Under the Weather

Fruit solves a lot of problems.

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After weeks of craziness, I was finally able to relax this past weekend. On Saturday, Armana, Natalia, and I went to Retiro Park to have a picnic! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the park was so green since it's springtime. We just sat in the grass for hours talking, eating, relaxing. I realized how much I needed that after all the stress and overwhelming-ness of the end of classes. I felt so relieved! I hope to have more days like that since classes are no longer meeting and I don't have to study all day, every day.

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I know, I know. It's been a few weeks since my last update but let me tell ya... It's been crazy busy. The week I got back from spring break I had group meetings almost every day because we needed to buckle down on getting them done. Thankfully, I was able to go to Lolina's with Armana to get some of that group work done. We both realized how conducive the environment in the cafe is for working. It's actually where I'm writing this blog post right now. I did make sure to go to church that Sunday and I even went out to dinner afterward with Marilú. Even though I should have worked on my group projects I still went to Salsa+Bachata with Ryan and Armana. We had a lot of fun and I even won a free shot because I danced with a partner on stage and we did well. We did leave early though because Armana needed to make it to class the next morning and I needed to get some rest for doing homework. That Tuesday I went out to Larios with Denver and his friends, which was super fun. We danced to great music and then we went to an Irish pub to chill out and talk. I ended up making new friends by the end of the night. We then had another school break and so Denver, Bhvin, Jeni, and I took a quick trip to Málaga! In Málaga, we explored the first day, went to the beach all day the second day, and then explored a bit more the last day. We also met three girls from the UK the first day and we hung out in the evening then ran into each other at the beach! When I got back from Málaga I realized I had a lot of work to do because I had a presentation in every class but I did get it done. Last Monday I had 3 group presentations, all of which went very well. The two days after that I worked on my last group project of the semester and finished it with hours to spare before having to turn it in. To celebrate the end of my projects I went out dinner and a movie with Denver because he had finished too. The next day I presented my last group presentation and it was a hot mess because one of my group members wasn't actually ready even though we had finished the day before. But it's done and over with so now I just need to focus on finals. On Friday, I had brunch with Matthew at a cute place in Malasaña that had an indoor beach. We ended up staying there for three hours just talking and then we wandered around Madrid because I didn't have plans until that night. He ended up taking me to El Corte Inglés which is a giant department store that has EVERYTHING! I was surprised I had never been but I probably would have spent more money than necessary if I had discovered it earlier. That night I went to Joy with Armana, Natalia, and Rachel. It felt like a reunion because I hadn't seen Natalia and Rachel in ages. I even ran into my cousin, Amanda, who is staying with Tía Virginia. Armana wasn't feeling very well so we left early, went to a McDonald's and got food, then headed back to Armana and Natalia's to sleep. The next day we made a last minute decision to go on a picnic! After the picnic, Armana and I went window shopping in Leganés because there is a big indoor mall that I wanted to show to Armana. We ended staying there until it closed. It was super fun! On Sunday, I went to Las Manzanares el Real with Matthew and we checked out the castle there and the lake. It was a very laid back day. In the evening, I made it to church and then got dinner with Marilú afterward. Today I had my last class of the semester and I am so ready to just relax and explore more of Madrid. I plan to be a tourist for a bit ;)

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I am in the last stretch of this trip with less than a month left! Please pray for peace about going home. I want to stay because I love it here, but I do miss my family and friends. I'm very torn about it. I am also feeling under the weather so please pray that I am still able to enjoy this last month despite allergies and stuff. Also, finals start in a week and I will have at least one every week, so please pray that I am well prepared (I will be studying every day) and feeling ready for each exam. I will be traveling to Liverpool and Valladolid in the next week so please pray for safe travels as well. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support!

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Until next time!