Getting Adjusted!

Our first week in Alicante started with the dreadful placement test and USAC orientation. We were bused to our new University for the summer , Universidad de Alicante! The campus was beautiful! Palm tress and fountains surround the entire campus. We headed to orientation and placement testing. I was so nervous for the test but actually placed way higher than the class I was expected to take. Sylvan (the insanely gorgeous assistant) urged me to reconsider my classes but decided to remain in my class. The girls and I headed home after the tests and decided to rest before our tour of the town later that day.  We had a schedules tour of Alicante. I was excited to learn more about my beautiful new town! Sylvan was the director and we headed off to see the city. 

Day 7:

 It was the first day of classes. I met with my group and quickly realized I wasn't suppose to be in Intermediate 1 when a classmate told me I have no idea how to speak Spanish.. So I was placed in Composition 1. After spending an entire class period , my professor pulled me and my friend Alejandra aside and said you two are too advance tomorrow you are going to composition 2. Obviously I had sold myself short! My next class was Spanish conversations which I was excited to practice more and more Spanish. Since I ended classes before everyone else went home to participate in siesta. Yes, theSpaniards really do shut business down mid - day to go home and rest and re-open later in the day. This was totally crazy to me but in reality the locals think of it as a long lunch break and say they come back to work energized and rested! We had a tour of the Castle at 6pm. The Castillo de Santa Barba was gorgeous! It was overlooking the city on the top of a beautiful mountain. It looked impossible to climb but the group made it to the top! I was speechless by the view. The princess finally found her castle ❤❤❤

    

I am loving Spain! My classes are awesome, my professors are great and I love all the new friends I am making. Getting to know everyone from all over the US is an awesome experience. But the homesickness is still there. Thank goodness for social media and apps or I would be lost. Being away helps put things into perspective. I appreciate my family so much, just thinking of all the amazing things my mother does for me on a daily basis makes me miss her even more. I also miss my friends. As much as my girls make go insane and want to murder them, I have the most amazing set of friends I could ask for. And if it wasn't for my mentor Jose I would have probably gone insane by now! Being able to talk to my support system has really helped my adjust to life abroad and realize that no matter how many miles are between us I will be supported and loved.