Gosh it's been quite a long time since I last posted. I never got to El Escorial- heard it was a little lame but I'd still like to go. I also never made it to chocolate and churros- by 3 am I was exhausted and opted for bedtime.

Following the weekend was a week of school followed by a weekend in Salamanca. I only stayed one night and didn't see the convent I wanted to, but it was still lots of fun. The people there were the kindest I've met so far. We talked to shop owners and waiters and all of them were friendly and warm. The waiter for lunch spoke slowly and clearly-- explaining things we didn't understand. He made sure we were happy and even complemented my Spanish. When we were leaving on Sunday morning, we asked a man to point us in the direction of the bus station. Instead of just telling us, he and his daughter walked for five minutes with us to make sure we knew the way. Little things like that to make you feel at home.

Salamanca was small and easily doable in a day's time. We spent the most time jumping from hostel to hostel trying to find the best deal possible. After settling in, we had a fantastic (and inexpensive) lunch and headed over to the double cathedral. Walking around there, my Italian friend and I discussed religion and beliefs and the Church. This kind of talk normally occurs when you have to pay to see a church, but it was fascinating all the same. My guide book took us on some great views of the town and by the end of the night I was exhausted. But we still met up with my friend from Montreal's friends and had a nice time.

The next week was full of school, projects, studying, planning my mom's visit, and finding flights to Paris. In short, stress :) But there were some other small adventures tucked in here and there. This weekend I need to try and save some money, but I'm hoping to get a cheap ticket to a soccer game for Saturday night.

Things I've learned:

1. The rain makes me tired and boring

2. I was developing some serious back problems. I couldn't figure it out and tried sleeping with a pillow between my knees. That didn't help enough and it was getting to the point where walked to school in the morning was difficult. Yesterday I bit the bullet and took one of the mattresses off my bed (I had two stacked on top of each other). This morning my pain was significantly diminished and I felt way better. Thank God that problem is solved. I can no way afford a chiropractor or a new mattress here!

3. I'm getting so much better at understanding Spanish. I've started watching movies or shows in Spanish and just listening carefully has greatly affected my comprehension!

4. Some of my teachers are really cool about being an exchange student and are willing to be lenient. Which is great because I normally have no idea what is going on. Always a plus.

5. Some things here are insanely cheap- frozen food for example. I bought tons of frozen vegetables and things like that for 6 euros. FRESH veggies on the other hand- not even worth it.

6. It's still hard to make plans with people. Speaking in person, everyone is so excited and willing, but in the end, things mostly fall through. It's really tough.