Laughter is global

Today was one of my favorite days all trip and I didn't even do that much, but laugh with people. Other than a quick little presentation and one midterm, I came home and had some lunch which consisted of a yummy Alubia bean soup with murcía and churrizo and then for the main course we had Cocido Madrileño (basically pork belly) which had a weird texture, but it was in a super spicy sauce aka first spicy food all trip, that I ate what I could to just take in the flavor. I may only have one day left, but I'm still trying new things! My host mom even made me a pitcher of tea today after I tried to describe sweet to her at breakfast. Sure it didn't taste quite like home, but I was so appreciative and I drank the whole pitcher at lunch and dinner! 

Later, I just relaxed a bit and then went out to the beach and juggled the ball a bit with people and then sat down and talked and laughed a ton with my friends Marco, Nicole, Alix, Alaina and Hannah and with one of our new friends we met from Oregon, Connor! We literally just sat at the beach, it was a little cloudy and windy, and talked and laughed non-stop for a few hours. We also got several good pictures and videos out of the experience as well. By the end, we were all up and dancing to music without a care in the world. It was the perfect way to spend our last beach day together even if the sun wasn't really out. 

When I came home, my host mom and sister were in the kitchen preparing tacos!! They had a box of hardshells with the meat spices and salsa. It once again didn't really taste like home, but it was super fun to see them make it and to show them how to eat them. As we were finishing up eating, my host brother was in the kitchen and my host mom starts telling me about how she won't be there for lunch tomorrow so she made a lasagna for Javier and I. She told me about how to use the microwave and then began giving me a step by step process to which Javier said "a monkey can handle doing this" and then him and Ana began giving her a hard time because she was about to give me step by step, cutting, microwaving, taking out of microwave, getting a plate and fork and knife and eating it. She started laughing at it when she realized I was 20 and could handle heating up food. But after, she just kept laughing and then I couldn't stop laughing and Ana was just sitting there looking at us like we were crazy. We were both trading off laughs because one would stop and the other would start. I don't think I've laughed that hard in quite a while and it was super fun to do it with my family here in Santander! As you can tell, mother's repeating things and the children not paying attention is global. Also making fun of things moms say is also something done around the world. 

After dinner, I was watching TV with Ana and then I got the pictures from my weekend with the family and then proceeded to show them pictures of me in my band uniform and some of the pictures from the trips and then I showed them a video of one of our shows form this year. They loved seeing all of the things they see in movies for college and college football games, and said it was really cool what I do in band! Culture sharing is a non-stop thing! I then went back to my room to watch the Germany game (they beat Algeria 2-1 with all goals scored during the 30 minute over time period) and attempt to study for my last final tomorrow. UGHHH I want to be done with school for the summer, but I am also so not ready to leave Santander and Spain all together :(

Weird fact, I'm super tired and about 4 times as I typed this, I must have dozed off because I typed ends of phrases that made zero since to the conversation, but somehow didn't have any errors. It was super weird to know that my brain and body can do so much as I'm basically already asleep. 

Sorry for no pictures, I'm exhausted and I just needed to put my thoughts down! 

Hasta logo!