November

Today is November 1, my little sister Lila's birthday, and the day after Halloween. I spent last night in Madrid at a place called Ciudad Universitaria, which is a big open area where a lot of the Universities in Madrid meet up. It was jam packed with people, and the tradition of dressing up in Spain is slightly different than in the USA. Here, people genuinely try to be scary. If you go dressed up as a nurse (for example) you have red streaks smeared all over your costume and everyone has face makeup of bruises and cuts. We even saw several massacred SpongeBob's. The other boy on exchange in Majadahonda, named Jesse, and I went as Hippies because we didn't want to spend the money for costumes and we both own tye dye and Birkenstocks. It was not my normal night of carousing around neighborhoods asking for candy with the knowledge that we're far too old to do so, but I met a lot of new people, speaking both English and Spanish... a few people didn't believe me when I said I was American... they said I spoke so well they would've had no idea... I'd have to say that was the absolute highlight of my night.

Life has been routine and easygoing in Majadahonda... This past Wednesday I went into Madrid and met up with some of my exchange student friends. I still feel a little bit of guilt about doing this because it's a whole night of speaking English... I think when everyone gets more comfortable with their Spanish it will be incredible to meet up with them, because I have to say that I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. We enjoyed one Euro bocadillos at 100 Montaditos, a sort of tapa bar chain. I even translated for a few tourists that couldn't speak Spanish that were trying to order. The building on the left is the image I always see coming out of the metro stop at Puerta de Sol in Madrid, it captures a lot of the traditional architecture around the city, plus it shows behind it the gorgeous blue sky that allows the sun to shine down every day. In the nearly two months that I've been here I've only had 4 or 5 days of rain, and "cold" to the Spainards is still tropical for me, with every day in the 60s or 70s, hardly a need for a jacket.

It feels a little strange to be going into November without celebrating Lila's birthday. I've been Skyping with my family fairly regularly, once a week or so, which has worked beautifully thus far, even resulting in one session where my mom and I sort of forgot the other was on the line as she watched Judge Judy and I held up a conversation with my host sister in the background. I guess that's a real testament to being comfortable in your surroundings, when home feels like it could really be in two completely different places across the world from each other. I'm still enjoying the nights of dancing my life away at the discotecas in Madrid, though it's a pricey pastime and Spain is proving to be a bit of an expensive place to live... who knew? :) Sometimes little bouts of homesickness still hit, during the daytime yesterday it was a little rough, thinking on how this was the first holiday without the fam, but I perked myself up throughout the night... This adventure is all about self-help for me, all about learning how to be your own mediator, that some things about being an exchange kid are just plain hard, but that the incredible rewards that await at the end (and throughout each day) are testament enough to why I chose to go. I also got two packages in the mail, one was a letter from my Grandma Colleen, her familiar handwriting and kind words absolutely overwhelmed me with happiness, as if the package from the Estenson Family filled with Halloween decorations (to Jacobo's delight, as he had a little Halloween party yesterday), Reese's candies, and Kris' homemade cookies, which were not smushed but perfectly intact and absolutely delicious, wasn't enough. I played my violin a little this week, helping Jacobo along with his classical guitar as well. Bea is in her first year of University and completely consumed by studying, a little reminder of what I know I'm going to be heading into next year. She is in the Architecture course, however, so a lot of her projects are absolutely incredible, miniature models and sculptures that are meant to show perspective... Our house looks like a modern art museum :) This week I have my first official Rotary meeting on Thursday and on Wednesday I'm going to a play with my class from school. Another week ahead, I'm filled only with anticipation and excitement. Bring it on, November :)

Besitos, Sami