I'm amazed by how fast the weeks go here. Within the past week, I've started to feel a sort of 'urgency'. I feel a rush to plan every single weekend I have left here, so that way I can assure I see and do everything I want to. Resulting from this feeling, I bought tickets for another trip! On April 15, I'm heading to Faro, Portugal for the wekeend with my American friend, Ali. We chose Faro because it is located in the south of the country by the beach, so we hope to soak up a little bit of sun. The following week is the Spanish equivalent of spring break,"Semana Santa", so I have a week off of school. This week I will stay in Madrid, and I plan on doing some serious studying in my free time. I also have promised myself, as a result of this aforementioned 'urgency', that I need to try a new café, visit a new neighborhood, or walk through a new park of Madrid every day during the break.
I forgot to mention something semi-amazing that happened to me the week before last. I saw not one, but two students here in Spain that I recognized as alumni from IIT in Chicago. The first time, I was standing on Gran Via waiting for a friend, when a girl I new looked familiar passed by. We made eye contact, and I saw on her face that she was thinking the same thing. A few minutes later she returned and asked me, "Perdona, ¿de dónde eres?" After I told her I was from the states, she instantly brought up Chicago and IIT. Although I had never talked to her at IIT, at a small school, we had seen each other around on campus. The second time this happened to me was even more coinicidental. When I was in San Sebastian, walking along the beach, I saw from a distance a guy that I thought had been a student at IIT. I wasn't sure because again I had never actually talked to him. Then as he passed (this time, no eye contact), I saw he was wearing a Chicago t-shirt. So it must have been! At times like this, the world is small. Too small! Even somest 5,000miles away, in a city of 3million or a smaller city in the north of a country of 46million, I find people I know.
This past week it also began to feel like summer, as the temperature increased abruptly by around 15 degrees Faharenheit. So now everyday it is at least 72 degrees, and it makes being outside absolutely fabulous. On Saturday, me and my friends planned a picnic in the main park, El Retiro. We each brought a snack and shared the food (I made a mozarella, tomato, oregano, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar salad...an imitation of a Caprese with out the basil). It was so nice, just passing 3 hours lazily on the grass in the park. Of course I forgot my camera, but we have planned to continue these picnics so next time I will have pictures!
That Saturday was also the birthday party of my friend Laura from Italy. That night, the other Laura, Ali, and I made her a chocolate cake to bring to the party. Laura had also made herself an authentic tiramisu, which was fantastic. The party turned out to be really fun, but as Spanish custom, I didn't leave until a little after 4AM, which meant after travel time I wasn't sleeping until 5AM. This proved to be a problem when I had to wake up at 9:45AM for my 3 hour dance rehearsal the next morning. By some miracle I survived, but just barely. I think this is my biggest problem, I try to do much. A lot of people like to sleep in and enjoy there weekends; I tend to jam-pack them and as a result, enter Monday more tired than before the weekend began. Yet even as I admit this problem, you know that I will continue to stress myself out, attempt to much. So is Sydney Williams.
Yesterday I donated blood at my faculty. Due to my habit of testing too low for iron and frequent fainting, I was a little extra-nervous at this attempt in a different country and language.However, it was a success! I wasn't anemic and I didn't faint, either! Mostly I think this was due to the fact that the nurses literally forced me to drink a juice before and after my donation, where in the states this is more of a suggestion or upon request. This tactic really helps to inclease your blood sugar and blood pressure after donation, so I think I'm going to take note for my next donation stateside.
Finally, I still haven't boughten my ticket to go home! Hopefully I will do that this afternoon, but I'm running out of time, because I LEAVE FOR CROATIA TONIGHT!!!!!! I'm really excited, but again, I've too much to do, and too little time. Also, I need to transfer my money again from dollars to euros, however this time it's not so much in favor. In February the exchange rate was 1.36 dollars per Euro, now it's 1.42. As my transfer is a larger chunk of change, I will unforutunately lose money this time. Hopefully after the transfer the Euro skyrockets so when I transfer back I make a profit! Guess we'll see. So now I head to class, and then to scramble all the last minute things I need to do before my 8:00PM flight. I'm so excited to visit this country, to see Nicole, and to have what I know will be an unforgettable adventure!
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