Pamplona, life is nice,,i'm back to my routine here which i love, or getting there. Needing to work hard like i said today, but it just feels so nice to be home and be near my friends. I have been thinking so much about this country, and this experience for me, and it's just so amazing.
Dance class is going great; i absolutely love it! My teacher is so much fun, she's so energetic all the time, and so patient. Another thing i love and cant' believe is how great i am improving with the dances! The tango is probably the most difficult b/c it is like you are skating so close with your partner, but i'm getting alright at it :) it's fun! I love the ChaChaCha. In fact, you will have to check out the song Naci Orishas b/c that is my fave song aand the one i dance the chachacha too. It's awesome :) I just wish i had partner hehe that i could take with me to dance haha! Anyway, i'm glad i'm doing this here, and im meeting friends there too :) its something nice to be apart of!
Julia is good,; while i was gone she got a brand new sink in her bathroom and new muebles (furniture). I'm so happy now b/c the first two day we didn't have water in the sink there, but now today Carlos her son finished it so i am able to use the sink and not in kitchen hehe :) I am spoiled though here b/c that bathroom is pretty much mine b/c she hardly uses it it seems. I love living with Julia though. She is so wonderful. I can't say that to you enough. Last night she told me a cute story about birthmarks and how they are a result of when you are growing in your mama's tummy and she eats something or drinks something thatyou (the baby) don't like, you spit it out and where it lands is where you have your birthmark.(it was so cute her explanation!) She is just cute in general, but i had to write this down to remember b/c i've never heard that hehe!
There is a boy on my mind here now also. haha..you all gave me a hard time before i left saying "Lauren oh i wonder if you will meet someone?!! i think you will" and i just though "yah right thatd be neat but i don't think so"! haha..but i have. And it's hard you guys b/c he is different from anyone i've ever met. I want to persue this relationship, but i sense he is scared b/c i leave in May. I have never felt a connection like I do with him before, and it seems we have a great time together when we are together. I really realized how much i enjoy his company by being gone in Paris b/c i missed him so much. And another thing, he is one of the most respectful, gentle-men, type-men i've ever met. and did i mention he looks good too hehe :) Anyway,,i am happy :) and i try not to worry or think about losing him b/c i know that God has a plan all worked out already, but it's still difficult at times b/c sometimes you just wish you could know in your heart :) Oh well, :) I am lucky girl anyway...
This weekend we will have a date and i am going to cook for him some American food. He has been giving me a hard time that all we have is burgers and fatty meat, and i got so mad hehe b/c i thought..oh you have no idea how amazing some of the food is! He thinks i don't have traditions and then i thought about our amazing holiday meals that are so unique. If only hehe :) So now i have to impress him and make something good. Mom and i skyped last night so she gave me some good ideas! I also want to bake for him b/c that is what i'm so good at,,but they don't have the cake mixes and choc chips, etc here like back home..so i'm considering buying choc, crushing it,,etc..haha i might have to do some random things to make it work! haha anyway it'll be fun all the same.!
I guess i've written alot, so i better get to my studies now. My only other goal this week is to cut my hair!!!!! Don't worry i'm definitely not cutting the gorgeous length, just gonna put some layers in it for body etc..it's finally to the length i've wanted for that so i'm just gonna do it,,,i'm a little scared in making sure i pick a trust-able place, but i am doing my investigating haha.
Anyway, all my love to all of you, thanks for reading my blog and following me :)
Grandma, i recieved your letter and it was so wonderful to see your handwriting and hear about the family. Thank you so much :)
All my love to all of you
Until next time,
Lauren

more of paris

2010-02-13T14:25:00.000-08:00

gosh were do i even begin?, i am finishing my 3rd full day here in Paris and Kristen and i have toured the entire Museo d'Orsay Impressionist art museum, the Louvre art museum (where we saw mona lisa's smile amongst many others), the Eiffle tower in which we climbed it, watched the sun set, i videotaped, and also watched the light show, walked up and down champs d'Ellysee's street, met some new friends in the best 3 hour tour of the city ever, ate the best mcdonalds cheeseburger, fries, cocacola light, and kit kat mcflurry of my entire life, walked about a bizillion miles, toured and prayed in the notre dame cathedral, bought some amazing souvenirs, mastered the subway to the point that i could take each and every one of you around, laughed till i cried, cried until a smile had to come thru, learned how to be a hard bitch who takes no crap after living in this hostile (in which now i love hehe); and taken a shower in prob the most smallest space ive ever been, like a closet in which u cant even move let alone take your clothes off haha; boy we are ready to go home bc we are exhausted, but we dont regret a single penny spent nor one min spent at any of these places. you guys its just unreal:there is so much that has happened but i have been journaling in diary so i can take from that too. Today Kristen and i went to the palace of versaille and it was amazing bc we got in for free with our visas and also got free headsets to listen to the audio tour for free; it was the most relaxing and interesting 3 hours and great way to spend it inside on cold day. tthen we hiked a long way to the Triadon and saw the quarters of Marie Antoinette: it was pretty too but i preferred castel. we took train back to sainte michel neighborhood tonight and had a blast walking around and window shopping. also found some amazing cheap leather boots::so pumped: . then tonight i had the best meal of my life, i think it was bc we were both just so hungry but we found the perfect french restaurant down this little cozy ideal french street exactly like how youd envision out of a movie! i had spaghetti and meat sauce and ate all of it and didnt feel guilty bc i wasnt even full after; then Kristen ordered real french creme brulee and for me, i walked down to grocery market and bought milk skim hehe. then guess what i came back to hostile and drank 3 glasses till my tummy hurt so bad i thought i was gonna throw up but there was no way i wanted to do that bc id just eaten that amazing food, god luckily that passes, but i felt like i was one of those ppl that hadnt eaten a big meal for awhile so when they finally do they cant handle it haha! but it was so worth it! i am great now; so ready to come home to pamplona tomorrow night! i miss my close friends and home there and am tired butlike you see ive done so much! and i dont regret single bit. so happy
tomorrow we have to check out by noon but our train is over night so we will leave our luggage locked up here and go to mall to buy our souvenires during day; then cook pizza here at hostile and board our first class train at 11 pm arrive in Pamplona by 8 or 9 am after we take the bus back from hendaya;
i better go get ready for bed there is ppl waiting; but mom just know that there has been so many moments that i say out loud MAN i just want to call my mom to tell you about something amazing i see; eat; experience, or feel: so i love you a lot!!! we have to much to talk of
All my love to all of you
xoxo
Lauren

We made it to paris today

2010-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you all know that we made it safely to Paris today. OUr travel plans went surprisingly So smoothly..it was like at the beginning of Meet the Fockers, therefore i couldn't help but laugh. it is cold and snowing here, but it is not heavy MN snow but light France snow hehe..in other words it's beautiful. This internet i'm using we paid for so i don't have a lot of time if it stops or i cut this short that's why..but i am taking all of my emotions, these experiences and senses in. The thing i am most nervous for is the sleeping arrangements we are in a hostel room of 6 beds, and it is me and kristen and 3 other men. but both us girls took the top bunks and i plan on putting my backpack on the top with me to sleep tonight i am going to wear my money and passport around my waste while i sleep. It's odd though,,boy the stories i will hae to tell you when i return. i guess this is character building..man i can't explain to you how much this makes you grow up! I am so proud of us though, we figured out the train, the topo, the train to paris, the metro in the busy hub of the city and found our hostel on a little street in the north part of the city,,all in the dark!
phew...i'm glad we are here. It's so cold that i'm not going to shower b/c my hair will prob freeze! o well know one knows me and i will have hat on so hehe...greasy hair wont occur due to the cold! It's colder here than in Spain..i gues i wouldn't have thought that but i did check the weather b/4. i'll just wear lots of layers..wishing i had my winter coat though.
~Tomorrow at 11am we are taking tour of city bywwalking. 't 3 hours long but will be great. lots of photos i'll take. We are speaking Spanish and are from Canada for safety reasons when we are asked where we are from. however this has been recieved well by the people that have asked us..so we contnue to keep to ourselves and be private haha..oh man!! Well, i just wanted to inform you that we are safe and are going to live up this trip no matter how tired we are, no matter how cold we are, or no matter how nervous we are..b/c we grin and laugh b/c now we truly can say we are world travelers. This is amazing...and listening to all this french is beautiful. it's too soon to tell what i thnk of the culture yet though! hopefully you'll hear from me more tomorrow night, if not,,thanks for thinking of me on my journey and reading and following me. It means so much when ou tell me you read my blog b/c it's wonderful knowing i have the support and love from all of you that i do.
So thank you, and i love you all,
Love lauren

Rain, Snow, Sun, and Cold

2010-02-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Todays' weather was the oddest yet here in Pamplona! It was hilarious. This morning it was dark and cloudy, by midday it was sunny and appeared nice, walking home it was windy and freezing (little rain drops were hitting my face), after lunch when i was studying at my desk it was snowing beautifully, and now i hear the rain gently falling against my window outside...in julias' exact words..the weather is just "loco!!!" meaning crazy! today! Otherwise i had a great day..i had grammar class and cultura y civilizacion class this morning, and was able to get the assignments that i'll miss for the next 3 days. My professors are so great about the students traveling.
Then i met philippe in the cafeteria and also met some new friends there. He later helped me figure out how to print at the university, and i was so excited b/c i didn't have to pay for the sheets. They told us we would, but the lady at the desk was really low key and just told me to take my sheets. That was great! like i said on my way home the weather was odd, but it was still a beautiful day to be alive here in Pamplona, and im telling you i am not taking any day for granted here b/c it is SO amazing..i just never want this experience to end.
For lunch, it was just Julia and I as Tina and Rachel left for Madrid today, and then to continue on to Suiza to see Tina's grandparents. Julia made me the great garbanzo bean/rice soup, bread, and then oh..mind blank..i don't remember the spanish name but the creamcheese/ham type things..anyway they were pretty good. I studied all afternoon and got all of my grammar homework done for while i'll be gone so that is good. I packed some other homework and Julia just laughed at me and said 'Lauren, do not bring ur homework, u need to have fun!" haha..i know god why i am bringing homework. I guess it just wouldn't be me if i didn't have Something from SOME class to look at if i happen to have the time on the 5 hour train ride tomorrow morning.. (i will :))
Dance class was fun tonight. It's amazing how much the group has learned by only the 2nd class. We've had a total of 4 hours of construction but it's really great. I LOVE the teacher. She is SO energetic, young, patient, helpful, and fun. Plus, she plays awesome music, and she makes sure everyone knows what they're doing. At first i wasn't quite sure what to think of this class, but now I'm really excited about it. Now i just have to find opportunities in life to dance these dances,,and a partner to dance with me hehe! That might happen though haha we'll see! Or i'll just teach him :) or try!
Then i returned home to finish packing, and...well, the rest of my night was ...perfect. It was just so nice. A friend came over and helped me pack and we looked at photos from home, sharing more about our lives. I just Love spending time with them. That is all i will put on this blog about this for now :) however i am excited for what is to come and right now, am so happy.
Tomorrow is a big day, and i'll admit i'm nervous as Kristen and I embark on this trip to Paris just the two of us..i'm scared b/c it's just us, it's a new place, large, we don't speak French, and we don't know the city, but if we can do everything we've done thus far, i have no doubt in my mind that this weekend won't be wonderful..and experiences like these are what build our independence, global knowledge and appreciation, and also confidence. We will be safe, and if i have access to a computer, you will most definitely be hearing from me :) If not however, i will take note of the details in my journal by hand and share as much as i can with you on Monday when i return.
Mom, i just want to say i've been thinking of you a lot today, and i love you and miss you :) i just wish i could spill my guts about everything..it's wonderful though :) Anyway i love you.
And all my love to everyone else,
xoxo
Lauren

Rainy Monday

2010-02-08T14:30:00.001-08:00

Today the rain fell all day, but it was the most soft rain i've seen in a long time. My walk home from the univeristy was so enjoyable b/c the rain was comforting hah if that makes sense!! Classes were good today,i enjoyed meeting with Maja and Marion today to talk about our research, how we will organize our encuesta (survey) and prepare for our presentation. Marion is so much fun to talk to,..we have so much in common. She has become another of my great friends here in Pamplona, and she is from Germany. Ihope to come back next year after the MCAT, and visit her and also another friend :)
For lunch today Julia gave me my favorite soup, sopa de garbanzos y arroz, (garbanzo beans and rice), and then rellenos (the things idescribed to u the other day: the circular small things made of rice and eggs with tom. sauce). I relaxed in my room today continuing to look for hostels in valencia. Surprisingly i found a hotel that is nicer than a hostel and actally cheaper, so i hope that we can book that soon b/4 it is gone.
Kristen and I went to the bus statio today to buy our tickets for Wed morning to San Sebastian. From ther we will take the topo train a short way to Hendaya (which is across the boarder in France). There we will board the larger train for Paris, and arrive Wed night by 7:45 pm. It's abut 5 hrs but i am so excited to go ..and i have never been on a train like this. I can't wait to just look out the window and see the land, terrain, and everything else. In Paris, we are staying in a hostel in he Monte Marte neighborhood,which is the more artsy neighborhood, however we are plannig on visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Tiomphe, Rue Mouffetard (for the food), Muse Orsay Museum, Sacre de Couer, La Forum Des-Halles (for shopping), and the Louve (we get in free being european students)..I am so excited.
Tonight i began packing, and organizing, and just relaxed. Luckily my professors are very encouraging of us traveling, so it's great b/c they are all not stressing me out about missing 3.5 days of school. But then it's like..how often can u jut take a train to Paris..??? right?!!
I will not have my laptop with me in Paris, so i won't be able to update my blog until i'm back, but i will forsure give you all the details i can when i am back. :) I better be off to bed ,,2morrow there is more rain scheduled (hopefully it's warm and soft), i have dance class, and will hopefully see Philippe b/4 i leave for Paris.
All my love, and sending warmth back home since i know it is cold!xoxoxo
Lauren

Bliss

2010-02-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today was just a wonderful day--just b/c it was sunny, beautiful, and relaxing. I went over to a friends piso last night where we talked about our families, lives, etc, getting to know each other better until 4:30 in the morning. It was a blast. So i slept today until noon. Back home, i would Never let myself sleep this late..or if i did i would feel so guilty, but not in spain. hehe..b/c everyone does that!!! haha.
Julia had Green Tea and 2 muffins for me for breakfast, and i loved how she had all of the windows open today in the house. Not open open but the drapes, and so the sun was just beaming in everywhere. God i love it here. And then we just talked about my night :))) i love filling her in on everything. B/c is was already 1pm, i decided to go for a run in the park. It was beautiful. There was a little bit of a wind, but i can't explain to you how happy i was.
I ran around the outskirts of the park like usual, with my music on, and then i ran down into the murales part, which is down a hill, where the sidewalk runs along the beautiful little stream, and there are these huge, gorgeous rock walls all over. I have been experiencing so many good amazing emotions over the past week, that at this moment it just sent me to tears. So there i am, running, sweating, and crying with a smile on my face. Life is good. I just am so happy. I've met a great person, and it's just so amazing. My friends here are amazing, the culture is amazing, and most of all i love who i am and who i'm becoming. I love the way i look at life now, i love the way i look at others, at the world, at the US, and what i'm lucky to have.
This run i truly will never forget, and i will never forget my night last night :)
For lunch Julia made me some great puree soup like usual, but i love it b/c it's just pure vegetables and i ate So much bread with this! Then she made me rellenos , which are those small circular things that are made out of rice and scrambled eggs, but they are compacted together. She puts tomato sauce on them. I just love them, and i dip bread in the tomato sauce. So good. For dessert, i had this great nutilla pudding that she made the other night. That is the name. It's like vanilla pudding and there are little cookies in it. I asked her to explain to me what the distinct flavor in it is, b/c i couldn't put my finger on it b/c it didn't quite taste like vanilla, and she said that was b/c sh'ed burned it a little bit heheheh..well that' explains it but i still ate it all b/c i was hungry and it was something sweet! (i miss desserts! but that is why my pants fit so nice and loose now haha!).lemme tell u thoough the choc. here is amazing. That is what i have a little everyday.
This afternoon, i just sat in the living room and we had the window open, and i wrote in my journal, since so much has happened. There are some moments in which u just don't want to miss or lose a single detail from it...so i' wrote for about 2 hours! Julia and I also read the paper, and we had the soccer game on. Osasuna won 1-0 (that is the Pamplona team) so we were happy!
Then, i got ready and walked to la clinica universitaria where i met Philippe and we went to mass. There is chapel. or idk whatyou want to call it, but it was pretty nice, and mass was so nice. It was all in spanish, but i was happy b/c it's great practice, ad i was able to understand that it was about being fisher's of men and living life more humble, and with the goal of geting others to follow God. Philippe partook in part of the mass too which i thought was kindof cool. Then he walked me home through the park, and we just enjoyed talking.
Tonight i relaxed some more with Julia. She gave me lasagna haha..more food..but it wasgood! ha. i guess i did the exercise today!
Then i wrote somemore, and watched E.T. in Spanish that was on the Disney Channel. Julia went to bed early, and the girls went out to the bar to watch the superbowl. I didn't go b/c i have 8:30 class tomorrow and the game started at midnight. but now it's 1am for me so i really need to get my little but to bed.
I've been too excited looking for hostiles b/c a friend and i are going to go to Valencia for a 3 day weekend that we have in march b/c there is a big festival called las fallas.
Anyhow, i hope all is well with you :)
All my love, and until next time
Laurn

59 degrees and beautiful today

2010-02-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Today was the most beautiful day here thus far. Despite the slight wind, it was 59 degrees (in F for us!). the sun was out, the birds were singing, and life was just...blissful. My classes went fine today, i've been busy preparing/researching for a large research project that me and two other girls will be conducting about immigration in Spain, and how spaniards feel about it. We are working on writing surveys, and then we have to present to our professor. We will interview approx 30 people in Pamplona..15 about the age of 50 and 15 below..so 10 people per girl.
I was able to go for a run in the park this afternoon b/4 lunch, then showered and ate late (about 4 o'clock). Julia made me a salad with bread and then potatos con carne. It was pretty good..mom this was prob the most similiar meal i've had to what you would make.
Then i walked back to the university and had to meet with my professor at 5 to talk about the topic. She gave me some good tips, and then i was in the law building comp labs till 7 or so researching. Let me tell you after all that exercising and walking today, i am tired tonigt. i will sleep good. I haven't been able to sleep this week since i went out on wed. I've just had too many fun things goin on in my mind!
It was fun to visit with Tina and Julia tonight at the Cena. we had tortillas de potata, sopa con pan, and then julia made a special dessert that is tina's favorite..i dont remember the name, but it was like a pudding and had little cookies in it. It didn't taste like vanilla though, and it's not flan. I will ask the name tomorrow and tell you i have to write it down. Then i've just been reading up on Paris tonight, and have enjoyed talking with friends. Tomorrow will be fun.
i will tutor the little girls next door since i will be gone this week, and then i will meet up with Kristen to work on our paris itinerary. we are just familiarizing ourselves with the metros/free tours, what we want to pack etc.
I'm excited b/c my friend will be back from Madrid tomorrow night so then we will go out/hang. I will work with Maja on the project in the evening b/4 this.
Life is good :) i can't complain...and there are so many possibilities for life that are presenting themselves. It's so amazing.
All my love always,
Lauren

In love with Spain,,but don't worry about me

2010-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

I know that i am adjusting here but please don't worry. I am doing very well. This week has been so incredible,,! This feels like home, i have my routine, i have my friends, my classes, my activities, my host mom, ..life is so good.
I had my first prueba/quiz today..although it was a 4 page quiz so i don't know what you'd call that. But i was so happy it went very well. I also started my dance class tonight. So fun! It is 2 hours long, but it was intense..when i was done i had worked up a sweat so this will be good. i went out last night and had the funnest night i think i've ever had. Boy the stories i will have to tell you when i return b/c i can't possibly tell you on the blog :)))) I have met some amazing people though. That is key!
This weekend i will work on a group project interviewing people around Pamplona, prepare for Paris, and relax and spend some time with a great new friend of mine. Other than that, sky's the limit!! Tina is here with her friend, and I am SO happy to see familiar faces..life is good..so good..i'm living in a dream i've always wanted to be in ...and i'm alive in it...it's for real.
All my lov,
Lauren

im in love with Spain

2010-02-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

I am sittin her and my eyes are heavy n contacts stuck to them...so i apologize b/4 hand for grammar errors! Today was a gorgeous day to be alive...here in Pamplona it was beautiful. It was cold, but this afternoon was lovely. And i felt much better this morning-which was a blessing..hah but there's always something...i guess you'll hear later!!!
Classes were good this morning...I had grammar and culture and civilization. They both are really great classe b/c i am learning so much..and it's actually interesting. The grammar is great b/ci can actually leave class, and APPLY what i just learned to my speaking the ENTIRE rest of the day...i absolutely love that...it's like studying and not even having to try!!!! After classes, i walked over to Polo a Polo where Andrea and her boyfriend were busy at work again..Andrea is Julia's 24 yr old granddaughter and she works as a travel agent here. Her boyfriend just started there too hehe...but i love it b/c as i'm busy planning all these trips i can go there and they willingly help me! it's great...but i'm SO amazed at how busy they are. I was there yesterday for awhile to and ppl were just calling of the hook and walking in! Good for them tho! Anyway, so i was able to print of Kristen and I's train tickets for Paris France! We are both so excited! We completed our booking this weekend, found a nice hostel to stay at, and are busy at work learning about the sites and making our plan of attack for what we MUST see...thus far,we have the Louvre, Eiffle Tower, Notre dame, and alot more i guess...the french words are a bit tough...but man is it a beautiful language!
We will be gone from Wed Feb 10 to Mon Feb 15. AND we were stoked b/c without even trying on our way home we got bumped to first class on the train so we figured might as well spend the night !! hehe (our train will travel during the night on Sun night/mond!) I will take tons of pics :)
This afternoon for la comida Julia made me this awesome vegetable dish that was basically olive oil, garlic, onion to taste on Greenbeans that she'dbeen soaking for 24 hours so they were nice and soft, and then there was potatoes. it was really good..idk how she does it...it tasted so much more complicated!!!! Of course she served me meat for the 2nd course,,and i think it was chicken...i think. i hope...i'm bit frightened b/c the other she was talking about making conejo (RABBIT) until i kindof said um NO!!!! and told he ppl have rabbits as pets, etc and i just am too grossed out to eat it! But idk cuz then when we went to the supermercado she showed me in the deli's the rabbits just laying there...oh man!! i hope i haven't eaten conejo!! hehe owell..u gotta try everything tho i guess :) After lunch i studied hard b/c tomorrow night i am planning on going to a Salsa dance and then to la discoteca...i've haven't gone yet b/c it's a school night and things start around 12:30 1 am...but way too many friends have demanded i just GO so i threw up my hands today and said ok...but i'll be listening to my body first..haha after all that sickness...i'll prob make it till 2 or 2:30 haha! That's good for me!
I went for a walkin the park today b/c it was just too beautiful outside. There was no wind, clear skys, sun, and birds chirping. It was just pure bliss and happiness beyond my window,,so i had to.. I tried jogging very slowing few min, but just being outside was enough :)
I tutored the little girls tonight then and it is just SO much fun! They are so cute b/c now when i come, by the time i have buzzed and they let me in, and i walk up the stairs, they've already opened the door and are running around the piso excitedly waiting for me to take my coat and shoes off!! And when i say Hola and then Hi girls, How are you?" it's so cute b/c they answer all politely (i asume what they've learned in english class..) "Very fine thank you"...oh it melts my heart. My explanations can't describe though..until u see pictures :) we made valentine cards today, and learned the days of the week, and words like heart, love, to be in love, shiny, etc :) Then we read books :) I swear i get so much enjoyment out of this..it's like coming home to a dog that is so excited to see you..everyone should get this feeling !!! And it's so cute b/c they listen so well, and are so eager to learn, and also tell me and show me EVERYTHING about there life! How did i get so lucky with this! Then their mom Mercedes always gives me a weeks worth of newspapers from local Pamplona and also country Spain. I love it!--to read, learn, and immerse in this culture...plus it really helps with my cultureclass as i need the paper for homework.
Tonight i just relaxed...studied, and will go to bed earlier..tomorow is el dia de San Blas, which is a holy holiday in which local people sell sweets, food, break, gifts, and other things in la plaza, and locals bring items/food especially to the church and the priest blesses the items/and the people all day long. Julia told me about this a few weeks ago but i learned from the little girls tonight the San Blas is the saing of 'dolor de la garganta' or 'sore throat'...how ironic!!!!! since i've just recovered haha.
So, julia will go when i'm at school, but Kristen n i finish classes by 11am tomorrow, so we are gonna go and walk around. It will be interesting and i'm so excited to go into this church. It's huge and looks SO gorgeous from the outside.
Then i will study and relax until the night. I am also very excited b/c a really awesome girl from Concordia who graduated already but studied in Pamplona and live with Julia 2 yrs ago is coming to visit on Thurs.!
It will be great to see her and visit, and learn from her as well :)
Until next time, & all my love,
Lauren

another day to re-coup

2010-01-31T14:26:00.000-08:00

Luckily, today has turned up for me, as i am giving this bug a run for it's money. I'm hoping that tomorrow i wil be on top and not it.
The morning started out slow, as I slept for more than 10 hours last night...which is amazing considering how much i slept the day before. I then ate a good breakfast, was able to shower, and drink more alkazelzer. I continued my morning by searching for tickets/trip planning, and then had lunch with Julia. She made arroz Cubana which is Cuban rice..it is white rice and it had fish, sausage, and a hardboiled egg in it. I was able to eat the white rice (nice n easy on my tummy) and the hard boiled egg. I also ate bread and drank a lot of Green tea today. She gave me a chocolate cookie today too (i think b/c i've been sick :) it was really cute!
Then i took another nap (in which when i awoke felt drowsy some more, but it was good b/c i had to get up), My friend Kristen came over and we bought our tickets for Paris! I am so excited as we found some train tickets for very inexpensive. We will be traveling there Wed Feb 10 and returning Sun/Mon Feb 14/15. Plus,,we got in on a special deal on the way home in which we got upgraded to 1st class on the train, and so we are not bothered at all by the late 11:30pm time we will board or the 730am time we'll arrive back in San Sebastian (we think 1st class sleeping accommodations sound quite nice!!!) Then, we went for a nice walk around the park 2 times. I definitely needed to get out of the house and move my body. It felt SO good. We just walked and talked.
When i returned, Kristen went home, and Julia and i had supper. I was so hungry (this is such a good sign!!!) and so i ate noodle soup (so good on my sore throat) and then i had empenadas i love them..they are those creme cheese/garlic/jam filled things..oh they are good i will take pic next time. Then i had bread, and another alkazelzer..yuck..but i think it'll help. Then after supper, Julia is so cute, she grabbed an old photo album and we sat for an hour on her sofa as she showed me pictures of her husband, herself, her kids when they were younger, her parents, her grandparents, and many other family members. It was SO amazing and fun to listen. Then she showed me more photos in her room, and we enjoyed laughing and sharing stories. It was really heart-warming for me...and i just feel so blessed to have her in my life. She is definitely making a mark in my heart that will light me for the rest of my life. I just wish i could take her along...but i will in my soul forever.
Then, we watched some tv (a movie was on) and i had my laptop and was showing her prom pictures, friends, family and christmas pictures, and then it was cute b/c Rafael came online and we skyped, and he got meet her too! It was so cute,,she really enjoyed talking to him, but i did all of the translating..but i enjoy this :)
Now i am just going to go to bed..the weekends always unfortunately go by so quickly, but i know that more fun and experiences will present themselves to me this week...when u least expect it. Tomorrow i plan on going to the travel agent to talk with Andrea about our booking problems witht the train in Italy and also the bus in Madrid. Keep fingers crossed that we get what we need :) we are so close to having everything booked! Oh, and kristen and i found the cutest hostel to sleep in! Yay..!! now we are excited to buy eiffle tower jewelry b/c it will actually have real meaning to us :)
All my love,
Lauren

flu=lazy day

2010-01-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

Today has not been particularly one i will want to remember. Unfortunately this flu-bug has come back to bite me for the weekend..ugh..it's been crappy. I slept in today, ate breakfast, studied, and then ate lunch , slept again, and rested. Really borring..feel sluggish!--but i guess that is what i have to do. Haven't had to throw up but feel like it all the time, tummy ache, chills, headache, sore throat, runny nose, and more chills/dizzyness. It rained today so that's nice b/c i am not missing beautiful weather.
I went to Maribels just for 1 .5 hour or so and she gave me orange juice and helped me study. It was painful to sit up (u know how that is when ur sick), but i did it anyhway b/c they are gone tomorrow and i NEEDED her explanations for my homework b/4 my exams that i have this week. so it was helpful,,but you know..no fun :(
They were going out to the movies tonight and invited me but i had to turn that down too ..bummer...i hope that there is another time!
Congrats to Ben though and the game vs. Benilde. It sounded like u guys did well. I look forward to reading in-forum tomorrow to hear about today's game.
Tonight i watched a nice movie on tv with Julia..it's an old one from Spain...i really liked it...it was from this series called "las peliculas de Marisol". I am definitley going to look for more. I was wrapped in a huge blanket..we tried to take my temp but the thermometer doesn't work..so maybe it's better i don't know idk!
I got to skype with a wonderful friend/familiar face briefly tonight which helped, then ate soup, alkazelzer (yuck yuck yuck but i'm glad i packed it!), empanadas (cream chesse things), n bread of course. I'm forcing myself to eat to try and get better. and drinking water. Luckily today is only Sat so i have 2morrow to re-cupe too and prep for my busy week. I can't be sick!!! I hope all is well with you,,don't feel sorry for me...it's building my character :) i guess it wouldn't be right if i didn't suffer a bit here... :( ...nahh..i'll live!
All my love,
Lauren

I am so happy :)

2010-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I hope that you are all doing well, and staying warm in the not-so warm minnesota/midwest weather. I am doing really good, despite having the flu this week, sore throat, headache, etc...grrrr...but it was nice b/c i didn't have school yesterday so i could rest, and will rest somemore this weekend amongst planning trips, and studying for my first round of exams which occur next week. Maribel invited me to come over tomorrow (sat) to eat la comida (the big meal of the day around 2pm) and then i will study with her and Inoa. They will help me with my grammar b/c that is the hard part for me hehe! And they have stuff to study too so it'll be a nice 'girls-study' afternoon :) I love them so much. oh, i just can't desribe all the feelings i am experiencing here. i am just so happy. I am meeting new friends, establishing wonderful relationships with the girls i am planning my trips with, trying so many foods, learning SO much vocabulary and history of Navarra and Spain, and Europe, experiencing emotions that are invigorating, exciting, scarry, amazing, frustrating, all of the above,,,even love :) This really is the best thing i could have done for myself..coming here to Spain.
Today was fun. I had two classes which went fine..they are my favorite classes so I love Fridays. And i got to have my tortilla de patata y cafe con leche with Kristen and we visited. Then i had a great talk with my friend Lise. I am so blessed to be with these people. I came home for lunch and visited with Julia (it's my favorite routine!) She gave me soup, and ...gosh now i do't remember what i had after that...haha..bread for sure, fruit,,and ?????? oh yah it was pasta with a hard boiled egg. it was pretty good..it's so cute now,,she let's me serve myself.Speaking of Julia, i love her so much. We have definitely established an amazing relationship, i don't know how i'll leave her! She's already told me i'm welcome to visit anytime ...to stay with her, and even bring my 'someday' significant other if i want :) We can get to talking, and she talks with me for an hour or more,,to the point where we can be laughing really hard. She is just the cutest old lady i wish everyone of you could meet her~!!! The other day i was leaving for classes, had my period, not feeling well (flu coming on), hadn't showered, and she didn't know any of this...and as i'm leaving she says to me "You look so beautiful today"...it was just so special..and made me feel so good. I was reminded of junior high/highschool days when my mom used to be home in the mornings at times and send me off. It's so wonderful having her here all the time. So i kissed her on the cheeck, and i think i had a skip in my step the rest of the day...she is just like a grandma and mom in one. I don't remember if i told you this..the tradition of kissing when you meet people here. it is so cute, when you meet someone, they kiss you on both cheeks..it is very sweet..but you have to be here and experience it to really understand and respect it! It's not weired at all.
Tonight, i went for a walk/run to clear my head, and half-way out it just started POURING! it was one of the funnest moments i've had b/c i was in the park, it was dusk, and it's pouring rain...all i could do was laugh and keep going. When i got home 20 min later, Julia see's me walk in the door (i was hoping she wouldn't see HOW WET I HAD GOTTEN!!!) and she says "Tu ....ayyy Estas LOCA!!!" (you...ayy you are crazy!!!) and laughed! Then later tonight Kristen and I went over to Megan's piso and had a productive night making more italy plans. we booked our hostil for Rome and for Florence. We are def making progress slowly but surely!
I returned home tonight to have my ham sandwich and water and fruit, and now will go to bed. Like i said, raining and a bit chilly weather here and that is the forcast until Tue or so so I will be relaxing and trying to get better.
I start dance class next week so i have that to look forward to, and i've been tutoring the little neighbor girls for 2 weeks now and i'ts wonderful
! I got a care package this week from mom, dad and Ben on Thurs. It was so nice to get a piece of home, especially when i was sick.
All my love,
Lauren

restful day

2010-01-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today was windy and cold here again!--thank goodness the sun came out though! It was nice b/c i only had 2 classes this morning and was done with school by 11:30. On my walk home, i stopped in a grocery supermercado that i walk by everyday just to explore and compare/contrast things they sell. It was really fun..i just walked up and down every lane, thinkin and looking at the different foods. I miss baking!!--but i've become accustomed to the meditteranean cusine...you just have to take a bite despite what it looks like. Often times it's so good. and i think they cook with a lot more water, so alot of the entree's are healthier in that respect.
When i got home, i went for a short jog/walk/PT in the park.
It was interesting..well cold first i should say, but today was the first time i saw a person 'peeing' outside right in a city where there are lots of others around. i can understnad in the mountains or woods, but not in the park in open space!!! I couldn't believe my eyes..and it was an older guy. I was running along a sidewalk, and you have to first understand everday at EVERY HOUR of the day this park is hustling and bustling with tons of ppl walking/running/playing soccer, orjust walking to and from their houses or jobs..so for this older man to be taking it out to pee was very odd. I looked away right away, but i'm sure that's what he was doing! ha.
I returned to shower and then Julia had sopa de frijoles, (similar to the garbanzo bean soup) and then some meatballs with bread. It was good. It's nice b/c she's serving me smaller portions too b/c she knows i can't eat it all! i did a little homework and waited to skype with britt,but when she didn't come on i decided to 'rest' for 20 min or so. ...well 20min turned out to be 3 hours! I couldn't believe it. I so needed it htough. I have not felt good all week, sore throat, head ache, stomach ache,so it was good to rest. Then tonight, i had a GREAT talk with britt!
Julia and i had soup and bread and then she gave me this other thing it was break with this egg salad stuff on it but i couldn't tell what was in that salad, so after i ate one, i couldn't eat anymore. i felt bad, but she didn't care at all and said she would bring it over to her grandson hehe!!! Then she gave me my coconut yogurt and a little cookie.
Maja and I walked over to Megans piso 2night which was nice. We visited in Espanol, and tried to find some good t/v shows/movies to watch. There wasn't really anything on but it was fun to surf the channels. And Mom and Ben, guess what...??!! We ran across Little People Big World with the Roloffs, and it was in Spanish, and they had it on the disney channel here! So funny...but i just had to tell you that :) i had wished i could pick up my phone to call u and tell you this, but it was interesting! we didn't watch it though/ b/c i jsut was so tired again. i assumed i wouldn't be, but apparently i need more rest, so i plan on goin to sleep soon.
Tomorrow is a vacation day for all University students in Spain, so i don't have classes. I am looking forward to sleeping in, studying in the morning (since i have exams next week and lots of homework), and then i will get together with Megan, Kristen, and Maja and we are going to walk around Casco Viejo and go to the candy store we saw the other day. we want chocolate :) haha. n then prob explore more, go to a pasteleria and plan more for Italy, and Kristen n i will purchase our Paris plane tickets tomorrow too. WE found some for 22 euros there and 50 back so that's not too bad! i am excited..and will prob be in Paris over Valentines day weekend.
Other than that, not much else,,just hoping this gall-darn sore throat goes away soon..and the aches! I hope that you are all healthy. I think the rest and water and more rest will do me good.
Until tomorrow,
All my Love,
Lauren Beatrice

playing catch-up!

2010-01-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'll have to play catch-up a little to fill you in on the last four days or so. Things are going well for me here in Pamplona, been very busy all of a sudden, but i guess that is a good thing! That's what i've wanted!!!! Last friday i believe is where i left off. I had a great day with my girlfriends..between classes we enjoyed cafe con leche with tortillas de potates, and enjoyed visiting and getting to know one-another better. Friday night we went out to Bar Burgales, as the unniversity was hosting a welcome for the exchange students. This was interesting..(it was very odd beng able to order a Sangria with my pinxto!..but all the same kindof fun!!)We then enjoyed visiting and meeting several new pp as well as meeting new faces and people from Spain, Czech Rep, Poland, Germ, etc! There was a going away party that we also stopped at, and this was very interesting! It was fun, but we didn't stay too long! It' amazes me how late these Spaniards love to stay up...basicaly ALL night--they go home at 6 o 7 in the Morning!! not me n my friends..130am was good enough :)
Saturday was wonderful, as I went to the pueblo Salinas with Julias (my host mom) daughter Maribel, her husband and their two kids Inoa and Inaki. We were celebrating Inoa's 14th birthday. The pueblo (house ) was SO incredible words can't even describe it. We had birthday cake (spanish style) called torta..which didn't have nearly as much frosting as american cakes, but tasted wonderful! and then we had homemade pizza and bread, and some other interesting things. It was so wonderful! oh man i just wish i could have a video of the entire experience. One of julia's 3 sons' was also there with his wife and 3 kids so that was fun b/c i met them , and enjoyed visiting the Jon, who is 17. He is interested in Medicine, so it was fun talking with him about differences b/twn US and Esp. It was like hangin with my brother, so this was kindof nice! It was so fun b/c I haven't laughed as hard as i did wih their family that night in so long! Maribel especialy is just a hoot..and they would all make fun of me and laugh when i'd make mistakes speaking..but that's b/c i'm at that point where i WANT to move faster with my tongue b/c i hear and KNOW what i want to say, but i'm just not quite yet there...perhaps in another month or so!!..but all the same i've reached the point where i just laugh too! It's great! We sat around the table visiting, and a fire was crackling in the living room. The entire house is made out of these beautiful stones..reminded me of the house in the Holiday movie in England..only 3 x bigger. I will post pics on Facebook. I loved it so much i asked if we can go back in march to celebrate my birthday there, and so that is the plan. I am so excited!
Sunday I went to church with Julia in the morning. It was just wonderful. It was so great to pray again in church, and listening was awesome b/c i could pick up on the prayers and what was being said in Spanish. The mass was So quick, only 45 min, but it was wonderful. And,,one thing that was SO cool was that the entire liturgy/mass was led by kids. NO adults whatsoever did anything but help the kids. They sang all the songs, read all the readings (except gospel), and brought up the gifts, etc. During communion, members of the parish didn't hand it out, but about 6 other priests that came out. It was a beautiful church..i fell in love with it right away and thought..how gorgeous it would be to marry in a church like that. The architecture is amazing. I will also take pics as I plan on going with Julia as much as i can.
Oh, forgot to tell you, on Friday Megan and i purchased tickets to Rome Italy and Venice Italy. WE are ecstatic, and will be travling there over easter break. WE will go to Seville first to experience the processions, and see the town and then fly to Italy. We will return 10 days later and spend a night in Barcelona b/4 returning to Pamplona.
The rest of the day sunday i studied and relaxed. Was a bit ill this weekend, but i'm glad to say i've recovered..:) nothing too major.
School is going fine..tryin to get Concordia to except a global com class i want to take here for credit for a social science since it's very similar, but they've been telling me they don't know..so again, i'm figuring will prob just stick out the spanish. I won't b taking translation anymore though, so that's why i wanted that class! we'll see what happens!
Other than that, it's cold and windy here. No snow..like at home. I talked with mom the other day and I heard abou all that snow..I am sorry!!! i really don't miss the weather. At least hopefuly you can snuggle in were it's warm and crank the heat.
It's a holiday here on Thursday, so that will be nice as we don't have classes. I plan on maybe going to see Avatar with Maja and Kristen, and then we want to walk around and explore some more :)
Life is good otherwise, moving fast...it's kindof scary how fast time will go. But i'm happy here in Pamplona :)
Haven't received the notice for mom's package yet, but Julia and I are watching the mail every day!! I love you mom
Until next time,
xoxo Lauren

nice day

2010-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hi all,,,
I first have to write about some interesting things i've noticed about Spain that i do not want to forget: first, they don't have 'school-buses' here. Believe it or not, the kids are picked up on coach busses. No joke...i just HAD to write this b/c i've been meaning to b/c everymorning as i walk to school i see mom's and dad's waving goodbye to their kids as they are sitting all comfortably in these huge, posh, nice busses! But you know what:??...they are ALL sitting down. Maybe the bus drivers in the US wouldn't have to holler for kids to 'Siddddowwwnnn!!!" like they do now!--but kids actually WANT to sit down cuz it's a nice bus haha!
The other interesting thing that I LovE is that Cars STOP for you. Yes..i'm not kidding with this either. You walk across the street, and if they are driving towards you, they will come to a complete stop. At first, i didnt really believe this was true so i would wait and then when they'd stop and look at me as if to say "WALK...GO" then i'd hurriedly cross...but i just get a kick out of how everyday when i walk to and from the unniversity, they stop for ME and the rest of the ppl! Gotta love that...don't wory tho..i still look both ways b4 crossing the street!
Classes were good today besides the fact that I got LOADED with grammar homework..but i guess that is good b/c the more i practice the better. I also officially registered today! So now i have my official schedule set which is a wonderful feeling. I am taking 5 classes, and i believe i wrote them in a post just a few days ago :)
I got home early, and b/c the sun was out and it was pretty nice i went for a run in the park. This was my 3rd one and i'm happy to say my legs are carrying me ok..so i'm just gonna take it slow and easy. i dn't go far and i don't go long..but it's a start !
I showered, and Julia and I ate lunch together today which was nice. We had a really good Garbanzo bean soup again that has rice in it and is in the sausage broth..it sounds weired but you guys i'm telling you it's amazing...especially with bread in it..ahhh. And then i had again the same 'hija de la vaca' the daughter of the cow meat! which was better today :)!!!!
This afternoon, i had to write an essay for my literature class, so i did that and i am happy with it. Then i took a 45 min siesta which was nice. I have decided i LOVE my bed...i think its b/c im just so tired after how busy or how active (walking everywhere) i am each day. I just sleep so good now which is nice. It's hard to get up in the morning!..so anyway the siesta was nice...i didn't want to get up from that either.
At 6 i went to tutor/teach/play with the girls next door. This was wonderful! I officially met their mom..her name is Mercedes, and she is just beautiful and So nice. She told me that she wants their home to feel like mine, and i don't have to ask i can just go in the kitchen, etc, etc, (& im thinking,,well i'd still ask...) but she's so cute she was offering to cook for me, (American food if i want..she'd said..oh i can make you a hamburger sometime)..it was just cute..bless her heart. The little girls were so excited. I love them already. They are 9, 6, and 4 like I said, and their names are Leire, Iraiti, and Saioa...a bit hard for me to remember so i wrote them down b/4 i left to make sure i'll get them down. It's wonderful too b/c Mercedes said she wants to be flexible with my schedule. so that is nice b/c week by week we'll go..not every Friday night like originally so i was happy about that! She was offering for me to come over any other time too just to play with her girls, talk etc while she cooks etc. I think like babysitting sometime..which i would be fine with. and it is very nice of them b/c I believe they are going to pay me b/4 i leave. I didn't expect this since i'm doing this as a thankyou, but i think that is what she said. Either way, it is such good practice for me too b/c the girls are SO fluent in Spanish and they are so attentive to me and want to learn. It's cute b/c Mercedes closed the living room door (it's like this big sliding door that is just gorgeous in their piso), and then after one hour, she comes in and she says..ok girls, well how was class? Class is done now!! They treat it really like class, and i love that!!! I wish i could have a camera on me just so you could see how interesting this really is :)) The 4 yr old was very shy the entire night, but i new i'd gotten on her side when as i was leaving she RUNS up to me with a cute drawing that she wanted me to take. She plastered it with stickers, written on it, drew pics, and stamped things! :) so cute !
I was their from 6-7 and then i walked to Corte Ingles (which is like a Macy's here) and I bought some nice Jewelry for Inoa for the fiesta on Saturday night in the Pueblo. I believe she was 15 this week, not 14, but anyway i found some really awesome stuff, and i got some bracelets for mi tambien :))
When i got home one of Julia's sons Carlos came over while I was eating supper, so i met him, and he and his fam. will be in Salinas at the fiesta on SAt too, so that was good that i could meet one more person i'll know. His son is 17 and interested in going into medicine, so that is good to know too b/c i'll have someone that i can talk to about a similar interest to break the ice with things!I had tortillas de patatas, a salad, bread of course, and coconut yogurt for supper tonight. It was good.
Now i am just waiting till 11pm (4pm your time) for the possibility to have a skype date with my mama :)
I don't know if i will be able to update you 2morrow night, but you will for sure hear from me within the next 2 days.
xoxoxo
Lauren

sometimes the unexpected is THE best :)

2010-01-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a nice, but unexpectedly nice day. Classes started out well, as I just had grammar class, and after conversation class..I like Thursdays :) Don' get me wrong, they are classes with work, but just less time to be sitting down in class like yesterday :) After clases, I met up with some of my friends from Concordia as we were trying to plan our trip to Paris which was to be next WEdnesday the 27 b/c we have a long weekend! I am So excited, however it is too bad b/c we were not able to book the train tickets, so we decided to scratch the trip for that weekend. Paris is on the top of my list of places tovisit, so i wil def go at some point, it is just figuring out when and being able to book it! it'll happen. But something else may come out of that lng weekend..so i will keep you posted :)
It was so nice i got to skype with Dad today..just so nice at times to see a familiar face and voice :) and recieve his awesome advice. Dad you're seriously the BEST dad and i love you so much. so i hope you know this..i do so much.
Julia made me macarones (macaronie noodles) with tomato sauce that had a twist to it,,it had like a pepper flavor that i actually really like..however this is the funny part..so just wait!...
so she's serving me, putting the macaronie in the bowl, and she fills just PLUMP full,,i can't even describe to you how much pasta there was in this bowl.prob 2000 calories worth haha! so of course i started eating ,,but i had told her, Julia, este es demasiado!!..(meaning too much!) it tasted great, and I ate bread with it b/c of course that is always wha we do at our house when we eat pasta and i love bread with the sauce,,but when she saw me do this..she said..'que terrible' no con pan! (how terrible..not withbread!) they don't do that here apparetnly i learned ! but i told her that i like it like this..i apologized cuz i didn't know if i was being disrespectful, etc lol and she said "oh no,,esta bien! esta bien!..(that's fine eat eat!!) But when she wasn't looking, (she was washing dishes and had her back to me,) i dumbed like half the bowl back into the serving dish b/c it was just WAY too much..prob could have fed 3 ppl ahahha!!! She didn't notice :)
This aftrnoon, it was wonderful again b/c i walked over to my friend Maja's piso to study. It's so nice to study with a friend. we do do our own thing, but it's nice to be with someone else. Then i got to do a little more skyping which was nice too.
I returned home around 8:00pm and i had some soup and an apple. Julia tried to feed me more (bless her heart) but i just couldn't :) !!!
Then, what the unexpected but awesome part of my day was was after la cena (supper) we walked over to Maribel's house..it's just down and around the corner. I didnt realize how much i missed her..i hadn't seen her since my first weekend here when she wasrunning around everywhere with me trying to get my suitcase, toilettries en as tiendas (stores), etc. It was SO good, and you guys,i feel so at home there. Her two kids are so wondeful too. --they both greeted me excitedly, and yesterday it was Inoa's birthday, so she shared some of her birthday treats with me (of course i loved this!) i had this amazing little choc. cookie that had choc frosting in the middle, and another little sugar ccookie type ofthing. If i can i will buy some b/4 i come home so you can see what they are like!
But what is really awesome is how they just welcome me into their home. Now I TRULY understand what it feels like to be a college student away with no one from home and then how amazing it is when a family invites you to be with them. Inoa is 14 now i think, and her brother Inaki is 11. They are just adorable, and Inaki was so excited --we talked about soccer (me getting barcelona , madrid, materials for friends, etc)and this is another funny thing i HAVE to tell you! so
Maribel and I were tlking,,it's so nice b/c i can tell her anything and she wants to do her best to help me..so i was telling her to offer my availability to tutor to families at her school, etc, etc, and we were sitting on Inaki (her son's ) bedwhile he was at his desk doing his homework. I'm impressed wth the spanish school system b/c his homework was a bit intense for an 11 or 12 year old, butstill :) so we're talking, and then he wanted to show me this project he'd just finished, and then Maribel noticed in his notebook that his teacher and made many comments about him lacking certain exercises,not finishing some things, etc..and boy let me tell you..Maribel ws not happy, scolding him, etc. Then he felt bad i think cz i was there, but i told him that if i were him i'd be nervous, and he seemed to smile then.But it was jut funny to see how another mom will scold her son (all in spanish which was amusing for me to listen too b/c i picked up on words thati don't usually here alot!) about laziness, ec..so i took notes! Then when their dad came home from work (he got home around 9pm..so late!) Inaki had to show his dad his lacking in his exercises, and do them..he is so cute though. Their dad greeted me too, and then Maribel and Inoa invited me to come on Saturday to her birthday celebrations.
I cannot tell you how excited i am to go do something with them! They are such a nice family, and it is so nice to have something to lookforward to and be included in, and plus i will learn somuch and be able to take many more photos!!
We are going Salinas, which is a small pueblo (a small little village) outside of Pamplona. I think it is a little drive, not toofar, but far enough. I am so excited to experience this. The house is in the family, was owned by Julia, and now she has her children owning it. They all go there for holidays, festivals, vacations, etc, and it has so many rooms that it can house all 4 of Julia' kids and their families.! I have heard so much about it but now can't wait to experience and see what it will be like, and with real spanish families! It sounds like we will play games, eat to celebrte Inoa's birthday etc. and she is just so nice, and wantsto help me..it's great! I am not sure yet if i will stay thenight there or return with Maribel on Sat. prob the latter. I will definitely fill you in.
But i am just so happy to be able to go here and experience this this weekend, since i really didnt have much to do! And it wil be great practice!
Tomorrow, i have classes, and then i want to run and walk in the park. I plan on studying in the afternoon, and then i will tutor the neighbor girls at 6pm :)
That is all for now, i better finish my literature homework and then get to sleep.
Lots of love,
Lauren

a little behind

2010-01-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

Hey All,
Sorry that I haven't updated this very well over the past few days. Shame on me :) i gues you'll be glad to know i've been using that time to study..and or skype :) But things are going fine. Very busy now that school is in full swing. It's a little overwhelming, but to be expected. Tuesdays are my busy days, so I had 3 classes today which began at 8:30 and i end at 2..the crappy thing is they are 2 hr long classes, and i really don' have much of a break between them b/c they start and end one after the other! But it's all good :) The other days of the week aren't too bad. I am seeing how time is starting to fly now that i am busier..and how i am tired!!!!
Right now I am at my friend Maja's piso (apt) working on homework on her bed while she studies at her desk. You just get to the point where you have to 'Seek' out people to be with..otherwise it just get's too lonely by urself :)
Today for lunch Julia fixed me garbanzo /rice soup that was in this sausage/pepper type of broth. It was actually very good. then i had some meat that she cooked..and the funny thing was..at first, i didn't know what it was..and it's so cute...she described it to me as 'la hija de una vaca!!' which means the 'daughter of the mama cow!' i had never had that before, but it was very light in color and tasted all right. I ate it with bread b/c the flavor was..well you know..new :)))
This afternoon i tried to study a bit but was just going stir-crazy after having sat all morning, so i went to the gorgeous park across the street again. I ran and walked, stretched, and just breathed in the air. For some reason i got a little sad..i think it' was just a bit overwhelming as it hit me that i am really here. I hvae these moments frequently, were i really can't believe that it's hapening,,,that i'm doing it...livng it..here you know ?! It just goes to remind mehow life passes so quickly, and we have to enjoy every moment of it. I also had some nice time to think and reminisce about things in my life..it was a very nice moment...
Aftr that,,which was very deep and a bit hardat the same time, i really wanted to be with people, so Maja and I made a study date. It's a bit late so i want to walk home b/4 it gets any later, and i know Julia will have cena (small supper) waiting for me. I don't want to worry her either. I told her i was coming over here earlier but i don't know where she went tthis afternoon..she didn't say..prob to Maribels!
Until tomorrow xoxoxox
Lauren

my sunday :)

2010-01-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

well my day ended nicely knowing the vikings won tonight, and also skyping with my bestfriend n sister Kallie. How wonderful :)))
My morning began wonderfully also. I woke about 930am, and had the usual speacial k and milk with a postelleria with Julia. Then, with my workout clothes on, my running shoes, and ipod, i headed over to the beautiful park called la ciudadela kitty-corner and across the street from my house. It is like central park beauty with oodles of trees, sidewalks, and murales..which are tall rock-castle looking structures spread out/built all throughout the park. It is absolutely amazing..b/c they are prob. 100's of years old. There were many people running and walking, soccer practices occuring, and it was just SO wonderful to be out and amongst the native people of Spain in the park. It had been a solid 6 months since i'd taken a run, so those first few strides were a bit awkward, but i found my way :) I was able to go for 10 min intervals b/4 i had to stop and stretch the leg out a bit, but I was SO proud that i could run today..and you will be so happy to know that I haven't had pain in that area at all today.
After i did 3 10 min intervals, i took a walk all around the park--and between the murals..again, it is so hard to describe to you how amazing it looks, so i will have to take pictures to help me describe and show you. During this walk i was thinking about how badly some-day i want to take you here and show you these things! Sometimes it's hard cuz u just wish you could pick up the phone to tell ppl :)) Thank goodness for this!
I did my physical therapy and showered, and then began my studies. Julia made me arroz con pollo (or paella) the TRADITIONAL MOST TRADITIONAL I SHOULD SAY!!) dish in Spain for lunch. It was SO good. then we had banana's for dessert, and i of course had my dark chocolate too.
I studied some more this afternoon, and then at 5pm met up with Robert a concordia alum who studied abroad in Pamplona in the same prog. about 10 years ago here. He met his wife here in pamplona and now lives here, so it was very nice of him to meet up with us and answer or questions. We walked around Casco Viejo and he told us /showed us some hot spots, and also gave us alot of information about the Running of the Bulls! He RUNS with the bulls! i have some cool pics we took tonight i will show you soon.
Then i walked home and watched a cooking show for awhile with Julia. It was very interesting to watch, and it's such good practice to listen i figured that could justify my not studying too much tonight (i didn't have much anyway tho). I was able to skype like i said again and it was so great to see another familiar face from Cord :))) All in all, a good day, and a busy weekend. This week should be much better than last as my classes will be figured out now! I am taking Literatura del siglo XX en espanol, Conversacion en espanol, Traduccion (translation) de ingles a espanol (from english to spanish), Espanol Grammatica, and Civilizacion y cultura hispanica. I have 5 classes in all, so it'll be a busy sem, but it's good for me :) I also started looking for a part-time job today to work as an english tutor for kids. The university has a place you can sign up..so i am keeping my fingers crossed that i can get a paid job so that i have a little extra money for my traveling i'll be doing.
Enjoy the rest of your night. I am off to bed as i have 830am class tomorrow.
All my love,
Lauren

mysterious phone friend and San Sebastian

2010-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have a lot to tell you all about my experiences today..but first i have to go back to talking about the mysterious phone friend that i talked about a few days prior. I forgot to tell you that 2 nights ago, i recieved another message saying 5 Euros were added to my phone for use!!?? Idk what the deal is but i like it! :) lol...i think it's the woman who sold me my phone and she is giving me promotional deals that she might recieve for being an employee..all in all tho, how kind of her :)
Today was a wonderful day. I was at the university by 9am and all of the foreign exchange students and some spaniards (we took two coach busses) went to San Sebastian, a beatiful city located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. It was breathtaking. It was about 1 hour to get there, maybe less, and we had the entire day to explore!
When we first arrived we were given a small tour of the area around the coast, and then the large group split off into smaller groups of your own to do what you please. my friends Maja (from Norway) and Megan (USC) went on an amazing hike up to the top of this peak ST. Teresa that looked out over the Bay of Biscay on one side and San Sebastian on the other side. There was so much vegetation on the way up, and it was all green and smelled so fresh :) Even tho it was cloudy and drizzling a bit, we were so blessed that it didn't start to rain until we were down from our hike! Today total I took about 115 pictures, so you will have to look at them with me when i return. I posted some on facebook, but not all. After spending about 1.5 hours on this hike, we descended and found a small pincho bar to eat lunch at. (pinchos are like appetizers). It was expensive,,but a very good spanish experience :) we all tried new things! We then enjoyed walking up and down the streets of San Sebastian..so quiant and close together, yet with SO much going on down each one of them! We shopped at some unique stores to spain, and I bought a great new pair of skinny-jeans ..trying them on,,i ended up having to buy the pair 2 sizes smaller than what i wear??!! I don't know how this can be when i eat so much bread here ..but it's gotta be the walking lol !!! That's all we do here--but i LOVE it! Maja and Megan bought some great stuff too, and then we found a cute pasteleria (dessert shop) where we bought a sweet, and then sat and rested . This walking/resting pattern became our routine for the rest of the day as we realized we were quite tired! We walked around all of the bridges, and took many pictures of the architecture. We also enjoyed watching all of the little people playing in the streets. Today i just couldn't get over how adorable the kids are here in spain. There parents dress them so cute, and hearing them running around yelling and laughing and talking in Spanish is so amazing to me!
I arrived home around 9 and had a nice cena (supper) with Julia. I told her all about my day and then had some tea and have been relaxing in my room. It was so wonderful tonight b/c I got to skpye with my parents and also a great friend from Concordia..It is SO amazing what technology allows now!!and it was SO AWESOME to see these faces :) and here these voices.
I should probably get to bed since it's 1:10 am here now! I've had so much fun uploading all of my pictures and talking tonight! Tomorrow i will hopefully go on a run (my first one in 6 months since breaking my leg last summer!) i'm nervous, but Dr. said "When ur in Spain, i give u the go ahead to try it out!!) so here i go. itll be short and slow..but it's a start right?! Then i will study, and relax in my room. The concord. group is meeting Robert Whittington, a cord alum who lives in Spain at 5 for info about Pamplona, so that should be helpful too.
Hope everything is well with you, and i will write again soon. Go spuds and go vikes.
p.s...i watched the soccer game tonight! and listened on the radio..was pretty cool! :) It's so funny b/c even my 80 yr old host mom was getting in to it!!!
All my love,
Lauren

Correction: notwayzata..minnetonka

2010-01-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

correction..Ben..kick a** against Minnetonka 2morrow cuz that is who ur playin...Wayzata the next time u gettum...n cheer on the vikes too..Brittany that is Ridiculous that u cheering for the cowboys lol..what is this???!!!! u are too silly :) xoxoxo

10 days come n gone

2010-01-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have been in Pamplona for 10 days now...(it feels much longer hehe!!) Today the weather was absolutley beautiful. It's amazing what 1 day can do. I woke up and EVERYTHING was beautiful and green. Blue skys, and the sun was out. It was such a great feeling to walk to school, and look out the window all day to see this. I had a very busy day today b/c i was again trying out different classes as I'm still trying to pick my final class to take. This morning I went to Cultura y Civilizacion, and i LOVED it. A grad student teaches it, but it is very useful info to learn, b/c she teaches us all about the geography and culture and government of Spain,,(things that locals think you know,,when you dont but really want to learn!!). Plus, my friend Maja and 4 other Cord. students are in the class. Plus, the class takes several trips throughout the semester to Madrid and another city (so this is a perk!! Free travel guidance..well almost..there's a pricetag on everything!!). Me and my friend Ellen were just talking about how amazing it is that we feel we are always paying for things..Spaniards seem so non-chalant with their money..we don't understand were it all comes from. It's so different b/c you can go practically 3 weeks in moorhead without spending a penny on fun, etc,,but here it's everyday. But we are conservative :) but also have fun. In between classes, we walked to a bookstor in the neighborhood of Iturrama. It was a beautiful walk..i took pictures of the mountains, etc, and even was sweating a bit when we finally got there! i had to take off my coat :) Ahh..now this is the Jan. i like !!! The bookstore was out of our books, so we placed an order and they should be there next week. I had literature class this afternoon from 1-230pm. I also liked this class alot. It will be work, but it will be fun i think. Then, my friend Ellen and I planned on staying around campus to attend an Ethics II class that started at 4pm so we went to the cafeteria. Our mom's had made us each bocadillos (sandwiches...on their amazing, thick -hard break..they had pork and another type of ham on them :) I bought a coca-cola light (their 'diet-coke' here). I hadn't had one since New years eve, so it was amazing..mom their diet cokes are better here!!! They use sugar cane in them for sweetner. i wish u could have a sip! Then we went to this ethics class.
Unfortunately, it was very challenging. It's a level 2 course, plus entirely in spanish. I realy give us credit, as we have been trying ALL week to sit in and find a course we like and can handle in which to get a 'core-curricula' crdt accomplished, but they are just so challenging. After the course, a nice guy named Pablo who is a student at Navarra but his parents live in CT, befriended us and told us the prof. was terrible (a bit**) and that we should pick another class! Ellen and I were thankful for his honesty and help. But at least now her and i can say we really did try. ..sociology, ethics, and filosofia. I think it will be best for me to stick directly in the foriegn exchange ILSE program and take my spanish classes as planned. --afterall, that is what i'm here to do..improve and continue to study the language and culture :)
By the time i got home, it was 645pm, and I was starving. Julia made me a soup tonight that wasn't my favorite (another veg. type) but I ate it up anyway! Then she'd made me this meet stuffed with cheese. i didn't lik the cheese..lol..but again i ate it :) and an orange of course! It's wonderful to be treated to the traditions tho! I remind myself that i won't get this again...so i savor the moments. She always sits and talks with me while i eat (she always eats before or after me..she told me she prefers this b/c then she can serve better). She is too sweet.
At 745pm, i met my friends Maja and Kristen at Corte Ingles and we sprayed on perfume (this has become a daily routine, and my fave fragrance is this Clinique Happy Heart,,besides my beyond paradise..) so we always joke that by the end o the sem the store won't have any of this perfume left cuz eveytime we go in we put it on lol. We dubbed it 'our' scent tonight..it was a special initiation!! Then we walked around Casco Viejo. It was fun b/c the weather was beautiful for walking..so it wasn't too cold. We discovered the movie theater is very close to my house, & on Mond. night's it' cheap so we want to go see Avatar, and also the Morgans, and It's complicated!!! They are all playin ghere in Spanish! will be fun! Then,i was craving chocolate SO bad, we found this really cute cafe called Cafe Iruna and bought two pieces of this chocolate pudding-type cheese pastele ..with choc shavings on it. I feel like such a pig cuz i basically just ate my whole own lol but just hadn't had 'real' dessert for awhile lol!!! no more for me his weekend lol!!!!but it was amazing. We also bought awesome coffee and put choc. in it. I will never forget our night :)
Then Maja and I walked home b/c tomorrow we have a very big day!! I am so excited..it is supposed to be gorgeouse, and the ILSE/ERASMUS foreign Exchange students are going on a trip to San Sebastian, a city on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. very close to France. We are taking a bus and it leaves at 930 am so i will walk to the university at 845 am. It is about an hour drive, and we will get a tour an then have the rest of the day to walk and discover the city and beach and views. (and food!) Not warm enough to put our swimsuits on, but we plan on going in April or May on a SAturday to soak up the sun! I will get back about 9pm tmrrow night.
I have some homework, but it's a weired feeling b/c it's not what i'm used to. I plan on studying on Sund, and then in the afternoon i am going on a tour with a group..i will tell you more about this soon! I also plan to go for a morning run on Sunday since the sidewalks in the huge park across from my house are finely dry. I SO need to move my butt and get those endorphins flowing !!..it's funny tho..we were saying our legs are a bit sore from all the walking we do!
Today was also wonderful b/c i recieved a very nice email from a close friend of mine back home. It is nice letters like this that make my night :)..and help sustain me as I adjust :)
Julia washed my clothes today. It was so cute b/c when i got home tonight she had some folded and carefully placed on my bed. Shefolded them a different way than i usually do, but i put them away that way b/c it's special b/c it's 'her' way. I really do like her.
This week seemed to drag on forever, but i think that was b/c of all of the adjusting and learning about how the semester will work. I am looking forward to a set routine, and getting into my activities soon. volunteering should start next week, and dance first week in Feb.
Mom,,thank you for that note too today. I love you so much.give lady a kiss for me, and Ben kick a** tomorrow against Wayzata. I'll be thinking of you. Have fun.
I love you guys, and
i'll keep you all posted on San Sebastian tomorrow..w/many pics of course :))
xox Lauren

Still raining in Pamplona,,and my first fish meal lol

2010-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

The rain continues to fall here in Pamplona..cold rain now! I guess that is better than snow like on Saturday!! Oh MAN lol!!! but all the snow has melted now from the rain so that is nice.
My day was much better today..despite my TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE Sociology class that was in English. Gosh it was awful. WEds. i have Span Grammar at 9am and then right after i have Span Conversation. I really love these classes b/c i have the same prof and she is AWESOME. And i have some friends from the exchange prog. in the class! But when i went to Sociology, it was nothing like i thought. It's a 2 hour class, and the prof is from England and only speaks English (I have NO idea how he gets by here b/c no one speaks english here while going about their everyday activities!!). Anyhow, he used Goshly-awful terminology for the entire 2 hours, so bad that even the regular students that attend Navarra full-time wanted to switch. There is no text to buy, and he was very unorganized! I think i'll take this class at Concordia.i took an adventure down that road, but after i decided im def gonna stay in the exchange prog. i think. It just will make my life easier and i think i have enough to deal with/adjust to !!! I want to be hard on myself and say "Lauren, suck it up and get it done" but it was awful..and i also want to allow myself to enjoy this time here. I have the rest of my 20;s to be in school para medicina anyway :)))
So,,after this, i walked home and had a pretty good lunch. Today it was this AMAZING soup again..only made with carrots, water, lentils, and rice. I had never had lentils but i LOVED them! I am always served soup for the 1st course. then, for the main (2nd course), i had fish...and guess what..the skin was still on it :0 I wanted to make a face,,but you'll be proud of me...i ate it!!! hahah!!! and surprisingly i liked it! Not the skin of course! i didnt eat that!!! Then i had my tea, and today i took a 2hour siesta. This was very nice...i needed it! And..it really was 8am at home when i laid down here at 3pm so i guess it evens out :)
Tonight was wonderful. I got out of the house and met my 4 friends, Kristen, Lisa, another Kristen (all from Concordia) and my new friend Maja from Norway (the nurse :)!!! We went to the popular store Mangos (it's like Forever 21 back home) and shopped for about an hour or so! I bought a cute top that was only like 4 E!!
Then, we walked around and took pictures in the plaza! (i need to put them up soon!) Then, Kristen and Maja and I went to the top (8th Fl) of Corte Ingles (the Macy's store of Pamplona) and had Pinchos (appetizers and such). I had this really great bruchetta with mushrrooms.
Tonight their is a big party at the discoteca that many of the exchange students are going to , but with the rain it just isn't appetizing for me to walk there and it starts at 12 midnight till 6 am! Things start so late here!! i think i'll save those discotecas for the wknds! i have class at 830 am tomorrow!!!
Julia had a great cena for me. (dinner) I eat pretty late everynite..tonight was 10:30pm. Everynight i have a salad with a tomato and olive oil which i love and tonight i had a fresh cooked piece of turkey (pavo) with the amazing bread of course. So good. now my tummy is happy and i will get in bed to read. and listen to the rain outside my window. Today, i am happy to say i am finally seeing the light and beginning to see how Pamplona is going to be my newhome,,,and i like it for the most part :)
Until tomorrow...
Love Lauren

"Rainy days on Tuesdays"...(not the same as Mondays)

2010-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

On my walk to school this morning, it was still dark but the sky appeared clear and beautiful. Unfortunately after my first class, i looked out the window and the rain was pouring down. Luckily this melted all of the snow,showing the beautiful green grass, however it made for a cold and wet day here. I had Grammer class, English to Spanish translation class, and also met with my advisor all before 1pm. I was happy b/c I will be able to take Sociology here, and get credit for Sociology 111 at concordia for it, so that will be wonderful as i ws going to have to take it in the fall semester!
My 2 friends and I then went to the bookstore today, which is connected to the library. I was able to buy 1 book for each the grammar and translation. It is interesting b/c instead of requiring students to buy a ton of books and spend oodles of money, instead, they have photo-copies in a 'tienda de fotocopias' also in the library where the prof. indicate what their students need, then you go there, find there name, and pay only about 4 E for approx 70-100pg of photocopied material that you will use for the entire semester! I like this b/c its lighter weight than a book (being I have a 25 min walk one way to school), and it saves a lot of money! So we did this for Kristen as well.
This afternoon, when i got home at 2pm, i was starving!--but Julia had for me another type of soup that i just loved..it was a name i cant rem! hehe..but vegetables..so warm and good. Then she had un chorizo and an egg for me. She explained to me that i am supposed to dip the bread in the yoke, but then when she saw i was eating 'around' the yoke, she said she'd fry my egg a bit more next time lol!!! i explained im not a big yoke eater, but it was orange and fresh as can be!! I also had tea.and fruit for dessert.
This afternoon, i sat at my desk..the ENTIRE afternoon. i guess it was kindof nice, however you know how clouds can make you sad..
i guess it was just a day to make one miss their friends and fam a bit..so that was a little hard. But i kept busy by listening to music, and the rain and cars right outside my bedroom window (we live on this beautiful street i can't wait to show you pics soon!)...i have a beautiful view :) everything is old and European/Spanish looking. i studied and did some homework, but also planned out my activities that i am going to do. My schedule should pick up very soon and i will b bisy..however i constantly remind myself that in Spain, i have to understand;;;life just IS slower. :) I think this is a good thing at times. I am just adjusting :)
I know this is a long one today,,i think i just needed to spill my guts about my un-productive day!!!! And how much i miss all of you...so much!I know i say this everyday..but i mean it,,but i also want uto know i am so happy to be here right now. it's surreal..like a dream..i keep thinking im gonna wake up...but it's real life.
The most interesting thing was tonight, after cena (Julia had my usual salad with olive oil, bread and meats, and fruit, & water,) when i came to my desk, my phone had two mysterious messages. The first was as follows: "Lauren, enjoy Pamplona, and don't worry for money...Everything is going to be ok. Your spanish mysterious friend". So im thinking..ok..."who knows im worrying about money..b/c i'm not!" but i look at the 2nd message, and it says that 5 E were added to my cell phone ( i have the pay as you go). So my 'mysterious friend' (who is really mysterious b/c i have NO idea) gave me 5 E. Just the fact that someone would do that made my night...not that i needed the 5 E but the act of kindness. :) it could be eithe Maribel or Josefina (the girl who works at the Mobil place where i was near tears the other day w/the prob. with my phone haha)..so it's prob her...but if i find out you'll def hear about it!
anyway..i better end this :)mucho amor <3
Lauren

Mon 11 Enero

2010-01-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

Today started out very high intensity but ended SO well! I had my first 'classes' experience today which was so nice! it felt great to get back into the swing of something !!hehe!! like learning! I had to take a written and oral placement exam with some professors here so they know what level to place me in for my classes. This week, all of the classes I go to are just to see what i think of them. So i am going to go to alot that i am interested in/want credit for. Then next week or the following, i am able to decide what I want to take. As an exchange student this is very nice! AFter this, my 3 friends and I walked about 1 mile to this store called Correfour! What an experiece!
It is like a walmart, but very cool !! (not that walmart isn't cool..but you get the point!) It was funny b/c we had our backpacks and they wouldn't let us take them in the store, so they have these weired locker things that we had to figure out! man oh man! but we did! Then we bought some Extremely cute boots...( everyone in Spain (all of las chicas i should say) wear these super cute boots everywhere...) so now not only are we speaking like the Spaniards (almost but not as well hehe!) but we are dressing like them! This was fun! Then we all were SO hungry and it was time for comida (siesta time..but you have to know we don't actually have time to sleep hehe!! too busy!)..
So i walked another 2 or 3 miles i suppose back to mi piso where Julia had fixed me an amazing lunch (comida). Lunch is the biggest meal of the day. I ate this soup that is my favorite..it is called el col. Then she gave me a sm. prtn of pasta con carne de vaca. it was pretty good. for dessert we have fruit and then i had coffee con leche and a sm sugar cookie.
After lunch i had to walk back to school (another 1.5 miles hehe) and go to class at 400. this ended at 530 pm..it is Historia contemporanea de Espana y America. I'm not sure i'll take it cuz i might take other class but it was interesting!
Then i walked another 2 mile to Corte ingles and got my cell phone fixed! This was SO nice ! it took an hour though..but i ended up getting my 9 E back so that was good..but u know me.. i don't back down until it's done!So i got it done! For supper Julia had a salad with olive oil and tomatoes for me..(my new fave dressing is olive oil britt!-so that's what it'll be next fall hehe!!) and a tortilla con patatas (potatoes). Then what MADE my night was to follow.
We went next door to the building connected and Julia knows this family. They are young and have 3 daughters 9, 6, and 4. The girls are SO cute. The dad was So nice to me and in exchange for his internet code, i am going to tutor his 9 yr old daughter, and possibly the 6 yr old..in ingles! the 9 yr old was so excited as she was writing everything she new in english to show me and was making un 'examen' for me to take..that included to write my name, last name, address in usa, and such..this will be good for me b/c i'll get my fix of working with kids, as I miss Harshita and Nishita, my girls back home! So all in all, it was a wonderful night b/c now most of my accomodations are complete in perfect time. i have mi maleta (luggage) and internet so that i can connect with all of you!! It makes me feel good that you read this blog! and i will continue to update it! Have a wonderful rest of your day..i better try to sleep now. i have class at 830am!!
xoxoxo Lauren

Mi malleta esta aqui en pamplona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey all...i just have to tell you that when i left that internet cafe about an hour ago and wen thome, just as i was walking in the door the phone rang and it was my friend Diana who picked me up at the airport and they delivered my luggage to here today! I cried tears of joy! So she is bringing it to my house tonight and I am SO SO SO SOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
excited to see and go through my things. its been a week! Ay carumba!
anyway, hopefully i will be better able to communicate and be comfortable nowª! I am so happy. until 2morrow xoxo Lauren

Sunday here!

2010-01-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

Hi all!
Well,,i think my body is finally adjusting to SPain time..last night (sat) i went to bed at 11pm and didn't wake up this morning until 1230 pm. My host mom was so proud of me b/c she just thinks that i need to sleep. She can tell i am worried and still adjusting to things so she says...tu necesitas dormir mas,,mas,,mas!!!" it's kindof cute.
we walked around the town a bit today. She showed me the bus station so I know how to travel if need be to other towns. Then i had soup and tea and an apple and choc. for lunch. For breakfast she bought me Speacial k b/c she knows i like cereal! but the milk is like vitamin D milk. we had a discussion adn i told her i like skim the 'leche delgada' and she said Oh es mas peor!! it's worse she said!!! it was funny! i drink it b/c i know that i need my nutrients..and funny as it is i'm becoming accostomed to it hehe! I drink it!! lol
well, tonight i am borrowing a girls adapter so that is nice b/c i am charging my laptop right now. I don't know how long that will last butwe'll see! Then i am going to Maribels house b/c she is going to hlp me with my cell phone. it doesnt work and i just got it yest! hehe! it's supposed to have 12 Euros as bonus for use and i've only made 2 calls under 5 min..so we are going to get to the bottom of it!
The snow is meltng so that is GREAT! and the sun was out today!
2morrow i have school and i am so excited. I just want to get started and start learning about how i can get involved with dancing. they need at the clinic volunteers so i am excited to do that. a nurse is in my same program here and hse is from norway so we want to work at the lcinic together! it's fun b/c spanish is our commn language ..it's SO good for me to talk ..noone speaks ingles so it's great..although i def. have my moments where i just want to scream in english to express myself b/c i am not able to say everythng i want to in spanish at the moment hehe!!!! but i'ts coming along :)
Well it makes me feel good to know you guys read my blog, and I miss you and love you all! no news on my luggage,,but i am keeping the faith that it will arrive this week or some day i'll just walk home and see that it is there!!!
Love you all,
Lauren

still working on getting this bag..and SNOW????

2010-01-09T02:01:00.000-08:00

This morning i awoke at about 2 am and made my plan of attack!!! Today, Julia´s daughter is going to take me to the airport and i hope to talk to the officials about where my bag may be. I really hope that we can find it either in Germany or Madrid...i really feel like God is going to lead us to it today.. i really hope so..my one and only pair of glasses (new too!) my contacts, my running shoes, boots, toilettries, makeup, school supplies, and everything else is in there. Ay carumba. but my host mom is very helpful to me and she really cares about me which is nice. So does her familia!
Then i am going to go buy some toilettries and also buy a cell phone. I am going to get a Vodofone so that Yesterday we had a day of orientation. i am definitely seeing first had how Spain isn´t as type a as me hehehe...they aren´t too organized but they don´t seem to be worried about things either..so i guess the deadline to sign up for clases is march 1 but they start mond__??? how odd right??!! whatever! I´ve picked out most of my classes and will be there so haha!!!
Then we walked around pamplona yest. it is snowing here alot and freezing. luckily maribel gave me a winter coat and boots. man i just can´t get away from this weather!
My time here is alright. It isn´t Spain that i dislike it is my bad luck. I can only hope that things turn my way today or very soon. i miss each and every one of you and think of you ALL the time..Don´t worry about me tho.I will adjust !!!! Adios mis amigos...muchos besos. im off to find my bag!!

im here but not in all one piece

2010-01-07T04:26:00.000-08:00
hi all! i am sorry that i haven´t been able to inform you sooner that i am here. things haven´t gone too smoothly unfortunately. i did make it here safely and my host mom is so wonderful to me, however one of my bags didn´t make it and we don´t know where it is! I have contacted the airports and such, and i hope that it arrives soon because it has all of my cords for my computer, camera, etc, and all of my toilettries (i haven´t showered since i left ahh) thank god no one knows me around here!! as i type i am at julia´s grandaughters work at a travel agent place to use the computer. julia my host mom doesn´t have internet at her house, so that is quite an adjustment to not be able to connect to your friends and loved ones whenever you wish. i am going to continue to try and find a way to pay for internet so that i can do homework better too from home this sem
i am happy that the 3 other concordia girls will arrive 2morrow. we have an orientation at the college so i will see them and learn more and sign up for my classes. the weather here is surprisingly cold! i may be having mom and dad send me a few more of my warm things!
But all in all, i am lucky to be here..p.s. i will say that it´s warmer than minnesota tho...i am geting by with a spring jacket hehe.
All my love,
Lauren