A change of scenery

The past two weeks have passed so quickly I can hardly believe it. Life in San Lorenzo has become pretty routine for me. I fill my days with work, intercambios, work outs and more work. The family is still great, though Ana and David made this past week the least fun since I have come, however Blanca and I are continue to be BFF's. Ana (the other one) and Jara have been cracking me up. I look forward to going to their house everyday. Jara has informed me that at my ripe old age of 21 I am close to death. She also heard me speaking to Susana in Spanish the other day and gestured widely with her chubby little arms and screamed "Pero, como hablas!!" (the way you speak!) and I am still not sure if she was commenting on my accent or the fact that I was speaking Spanish.
My intercambios are a huge help to me. Every time I meet with someone I feel my ability to speak fluidly growing, I no longer feel embarrassed by my accent or if I make a mistake. Javier has started to lend me movies to watch in my free time, though I am not a huge fan of Spanish cinema I feel that it is my obligation while living in Spain to make an attempt to appreciate all aspects of its culture. Mari Fe and I have spent a couple of sessions going over the vocabulary and cultural differences of education, eating out and going out. These sessions are such a great help to me as I have the chance to expand my vocabulary in a way I wouldn't otherwise be able to do. I have met with Luis twice now, (I don't remember if he was in my last blog...) a yogi that enjoys long walks in the garden/forest surrounding the Montessori. I also met with Dario last Sunday and will meet with him again tomorrow. He is my age and a student getting his second degree. I enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with a Spaniard that is my age, it was the first time I have ever really joked around in Spanish in the same way I would in English with my friends. Needless to say this was a big confidence boost.


Today I went on a hike up one of the mountains behind my house (I still have no idea which one I was at the top of). The hike was beautiful and reminded me of Idaho. The trees and plants are the same as the mountains in Idaho and the smell of forest was spot on, so much so that all I can think about right now is S'mores. All long hikes should be rewarded with S'mores, but Spain lacks the supplies. I had a fantastic view of the Montessori from half way up, this was also a make-out spot for teenagers so I sadly did not spend much time enjoying the view. I continued up to the top where I enjoyed my snack the view of the mountains that surround my town.

 In other news I have finally heard from the program I applied for last November and am now in the process of waiting for my exact placement. Starting in October I will be living in the region of Galicia and helping to teach English. From the basic information that has been given I assume that I will be doing conversations with students so they can practice their English. The program is through the Spanish Ministry of Education and will allow me a lot more flexibility with my time. I am so excited to move to another region and get to know more of Spain. Esther and Jose will help me find possible roommates (Spanish roommates!) when I get exact assignment.This opportunity will be such a great addition to my resume and open so many doors, it even comes with a visa (though the actual attaining of the visa may be a difficult process for me as I am already in Spain with what we can label a questionable legal status...). No worries though, I will get the visa and will be living in Spain until at least May of 2013!