You think you know....but you have NO idea

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So Spain is pretty much outrageous. We have made amazing friends at our hostel...Peter from New Zealand, Clint from London, Chris from Alaska, Agata from Toronto and so forth. Others we met but aren´t really friends with (haha) were from Portugal, France, Argentina, Korea, and Germany. Clint just moved here for the year to teach at a school outside Madrid and he said he could probably get me a tutoring job (under the table $ of course haha) with one of the youngin´s there. I think it would be fun!

On another note, we had some serious conversations with both Peter from New Zealand and Clint from London about the rest of the world´s opinion about Americans. It´s gotten me a little upset to say the least to hear this news first hand. Americans are ignorant, stupid, think and act like we´re better than everyone, etc. Obviously my friends did not say this of our group...but maybe they still thought it? And if that really is the opinion of every other country....I´m a little worried about traveling elsewhere. I never really understood why we would be ¨targeted¨ and so hated until now. And it´s embarrassing to hear that my friends from New Zealand the England know more about our goverment than I do...

Anyways, I have just been so busy...Monday i promise to upload pictures of the trip so far...there are a ton! the shopping here is amazing and a lot of cute, cute stuff is super cheap...the american style and european style are so different that i almost needed to purchase things so i don´t look so ¨nerdy¨hahaha.

there is a lot to look forward to here. we hang out with London (¨Clint¨) on a daily basis and he just got his own apartment so it´ll be nice to hang out there too. He even offered to host Thanksgiving this year even though he said, ¨I´ve never done it and I don´t even know what it is.¨ haha

school starts wednesday and our placement test is tuesday. our classes are from 3pm to 6pm everyday which is also amazing. hopefully i won´t be so sick...going out every night really takes its toll on your body. the other three, wes, sharon and april, are also sick...and london is getting sick as we speak. you really have to take care of yourself over here. i am learning that quickly...i am also very independent now and i can see that is changing a lot too. i heard from all the students who went on this program that you eventually feel fearless...like you can do anything and talk to anyone without hesitation....i definitely feel that´s a good description of it all.

the four of us have adjusted to city life well...taking the metro buses and subway are just second nature. our program paid for us to take a double decker tour of the city which was also fun. i´ve taken more taxis than probably ever this past week too.

april and i are living in the same apartment and it is less than wonderful....the place is dirty, no one talks to us.... basically we feel extremely unwelcome and so we are moving possibly monday or tuesday morning to a NEW house...and when i get an ACTUAL family that i care about, i´ll let you know who they are.

april´s birthday is tomorrow so we are most likely going to the hard rock downtown to celebrate...

leave me comments!! i wanna hear what ´s up with everyone. i miss you all so much. and yeah...be prepared for lots of pix on monday.

all the best,
theresa

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Comments

[Erin]

I miss you!
It sounds like you are having so much fun Theresa, but I miss you too and I can't wait until you are back here at ISU!!!