"So no one told you life was going to be this way"

Hello family and friends! Goodness, I honestly do not know where the time goes.  I promise I have good blogging intentions, but this past week was a bit hectic on my end.  Nevertheless, it was a good chaos.  Although I complain quite a bit about my busy schedule in the United States, I try to pack my day with as many Spanish activities as possible.

This past weekend was incredible to say the least! I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel with my friend Laura and her host family to Asturias, Spain.  Asturias is one of the most northern provinces of Spain and is known for its lush greenery, breathtaking mountains, and delicious milk (which is one of the things I miss most about Wisconsin).  I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the trip was the ride up to Asturias with the wonderful company of Laura and her two host parents.  Even though I was car-sick the entire six hours since we drove through winding mountains and unending strings of roundabouts, the scenery was beautiful enough to make me forget about my twisting stomach.  Laura’s host parents, Angelita and Luis, are in their sixties; however, you wouldn’t be able to guess this with the amount of energy they have! We cruised through the mountains and pueblos rocking to the theme song from “Friends” as well as older Spanish music.  By now, you are probably aware with my obsession with great songs paired up with great memories.  As cheesy as it is, my favorite experiences in Spain thus far always involve a countryside drive paired up with some classic American tunes sung by host families with heavy Spanish accents.  Moving on…. :) 

After our six-hour journey, we finally made it to Asturias.  Before settling down in our hostal, Luis made a stop at Cabo de Peñas, which he informed us is the highest point of the Iberian Peninsula.  Sorry to use the word “breathtaking” yet another time, but it was truly breathtaking.  At Cabo de Peñas, we were surrounded by mountains, the sea, and unique rock formations in the sea.  As soon as we made it to the sea, I made sure to ask Luis if there were sharks in there.  He told me that there weren’t; however, there was a large statue of a shark behind me. Don’t worry, we all made it out alive! I am a big baby when it comes to sharks.  I was really hoping to spot a whale, but we did not stay for a long time.  Also, we saw many cows during the ride up that reminded me of Wisconsin.  We also saw bulls that are used for bull fights :(

First Hostal Experience:

As much as I love five star fancy vacations (ok I’ve actually never been on one), I think that it’s the two-star make-shift vacations that we really remember.  In high school, I went on a vacation with my cousins to a place called Horse Cave, Kentucky.  In the city(ish) place of Horse Cave, the toilets are not stationery! We had to literally move our toilet a good few inches to close the bathroom door.  Now that’s it’s been a few years, I look back on this memory with much fondness.  I can’t complain about our toilet at our hostal.  Our shower, however, was another story.  Our shower was actually more like a car wash for humans.  It was a standing shower that had about 15 different jets lining the sides.  After our six-hour journey, I was not too sharp.  I proceeded to turn on the faucet and was shocked to feel 15 jets blasting (and when I say blasting I mean BLASTING) cold water from my neck down.  It was quite the task to rinse the shampoo out of my hair since the jets did not extend that high.  After this mild occurrence, we had a fairly pleasant hostal experience.  I was not a big fan of the hostal owner walking in twice without knocking.  Sheesh what if we were on our honeymoon!  All joking aside, we held our own throughout the hostal experience.  We also managed to cover our breakfast, lunch, and dinner for only 2.61 Euros which equals about $3.51.  Gotta love nutella!

MODERN DAY EXPLORERS (on a College Budget):

Laura and I thoroughly explored the city where we stayed which is called Áviles.  One of our best finds was the Ferrerro Park.  Ferrerro Park was an extremely large park that was bustling with activity and serenity at the same time.  I think I loved this park so much since it had my three favorite things.  These include cute dogs, babies, and sweet elderly people.  I was absolutely amazed at just how many babies there were in the park.  It was interesting to observe the different generations of people in the park.  Almost every elderly couple was walking a baby carriage.  In fact, I think I saw more grandparents taking care of children than actual parents.  If I had to estimate how many baby carriages were in the park during our hour stay in the park, I would guess somewhere in the 30s.  It was amazing, but it did make me miss my little siblings at home.  Secondly, for as many babies there were in the park, there were almost as many dogs.  I played with a puffy white puppy.  He was precious.  The park also had a pond with swans swimming in it. 

During our short stay in Asturias I feel like I essentially traveled the entire country of Spain.  Asturias has everything: city life, quiet countryside, industry, and sandy beaches.  Laura and I decided to head to the beach portion of Asturias for our second day in Asturias.  Again, since we're on a college budget we decided to walk back from the beach to our hostal after walking for quite some distance at the beach.  In total, we probably walked over 15 miles that day, but we were able to see many things during our walk including an Asturian wedding.  We treated ourselves to a dinner that did not consist of merely Nutella sandwiches. 

SCHOOL:

With all this talk about travels, you are probably wondering if we still have to do work in Toledo.  Unfortunately, I still dread my Tuesdays since I attend classes from 8am-8pm with few breaks.  I am having a lot of difficulty adjusting to the teaching style here.  At my school, teachers tend to lecture for the entire class using little or no visual aids.  This method makes it difficult to organize notes and follow along.  Also, the courses are not as interactive which makes the time pass by slower.  The good news is that my motivation for course work is steadily increasing.  I received two essays back today, and I received an A on both of them despite being really nervous about the first grades for these two classes.

Also, I just received the news that I have been placed in a local elementary school where I will teach English to immigrant children living in Spain.  I am a bit nervous to see how everything will work out, but I am also very excited to have the opportunity to work with these children.

HOST FAMILY:

They are great as usual.  My host brother went to my school today to play soccer with students from my school, and made new friends.  My sister has been cooking exceptionally well lately. It’s like she knows all of my favorite foods.  She made me carbonara which is an Italian dish that consists of pasta, creamy sauce, and meat (in Spain this means Ham of course).  Tonight, my host dad Manolo broke out the guitar and played traditional Spanish music for me.  I tried to persuade him to play for me every night while I do my homework.  I recorded him with my video camera, and I will try to figure out how to post it to the blog for you all to see!

RANDOM:

I have plans to tour six famous sites in Toledo with friends tomorrow.  I plan on bringing my video camera so I can share my video with all of you.  I will not, however, be bringing my camera since I accidentally just broke it.  I tell ya, I am prone to these types of accidents.  Just my luck! Oh well, I’ll work something out :)

I will be officially meeting with my intercambio (language partner) tomorrow for the first time! 

My Aunt from London is has plans to visit me next weekend and my grandparents are visiting me in November!

Blessings,

Lyssa 

a quick stop in the city of Ávila on the way to Áviles. Ávila also has a walled in city like Toledo

Cabo de Peñas

Our hostal

wedding

swan lake :)

Laura drinking the incredible chocolate drink!

Romantic Spaniards....many couples add their locks to the railing and throw the keys into the sea

Statue build on the side of the rock

College dinner time...Nutella sandwiches! Notice the map that also functions as a plate 

Laura and her host mom

what a wonderful world.

Toledo: A place to pause and reflect

Wow it's been a while since my last post.  Please embrace yourselves for a lengthy, eclectic post.  I encountered computer difficulties for the past week.  First, I could not figure out how to switch my computer from Spanish to English even with the help of many friends. Once I solved that problem, I could not log into my blog because I apparently created 4 different gmail accounts with different passwords when my computer was still in Spanish.  I was a little frustrated to say the least with technology, but then I looked out the window and saw the most intricately beautiful cathedral that was built in the year 1226 without any machines.

Where to begin....? Food is always a good starting point.  Since I take the bus everyday at least twice a day, I have a lot of downtime while waiting for my bus.  It does not help that 2inches away from my bus stop is the ever-famous Santo Tomé Marzapan shop.  Marzapan is a traditional spanish desert that I believe is made primarily of sugar and almond paste (although there are many tempting variations).  For the first few days, I indulged myself with Marzapan while waiting for my bus.  I justified my indulgence with pretty reasonable excuses.  First, I am in Spain! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I will never have the opportunity to study abroad again, Marzapan is a spanish delicacy, and the list goes on.  In all fairness, these are pretty reasonable excuses for my indulgence for the first few days.  However, I am now going on week number two in Spain and am in the process of transitioning from a tourist to a member of the community.  Tomorrow is a new day and I am going to attempt to resist Marzapan for a single day.  Wish me luck!

More on food.  I am a deep reflector.  Usually, this is a good characteristic to have, but too much of anything typically is a bad thing.  The good news about being a deep reflector is that I never get bored.  How can I be bored when there is so much wonder and beauty in the world?  The bad news is that I sometimes do not realize how great something is until after it has happened. It is a constant challenge to live in the moment and take in what each moment has to offer.  Enough for the deep stuff.....I don't really know where that came from.  My point that I was trying to get at is that at this famous bus stop, I have had a lot of reflection time.  While waiting for the bus, I reflect on all the small moments of the day that made the day special.  Lately, I find myself glancing around at  Spaniards also waiting for their bus and wonder how much we have in common.  Before studying abroad, I had the inaccurate expectation that everything and everyone would be drastically different than my own.  Although, there are obvious culture differences, it is humbling to know that we are all part of the same human family and we can always relate to each other.  My bus stop companions make me feel more at home, and they don't even know it :)

Great news! I only have class on Tuesdays and one class on Thursday morning from 8:40-9:55am.  My first Tuesday was a bit intense, but I can endure it if it means having all other days free to explore hidden treasures in Toledo.  One of my favorite parts about studying abroad thus far has been taking the time to walk around the city in search of new treasures.  Toledo is a small city, but I am able to find something new and exciting every time I go for a stroll.  Part of the reason may be that I tend to get lost every time I go on a stroll, and therefore end up on a different route than originally intended.  Getting lost is the fun part.  In fact, if you happen to travel to Toledo, Spain I hope that you will make it a point to get lost among the winding streets.  A few hidden treasures I have found include:

1.) an indoor pool that is not just any ordinary pool.  Actually, nothing is ordinary in Toledo.  This pool has a stunning view of rolling hills and old architecture.

2.) A cheap-ish restaurant that has a pizza with 5 cheeses!!!! I am a BIG cheesehead, so this was the highlight of my day.

3.) I'm also Italian so I was pretty happy when I found a restaurant that serves spinach noodles with 5 cheese sauce!! Spain knows how to make this girl happy!

4.) River Trail.  I stayed at college this summer as a summer RA, and my favorite relaxing activity was riding my bike on the Fox River Trail.  It never fails to put me in a peaceful mood.  I commented to someone that I really enjoyed riding my bike on the trail, and I was informed that Toledo also has a bike/walk trail along the Tajo River.  I haven't gone on the trail yet, but I've been told that the trail has great views of the mountains and hills.  If you feel really ambitious, you can climb these hills/ mountains.  I'm hoping to get a group of people together to do this this week.

5.) There are many lizards in Spain, and I am NOT usually a fan in the slightest bit.  Unfortunately, I am the type of girl who screams if a lady bug lands on my arm.  However, I am proud to say that I am becoming more open to this aspect of nature.  I am NOT, however, a fan of the bats that fly only one feet above my head at night!

I am going on week two, and I still do not feel culture shock.  My conclusion is that I really do enjoy spanish culture (for the most part).  I must be honest and reveal that there are a few things I do not care for.  I hope I do not come off as condescending or disrespectful since I truly appreciate the Spanish hospitality that I have received thus far.  First, there are many people who dress very immodestly.  They are such beautiful girls, but their way of dressing creates an awkward atmosphere.  It is possible that  I just notice this more because I am in a foreign country.  Actually, that is the only thing that I do not care for.  I am actually getting used to eating at ridiculously late times at night.  It is now 11pm in Spain, and I still haven't eaten dinner yet and I'm not too hungry yet.

Now for a few things I love about Spain.  First, the Spanish culture revolves around the family.  Therefore, taking care of one another has priority over everything else.  Take a stroll outside and you'll instantly notice that the Spanish culture places much importance on relationships.  They are very affectionate people.  I have yet to see an elderly couple that is not holding hands as they pass through the plaza.  I have also noticed that dads play a very active role in taking care of their children.  On the bus, people frequently stand next to the bus driver and catch up on the news and each other's lives.  The biggest adjustment for me has been getting used to the fact that I don't always have to be somewhere at a certain time.  Yes, I have commitments here.  The difference is that here I can eat lunch with a friend and not be constantly thinking about the next place I have to be.  I can cherish the moment for what it's worth.  This is not to say that I can't do this at SNC...it is a constant challenge throughout life's different stages.

Please prepare yourself for many random and non-related ideas.  I recently found out that I have the same host family as a friend who studied in Toledo last semester! Her experience was a little different since she lived in my host family's former house in the old part of Toledo.  My family was so kind though to give me a key to this house which is located about 2 minutes away from my school in case I need to rest between classes.  It is so charming...I will post pictures of this house.  Right now, they are using it as a space for families to rent if they vacation in Toledo.  After I post pictures of this house, I think you all might be one step closer to booking a flight to Toledo. :)

Second, there are many stray cats in Toledo and it always makes me sad.  Yesterday, I saw a stray dog that looked like my puppy Snuggles.  The dog jumped in the water fountain to get a drink.

I got a library card in Toledo! I know this isn't the most exciting news, but hey it's the little things that make the experience right?  The library is actually in the Alcázar which was Spain's former military fortress.  It is one of the largest buildings and has spectacular views of course.  I plan on renting some Spanish movies and music to accompany my homework this week.

We recently had our meeting about activities offered at the Fundación.  I love being involved, so of course I signed up for just about everything.  So far, I don't feel too busy.  My activities include:

1.) Intercambio: Language conversation partner.  We meet once or twice a week with a local Spaniard to practice Spanish and we help them learn English.  We had a formal dinner with all the intercambio candidates.  It was a bit akward.  Basically, all of the intercambio candidates were in the courtyard gathered together and waiting for us to come in and eat with them.  Meanwhile, all of the American students were gathered together in a separate room where we waited until our school coordinators gave us the ok to head to the courtyard and mingle with the Spaniards.  The goal of the dinner was for each American student to find an intercambio.  It felt like asking someone to prom.  I started chatting with the first girl I saw and we've been intercambios ever since.

2.) Cooking Lessons: I learned how to cook paella! Paella is a traditional spanish food made up of rice and usually A LOT of different types of seafood.  I happen to strongly dislike seafood, but it did look very tasty.  I am very glad that my host family is aware of my strong dislike for seafood, although it is a constant joke at every meal since mi abuela (grandmother) likes a side of sardines with almost everything she eats.  When I told my host dad Manolo that I would be learning to cook paella, he joked that the headline of the next day's newspaper would say that a local study abroad student died from trying seafood.  He made this joke since I told him that I wouldn't necessarily die if I tried seafood, but I might come close.

3.) Flamenco lessons this Tuesday and Wed. at 10pm! I can't wait...although I heard that it was a joke from a friend who studied abroad last semester.  Maybe it wasn't geared toward boys?

4.) Volunteering at Cáritas.  If my application is accepted, I will be volunteering with the Catholic Charity program Cáritas who aims to help those in need in the community by providing food and clothing.  I will keep you all posted.

Ahh this is a long post....sorry! I went to Madrid today to visit the Royal Palace and it was amazing.  I will post pictures of this and talk more on my adventures in Madrid at a later date :) I wasn't able to take pictures of the inside of the palace, so I guess you'll just have to come see it yourself...it's definitely worth it.

Isn't it nice when life comes around and gives you confirmation that you made the right decision? Ok, that was awkwardly worded, but my musical car rides with my padre put my mind at ease that I made the right decision in studying abroad in Toledo, Spain.  And I think that is special.  Even if I don't make it to all the European countries on my sightseeing list, this trip is definitely worth it.

Goodness, there is so much more to say but it is almost midnight here and I still haven't eaten dinner! Dinner is on my own today and I hear a bacon ham pizza in the fridge calling my name :)

Take care all and thank you for your support! I hope you are all enjoying the fall weather.  I am jealous...it's looking like 90s again this week.

-Alyssa

Me with my giant box of Cola-Cao which is a chocolate mix for milk. I LOVE it!

My perro Agua

Traditional Spanish plates.  What do you think mom?

Well maybe this dog isn't homeless after all.  I just noticed the collar in the picture.  Apparently, he just likes hopping in the fountain for a little drink.

Paella cooking lesson

The finished paella

Laura with her ice-cream from Naca-Nacas (one of our best finds)

Spinach noodles with many cheeses!

Today at the Royal Palace in Madrid.  The inside is just as incredible!

The Ham Museum Restaurant.  The school ordered us chicken :/

Johnny Cash = the universal language :)

I'm beginning to think that this blog will be a daily ritual.  Yesterday was such a wonderful day.  Each day is better than the previous if that is possible.  I know that I am experiencing the honeymoon stage of my stay in Spain where everything is new and exciting, but I don't believe this feeling will be going away anytime soon.  I wanted to blog last night since all the details were fresh in my mind, but again the night somehow slipped past and my family and I did not return home until 1:00am.  As many of you know, I have the world's worst memory.  It's pathetic, but about a week after a significant event I usually can remember how I felt on that day, but I cannot recall many details.  I will do my best to paint the picture of mi día perfecta (the perfect day).

Yesterday was the first day of classes.  I only have two classes on Thursday which include the cultural heritage of Spain and Art in Toledo.  I really think that I will enjoy both courses.  Both courses appear to be very practical in the sense that everything we learn in class we will relate to our observations and experiences during our stay in Spain.  In the first class, we will discussing the existence of domestic violence against women in Spain during the last weeks of the semester.  Although this a sensitive and intense subject, I am very interested to learn more about the issue. My host mother works with a program that helps women who have been abused, and it will be interesting to hear how her experiences compares to what we learn in class.  

We did not have classes today because it's Friday for goodness sakes!  No worries....we did not take siestas (naps) all day.  We went on a guided tour of the city of Toledo with our school.  It was a bit difficult to understand what our tour guide was saying since she spoke very rapidly and she had an accent.  Also, it did not help that we were discussing ancient history that tends to confuse me in English. Nevertheless, the little that I did understand was interesting.  To me, the tour was worth it just to see all the sights and know that they were very important in the history of Spain and the world (even if I don't know exactly what that importance is quite yet).  I'm not at the point where I am "used to" or accustomed to being around important historical and extremely beautiful buildings yet, and I hope I do not take this unique experience for granted upon spending more time in Spain.  Unfortunately, my camera died near the beginning of the tour.  No worries though because mis amiga and I plan on taking our own tour around the city.  Our tour guide showed us a great trail (or labyrinth to be more accurate) around the city of Toledo where we can go for a morning run, and I will be sure to take more pictures.

As much as I love being in the historical part of Toledo with its ancient beauty, I also love going home to the suburbs of Polígono to be with my family.  It really feels like home here in two respects.  First, I feel incredibly welcomed. Second, it really feels like the United States with the exception of a crazy eating schedule.  After I finished class yesterday at 4pm, I went on a little excursion with a new friend to discover our own little spots in Toledo to study and get the best Horchatas.  Horchatas are basically liquid heaven....it is a Spanish drink (and also Mexican) made rice water and cinnamon and other sweeteners.  We achieved our mission while also finding a really large park with lots of trees and greenery.  This is a big deal in Toledo since the summer brings such extreme heat that most of the greenery is actually brownery.  The historical part of Toledo is made up of mostly buildings very close together, so there is not much greenery to be found.  It felt so great to sit on the park bench and observe Spaniards going about their everyday lives.  I especially like to watch how little Spanish children interact with one another.

Now for the two highlights of my day.  Almost every day, I return to my house in the suburbs for the siesta from about 1-3pm.  I usually take the bus unless my family also returns for the siesta and drives me back to school.  Yesterday, my host brother José Manuel returned for the siesta with his girlfriend Laura and offered to drive me back to school since they had to head to the Casco as well.  As soon as we got in the car, José cranked up some Rolling Stones.  He asked me what kind of music I like and I started to explain that I like country music the most.  This, however, does not translate well into Spanish. So I started naming artists and he became really excited when I told him that I listen to Johnny Cash.  He immediately put on a Johnny Cash remake of "One" by U-2 which is also one of my favorite songs.  I have never heard this combination, so I was super excited.  What made this experience even better was that we were driving through the historical part of Toledo with the windows open for everyone to hear.  I don't think the Spaniards thought anything of our English music since English music is basically the only type of music I hear here.  I always laugh every time I walk by the outdoor cafés and they are playing a popular 80s song.  While drinking my horchata in the park today, I encountered an elderly Spanish store owner singing to the tune of "Grease Lightning." It was priceless.

Since I wrote a novel about signing in the car with my host family, I will keep this last highlight a bit shorter :).....

Yesterday, I left Toledo to head to the suburbs at about 9pm since we at around 10pm.   Even though I rushed home for dinner, there was no one home.  This was not surprising though, since this is a uniquely busy week for my family.  I may have mentioned this earlier, but my host mother's brother-in-law was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  Since the Spanish culture revolves around the family, she has been spending time at the hospital after work to comfort her sister and brother-in-law.  She also visits her own mother to help her out during this difficult time.  However, soon after I arrived home my host father Manolo also arrived.  Since it was a little late, we headed to the mall that is about a 3 minute drive from our house to eat.  He took me to a little Arabic restaurant in the mall and food was to die for! I admit that I was a bit nervous when he told me that we would be eating at an Arabic restaurant since I am not the most adventurous eater.  I had a tortilla type wrap (but even better) with chicken, lettuce, special white cream sauce, and lettuce inside.  In fact, I will be heading to this very mall tonight with my friend Laura to eat more chicken wraps.  The best part of the dinner, however, was not the meal.  Manolo and I had a deeper conversation in Spanish.  It felt right to stretch my Spanish-speaking abilities past the usual topics.  We discussed issues such as poverty and the Spanish culture versus the American culture.  We both came to the conclusion that in our experiences the Spanish and American have their differences, but they have much more in common.  This agreement was verified when we left the restaurant and saw the sign for Tony Roma's restaurant.  Tony Roma's is an American restaurant that is located close to St. Norbert College.  Manolo jokingly encouraged me to get my money back for my trip.

On the way back home, I asked Manolo if I have a very strong American accent or an average accent.  He said that my accent is a bit strong, and that I would need to spend a significant amount of time in Spain to lose it.  Manolo then proceeded to impersonate the accents of many different Hispanic nationalities including Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Argentinian.  It was hilarious...I think the Spanish accent is much easier to understand than the others.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support.  I only wish that the time difference was not as drastic making it very difficult to communicate with you all.  However, I hope this blog finds you well.  My siesta is a bit overdue, so I must get going.  I prefer not to keep my naps waiting in Spain.

Un abrazo,

Alyssa

The hills of Toledo

One of the many arches...I believe this one has Muslim origins

cool finds on our excursion...

Am I in Spain?

Overlooking the city.  The biggest building on the right is the Alcázar. It had important military functions back in the day.

It still amazes me that these buildings are still standing after all these years.

Toledo was the spiritual capital of Spain

This picture does not do justice to the beauty of the cathedral.  First, this is only about 1/10 of the cathedral. Second, I can't figure out how to rotate the pictures...sorry. I guess you'll just have to take a trip to Spain!  :)

My first Horchata in Spain with my friends Laura and Elizabeth

Spain loves Coca Cola!

serenity

"Tengo la Camisa Negra." - Juanes

Hola from Toledo! Although it has only been one day since my last post and it's already 1:34am here, today has been such a great day and I must let it all out.  First, I must say that while typing this blog in English, I automatically translate what I am saying in my head to Spanish.  This must be good news on day two. I am extremely tired right now from the many activities of the day.

Today's adventures began with my host mom personally waking me up to catch the bus to the Fundación (my school).  Mar (my host sister) was so kind to take the bus with me to my very first day of school, although I did not start classes yet. I will start them tomorrow (actually today in España time).  

Onto more good news...we picked our classes today and I was very nervous since I was the second to last person to pick my classes since my last name starts with a W.  I'll tell ya, my last name has not done any good for me in my entire life! Even though I was very worried about making sure that I got all the classes I needed since they are required for me to graduate on time, I ended up with the perfect schedule.  Get ready for this.......I only have class on Tuesday and Thursday, although Thursday shouldn't count as a class since this is my art class where we tour the city of Toledo and stand in wonder at its beauty.  My Tuesdays will be a little intense, but since there are no classes on Fridays at the Fundación, I will have a 4 day weekend.  

My schedule:

1.) The Cultural Heritage of Spain

2.) Seminar: Narrative of Spanish American Literature

3.) Muslim, Christian, and Jewish influence in the art of Toledo

4.) Politics and Society in Latin America

5.) Service Learning ( I will be working with local Spaniards, but I am not sure yet what I'll be doing)

I took the bus by myself today from my apartment to school and I made it without getting lost.  In Toledo, this is a huge accomplishment since the roads wind all over and it becomes really confusing.  Also, today I met my host brother and his girlfriend. They are super nice. His name is José Manuel y he studied in America and Canada.  I also got to know my host dad Manolo better.  He works for the Toledo government, so he has been quite busy this week.  Also, there has recently been a severe illness in the extended family.  My madre's brother-in-law was recently diagnosed with cancer.  In Spain, families are very committed to one another.  My family here has been comforting my madre's sister.  We are even watching her little dog Agua (water) for a while while she copes with this adjustment.  I will post a picture of little agua.  My host dad is pretty cool.  We spent some time on Google Earth, and I showed him my house in Kenosha, and I also gave him a virtual tour of my college.  I am very impressed with their knowledge of the state of Wisconsin.  They know all about the Packers and they think we are famous for our milk.  By the way, I tried leche con cocoa today which is their version of chocolate milk and it was absolutely heavenly!

To end the day, we had a welcoming party for the fall semester students at the school.  It was complete with dinner consisting mainly of what I believed to be tapas (appetizers) and very good desert.  The majority of my meal consisted of flan (a custardy desert).  Also, a Mariachi (or possibly salsa) band made a surprise appearance at our party.  This part of the nice was so fun.  The band really made us all step outside our comfort zones (in a good Spanish way).  Since the only students dancing were the students from Puerto Rico, the band started selecting students from the crowd (male and female) and paired them together to dance.  They really got the party started because by the end of the night, most of the students were dancing the night away Spanish style.  Our dance was held in a courtyard that is in the center of our school.  Since there is not a roof, it is just the starts above. I am now starting to finally believe that I am in España.

One more good thing before I head off to bed since I need to wake up at 7:30am.  My family just recently moved to the apartments that we are currently living in. They used to live in the old part of Toledo (this is the actual heart of the historical city).  It has breathtaking views and is very unique.  Today, my family informed me that they still own their house in the historical part of Toledo.  They are starting a business where they have opened their former home as a hotel for tourists.  However, they said that we can sleep overnight there one weekend.  I have to post pictures soon because it is truly breathtaking.

All in all, my family has really calmed all my worries and fears and I am starting to feel at home.  I still miss home, but I feel very comfortable here already.  They are such warm people.  This may be abnormal, but I do not really feel a strong sense of culture shock today.  Although it has only been one day, I have noticed a huge difference in my confidence today as opposed to yesterday.  I already feel used to this lifestyle and am loving the siesta break. That is one thing I know I will miss when I return to the United States.

If you have made it this far in the blog, thank you for reading.  Sorry for the mass amount of details.   As times goes on, I probably won't have as many details.  Wish me luck with the beginning of classes tomorrow!

Also, my friend and I discovered a room today at the top of our school with a gorgeous view of Toledo, and here is the picture:

P.S. My familia ate dinner at 11:30pm tonight! I don't know how they do it!

P.P.S I forgot a significant event  that happened today! A local Spaniard approached my friend Laura and I  with a microphone.  He started speaking really fast and asked us questions.  We finally understood that he wanted to hear our thoughts about the attacks on September 11th.  There we were scrambling for the words to explain how we feel about an attack in our country in Spanish while he filmed us.  We did well though!

The view from a room in our school

I took pictures of my entire route from school to the bus, so I could study it

Laura being interviews by a local Spaniard news reporter

My bathroom

Un abrazo, 

Alyssa

Holy Toledo!

After what seems like a very long journey, I have finally made it to the magnificent city of Toledo!  It is still so surreal that I am here.  Although nothing can quite compare to the feeling I caught my first live view of the entire city, the journey to Toledo had a few highlights as well.

To start, I did not expect to be so emotional to leave America since I have been looking forward to my Spanish trip the entire summer.  Nonetheless, I found myself sitting on a train to Chicago crying to myself.  How embarassing! I mean, I can understand when people cry at airports since airports usually signify big trips.  A few tears would have been fine, but I could not stop myself if my life depended on it.  So here begins my trip... sitting on a little old train to Chicago that I have taken hundreds of times balling to myself.  Since I've gotten that out of my system, it has been smooth sailing.

Thankfully, I was able to sleep at my Aunt's house before my flight who happens to live super close to the O'hare airport.  My sweet grandparents and aunt dropped me off, and I met up with the travel diva Laura Gordon to begin the day long journey to the Madrid airport.  Laura and I shared a bittersweet moment together at 5 Guys where we ate our very last greasy all-american burger.  It was glorious!  Laura and I made sure we rehearsed the saludos "greetings" multiple times that we would do when we were to meet our host families.  Greetings in Spain are tricky business, but we were able to successfully master the dos besos as well as come up with multiple responses to questions that our school coordinators or host families may ask us upon meeting us.  Now did we remember these correctly formulated questions and responses? Well, upon being greeted by my school coordinator José, all I could muster up in Spanish was "soy Alyssa" which I've been told is the equivalent of "I be Alyssa" in English.  The remainder of our flights went very smoothly.  We spent a lot of time speculating who was and was definitely not Spanish on the plane for our entertainment.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get any sleep on the plane. I must have been too excited (especially since I discovered some new Glee jams on the plane).  Overall, it was an enjoyable journey, and we actually started to feel less like tourists (that is until I managed to fall down the stairs of the Madrid airport with all of my luggage). I am ok though :)

As of now, I have been in Toledo for almost 12 hours although it feels like days.  Laura and I were the first students to arrive to the program.  We later picked up the other students from their flight.  All of these students attend Notre Dame together. It was a little odd at first to be the only two students from St. Norbert with a bus load of students from Notre Dame, but I am excited to get to know these students.  After boarding the luxurious bus from the Madrid Airport to Toledo, we finally arrived at the Fundación de Ortega y Gasset and we were tired as can be.  At one point, I even felt myself almost falling asleep standing up.  Nevertheless, we were given an orientation about the school, Toledo, homestays, and bus schedules (all in Spanish I might add).  We were able to catch key words, and I think we just might understand our schedule for the week.  After this orientation, students were lined up to meet their host parents one at a time.  Many were practicing their dos besos since the entire fall class watched each student meet and greet their host families.  Lucky for me, my host mother was not able to get off of work until 4pm to pick me up.

Homestay :)
With a Toledo homestay, students can either live in the old part of Toledo (the historical city) or the suburbs (Polígono).  I was ecstatic when I received my homestay information that had assigned me to the Old part of Toledo. This part has so much history, art, culture, and is located conveniently within walking distance to my school.  However, I received an email during my layover at the Washington Dulles Airport saying that my host family no longer lived in the old part of Toledo, and they had moved to the suburb of Polígono.  I admit, I was a disappointed at first, but then I pondered that living in Polígono has its own advantages (maybe it's more dog friendly :).  After meeting my host mother, Caridad, I don't care where we are living.  I am so thankful to have been placed in this family.  So far, I have only met Caridad (madre) and Mar (my host sister who is 18). I hope to meet my host dad and host brother for dinner today; however, it is 9:35pm here and they have not come home for dinner yet.  Although it has been less than a day that I have been with my madre y sister, they have been so welcoming and hospitable.  Also, my room is super cute.  My madre loves to cook and I told her that I love to eat, so this shall work out just fine! She has already promised to teach me how to cook traditional Spanish food and my sister is going to teach me some dance moves.  I cannot say enough about their hospitality. Also, did I mention that my closet goes from the floor to the ceiling? Talk about a lucky girl.

Tomorrow I will be taking my exams at 9:00am.  My madre kindly offered to drive me to school instead of taking the bus. I believe she also mentioned something about taking me out for lattes beforehand, but my Spanish is a little rusty.  I have, however, noticed a dramatic difference in my confidence speaking Spanish since arriving at the airport in Madrid and now.

My second day in Toledo is quickly approaching just as the rest will fly by.  Through this experience, I hope that I am able to not only improve my Spanish skills, but I hope that I am able to really understand other ways of experiencing life.  I'm still at the homesick/culture shock stage, but I know that this is going to be such a deepening experience if I allow it to be.

Hope you enjoy the pictures of my home: (more to come soon)

My cute bedroom

Un abrazo (hug),
Alyssa

 they even decorated the room with little nic nacs for me

desk space next to the nice window breeze

view of Polígono outside my window

living room

kitchen

" 'Cause I Got a Peaceful Easy Feeling"-The Eagles

Monday:  August 22, 2011

Hello to all of my family and friends!  Thank you all for taking time out of your busy lives to read my blog.   My tentative plan is to update this blog twice a week.  Hopefully I can stick to this plan.  I hope that I will have many exciting and funny stories to share with you all to brighten your days.  I apologize in advance if my writing does not always flow.


Before I begin, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continual support.  Honestly, I would not be heading out on this exciting adventure without the support from my family and friends.

Although I do not leave for Spain until September 5th, I decided I needed to start my blog now to create a space for all of my Spanish thoughts.  Don't worry...I will blog in English (mostly :) ).

So today I am leaving St. Norbert.  The next time I see this place, it will be buried under 3 feet of snow.  I have really grown to love this place; it has truly become a second home for me.  I stayed at SNC over the summer and had the amazing opportunity to work with ESL and international students from many different countries.  This was an especially rewarding experience for me because I will be in the same place as the students I worked with over the summer.  I will be thrown into an entirely different culture where the language is not my own.
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Well....I meant to finish this pre-Spain post much earlier since I have been home for 2 weeks.  Since I have two baby siblings, this has been more difficult than I imagined.  I have countless stories I can share to prove this.

I will be leaving in 3 days to Spain and I feel as cool as a cucumber.  I am surprisingly very calm and excited about the trip.  Actually, there is one little thing that I have been worrying about and that is that I absolutely hate seafood.  I wish I didn't, but I do.  Since seafood is a staple food in Spain, I'm not sure how I will get around this.  Hopefully, my host family is understanding.  I have also been taking a break from researching Spanish movies, songs, artists, wars, and dog parks near my home for a bit because I want this to be my own fresh adventure.  I want to get lost and find my way around the city (which shouldn't be very difficult for me considering I still get lost in my hometown).  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to take this adventure and create so many new memories.  I love you all and will miss you dearly.

España here I come!