Reflections/More

The title should maybe suggesting this will be a deeper post... well for me. Usually I like to post things to make people laugh, or brighten their day. I'm not going to do the opposite with this I promise. Don't tune out though, it's just going to be a more reflective post, because I feel it's necessary... at the end is just more of a mix of ideas and things.

• It's now been 82 days since the day I left, going into this program having no idea what my future in Spain would hold. 
• I came knowing how to conjugate maybe 3 forms of a verb... can now do double that. 
• I'd never spend more than 15 days away for home until I came here... and for people that now me, leaving home for 10 months wouldn't be something you'd expect from me
• The first time I left the country was to come here. Never have I ever (wait... we aren't playing that) been to Mexico nor Canada.
• I never thought a city itself can be pretty before I came here. Yea Cedar Park is a true beaut. I mean no hate to anyone from good ol' CP cause I miss it a lot. 
• Not understanding every word that people say is normal now. I've learned so much Spanish but the thought that I'd understand everything someone says already is pretty crazy to me. I usually can understand the general gist though without much effort.
• Accepting things that are so wild and crazy to you as normal. Obviously I can't think things would be the same here, so when I see something that's different I observe it and say "okay, that is now normal." Of course it takes a few occurrences for it to not affect you anymore.
• Not seeing my families face since saying goodbye in the airport. Yes, that's right. I haven't skyped with them, why? I have no idea. I talk to them on the phone and even while I'm typing this thinking we need to skype. So to my fam: Soon.
• In two weeks from today I'll be celebrating my 16th birthday. What my plans are? not sure yet. I definitely want to make it something I'll never forget.
• It's been over two months since I left Pamplona and feels like a lifetime. 
• Over one year ago (year and a day) I started this blog. No doubt I've changed so much. Reading that post just makes me cringe a little. I don't know why. My writing was so awkward and I wasn't witty, kind of flat and boring. I apologize. 
• The past 82 days have been so fast and crazy. Who knows how long it'll take for time to slow down, or maybe it won't ever. 
• I've never been a Patriot for the USA til I came here. No I don't think one country is better than the next but I really have come to love my country more than I thought I did before I left.

Misc.:

Okay, I've tried lots of new food here. Maybe this shouldn't really count, since it's a pastryish thing. But it's like my new favorite thing. These Chocolate & Churros was bought in Plaza Mayor at one of Spain's oldest Churro places. Even seeing this is making me consider making a quick after school trip to grab some. Actually there is a churro vender right outside my metro stop on my way home from school... Idea planted. 

Egyptian Temple

Royal Palace

Monastery

Monastery... but close

Prado

Royal Palace... But further also La Almudena.

I've seen so much since I've been here. So many things I never thought I'd get to see. Who gets the chance to see Spain and how great it is at the age of 15. I feel so lucky to have this chance and am extremely thankful to anyone who has had the part in getting me here. I could never have done this without y'all!

Okay also this is from my going away party from a while ago & I want each and everyone in this picture know how incredibly jealous I am y'all have the week off.  Enjoy it. Miss y'all!

McDonald's & Englsh

Two things have happened that I think are pretty interesting and I want to share. Ill start with McDonald's cause I like it the best.
The other day me and two friends were in a McDonald's in the center of Madrid. Sitting right next to me (we were at a long bench where multiple parties share a seat) was another exchange student and to the other side a random 20 year old girl eating a cheeseburger by herself. Next to her was a drunk homeless man, should make for an interesting dinner, right? Right. The girl next to me quickly noticed the drunken man and made faces at us as he shouted words that I couldn't make out. This later takes a turn as he begins screaming in English, pretty well English actually. Then a McDonald's staff member tries to tell him to leave since he's not a paying customer and is disrupting the peace. He refuses and the McDonald's employee says he's going to call the police. Then he begins touching the girl next to us. Playing with her hair, tapping on her phone and asking for her name. She just kinda looked at us like I know y'all aren't speaking in Spanish but do you see what is happening. I asked her if she wanted to come sit with us (In Spanish, I'm not afraid to use it to random people anymore, yay) she said that it was fine. Then things take a turn for the wild. Another McDonald's employee begins yelling at the man about leaving the girl next to me alone and stop touching her cause the police are almost here. Now he shouts explicit things in English and puts his two middle fingers to the air and screams some more explicit English. Then about a minute later he stands up, grabs the hamburger from the girl next to me, takes a huge bite, and throws it back on the tray, then the girl next to me screams at him and smacks him. Then the second McDonald's employee runs over and yells at him some more. Now he's standing and does what must've been the most logical thing he could think of doing. Drop his pants to his bare butt, smack it and yelled... well we know what he yelled. Then the cops came and took him...we saw him in the cop car as we were leaving. Needless to say that I'll never go to McDonald's again without thinking about that one time when a drunk man smacked his butt and got arrested.
Now a more interesting topic for people that like thinking. Here I use Spanish to communicate with pretty much everyone. In school, at home, out and about. But today I was thinking about Spanish pronunciation versus English. And I figured English's is pretty messed up. Yes verbs are easier in English, for the most part (even kids in school will tell me that), but why are English spelling and pronunciation so hard? Why does adding an "e" to the end of the word effect how a letter in the beginning of the word sounds? For example the word "Rip" sounds like its spelt, but an "e" to the end and we get "Ripe" which makes a "rye-p" sound. "Hid" and "Hide", "Hop" and "Hope" or "Pop" and "Pope." I'm sure the list is pretty long. Also why is English spelling so weird? Night, Knight, Phone, Phantom, Though, Thought, Through, Tough. Like really why is it so random. By no means am I saying Spanish is an easy language... let me tell you.

***On a side note yesterday we said a "see-ya-later" to our friend Elly who is switching families to Valencia. We can't wait to hear the stories of how it's going for you! Hope you enjoyed the donuts.

Me, Elizabeth, Elly & Marissa at Atocha (Spain's "Grand Central Station") right before Elly boards her train to Valencia. As I'm reppin' South Texas Swimming.

This one's for you my family. I saw someone wearing an Encinitas jacket. Googled it, and it is from Encinitas, California... Thought it was a weird coincidence considering how close we used to live to it and how close my grandparents live to it now. Love and miss y'all.