An update

Queridos amigos (dear friends),

I know I haven’t blogged in a few days… nothing much interesting has happened.  Monday was normal—class (Spanish and Philosophy).  I spent my break in the library.  What a fiasco!  It is the loudest, most obnoxious library I have ever been in.  Despite having separate “reading rooms,” you can hear every door slamming, all the people outside yelling, and the rude people talking in the reading room—all with headphones in and music playing!  I have no idea how I’m going to get any work done there, despite working in a cubicle.  Ugh.  It makes me miss Reinert, and I don’t like that library very much, but at least people are courteous there!

Tuesday I planned to get up early at find the Starbucks that is apparently a ten-minute walk from the apartment.  However, when my alarm went off at 8 AM, it was so cold in the apartment that I couldn’t bear to leave my warm bed.  So, I skipped Starbucks, slept longer, and then just went to campus for my 12:30 class.  Kind of a fail of a morning, but if you know me at all, you know that I absolutely HATE being cold.  Totally miserable.  It doesn’t help that the water is always frigid whenever the water heater isn’t turned on (and you have to turn it on manually, but I don’t think I’m supposed to do that unless I’m taking a shower… so washing my face and such all occurs with freezing cold water).  Not what I’m used to at home…

Anyway, I love love love my Positive Psychology class.  I am so excited for that class every day.  I wish I could just take that class all day, every day.  I definitely picked the right major for me!  Nothing spectacular happened in class, but the subject matter totally fascinates me.  :)  After class, Victoria, Mary Kate, Megan and I went to Super Sol, which is the supermarket close to campus.  We have discovered that despite the apparent value of buying lunch in the cafeteria, 3,50 Euros every day is going to add up quickly.  So, I bought a loaf of bread, some nutella-like chocolate spread, clementines, and a cute little Tupperware thing to hold my sandwich every day.  All for under 8 Euros, and that should last me for over a week!  Yay for spending 1 euro a day on lunch!

Art History is already wearing on me.  There are only 4 (possibly 5, but if so, we haven’t ever had a full class) people in the class, and the teacher is interesting.  She wants a lot of participation, but I don’t know what to say about art… I’m taking the class so she can teach me what to say!  She also has a tendency to yell at us, which is a bit disconcerting.  Not my favorite class ever, but I’ll get through it.

After class, I met up with some friends and we went to a bar for some sangria and snacks, since we can’t go out on Thursday (since we have to run home quickly, grab our bags, and head to the airport for our flight to Paris!).  It was a different group than I normally hang out with, but I enjoyed the variation a lot.  Then I headed home for dinner and homework.

That’s basically my life for the past two days, but here are some interesting tidbits I want to share with you:

--One day during dinner, Abby and I were talking about school, and she said that she can only stay at SLU-Madrid (fondly referred to as “SLUM” or if you say SLU-Madrid, Spain, it becomes “SLUMS” haha) for one more year, and then she might have to go to the campus in the States.  When she told me that, she said the campus in “Missouri,” but it sounds like “misery.”  Made me laugh and reminds me of Dad’s joke about being from the state of misery.  Haha.

--Maria showed me how to make croquettas the other day.  She is a fabulous cook and is willing to teach me.  I should probably take her up on that offer more often.  :)

I suppose that’s pretty much it.  I will update my blog again tonight when I get home, but after that, it probably won’t be updated again until Sunday, since I will be in Paris and am not bringing my laptop with me.  Say a prayer for a safe trip, please!

Love you all so much,

Elizabeth