Fashionistas of Spain

Okay here is something that has been weighing on my mind a lot recently... the fashion here in Spain. It is evident everywhere that each and every person has their own fashion sense. (Unlike America where there are fashion trends and EVERYONE just wears a variation of basically the same things) So whether you choose to dress like a hippy or a gangster or whether you choose to wear shorts in the winter or boots in the summer, no matter the fashion choice every outfit reflects who you are (even the boys). Obviously there are some things that are specifically trendy for everyone (just not as much as America). For example, scarves are very popular (man scarves are not attractive...but very common. Along with a few men wearing man capris aka manpris) also LEGGINGS FOR PANTS (I feel like such a hypocrite for all the times I complained about them because now I feel that is all I want to wear. When I get back that will be one sad habit to break... THEY ARE JUST SO COMFY). Dramatic close to my short post: From their shoes to their umbrellas the people in Spain are truly unique fashion icons to behold; from age 1 to 100, they rock all clothes. (no legit...even their umbrellas).

On a side note, I am insanely jealous of every girls' long hair here!

Hola!

Okay so i'll admit I forgot I had this thing for a little while so thanks to a tweet with multiple explanation points I am now updating once again (hopefully I remember to do this more often). Honestly when I pictured myself in Spain I imagined myself a blogging fiend...but that has obviously yet to happen. Welp, anywho... things have happened since I last updated so let me get you all caught up:
October 17th I took my PSAT at an American school in Bilboa, which was a hectic experience to even plan it. I ended up buying my own bus ticket to ride to Bilboa (about an hour long ride) to meet a man I had never met before to have him drive me about thirty minutes to the school where I proceeded to wait with a different set of people I had never met before until it was finally time to go take my test with more strangers... And did I mention all of this occurred in Spanish? (Well my test wasn't in Spanish but my conversations were). It was so weird to have kids come up to me and start conversations with me in fluent English during the exam process. I didn't  even know whether I should use Spanish or English! I understand that people try to be nice and use your language to talk to you, but it honestly just confuses the heck out of me. (though I do appreciate it in school when the kids explain things I do not understand... Love my fellow classmates) I need to choose one language and stick to it. Though I do not see that happening because I have slipped up a couple times and spoken in French... Haha thank goodness they know that here too!
Qué más? Nothing as exciting as the PSAT has happened recently. Everyday it's the same thing: Wake up at 7:00 (so much better than 6:00), go to eat breakfast at 7:15 (Breakfast consists of fresh squeezed orange juice, milk, toast with jam, or something to dip in your milk. My milk is always hot with nesquick chocolate mix! Mm.. So yummy. And the bread is bought fresh everyday so dipping it in my chocolate milk is the best.) later at 7:45 i begin my two ish mile walk to school with head phones in and many layers of jackets, 8:30 is when classes start and then at 2:25 I head back to the house for a two course meal (aka lunch), then STUDY STUDY STUDY, dinner at 7:15 (which is early for Spain), speaking English with the mini me (mi hermana pequina) and then shower and bed (or rather more studying... What is sleep?). Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to my Spanish dance class at 6:30 so that messes up my schedule but I always look forward to it. It is very cool to see another side of the culture through the dances and music. Plus talking to the other girls in my class is a great way to practice my Spanish (they are younger so it is less embarrassing to mess up and they repeat every word that leaves my mouth haha so sweet). Not to mention I adore the sass that comes with the dances!
Now the fun parts of my weeks are Fridays and Saturdays because that is when I get to stay out late (9pm...) and walk around town with my friends (typically kicking a soccer ball, buying snacks, or just walking to nowhere in particular) and as I wrote in a pervious blog post I ADORE MY FRIENDS.
Then Sundays are for church and more studying... THEN IT IS MONDAY AGAIN WHOA!
Now typically there have been days where I do not go to school because the economy is not the best right now and people are having protests. Students protesting budget cuts, teachers and anybody with a job protesting other things related to the economy... I am not fully informed on the topic right now but don't worry I am doing my research. But anyway the protesting involves skipping school and hanging signs and ya know protesty things...
Also there are a lot of fiestas so we have a lot of holiday breaks (school also lasts till late June so...). A lot of the time it seems no one really knows what the fiesta is even for haha. (things like beer festivals and festivals that have just been there forever and no one remembers why they celebrate it)
It doesn't feel so much like an exchange program anymore, more like just my life.......

Besos!!!
-Lexy (or Morgan to my professors or Alexis to those who cannot say Lexy)

Yo tengo amigos(;

Okay so since I do not update often I try to make these as interesting and fun to read as possible... how am I doing? (actually I write whatever is going through my mind at the moment so sorry for any rambling).

Today my topic is one if my favorite things in Spain... MIS AMIGOS (or for you English speakers in the world: mis amigos is my friends... in Spanish;]).  Having friends makes things so much easier and more fun and I was lucky enough to get a whole group of them not even days after I arrived. (I mean what is better than people who are forced to be your friend? Lol). But anyway my point is I have friends and I love them and I want to tell you all about them. (not all of them because I am going to play cool like I have too many to even count, but most).

Starting with reasons why I love them:
1)  Their English skills. (As in the fact that they are willing to stumble through their English to try to include me, makes me more comfortable to stumble through my Spanish too.)
2)   The group antics. (As you know all groups have their silly things they like to do and whether it is telling me the group gossip or letting me in on the inside jokes, my group makes me feel welcome and there I never a weekend I don't get invited to hang with them<3)
3).   WhatsApp. (It is the texting app they use and I swear the patience they have with my spelling is heaven sent. But let me just tell you my day was made when I was added to their group chat. )
4).   The laughter. (I can't think of a time I wasn't laughing or smiling in any of the memories I have made so far with them. Whether it is from them teasing me for thinking every dog is cute or then just being muy loco, I always find something to smile at)
AND SO MUCH MORE

Next a little bit about what we do:
Walk, walk, walk, walk... WALK. Walk up two hundred stairs, walk along the beach, walk in the town, etc... (much to my surprise, today I was invited to go for a run... I think... It was in Spanish...)
Not complaining though, my legs look great!

And finally the importance of friendship:
I can honestly say these are some of the people who are going to change me the most...and that means so much to me.

Shout out to my friends in the USA... Hi! (in reference to your Tweet Marie Dolores, you have just been mentioned in my blog)

Estudiar!

I know I haven’t updated my blog in a while so to anyone who actually reads this… I am sorry (hi mom!). I’ll be honest though I came here thinking I would update this thing every day and send everyone long emails (ya know, to brag) but I have absolutely no time to do such things! Not necessarily a bad thing since it’s more of a not-sitting-in-front-of-the-computer-because-I-am-with-my-friends-in=SPAIN sort of thing.  But there is also (my topic of the day) so much studying to be done!

Going to be honest and say that in just the first month, as a student I have learned much.  Don’t give me the “duhh lexy you’re learning Spanish” look at the computer screen. Yes, SLOWLY I am learning Spanish. I even catch myself trying to think in Spanish and I have to stop and make myself realize I know English… there is no need to stumble through my thoughts along with my words.  And even more astonishing then my bilingual thoughts is how close I came to rolling my Rs the other day… close but no cigar, I think that is how the saying goes (cigarrrrrrrrrrr ;] ). But I am also learning how to be a better student, in general.  Like, in my biology class for example, (my teacher communicates with me via Google Translate) I spend the period doing independent study on the computer on whatever subject my classmates are learning in Spanish that day.  I am now proud to say I know how to Google power point presentations and sort the “good” sites from the “bad” sites that my teachers used to try to stress to me so often. Or, since in Spain (or rather my experience of Spain) you buy your own books and keep them as you would in college in USA (EEUU in Spanish), I have become pretty skilled in highlighting key concepts if I do say so myself *pat on the back to me* (take in consideration I only understand about a fifth of what I highlight). And, my most hated lesson learned so far, how to fail gracefully (thanks chem...).  By gracefully I mean accepting I put in 110% effort and realizing I tried my best and setting a goal to do better… rather than crying into my pillow and claiming I hate school.

School here is different (seriously stop thinking duhh at me! I have a point!).  The other day one of my favorite teachers (I love all my teachers) posed a very interesting question about the difference in the school systems so I thought I would explore it a bit for everyone.  Here is what I have gathered: In the curriculum, I would give the US an advantage since I have noticed I am relearning many things from my freshman and sophomore year here in Spain (just in Spanish); In the classroom setting, I would give Spain an advantage because unlike many coddled US classes, there are no fill in the blank notes or study outlines, but rather it more resembles that of a college class with intensive notes and every night studying; And in the structure area, I will confess I want to choose Spain despite the fact I know the US is more structured (because as a sixteen year old, if you tell me there is no dress code I will not lecture you about how unstructured that is). Yes, you read right, NO DRESS CODE (for teachers or students)! Though just to warn you… that can be bbbaaaddddd, if you catch my drift. There also seems to be no substitute teachers; when my end of the day teacher was absent we could either go home early or, what I chose to do, hide in the room and play games with no adult supervision.

So while on the subject… I actually love school. Everyone is SO nice. And (NERD ALERT) I swear nothing is cooler than learning how to do math in another subject.  Plus English class is pretty easy;)

Advice of the blog post: Sometimes it is better to study for an exam (insert thing in need of studying or practicing here) you think you have no hope of passing (or maybe you are cocky and think you will pass), then to give up and follow your blog (insert electronic distraction here) addiction.

spain... SPAIN

Spain... Unm... yeah, Spain! While of course I miss the good old U.S of A. I am in SPAIN! I am going on my third week here in Laredo, Spain and I finally got internet. So the point of this blog once again is to keep everyone updated on how am doing and all the things I have gotten into, two weeks is a lot of time to get into things... But first let me say that I am doing very well. From my house there is a stunning view of the ocean, I have my own room, and I discovered learning math in another language is fun (yes I know I am a nerd).
When we first left New York to go to the airport everyone was bustling with excitement, being evident in the way we loudly chanted Spain at any possible moment. (felt bad for Peter, he was one guy in charge of many teenagers with a little too much energy in one airport... Sorry Peter). And to be expected, the closer we got to Zurich (where our plane had a layover), the closer most of us got to tears. But with swiss chocolate and the destination of Madrid, our chants started up once more. (I believe I was warned before I left it would be a rollercoaster of emotions... Never thought the plane ride was included). Upon landing, after waiting in the airport for a little while, we said adios to Peter and hola to our very nice AFS Madrid volunteers. They consisted of kids my age knowing both spanish and english (thinking in my head... I can do that too, one day).  The orientation arrangements were not the most comfortable (consisting of two bunk beds in a closet sized room) but everyone had a blast. There were kids from France to New Zealand, from all over the place! We played games, danced, and got to change out of our gross airport clothes. And got much needed sleep.
Early the next morning (everyone left at different times, me at 8:30 with some other kids going north of spain), we awaited a bus to take us to another bus... to take us to Bilbao. (and after carrying two suitcases down an escalator, I was ready to be settled in). Two bus rides later, I was happily greeted with kisses by my host mom and little sister.
Now, since I have been here I have had my first day of school, had my first Spanish festival, and have made a couple new friends.
School... Not like what I am used to but, despite the language difference, I look forward to it everyday. There is no lunch but there are two twenty minute breaks in which most kids eat and walk around near the school. The schedule is different everyday of the week, consisting of six classes a day. The classes are very similar to an AP or college class in the notes department and the subjects are generic (and most I have already learned in English). For gym you do not change, you were leggings and tennis shoes to school or whatever you plan on participating in. Leggings are very common here as most people would expect. Every morning, after milk, orange juice, and toast or other thing to dip in my milk, I walk to school. And after, I walk home. (lots of walking here with everything so close together.)
The festival... Was AMAZING. There were fireworks, sweets, things to buy and animals to ride. (I rode a camel... IN SPAIN! Now how many people can say they have done that?! Besides for spanish people of course...). It kind of reminded me of a Ren Faire, but lasting three days and stretched through out the town. Also there was a parade: with music, flag twirling, fire juggling, dancers, and people dressed up in costume. (lots of people dressed up... If I would have been more informed it would be something I would have done as well lol)
My friends... I love them. They are so nice and speak slowly for me. And most kids know english well enough to help each other explain things to me I do not know. Study Abroad Tip: Make friends. They truly do make things easier, like adapting and finding things to do. And they provide another opportunity to practice the language and learn the culture!
Slowly but surely I am learning Spanish, learning a culture, and hopefully making memories and bonds to last forever.

Welcome to New York

So it has been a while since my last update but here I am sitting in New York City thinking to myself: this is really happening. Of course I am scared (mainly for the language barrier) but I am also thrilled. Waiting in Laredo, Spain for me I have a little sister and host mom who promised me kisses! And everyone here is so nice and things are going smothly(minus a few technological problems that messed up time schedules). It was a fun filled day of orientations and getting to know some incredible people. In just a few hours I'll be on an over night flight to my home for the next couple of months, crazy to think about but an adventure I am ready to take part in. Of course not to rush things too fast I still have a few more orientations in the morning.

Goal: to become adaptable to any situation and emerge myself in a new language and culture.

Carpe Diem

 "Remember the past, plan for the future, but live for today, because yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come."

There is a small number of only sixteen days left and reality is beginning to sink in: this is really happening.  It all feels so surreal.  And I’ll be honest I am beginning to feel the slightest bit nervous and anxious.  I am going to an entirely different country and living with people I have never met; no one can tell me that in that situation they would not be nervous (unless you are a robot, they do not have emotions).  But underneath all that initial terror and fret, I am also still thrilled and ecstatic to be going to Spain.  I mean it is Spain! This isn’t an opportunity that comes around on a daily basis; I have been given a once in a life time chance (of which I am so grateful).  Despite my bipolar feelings, I have no doubt that in sixteen days I will be off on my big adventure and I want to make the most of it.  I want to be the say yes (or rather si) to everything girl who is up for anything and everything to get the full experience.  So I have adopted a new addition to my motto: Carpe diem because well… yolo.