I live!

Hey everyone! I'm terribly sorry that I haven't been updating much, life here in Spain is hectic and the wifi is spotty. So I just wanted to fill you in on my life right now: I am currently living with friends of my parents, Fran, Elena, and their 6-month-old Baby Elena, in Valencia, a city on the Mediterranean coast about 3 hours from Madrid. It's a beautiful city! The sidewalks are made of marble (which is a tad slippery when wet, but gorgeous none the less) and the buildings come in a variety of strikingly different designs, from antique apartment buildings dating back to the early 1900s to modern exhibition halls that look like abstract art! The weather has been around the upper 80s/low 90s consistently, cloudless in the morning but usually a bit overcast and windy by evening, and it has only rained once while I've been here, only for 20 minutes. Valencia is also the Mediterranean headquarters for the America's Cup so I may or may not have been doing a little sailing propaganda~ The apartment is very big and spacious with corner views over a park across the street where kids play soccer everyday. I have my own room, which is quite nice and has its own air conditioning (thank goodness!). It's a block from a major avenue called Blasque Bañez. That street is basically my life. It has everything: the Academy where I attend classes, the house of Elena's mother, my Abuelita, where I go for lunch, the store where I bought a dress today, tons of "Heladiendas" where I get Horchata (a local drink similar to a hazelnut milkshake-delicious!), and it's also the road to the beach, only a 10 minute walk! Costa de Valencia is the Academy where I attend intensive Spanish class for 4 1/2 hours everyday. It's really sweet actually, because the classes are small, the people are nice, and you get free access to computers and a small library! And I'm meeting all sorts of people there! My class has 8 people in it, I am the only America and I am also the youngest by a good 3-5 years. In my class there are 2 Germans ,(*coughcuteGermanboythatsitsnexttomecough*), 1 Irish biologist, 1 French math teacher, 1 Japanese waiter, and a girl from Peru who is living in New York, who I have befriended over our love of Philly cheesesteak. They're all really funny and nice, we have kind of bonded over the past week and a half and have definitely opened up to each other. I appreciate that they treat me as an equal, or perhaps like a little sister of the group, but don't treat me like a child, despite the age gap. My teacher this week seems to push me harder than the others, but I think it because he wants me to show him, the others, and even myself that just because I am younger does not mean I am less capable. A regular day in the life of Señorita Sophía Española: 8:00 AM - wake up, stare at the ceiling, roll over and sleep for 5 more minutes. 8:05 AM - Get up, take a shower, get dressed for the boiling weather etc. 8:45 AM - Pack my bag for the day, Read my daily devotion 9:00 AM - Eat Breakfast and help Abuelita with Baby Elena 9:30 AM - Leave the Apartment and walk to the Academy 9:45 AM - Arrive at the Academy, talk with Chameele (my Peruvian friend, always early) 10:00 AM - class begins with us wondering where the Japanese guy is. He's always late. 10:10 AM - the Japanese guy arrives, class actually starts 11:30 AM - break for snack, walk to Abuelitas (usually Ham & Cheese Sandwhich) 12:00 PM - class begins again, though we usually just review in the afternoon 1:30 PM - Class dismissed! Walk home, halfway with Chameele until her bus stop 1:45 PM - arrive at the apartment and proceed to do any homework I may have 3:00 PM - lunchtime! Eat with Abuelita and Fran, sometimes Elena if she gets off early 3:30 PM - Siesta~ Nap for about 1 1/2 hours 5:00 PM - finish any homework if needed, help Elena around the house, go for a walk with her or if there are any school activities, got to them Time gap - free time, do whatever, Spanish soap operas are...intriguing 10:00 PM - dinner time, eat with the family 10:30 PM - watch NCIS in Spanish with Elena. She and I both love it~ 11:00 PM - Buena noche! Bedtime for me! That's basically it! If you want to know any specifics, email me and will try to post again soon with the information people want to know!! I'm sorry I haven't been too active for those of you who follow me closely (I love you Grandma Jo~), but I promise to try harder! Hasta Luego! Σοφία