I'm just going to apologize now for those of you who don't want to read really long blogs. Right now I'm having a lot of new experiences and riding a roller coaster of emotions each day. These first few blogs might be really long. But if you're up for it, I'm willing to share almost everything.
Yesterday I was really homesick. Gloria and I walked through the main shopping district in Denia and we hung out with some of her friends. Then we had dinner at our Aunt's house. I met more cousins and the grandparents. All day I barely spoke in spanish and I felt really lonely. That's when those thoughts of doubt creep into my mind like "why am I doing this", "I will never learn spanish", and "I wish I was home with my friends". I just have to push those thoughts away and remember that it will all get better. Before bed, I talked to Thaís, an exchange student that I met in the United States last year that is from Brazil. She was really supportive and assured me that over time things will get better and when I need to talk she will be there for me.
This morning when I work up, the maid was here. Mom said there wouldn't be one, but as always I was right!!! and there was a maid that cleaned the house, my room, and made my bed! woohoo!! I was surprised that I still felt extremely sad and homesick even after a goodnight's sleep. I ate breakfast and wrote in my journal out on the porch and then came inside to watch t.v. with Elena. I fell asleep though, and didn't wake up until Christina came home and made lunch.
It's really weird. I never get hungry here. Maybe it's because my body is still adjusting or my sleep schedule is off, but I'm never hungry unless I don't eat for like eight hours. I don't understand it because usually at home I'm hungry all the time and can't wait for the next meal.
Anyway, after lunch I wrote down all of the new words that I have learned in spanish so far and practiced saying them. I don't want people to have to teach me the same word more than one or two times. I need to practice and train my memory on my own so that I will learn the language quicker.
At 5:00 Christina and I dropped Elena off at her cousin's how for a "play date" (you still call it that when you're ten years old right? lol. Christina and I drove south along the coast until we got to a beautiful hotel. Arturo, the president of rotary in Denia, and his wife own this hotel that backs up directly onto the beach. Here I met them, their children, and my spanish tutor. Next week my host parents are going on vacation so I am going to stay at this hotel and spend time with Arturo's daughters who are my age and also play tennis. My host mom says that in the winter I will take tennis lessons with them.
We left the hotel after about an hour and went back to Christina's sister's house where Elena was playing with her cousin. Christina has like six sisters (or seven... I don't know) and I met three of them today. Their house is also directly on the beach and I watched them windsurf.
Elena, her three cousins, and I walked their puppy along the beach and we talked in "spanglish". I asked Elena if she wants to come to the United States when she grows up. She said yes and that she wants to visit my husband and I in New Jersey. I thought that was hilarious and adorable at the same time. Elena is sleeping over her cousin's house tonight so Christina and I left shortly after and went to the supermarket.
Tonight I skyped with my dad, and then with my mom and sister. Gloria showed me her yearbook from the year that she stayed in Ohio and I showed her mine. I told her about all of my favorite teachers and she thinks that Mr. Petrillo and Señora M. are very young. I let Gloria and Christina listen to Mr. Petrillo's music too, and they were pleasantly surprised by his voice. There were lots of laughs floating throughout the house tonight.
Overall I am really happy with how things are turning out. Despite a horrible travel experience, and living in the same clothes for three days so far, things are getting better. The more I sleep, the less emotional I feel all the time and the more I talk and laugh, the less stressful I feel. Tomorrow night we are going to a fiesta in a nearby town, so we'll see how that goes. I'm seriously looking forward to getting my suitcases on sunday and really settling into my room with all of my belongings.
Buenos Noches! I will write again soon.
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