The beginning of something exciting

Good morning! For those of you who would like to follow my travels this quarter while I'm in Spain... this is for you (and partly for me so I have good memories to look back on when I return to my regular life).

I received my visa this past Friday, and this weekend was spent running errands and getting ready for my trip. Also, thanks to all of my friends that came to wish me well on Saturday at the Celtic Swell. I know it was short notice, but this whole trip has been like that! Erin might actually come and visit me in Spain in October, which will be so much fun! She's one of my best friends EVER, and we're planning on going to Barcelona... where I hope to listen to Barcelona on my iPod :-) They're my new favorite band. Ironic that I'll be in the city they're named for? Or maybe just a coincidence...

Anyway, I leave on Tuesday... tomorrow. I am really excited but nervous at the same time - how will I survive?? I hope I have a good host family and they don't think I'm a complete idiot of an American :-) During this trip, I really want to work on refining my Spanish. It might be tough since I'm in the program with a bunch of English speakers, but all of my classes are in Spanish and hopefully I'll meet some cool people in Spain that can show me the ropes. I'll also be working on my independent skills. I have to do the laundry and iron by myself? Holy moly. I hope I don't shrink my clothes! I'll be fine, but my mom thinks I'm incapable of living away from home. I'm her baby, I'll miss her and she'll miss me. I'll miss all of my friends, too. I won't be at Balmer at all this quarter, which is so weird because the Commons was pretty much my second home last year. All it needed was a cot for me to sleep in. Late night studying at 2 am in some random classroom, group meetings constantly, lunch time... oh, good times. I'll miss the leaves changing colors over by Thomson Hall. So pretty. Send me pictures, please!

I leave tomorrow morning... Luckily, Thomas Friedman's newest book comes out today - just in time for me to have some excellent plane reading! I can't wait. Today will be spent finishing up errands - getting my roots fixed (hey, I'm a girl, what can ya do!), perhaps a mani and a pedi, seeing Amanda and JJ's new place since I haven't yet, and of course... packing! That will be a LOT of fun... hmmm.

So anyway, welcome to my blog and check back often - I'll be posting thoughts and experiences I've had while in Spain, and of course, pictures! I'll miss you guys so much :/

Cheers,

Olivia