Rain, rain, go away!

Greetings from cold, rainy Spain. Sadly, the weather here is terrible. It's rained non-stop since last week and the temperatures have plummeted. I've always been a firm believer in layering clothes, so thankfully I had a few cardigans and a jacket in my suitcase. Today was the first day in awhile that the sun was out for the majority of the day and it was warmer compared to this past week. Fingers crossed it stays this way!

I have been busy with work and social things. Work is finally starting to pick up. On Wednesday I will be working from our new offices in the center of town. Looking forward to being in an actual work environment. On Saturday I had a First Communion to attend. It was of a former student and I am close to his family. I felt honored to have been invited, as only close friends and family members were there. I'd hate to think how many pounds I gained in one day. We had a huge meal at a restaurant; full of spanish meats and cheeses and other appetizers, followed by a delicious meal of sirloin, roasted peppers, and potatoes, not to mention dessert and drinks. If that wasn't enough, after the restaurant we all went back to the parents house and sat around and had MORE drinks and MORE food, plus ice cream! I had to roll myself right out of the house! I also ate some baby snails. Last year in Paris I had escargot for the first time, so this year I took it a step further and ate them straight. Sucked it right out of the shell. I must admit, it was tasty! As with all Spanish celebrations, the "party" lasted 12 hours. I left my house at 11:30 and didn't get dropped off until midnight! It was great to see familiar faces again and to also meet new people.

I am also taking a Spanish class this summer. A friend has opened up her own language academy, so she is offering several different levels of classes that focus on grammar. I am taking advanced level classes, hoping it will expand my knowledge of the language even further. It is great practice and I am learning many new vocabulary words and phrases as well! I think I have finally found a family to give English lessons to. I'm still looking for more as well! I have things I want to buy :) and also need to save up for when Dietrich comes to visit in July. I can't have the poor boy pay for everything!!!!

Hasta luego!

I'm baaaaacccccckkkkkkk!!!!

The title of today's blog can refer to one of two things. The first being that after a long hiatus, I am back to blogging. But the reason I'm back to blogging is because I'm BACK IN SPAIN!!!! I arrived a week ago, and am here through the end of July. I'm interning with the American Club of Madrid and also spending my free time by taking Spanish classes and hanging out with my friends. I'm in heaven. Of course, I miss my family and the best boyfriend in the world, but am so thankful to have such supportive people around me.

On one hand, it feels as though I never left Madrid. I am back with my friends, partaking in regular activities such as Friday lunches (although, we can no longer go to the Italian restaurant we went to on a weekly basis, because it, along with hundreds of other businesses in Spain, closed due to the recession and crisis), spending Sundays in the park taking in the sun, and going to the San Isidro (the patron saint of Madrid) festival in La Pradera. On the other hand, I can tell that a year has gone by. The first day or two, my Spanish was a little rusty, my students have grown tremendously, and many local stores and restaurants that I frequented have closed. Kind of the same observations I made anytime I returned to Louisville over the past three years.

I returned to a warm welcome (referring to both the weather and my reception) here, but the weather has changed drastically. It has been cold and rainy and I am finding myself running out of warm things to wear. Funny, this is the same type of weather I experienced the first time I came to Madrid in 2008. It was the middle of May and everyone kept commenting on how cold it was. Same city, same story, different year.

I hope I can do a much better job of keeping up with my blog over the summer. It's always nice to share my experiences with others. And this is a nice way for me to keep track of my own experiences. More to come!

Sarah