one more week

The packing process is continuing very slowly, but I am optimistic that I will find a way to fit everything I need! 


I'm pretty nervous about the day of traveling that is approaching, I never seem to have good luck with flights leaving on time or without problems. Hopefully it all goes well, I have a flight from Chicago to New York, then from New York to Madrid, followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Valencia.  If I am awake at all during that bus ride, it will be fun to see what Spain is like from the center to the East coast. 


I also attempted to refresh my memory in terms of spanish verb rules.  I quickly realized how much I had forgotten- hopefully it all comes back to me. I'll get in trouble if I speak any english in the spanish center where my classes are held, so I will probably end up saying "si" quite a bit.  


I will be spending my last weekend in Wisconsin at SNC, which I am very excited about.  It will be fun to be at school one more time, to see our amazing new track, and of course to see everyone on move-in weekend! I will definitely miss SNC in the fall, I will be okay without the cold and snowy November/December, but it is one of the prettiest places I've been to in September/October.  


I know this week will fly by, but I'm going to make my last week here as fun as possible! 

19 days til departure...

It's finally beginning to sink in that I am actually going to be living in Spain for three months.  Up until now, it seemed like just an idea or that I dreamed I was going to Spain. Well, pretty soon I will be on the plane and hopefully prepared to meet my host family.  


I've never used a blog before, but when I went to Spain in high school I wrote things in a journal every day, which is still fun to look back at.  I'm thinking that this blog will be easier and hopefully is interesting to anyone who reads it. I have a feeling that I will see things throughout the day and want to write about them, but won't be able to remember what it was...


As soon as I received the information about where I was living, I was on Google Maps checking everything out.  Luckily, I am living only about half a mile from where I'll be taking classes.  This also happens to be very close to the Mediterranean and a soccer stadium where the Valencian team plays.  Recently I found out that there is also a track (yes, I was concerned about this..surprise, surprise...) close by as well.  It makes me feel a lot better that I am finally able to run consistently and I am looking forward to finding some awesome places to run in Valencia.  It is supposed to be very warm there during September, but hopefully less humid than Wisconsin has been.  


My next mission is to start packing- one large suitcase and a carry on.  Those will be the same things that I brought on my spring break trip to San Diego, which was for one week.  It will definitely be interesting to see what I bring to survive on for three months...


Here is probably the most famous attraction in Valencia...

City of Arts and Sciences - designed by Santiago Calatrava
(This is also really close to where I'm living)