Well, this week has certainly been interesting.  I've finally hit the homesick phase of what I've described as the freshman year emotional progression.  My heart has started to realize that I won't be leaving Spain for awhile, and that this isn't just a vacation or camp session.  I have almost three more months here.  My heart isn't the one thing that's started to realize this.  My brain has too.  I guess it's pretty smart for having figured this out, and it's decided to make it very difficult for me to understand Spanish this week.  Funny joke, right?!?!  It feels like my brain is just shutting out all Spanish, and pouting at me like a teenage girl: "No!  I won't do it!  I won't learn Spanish!  You can't make me!"  Well, brain, you're going to have to move on from this little mood swing soon, because we don't have a choice here!  I'm here in Madrid to stay for a while.  What a wonderful, albeit homesickness-inspiring, reality that is.

This week, I've had class and more class, a couple homework assignments that are reminiscent of the work I did in middle school (where they give you packets with questions and boxes in which to answer each question...and then have you ask three random people what they think about the topic...sound familiar to anyone?), emotional downs and emotional ups, some good soul searching, and a wonderful trip to Segovia, Spain.  It is without a doubt my favorite place that I've visited in my time here.  For anyone who's been to or learned about Spain, you might be saying to yourself, "She's crazy.  She likes Segovia better than Sevilla and Granada?  That's not possible."  Even my host mom, when I told her, was shocked and told me that that was unbelievable.  Well, it's just the truth.  Perhaps it's because we only spent a day there and it wasn't part of an exhausting 7 day trip to 3 cities, but regardless, I thought it was the most adorable little city ever.  We got to see the Roman aqueducts, which are really incredible, as well as a small church from the Romanica era, el Alcazar (a royal residence and fort during the medieval period) and the Royal Palace in Segovia.  It was a long day, but it was beautiful!  Segovia is a small city.  You can walk from one end of the urban part to the other in about 20 minutes.  In that 20 minutes, you'll pass the most adorable cafes and the best pastelerías (pastry shops...yum!!!).  It just felt warm and cozy and inviting - homey, almost.  I definitely want to go back one day!  Maybe this semester, maybe down the road in life, but it's certainly on my bucket list.

Other things I've decided are on my bucket list while I've been here:
1. skydiving over the Swiss Alps (come on....how unbelievable would that be????)
2. staying in a Tuscan villa in Italian wine country
3. learn how to make paella and tortilla española
to be continued...

Back to Segovia for a moment: unfortunately, my camera was dead, so I'm currently scouting out pictures from my friends' albums on facebook, but for now, here's one picture of me in front of the Royal Palace in Segovia.  Think this looks beautiful?  This is only the side entrance!