Coddiwompling

Although I have been in Spain for 4 months (exactly tomorrow !!!!), the one thing I continually forget is Spanish time is fake time.  When they say, "we will be home by 10pm," what they really mean is, "we will leave at 10pm and be home hopefully around 3-4am!!!" Disregarding the time mistakes, Toledo was beautiful. Rich with history and delicious food!! After 10 hours there, I would recommend it to everyone; however you don't need 10 hours there, (or at least I didn't.) It was once the capitol of Spain and is located 50 min southwest of Madrid and 3 and a half hours from Valencia (4 and a half hours on a bus!!). It was a gorgeous, I really didn't know much other than it used to be the capitol and is known as the City of Three Cultures. It is crazy that three religions, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish, all coexisted in this city for centuries!! The Gothic Architecture of the Cathedral, that is built over a Moorish Mosque was amazing. It con...

After realizing this move to Spain wasn't just a possibility, but a reality, I immediately started imagining life in Espańa . Who wouldn't? I expected endless glasses of Sangría, hours spent on the beach, endless tapas, immediately speaking Spanish, and traveling every weekend to another country. But upon my arrival, I realized I had been imagining a life on a clock. I realized there was no rush to do everything or drown my body in Sangría. Living with a host family has given me the opportunity to meet other families, eat homemade Spanish dishes, try the local restaurants that don't have English translation, and drink their favorite Spanish wines. It has made the whole experience more than I could've hoped because I am actually living the Spanish life with lots of real paella  and siesta's.  Siesta's should become custom in the United States as well. Personally, I think everyone would be a little happier with a nap after a big meal. I have tried the San...

Otherwise known as pancakes. Everyone always asks what American food I miss the most here in Spain. My answer is normally the American breakfast. (Or tacos, specifically breakfast tacos; oh, and Alamo cafe queso.) But I am a sucker for the American breakfast especially at an iHop, Denny's or the best at my house. The pancakes, hash browns, crispy bacon, sausage links, orange juice and a coffee.  I am telling you there is nothing better. And I don't eat this meal only in the morning, no; I could eat this at any hour of the day. This morning, while I was drinking my coffee, my host mom, Ana, came up the stairs and said she was making, "tortitas". I assumed it was similar to an omelet, but I proceeded to watch her and as she poured the batter into the pan I got ridiculously excited. I tried the first one and my dreams had come true. IT WAS A PANCAKE!!!!!!!!! LITERALLY YESTERDAY while I was on the phone with my parents I said I needed pancakes as soon as I land...

Parliament, Budapest, Hungary Being alone in a foreign country has given me the time to question and challenge myself in ways I haven't before. I have the chance to really test myself and also ask questions that make you think about your past, present and future. I struggle with figuring out my next step and there's so many opportunities that I've started to sort into 3 categories 1. I think I'm supposed to do, 2. I think I want to do, 3. I want to want to do.  One thing I've really learned is how impressionable I am, I'm like a child in this sense or just really a "go with the flow" personality. Looking back I never challenged myself to form my own opinions about a lot of topics, politics for example. I have been ignorant or naive about truly understanding the different platforms with candidates and just pushed it aside with, "I don't know politics so I stay out of it". I have been pretty naive with what is happening in the wor...