For the majority of the day, we all just kinda hung out. I even got a little studying in (verb conjugation will be the death of me, I swear).
For lunch, we had hamburguesas. There were sesame seed buns, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and even fries! It was funny, really, that we were eating like typical Americans...in Spain.
Despues comida, I gave my host family the gifts I brought them from California:
•A Dodger's sweatshirt
•An In-N-Out t-shirt
•2 Gott's t-shirts (the restaurant where I worked at home)
•A Napa Valley dishtowel
•St. Helena-made apple butter
•St. Helena tea
•Jelly Bellies
•A bottle of St. Helena wine (courtesy of my daddy)
•And the holy grail...Reese's.
Everybody seemed to really like the regalos I brought! My host mother really liked the dishtowel and tea and the guys of my host family were seriously stoked when the Reese's PB cups came out.
After the siesta, I was invited to go on a hike with my host parents (my host brothers were doing something else, I have no idea what). Of course, I said yes!
We drove for about 10-15 minutes on the freeway, missed the offramp, drove for another 5 minutes, took the correct offramp, and drove into a little mountain town.
The drive as well as the town were very beautiful. I was told that the town was a hippie town.
When we finally found a place to park, we began the hike!
The first part was pretty steep and kind of slippery. The place where we were going was a trail in a narrow canyon (in Spanish, there is a word for "narrow canyon," but I forget...I know it has "desfile" in it because you have to walk in a line).
Before we got to the canyon, my host father stopped at a fig tree. He told me that he adores figs, and was shocked when I told him I had never tasted one! So, I had my first fig...fresh from the tree...in the mountains...in Spain (how much better can it get?!).
When we got to the narrow part, the name was spot on. We really did have to walk in a line the whole way! I even had to walk over a scary bridge!
No this wasn't the bridge..but I felt like it was when I was crossing it! (I have a fear of heights).
The hike was beautiful!! Las montañas are gorgeous! I didn't take any pictures, but my host mother did- I will get them from her soon.
At some places, the rocks stick out so much that you have to scoot along on your backside (yep, there's a picture of that).
As much as I love going out with my host brothers at night, I really enjoy spending time with my host parents as well. They don't speak as fast and my host father quizzes me on words, which is helpful.
The word that I actually remember off the top of my head is puesta del sol - the sunset. The puesta del sol was...wow. We watched the bright rojo ball sink into the mountains from a high peak. It was one of the most beautiful things I have seen in Spain (and that's saying a lot).
Later, when we got home, I called my dad. We had a very, very good 28 minute chat. I miss my dad a whole lot, to be honest.
After I talked with him, I was feeling homesick (despite there being an X-Men movie on TV). At about 1 AM, I went to bed.
And cried.
I didn't cry real hard, but I cried. So what would any American teenage girl do in this situation?
If you said "break into her own Reese's Peanut Butter Cup stash and watch half of Mulan on her laptop," you'd be correct.
It's crazy how just little pieces of home can make you feel so much better. I only needed one piece of candy and up to "I'll Make a Man Out of You" to feel myself again.
This morning, workers came to do some work on the house. What exactly are they doing? Beats me! All I know is that I woke up to hammering and loud American music right outside my bedroom.
I am doing tremendously well here in Spain, despite all the crying. I am super stoked to meet the rest of the exchange students this weekend in Madrid. Apparently, there will be another exchange student living in the same apartment building as I am!!!
Well, that's all for now. Muchas gracias! xo
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