Midday, already...wow!

Today, Feb 28th, 2011 is officially Midday, it is day 45 of 90, this trip is half way over.

So let me tell you about what has been going on.

Last weekend, my friend Christina came to Segovia, and stayed with my family... we made an American meal and my family took us to the sights.

This past week, I had an entire 10 minute conversation in Spanish, on the car ride home from school last Thursday, I was soooo proud of myself. Nothing was in English, I understood the whole conversation and I spoke, and yes more than si, vale, etc... I asked questions and responded and told Ruben, the music teacher, about my family too! I am learning, I am really learning Spanish. :)

This weekend, I went to Avila Friday night and Saturday Christina and I walked around Avila. Sunday morning we got up early and took the train to Madrid to go to the outdoor flea market thing that opens on Sundays in Madrid. It was a great day. On the way back we had to take separate trains because I was going back to Segovia and she was going back to Avila. My train left about 10 or 15 minutes before hers did and when we were looking to see which of the 20 platforms I was on none of the signs were saying which platform my train was on and so I nearly missed the train as I finally found a sign that didn't just say the train was leaving in 2 minutes. I ran out to the platform jumped on the train and text Christina saying, I made it, I hope this is the right train. It was.

Today, Monday, I brought peanut butter and jelly to school for the teachers to try, and most of them loved it!

Well Happy midday everyone, see you in a Month and a half!

When you are in a foreign country...

When you are in a foreign country you try new food, like cured ham, fish with the head still on it, strange salad without your favorite dressing etc...and you REALLY miss the foods you are a custom to, for example ramen noodles, PB&J, and other such things that can conveniently arrive in a care package

When you are in a foreign country you see new things, like cathedrals, castles, palaces, and other things of the sort...and yet you still miss the sites at home... even though they are not nearly as cool

When you are in a foreign country you meet new people who will probably be a new friend forever and when you leave you will miss them because they were the ones to show you around and talk to you, and even though you were scared to try speaking their language they still try to speak yours to make you comfortable or you stare at them blankly while they talk to you in their language, until you kind of understand what they are trying to say...

When you are in a foreign country you start to learn how to understand what they are saying, but yet, you still can't respond more than yes or no or ok because forming sentences is pretty difficult.

When you are in a foreign country, you have a lot of fun but you miss the customs and ways of life at home

When you are in a foreign country you freak out in depression to your friends and normally they tell you everything is going to be ok, but once in a while they tell you what is up and at first it will really make you cry because you are already depressed in a foreign country but then after a little while and a good talk with that friend you take what they have said for what it is you store it away in your heart and you thank them for loving you so much, that they are willing to not sugar coat it just like everyone else does, even when you tell them that is all you wanted was a sugar coated answer that will numb the depression for about 5 minutes!

I love you all and I miss you...

a reminder from an amazing friend: "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:10

PB&J never tasted so good...

So today I stayed home sick from school, the past two weeks I have had a wicked cold and still have been going to school anyway, it is just a cold. But this morning I just didn't have the energy so I went back to bed and slept until 2:30... when I was woken up by my entire Spain family holding a package...from...AMERICA. My amazing mommy sent me a care package for Valentines day, now it didn't actually arrive on Valentines day but, I am kinda happy it didn't, because it arrived today when I stayed home sick. Inside the package was cold medicine, hand sanitizer, sanitizer wipes, LOTS of chocolate, poptarts, peanut butter and jelly, a book about the space center, and a card and when I read the card I started to cry, I hadn't eaten lunch because Spanish food just didn't sound appealing so I was going to go without... but when I opened the package I had to have a PB&J sandwich...but first I had to call my mom at work. When she answered the phone at first it didn't sound like her so I said "may I speak to Mary Maxwell, please." sounding a little puzzled she said "speaking" and I responded "momma, you are my hero, and don't worry these are tears of joy, I got my package today and I love you so much.". then after talking to the most wonderful mommy in the world I went to the living room with the boxes of chocolates mom sent for my Spain family and the PB&J... I made my self a sandwich and took a bite, peanut butter and jelly has never tasted so good in my life.

I am so happy my package arrived today and so grateful that I have such an amazing mommy to send me a package from home!

Italian is American, right?

So the past two weeks have been fun and emotionally draining all at the same time.. Every time I step into the classroom I am a little more comfortable and a little more willing to ask the teachers to let me take over...

I got to do valentine's day stuff with the kids and some outside games that helped with the lesson they were learning.. also in one class they are learning about reading a map and directions and I just happened to bring maps of Melbourne and we used those,which they loved because they got to see where I live, and the whole map is in English....

Last weekend my family took me to Pedraza (I think that is how you spell it) and it was this little old town outside of Segovia with only 1 way in and out, really neat with a fort and the old jail house, which we toured. Then on Sunday we went to a womens day festival in the town square where women are in charge of the town for the day...

This weekend I met up with Kim, Ashlee and Krystal in Valladolid...let me tell you Friday was not my day, first the kids asked me if I was pregnant, I was mortified... then at 3:45 the English teacher dropped me off in Carbonero to take the bus to Valladolid, I sat at the bus stop for 2 hours to get LEFT!!!! the bus stopped people got off and he zoomed off before I could get on... so my family picked me up and took me to Valladolid... on Saturday we went to the cathedral and the park, outside the park I was showing the girls how I mimed tripping in class, Friday, and while showing them I actually ate it and landed on the ground. but all in all it was a good weekend with the girls...

We were getting sick of Spanish food so we wanted something familiar to us and one of the girls said "Italian food is American, right??" which after she said it we all laughed and we were like well technically no but we know we will like it...

We ordered "grilled cheese" as an appetizer thinking maybe it was like little grilled cheese sandwiches, it was literally melted matzeralla cheese with bread sticks to eat it with... when we saw it we bust out laughing, because it was nothing like what we expected...but it was tastey.

Oh by the way, those of you who don't know I went to the doctor after Madrid because my foot had been giving me trouble and the doctor said I have a bone spur on the bottom of my foot, it still hurts...Please pray that it gets better soon!! thanks...

Miss you all