Time Warp...

It's been a while since my last post, but I have to admit that after Mom left Madrid I've been occupied with many things, both good and bad. One weekend this month I went on an excursion with students from the WIP program to Extremadura, the western region of Spain bordering Portugal. We stopped in 3 different cities (Mérida, Cáceres, Trujillo) and spent the night in Cáceres. The architecture and vibe of this region was totally different than that in any other part of Spain that I have visited thus far. All brick buildings, scattered across green, rolling countryside. It was a breathtaking side of Spain I had not yet seen, but I wish we would've had more free time to roam the cities & discover things on our own--we were stuck with our tour guide Pablo the entire weekend. Bummer!! But overall I am satisfied that I took part in the excursion--I never would've known what I was missing out on!

Upon returning to Madrid I was lucky enough to be in the pleasant company of Mom's long-time friend Laurel and her husband Frank. They came over to see my piso, and then we ventured off for some drinks and tapas, a typical Madrileño tradition.

I ended up having a lovely time visiting with Laurel & Frank, who shared stories of their many great adventures. I also tried raw oysters for my first (perhaps last) time. Never hurts to try something new! We also enjoyed the sweet, sweet chocolate con churros at Chocolatería San Gines~if it sounds familiar, it's because I have mentioned it before...it's that good!

Last weekend Sonya and I traveled to Mallorca, a Balearic Island off of the southeastern coast of Spain. We had

the most incredible

weather, sunny sunny sunny and warm!! It was a fabulous way to wind down and relax. We decided to do next to nothing--just laid on the sandy beach and feasted. I even took a dip in the Mediterranean Sea, which was a dream come true. The water was so blue and clear! It was a fabulous weekend away with my best friend!!

My agenda for the next month is looking pretty hectic. I have final exams coming up in a couple weeks, along with "trabajos finales"...10 page papers that I must write for each class in addition to our final exam. I'm going to miss my Literatura Española class the most--my professor Sonia has the most energy I've ever seen in a professor. She has a passion for literature and loves her job--plus, she had been a student herself at the Universidad de Complutense, so she relates to us students very well! The books we have read have been great and I can actually comprehend what I've been reading...and my professor does a great job at helping us to really think about the book and how we interpret it. After all, literature can be interpreted in different ways by all readers.

I'm not planning to travel around the country or continent for the month of May since my school work is keeping

me so busy, but I'm thinking about what kind of traveling I'd like to do in June once I only have to focus on work for 2 class--Amsterdam? Canary Islands? I'm ready to get out on the beach again, instead of doing the days packed with sight-seeing. But first things first, I must get through the month of May. My two favorite boys from home, Turkbas and Andrew, are coming to stay with Sonya and me from May 17-June 4--so we'll also be busy having a blast with them!! It will be the best way to end a fantastic semester abroad!! And I am officially booked to head home on June 23rd...51 days away--how time flies!! See ya'll soon!