Surfing USA.....

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Que tal amigos????

So yesterday I had my first surfing lesson. It was awesome! My instructor was this cute little Peruvian guy who was only about 5 feet tall. And it only cost $20 for an hour and a half lesson including the wetsuit and board rental. I was pretty intimidated at first because the waves looked pretty scary from the beach, but after about 10 minutes of paddling around I was loving it! And I got up on the board on my first try! There was a lot of salt in the water…and I drank a lot of it. A couple times the waves just about took me out…all I could do was crack up laughing at how funny it all was. My game plan is to take a couple more lessons and then just rent a board if I want to continue surfing. I’m not gonna lie, I loved actually surfing just as much as the fact that I feel like more of a “surfer girl” now.

I found out this week that one of the classes that I am taking I won’t be able to get credit for at the UW, so I am going to drop it. So officially I will be taking 3 classes (12 credits). I’m pretty sure I will still have plenty of work to keep up with seeing that I am supposed to read “Facundo” (this really intense Spanish novel) by this Monday and present a chapter of it to the class. Haha. I have to read another novel in my other Literature class. There’s something about a novel that intimidates me…its not a story…or a poem…it’s an entire novel in which I will have to look up every other word in my dictionary.

I stopped by the chapel at school yesterday. I can’t believe I ever complained about St. Paul’s. It actually resembles St. Paul’s quite a bit…all cement…..very interesting design…but it’s about the size of lower commons at St. Paul’s (it’s pretty tiny). I haven’t been to mass there yet, but I’m going to try and go sometime next week.

I went to see a movie last night. Que Paso Ayer (The Hangover). Movie titles here usually describe the movie instead of just translating the title. The movie was in English with Spanish subtitles. It was very interesting because some of “funnier” phrases of the movie just didn’t translate into Spanish right; so I was that person cracking up in the corner of the movie theater because I knew what was really going on in English.

So I am going to apologize in advance for mispelled words and improper English in my blogs, because I have noticed already that my English is being compromised a little for my Spanish....I'm usually not this bad. Oops.

Well, I am off to study.

I miss you all!!!

Margarita

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Photos

The surfing team
from left to right...Kevin (instructor--from France), me, Valerie (roommate), Inga (foreign exchange student from Germany), and Javier (instructor)

Comments

[Aunt Jean]

Surf's up!
Megan: Uncle John and I are excited for your new interest in water sports in which you are the motor that makes the excitement happen. That sounds like a great pursuit! We are off to Europe on Monday 9/7 to visit several sets of friends including Ildiko, our international daughter whom you might remember from her year-long stay with us 10 years ago. She lives in Slovakia and we are very happy to finally meet her family. Prior to spending about a week with her, we will be in Germany, England and Hungary. Our return is on 9/26. 'Spotty email access anticipated. Happy reading! We think that soon you will only need to look up a word or two per page because you will quickly gain vocabulary. (Doing great Megan - you are my heroine. Hope to take the bike out today) Con un abrazo fuerte, Aunt Jean (and Uncle John)

[Aunt Carol]

Groovy
How cool you were able to get on the surf board right away! It must help that you are a water skiier. Good luck with your novels en espaniol. Hey, Alex got his drivers license this week and started driving to work. I'm still painting our house. Love ya!

[Mike Schmitz]

Get Studying!
Hey ya.............aren't you suppose to be studying 24/7? What did you go there to surf? I surfed once....ended up with a suit full of sand. Hauled grandpa's wood yest until I could not longer stand.........back hurts. 5 big truckloads. Andrew is working about 30 hours this weekend....he just figured out he is way overdoing the work thing with studying to do. Going to be 80 here today. oh el hola do banos! We love you! Dad

[Grandma Schmitz]

You Go Girl !
Hi Megan, Looks like fun! Hope you wear a lifejacket , just in case! Lots of family here this weekend. Dan and Mary and kids, Your Mom and Dad, then we went up to the "80" amd joined Larry's family around the campfire! John and Jean leave tomorrow for Europe. Ben is now at St Thomas. God Bless You ! Grandma and Grandpa

[Jane Voelker]

Hey Megan!
I've been going to mass in Italy in a place that resembles St. Paul's also! I didn't make the connection until you said something. But, it turns out, the church over here was built over 1000 years ago...so I guess they have an excuse for only building with stone.... Also, when I surfed in Hawaii, I thought it was sooo much harder than it looks! :)