Everday Joys

I haven't written in a few days...I kept telling myself that not a lot was going on but then I realized that that's not true, it's just that I'm feeling more settled. So let's see how good my memory is, shall we?

So I finally have steady internet in my piso now! It feels like such luxury, let me tell you! My host mom went with me to the Vodaphone store and we figured out a payment method that costs far less than the way it was before. Thanks be to God!! So I've been pigging out on internet, so to speak, now that I have unlimited access. I won't be taking the internet for granted any time soon. And I was so extremely happy to have Skype! Being able to see my parent's faces has been great. I even got to introduce them to my host mom!

Another highlight is that Lauren, Lise, Kristen, and I think Ellen all signed up to take a Latin dance class at one of the community centers in Pamplona! We start on Thursday, and we're super excited to learn the tango, cha-cha, and bachata! It'll be a great time to meet new people, learn something fun, and get a little more exercise.

Something that's been taking a lot of time lately is trip planning! Lauren, Megan and I are going to Sevilla and Italy (Rome, Florence, and Venice) during Semana Santa (Holy Week), since we get like ten days off. We're so excited! Getting the numerous tickets ordered and planning all the connections is a bit of a headache, but we're getting it figured out, slowly but surely. Also, Lauren and I just booked a train ticket and a hostel for Paris! We're going during Valentine's Day weekend, and we're super stoked. I mean, what could be better? We're so blessed to have the opportunity to go to so many amazing places!

We've done some shopping here as well - Lise and I had an adventure to La Morea, the gigantic mall in Pamplona. We didn't stay too long, but it was fun to look around! We'll have to go back at some point and explore some more. We've also had several obligatory Corte Ingles runs, and have made it to a few other places as well. I got red lipstick and a dress that I'm super excited to wear!

And the food, as always, is different and exciting and generally delicious. My host mom has been serving me all sorts of yummy things - we had paella (a traditional Spanish dish of rice, seafood, and sometimes veggies), some really good soups such as a carrot soup which I love and want to learn how to make, all sorts of great fish dishes, and a gorgeous tarta de manzana (basically apple pie, with some sort of custard on the bottom - sooo good!). Also, I realized today that what I thought was chicken is actually rabbit, I believe. I don't really know how I mistook it for chicken, but I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes. So, kind of interesting...it tasted good though, so whatever!
And of course, the bread and wine continue to be excellent. Yes indeedy.
Oh, and we girls bought a bunch of candy the other day! That stuff is amazing here. The gominolas (gummies) are some of my favorites - they have candy shaped like sunny-side-up eggs, cows, turtles, brains, skulls, fruit, teeth, toothbrushes (?!)...you get the idea. And I've discovered that any chocolate with the brand name "Kinder" on it is bound to be pretty much the best stuff ever. Seriously. One kind even has a filling that reminds me of peanut butter, which made me super happy because that's one food that you definitely can't get here...alas.

One last point - now that I'm feeling more comfortable here, I've started to explore a little bit. For example, yesterday evening I needed to buy a new umbrella, so I told myself, "I am going to find an umbrella, and I'm going to find it tonight!" I didn't know where exactly to find a store that sells them, but since there are all sorts of little stores everywhere, I knew I'd find one if I walked long enough. And I was right! I went down a street in my neighborhood that was new to me, and before long I found a bazaar-type store with a whole rack of umbrellas! I was excited about my success :) Probably disproportionately so, but I didn't care. I felt so resourceful! And one of the many things that I love about living in the city is that, when you need something, if you keep walking long enough you're sure to find it. So fantastic!
Also did a bit of exploring today - I finally went inside the Ciudadela (I may have mentioned this before, but in case I didn't, it's the big park in the center of town; it was originally built hundreds of years ago as a sort of fortress to protect the city) instead of walking around it, and discovered that the place is freaking gorgeous! I am officially in love. There will definitely be pictures to come - I would have taken some today, but the light was not great for it. We haven't seen the sun in a while :P But anyway, when I saw all the cool old buildings and the mossy rock walls, I was like, "You know what? I am in SPAIN. And it's awesome!!" I am astounded all the time about how much I love being here and how blessed I am to get to live here for four months!

Well, Monday morning comes far too early, so it's high time I got to bed. Hasta luego!