Attempting to study while studying abroad...

The title says it all. For those of you who have kept up with my regular postings to Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat (wow, I really am traveling in the 21st century), you will understand why attempting to study couldn't be truer. It'll be impressive if I ever manage to study in the normal sense of the word. I like to think of my adventures as a form of studying the culture...at least that's how I'll present it on scholarship applications ;)

Traveling in the 21st century with access to the internet in almost every cafe, makes me truly impressed by those who traveled abroad before me. My Uncle Gil backpacked through Europe when he was only 19. First: I'm about to be a senior in college, and the only recipe I have mastered is spaghetti. So props to you, Uncle Gil, for doing this. Second: With the internet readily available, it is so easy to stay connected to home...and bring these wonderful blog posts and pictures right to your handheld screen.

Today marks 51 days that I have been abroad! That number is incredible to me because it is the longest I have ever been out of the United States and will only continue to grow until May 20th. (Mark your calendars!! This dog will eventually find his way back home...only to run away to Taiwan two weeks later. They don't eat dogs in Taiwan, do they?)

I have been living in Granada, Spain for 26 days...and we watched the sun set from this view point on day 1. So basically I'm a Spaniard.

I'm studying at the University of Granada, where I am taking classes in grammar, writing and conversation, Spanish literature, Spain in the media, and volunteerism (I'm volunteering every week with students with aspergers as a part of an internship). As I said before, I'm attempting to study, but how do you expect me to do that when I'm surrounded by the Sierra Nevada's???

We went skiing in the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains the first weekend (we don't waste any time)! I'm standing in line for one of the lifts when I realize there is another to my left with fewer people and is moving much faster. So I ski down to it, glance at the "Experts Only" sign, and decide to go for it. "I'll just ski slowly and make wide turns. Dad will be so impressed by me." (That is exactly how I rationalized the situation and convinced myself to continue.) Let's just say that the ski lift took a long, long time to reach the drop off point. And that's because it crested the summit of the mountain...so high that I was above the clouds and could not see the lodge. 

~I cussed a little bit~

It took me 15 minutes to ski down to the lodge. But that includes a few minutes where I had to recollect my skis after losing them on a patch of ice and sliding down what felt like half the mountain. Nonetheless, I made it, and then continued to ski from the lodge down the rest of the mountain to the village. How many people can actually say they skied a mountain from top to bottom?

So in one week, I had enough adrenaline pumped through my veins to last me an entire month. How will I ever top that?! Sorry, Mom. 

I guess I'll fill the void with caffeine. Thank you to those who made it to this point. Have a coffee on me! Or maybe refill my cup, please.