Home

It's been over a week since I first landed in American soil- 9 days to be exact- and I still haven't found a way to sum up just how strange I've been feeling. It all started when I had to pay for a single dose of Dayquil with a handful of coins and I couldn't remember the difference between a nickel and a dime. I spent a good minute or two trying to sort out all these irrational, worthless coins that I barely recognized, something I hadn't thought would be so confusing but that was. It all sort of just hit me from there. I wrote a really poetic analogy the other day of how it was like a dull force shooting straight at me and striking me in slow-motion, something I do a lot when I'm too overwhelmed to actually face the situation I'm in. I guess you could say I turn to metaphors when some turn to alcohol. Ahem. Anyways. It's weird being home. It's even weirder being home as an entirely different person. I feel so torn and confused and fuzzy. I ought to start making giant lists, but even that seems a task far too daunting for me.
Quite honestly, it's not even that I wish I was back in Spain. I do miss it and my friends and my family there, but I'm glad I'm in Bend. I'm just not so glad that I have to make this giant transition when everyone around me seems to think that I should be sliding back into the position I left.
Thus ends the fabulous year abroad adventure.

African Child

Hello! I know I haven't been posting like at all in a very long time, but I've been busy celebrating my first real Christmas. Though it's not technically over until January 6th when the 3 Kings come and give us presents on their way to bless Jesus, I feel confident in saying that it has been a splendid time and a spectacular Christmas.
Another reason I haven't been posting very often is that I'm not entirely convinced that people actually read this blog. So, if you genuinely care about what you see here, I would love a note or something. Message me on Facebook, shoot me an email, write on a sticky note and give it to my family for them to send me in my next package. I've always been someone who needed a lot of love and it's really hard for me to get that here, so I would really appreciate something from back home. Just something to think about.
With that said, here are some pictures from the time I went to Melilla, the Spanish city in the very north of Africa, for Christmas.

 I stayed with the host family of my good friend, Jessica Latimer, and upon seeing this in their kitchen I nearly cried. Apparently their oldest son, Jose Luis, went on exchange to Medford and brought these back for his chef father. I adored the family- they were all so sweet, and encouraged us to speak English when we wanted to but also loved helping us out with our Spanish. Though it was weird not staying with my host family I got to experience life in another Spanish family and I found a sister in Jess.

 The view from northern Africa. The first full day I was there it was warm enough for us to go to the beach, so Jess and I did. The old part of the city overlooks the Mediterranean, and in the olden days they used cannons from this castle to shoot down ships attempting to invade Melilla.

 Though I love the shops here, the shops in Melilla were special because they had an African flair. I bought a flawless pair of classic white linen Moroccan pants, and am hoping to buy a pair of these awesome slippers when I return. The shops were also filled with glass pottery, products with Arabic labels, gorgeous veils, etc.

 The view of Melilla from the top of the castle.

 You could see Morocco from the top of the castle too!

 The fence separating Morocco from Melilla was very intimidating. It was several layers thick and complete with barbed wire and electric fencing so as to discourage illegal border crossing. Though I wanted more than anything to cross this fence to get to Morocco I wasn't allowed to, as being an American girl is a very dangerous thing in African countries.

 Morocco!

 Moroccan tea- practically the best thing I've ever had ever! It was minty but sweet and just splendid.

The nativity scene in Melilla is well known for one major detail- it's life-size! It's set up in the old part of the city and you can walk through it as if you were walking through the scene when it happened. It's complete with real animals and even real fruit vendors.

Traveling Whilst Traveling

I've had very nice opportunities to travel to different parts of southern Spain, and I'm going to have many more (Melilla for Christmas and Sevilla in the spring are positives!). I'm really very lucky:)

Granada

 To be honest, I don't really know very much of the story behind this cathedral. It's in the center of the town, and it's gorgeous. I went to Granada with a group of maybe 9ish other Rotary students, and for a couple hours in between meetings we explored the city. Luckily two were living with families there so they made sure we didn't get lost! It was really nice being surrounded by people who not only could I talk with in a language that I fully understand, but who are also going through many of the same things I'm going through. I love my exchange student friends because we help each other get through a lot. While I know it's important for me to have Spanish friends so as to learn the culture better, I've found that they don't always offer the friendship I need when I'm having homesick days or problems with some part of Spain. That's what the other exchangees are for:)

This is also something I don't know very much about, other than the fact that it's really pretty. My counselor lives in Granada and I'm hoping to visit her one weekend, and maybe she'll be able to explain things to me! That's one of the weirdest things I've gotten used to here, to be honest- not understanding anything. I've had to give up much of my stubbornness to just go along for the ride, because I just don't have enough knowledge of the language or of the place we are or of what people actually do here to try to take control. This is a bit different for me, but it's definitely good.

 Cordoba

 This is the courtyard of the cathedral. Cordoba is very well known for its mosque-turned-cathedral, which is both huge and gorgeous. Back when it was built it was traditional for cathedrals to have courtyards, and in Andalucia orange trees were always in the courtyards. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of orange trees in Cordoba, lining the streets and in this courtyard. Everything smells like oranges and it made me so happy!

 Another view of the courtyard, this time with the fountain that's in the center! It was really pretty, though I don't think there had been any coins thrown in. I really loved the courtyard, and didn't want to leave it to go inside the mosque!

 This was the mosque portion of the building. The mosque part was much darker, with less windows and red/black paint and marble pillars. I really liked it, and greatly admired the detail that had been put into the paintings around the doorways like this one. Also, I got told not to dance by a security guard in this very spot. He thought it was funny that I was doing pirouettes casually in the middle of a mosque.

 I stood in the middle of the cathedral part looking up at the ceiling, breathless, for a good 20 minutes. It was without a doubt one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I've been to cathedrals in many parts of the world before, but I think the light in this one just made it so incredible. I don't even know how to describe it!

On our way home from Cordoba we visited several museums dedicated to sculptures of famous Spanish things out of candy. This is Malaga constructed from chocolate, sugar, and frosting. I had a lot of fun seeing what parts of it I recognized, and also admiring the sheer detail of it.