Alhambra

I am EXHAUSTED.  Last night a guy on my program, Kevin, and I decided to meet up because we were going to go out with everyone.  I didn’t feel like going out once he got here I really didn’t feel like going out so we decided to just explore everything around our area since he lives about 15-20 minutes away.  We walked around for almost 2 hours, it was so much fun!  We went to the river walk (watch out Naperville!) and just explored what was around us.  Today everyone went to Alhambra.. it was amazingly gorgeous everywhere.   My senora wanted me to leave an hour early and it only took me 20 minutes to get there!  People walk very slow here, I don’t like that very much!  She fed me cookies, chocolate cereal (literally chocolate pieces wrapped in chocolate flavored cereal) with coffee… that was interesting.  I talked to other people on my program and no one else had this breakfast.  I’m not exactly feeling having cookies for breakfast, I hope I get something else tomorrow.   We were at Alhambra for about 6 hours (hence the exhaustion).  It was an amazingly beautiful place with a ton of history and amazing views of Granada, I really loved it.  I still am astonished by the amount of detail that encompassed the palaces.   I cannot even explain it, I suggest taking a look at my pictures @ http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af130/mapayne2/GRANADA/ !   I am taking an Art History class (SO excited to take a fun class!) so we will be frequenting Alhambra often I learned today.   I took so many pictures, none of which do it justice.  I can’t wait for my family to come and see it, I can only imagine the gardens in the spring!  Once again though Mom, it’s quite a walk up. 

It was really nice to see everyone in our program again.  Vodafone was having problems with their system so no one can get phones until tomorrow.  I am excited for that because it is the most bizarre thing ever to not be able to get in contact with people I want to and have absolutely nothing to do.  It’s kind of boring at my senoras house since there isn’t internet and I live kind of far from everyone.  Not having internet is incredibly hard!!  I want to talk to everyone especially since it’s Irene’s 21^st birthday today!  I haven’t talked to my family since Friday, CALL ME FAMILY!!!!!!!!!  I have free incoming calls from ANYWHERE which is amazing.  So if anyone wants to by a calling card and call me up.. that’d be fun!  Just listening to Spanish all day and then talking with my senora today was so so so tiring. It takes a lot of work to translate to myself all the time.

I’m starting to think maybe my senora is a clean freak, her place is impeccably clean.  I took a shower a bit ago and now it sounds like she is cleaning it. I hope there wasn’t supposed to be something I was supposed to do! Well tomorrow school starts.  I have to be there at 8:45 when they post the list of what time you have classes.  Elizabeth and I are going to walk there together!  I am excited to have something to do AND FREE INTERNET AT CEGRI!!!! (CEGRI is where I am taking classes) At night we have a free salsa class which should be GREAT! But, I think I am going to go to bed now.. at 9pm haha.  I am so tired from Alhambra, listening to Spanish all day and then talking with my senora today was so so so tiring. It takes a lot of work to translate to myself all the time.  I feel bad but I just want to watch a little Sex & the City and not think in Spanish!

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS IRENE!! Miss you (and everyone else)!