Catch-up time

I know I haven´t done a really good job this week of writing in here. Honestly, I have been so busy with homework it has been difficult to think of anything else when I actually get to a computer. So here are my updates from the last week:

First of all, I probably will not be taking a cruise in January because the one I really wanted to go on (to Egypt and Turkey and Greece and other places) is all sold out for the cabins that I can afford. So, I am looking for other very inexpensive shorter cruises that I may be able to go on while beginning my travel plans to see a lot of Europe. My parents, I´m sure, won´t be too happy about this because they liked the idea of knowing I am on a boat and where I would be each day. They aren´t big fans of me traveling around Europe all by myself. But, they trust me and know I am capable, it just makes them feel a little uneasy. If you have any suggestions of where I should go and something to add to my itinerary, be sure to let me know!

Next, I got all of my grades back from midterms this week and my studying paid off. There was one class I wasn´t to happy with, but it looks like I will be okay with all this Spanish stuff! It´s weird that I am now teaching myself how to study after all those years of school... I just never really needed to study in high school, and now it is kicking me in the butt! I suppose it is better I learn how to study now than to wait and learn in grad school, right?!

Hmm... let´s see what else happened this past week. Well, last Thursday night we went to Hard Rock Café to celebrate being done with exams and got to eat some delicious American food. I basically eat a salad or sandwich sometimes with soup or a piece of meat for every meal here, so the pasta that I got was absolutely delicious and I enjoyed it tremendously. I really like having either a piece of fruit or yogurt for dessert, but the apple cobbler that I shared with a friend was soooooo good, I just had to have it to make up for all the calories I don´t get here!! Friday I pretty much just relaxed. On Saturday, one of my host parents´ daughters and her husband came over for lunch. As soon as I sat down, they told me that she was pregnant! This is my host parents´ youngest daughter and it is her first child. This will be the fifth grandchild! Conversation has centered around the baby pretty much since then. I think Ingrid is already in her second month, so she will be very close to having the baby by the time I leave in May, which is really exciting. Then, on Sunday, I went to the port to watch the beginning of the World Race that started in Barcelona. It is 9 sailboats that are racing around the world without stopping in 80 days... It wasn´t super exciting or anything, but the day was absolutely beautiful, which is a change from the past few weeks. I have been so cold, all the time, that I even wear my gloves in classes!! The professors think this is rather funny and usually say something about it, but that´s fine with me! Oh, random fact, if you want to say "It is cold" (english) or "hace frío" (spanish) in Catalan, you say "Fa fred." I know, it´s a pretty fun phrase. Anywho.. that was my weekend.

The next thing on my to do list is to pick classes for next semester. I have a meeting on the 28th with the director of our program to begin the registration process. So the emails to Lila (my registrar) are beginning, and I am trying to decide how many University courses I think I´ll be able to handle and if any of them really fit the classes that I need to take. It is going to be a long next couple of weeks while I´m trying to figure everything out. But, I have great advisors back at home and I´m sure it will all work out.

I´m trying to think of more exciting things that have happened this past week, but I think that is about it. Wish me luck on picking classes for next semester and for planning my January trip. Hope you´re all doing well, and I promise this time I will write again soon rather than waiting a week.