an update from spain

greetings! i meant to make one last post during finals week, but being finals week, that didn't happen. (you're not really missing anything, finals week was not super exciting).
so i figured i'd make up for it now by updating you a little on what's been going on. except i don't really have time to write out a month's worth of adventures. so instead, i'm just going to make a list of things i love about spain and things i can't wait to come back to in america.
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things i love about spain

• chocolate y churros.  most delicious thing ever. churros and the richest hot chocolate you've ever tasted for dipping them in. it's mainly a breakfast thing, but we have been able to procure them at night on occasion. we need this in america.
• heladerias. we get ice cream a lot. and it is so delicious. 
• k bueno. made by the same company as nutella. these are hazelnut and chocolate candy bars. oh my god. 
• fresh sea food. living in missouri doesn't really allow for fresh seafood to be a regular part of my diet. (i hated tuna before coming here based on the smell alone. my host mom made rice with tuna the other day and i loved it).
• people here look like me. it gets annoying when people in america ask me if i'm mexican/hispanic/whatever. but here, i look like a lot of the people i see on the street. no one has asked me where i'm from or what my nationality is. it's a nice change.
• siesta is not just for special occasions. people take naps every day. not just after they've pulled an all-nighter.
• hours in general. spaniards hate getting up early and love staying up late. i feel less weird for my personal hours of alertness here. (as americans, we go to bed about the time spainards are just getting the party started.)

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things i miss about america

• my (clean and nicely sized) house. my house in america is not huge, but there is room to breathe, unlike this almost-cramped flat in spain. also, our floors are a lot cleaner. i am glad i brought slippers because the tile floors have a lot of dirt on them. in just two weeks here, the bottoms are almost completely covered in grime.
• my bed. currently sleeping in the top bunk of an awkward bunk bed.
• my shower. the shower head here is in the middle of the tub instead of at the end. not diggin that. also, the temperature is really touchy, so it's either scalding or freezing, which i also hate. 
• being in control of what i have at meals. our host mom brings us out plates already filled with food. i like to be in control of my own portions; i waste less that way. also, i don't like it that meals are always a surprise. basically, i just like to be in the know/in control of the food i am consuming. [side note: none of this food has been bad. i have liked almost everything my host mom has put in front of me. this has nothing to do with the food itself, just my lack of control over it.]
• my favorite people. i have met some cool people here, and our group from truman couldn't be better, but of course i miss my family and my best friends. the big time difference and my inability to use my phone here make that even harder. 

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that's all i can think of for now, though i'm sure there is more.
for more on my adventures through iberia, check out my flickr. i still have more photos to upload, but most of them are up for your enjoyment.