Week Eleven: So I Turned 20?

Hello!!!! Okay so this week was kind of a bittersweet week, I turned 20. I say bittersweet because...well I'll get to that later.
So the week went by fast, teaching the spanish kids is going great and my classes are too! On Thursday it was my friend from our program, Dani's birthday so of course we went to El Tigre, our favorite tapas bar, to celebrate! Again, Lisa and I weren't feeling 100% so we stayed in.
On Friday I went to El Escorial, a famous monastery in Spain built for King Phillip, or maybe King Charles (guess I should have listened more on the tour...whoops!).  So that night I must have annoyed Lisa so much because I kept saying I didn't want to turn 20 as the next day was my birthday. I was just so torn up that I would no longer be a teenager and turning 20 meant I was actually growing up. It's crazy to think I started college at age 17 and now I'm 20, like what? But finally I got over it, well not really because I just fell asleep and woke up the next day and was like "ugh I'm old".

Outside El Escorial

El Escorial!

So Saturday was my birthday! My parents sent me the cutest texts with pictures of all my cards and gifts that will be waiting for me when I'm home! So one of the best parts of the day was that our friend Andrew, who is studying through SIT was able to visit because his layover happened to be my birthday! We met him at the airport and went out to eat and showed him Madrid and ah I loved every minute of it because not only was it great to see a Stonehill face but a face of a close friend! Definitely a great way to spend my birthday. So afterwards Lisa, Sam, Sam's friends who were visiting (Peter and Caroline) and I went for froyo to end the night. All in all it was a great birthday weekend and I couldn't be happier.

Lisa, me and Andrew on my birthday!

I shall write back next week!
xoxo,
Michelle

Week Ten: Happy Halloween and Monkeys!

Hello! Long time no write. So two weeks ago was Halloween! It was a lot of fun! I don't really have much to say though.
On that Monday I took a trip to a biological park with my science class which was fun! It was so cool because we got to be up close and personal with the animals in this park as they were not caged or anything, very cool if you ask me! After that I had my usual, classes and teaching, same old same old.

On Halloween I really did want to go out but I had been having a constant headache all week so I unfortunately did not go out as I was feeling extremely under the weather. Also something to add, both Lisa and I do not like how the Spanish kids smoke in our building because for us Americans who are eel aware of the effects of smoking, we are not used to second hand smoke so when we cannot escape it, it just leaves us feeling miserable.
So the next day was a Spanish holiday, Dia de Los Muertes. I mean we personally did not get to experience anything cool but it was interesting seeing how the city shut down because it was such a big deal. WAIT ACTUALLY I do have a story that goes along with this. So Lisa had left Friday night to do a group project and I chose to stay in, well when it got dark out I was on the computer then boom the lights go out. Just my luck that on Day of the Dead that happens. Of course I'm scared of the dark so I shoot up and run for the door. WHY DID LISA LEAVE ME ALONE? So I go out into the hall expecting all the lights to be out...nope only me and one other girls room. So that's cool, it's haunted. The ladies here flipped the breaker and nothing happened, she did it again...nothing. She told us we had to suck it up and then after like 10 minutes, they mysteriously came back on. Like are you serious? So needless to say I think my room is haunted. That's all about this week!
xoxo,
Michelle