Catch-up, sorry!

I realize I haven’t written in this blog for quite some time, but I am trying to remedy a bit of that now. It’s hard for me to just write short amounts for some reason, I would much rather just put everything down in one sitting. That can be difficult though, because after so many days it gets harder because there is so much to record. Additionally, since we don’t have internet at home, any e-mail or blogging or whatever has to be done at school. I don’t always want to sit in an increasingly warm computer room for ages, so I’ve neglected the blog as a result. My new plan is to write the blogs at home, save them to my jump drive, and simply post them when I get to school. I think that will make things easier overall.

We left for Portugal at about nine on Saturday morning and had about a four hour bus ride before we got into the Algarve coast. We spent most of the day at a beautiful beach and enjoyed chorizo sandwiches, peaches, and yummy hazelnut wafer cookies that Loli had packed for us the night before. I was extremely lazy and stretched out on the beach the whole time, alternating between reading and just enjoying the perfect weather. It was incredibly relaxing and was just what I needed, especially after my first week of school.

We finally left and took the bus to our hotel for the night, the sol e praia in Lagos, Portugal. We checked into our rooms (Rachel and I were with Bridgette and Lauren) and then after getting cleaned up headed back to the bus to go to el fin del mundo, or the end of the world. We missed the actual sunset due to traffic, which was disappointing, but the colors were still beautiful and we managed to take a lot of pictures before it got too dark. Surprisingly, it was actually quite chilly and I think we were all glad the guide had told us to bring some warmer clothes.
After driving back, a bunch of us headed out to get some dinner. We split up to accomodate different tastes, and Rachel, Hanna, Nicole, and I found an excellent restaurant with a lot of fish on the menu thanks to a recommendation. Rachel and I split a swordfish dish, which was amazing, and came with potatoes and snap peas. It tasted so good, especially after being at the beach all day. We then headed off to a couple bars, which ended up being a lot of fun. I like the first especially, an Australian bar with good music. We snapped quite a few candid photos and had a great time overall.

The next day, after an included (pretty much my favorite word after free - now more than ever) breakfast at the hotel, we walked just a few steps to the beach alongside the hotel. The water was freezing (as was the water at the beach the day before) but it felt really good after the hot sun. I even got up the courage to jump off a huge rock located a short swim from the beach. I think Chelsea managed to snap a photo, so once I get that I’ll have to post it. I picked up just a couple pieces of pretty beach glass and managed to have another great day. Toward the end of the day, I felt like I had gotten a little too much sun, though I had been really careful in reapplying sunscreen. My back was a bit red, but it turned out not to be burnt, thankfully. We took the bus back and after getting much-needed showers, we fell into bed.

Monday was basically sent studying for our first test on Tuesday, I think Rachel and I got about three and a half hours of sleep. It paid off though, as I got my test back today (Friday) and got a 98%. I was really happy with that, and also my first paper grade, a 99%. It’s really reassuring to get such good grades, especially because I am so rusty on the grammar and speaking side of Spanish. I’ve had only literature classes for so long that I struggle with speaking, but at least I know they’ve helped immensely in my writing and test-taking skills. Plus, I am always nervous before I get my first grades of a new class, because I don’t know how things will be graded. I feel like now I can relax a bit and not worry too much about schoolwork.

This week I also received my schedule for the continuation period of the semester. I’ll be done with my Advanced Spanish Grammar course, but I’ll keep the dance course (Sevillianas) and the Cultural Realities of Spain course. For a couple of days I was really excited because I thought I only had class Monday through Wednesday, but that turned out to be a mistake. Shucks. As of now, my schedule is kind of crazy and looks something like this (might be a bit small):

I’ve heard that the continuation period is easier (which I would assume would be because everything isn’t squished into three weeks), but the way my schedule is right now, I’ll have problems with returning home for lunch. We usually eat around 2:30ish, and since it takes at least 30 minutes each way, it would be really tight Monday through Thursday. I think what I’ll do is switch Spanish-American Literature for Advanced Spanish Composition. Comp meets Monday and Wednesday from 10:15 - 12:15, so I’ll have a bit more time on Monday and Wednesday and one less class on Tuesday and Thursday.

In other news, I just discovered that walking (at least at my pace, which is pretty damn fast), it only takes me 40 minutes from my house to the center. I figure that’s pretty good, especially for when I return in the afternoon after classes. The trip takes 30 minutes by bus, and if you miss the 23 bus you have to wait for at least 10 more minutes. Plus, I get a bit of exercise, which is always good.

Anyway, though I have fallen behind since I first wrote this post, that´s all there is going to be for now. I have a test, a paper, and a final exam all in this coming week, so I might not post for a while, but I´ll write again when I can. Thanks for reading!