"Lunch" in Colomers at El Cargolet

Yesterday we had "lunch" at 5pm in a small village called Colomers. They eat lunch around 4/5pm and dinner around 10pm. Very late. We ate a typical Catalan meal at El Cargolet. We had many appetizers and wine. For my main course I had duck and then had mint sorbet for dessert. The food here is different but very good. I am enjoying being able to try new things. After lunch we drove to another village near by and walked around the town and went into some of the shops. I purchased my first shirt here and it is very beautiful.

Weekend in Calella, Spain

Currently spending the day traveling through Calella with my family. It is so beautiful here. They cone here every weekend. I am so happy to be spending time with them. They are such a lovely family. Everything is different and muy bonita! I love it here, I do not want to come back. We went to the fish market this afternoon to get food for dinner. We picked out fresh fish and fruit. They showed me some local hang out places that are nearby. Xavi, the father, and I went on a bike ride this morning through town. Monsín, the grandmother, and I went for a nice walk around the village as well. I feel so much love with this family, it's amazing.

Barcelona Day 2

I got a good night's sleep last night and felt much better today at school, but I am still tired. I think it will take me a few days to get adjusted to the time change. I met my family yesterday after school. They are wonderful!! They are energetic and so much fun! Anba, the mother, has already referred to me as her 3rd daughter which was very welcoming :) they have 2 daughters, Violeta (5 years old) and Emilia (3 years old). They are to due for adorable!! Violeta was so happy to finally meet me!
Last night for dinner I had Tortilla Tapas, which is basically a thick omelet with potatoes, very tasty. I also had green beans with fish and bacon and balsamic and vinegar. This dish was also very good. They eat so much later here, 10pm during the week is the normal dinner time. While 10:30/11pm is normal for the weekend. They eat very healthy here as well. They usually do a few courses. So the first course might be a soup or salad, then the second would be the entre, fish or chicken for example, then the 3rd would be dessert, but for dessert they eat either fruit or pudfing, mostly fruit. They always have tons if fresh fruit, which is bueno. Also, bread is usually eaten with meals as well.
For the weekend, my family invited me to their summer home in Calella de Parafrugell which about 1 hour and 39 minutes up the coastline from Barcelona. We arrived here this evening and it was already dark so I haven't gotten to see much yet, but the house is beautiful. Tomorrow we ate going to the beach and they are going to take me site seeing here. They say this is the most beautiful place in Spain. I feel so blessed to have them as my host family. They have completely welcomed me into there home and have treated me like another member in their family and it us only the second day! I plan to post some pictures tomorrow so please do come check those out later. For now, I must get some rest. Buenos Noches

My first day in Barcelona

I arrived in Barcelona at 7:15am(Barcelona time)/12:15(Central Standard time).  The flight was about 8 hours long.  I tried to sleep, but the plane was too uncomfortable. I still have yet to sleep. I have been up for over 24 hours now and am feeling very jet lagged and delirious. I am at St. Paul´s School in Barcelona.  I am working with a 1st grade class and am already loving the way their school is set up.  It is absolutely beautiful here.  EVERYTHING is different! I have already met so many new people and they are all from different palces in the world. There is a lot of culture here in Barcelona. I will be spending the rest of my day here at school until 5pm. My family will pick me and their children up from school at 5 and then I will go home with them.  I am looking forward to meeting my new family!! However, I think what I am most looking forward to is a bed!!! I need sleep. So many things are happening and I have had all of this information thrown at me.  Adding all of that to no sleep is a bit overwhelming, but I am trying my best to hang in there and keep going. I can wait to share pictures and all my experiences through out the rest of my journey. Until next time :)

The night before

It's the night before I leave for a Spain and I am feeling very anxious, nervous, and excited all at once. I cannot wait to meet my new family whom I will be staying with for a month! I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity and support from WKU! See you on the other side of the world :)

And so it Begins....

The beginning to the start of the rest of my life! I started my first student teaching assignment a few days ago and I am absolutely loving it so far! My first month of student teaching will be spent with Mrs. Pratt's first grade class at Potter Gray Elementary! This is my first time actually teaching and working with a lower grade level and I LOVE it! The kids are so wonderful and full of life. I am enjoying getting to know them each individually and I look forward to seeing them progress as the semester continues. Starting tomorrow I will begin my first full week with my class. I am already learning so much about myself and can not wait to grow even more as a future educator. I will continue to keep you updated at least once a week during my student teaching. I love the school that I am placed with. I have gotten to know all of the faculty and staff and they are all wonderful to work with. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such a great group of people.

Been awhile...

Sorry for my absence, I've been suuuuppper busy with school lately and it's only getting worse since the end of the semester is right around the corner.  Let me fill you in about what's been going on in my life.  Last Wednesday I gave my first Discovery Science Lesson to my 5th grade class at Natcher.  I worked so hard on my lesson plan and got everything together and prepared the night before.  The day I did my lesson, I got to Natcher earlier than usual so I could get all of the science materials inside the classroom before the students arrived.  I gave a student interview that morning to a Kindergartener and then a pre-test over matter to my 5th graders for an upcoming lesson that I will teach next Wednesday. Anyways, I didn't start my Discovery Science until later in the afternoon.  My lesson last a little over an hour and it was AWESOME!  I was a little nervous when I first began my lesson, but as the lesson preceded it automatically flowed and before I knew it the students were having discussions in their groups while building their solar stills.  I couldn't believe how well everything was going!! The students LOVED getting to experiment and kept saying how much fun they were having.  My classroom teacher, Mrs. Butler, even told me how well my lesson was and that she was going to use my quiz as actual grades in her grade book!  I had so much fun giving the lesson to my students!  I feel much more confident in myself after completing the discovery science lesson!  The next day, Thursday, my boyfriend and I drove to Nashville to meet up with my dad and brother to go to a Predators Hockey game! My parents share season tickets with another couple so we always have really great seats!!! We sat 3 rows from the glass and the Predators ended up winning 5 to 1! They played the Buffalo Sabers and beat them bad!  The game was so much fun and it was great getting to spend some time with the 3 men in my life! I feel so blessed to have each of them.  They each separately hold a special place in my heart and I will always love them.  Unfortunately, my mom was working late that night at the hospital so she didn't get to come :( but hopefully I will have some free time soon to go back to Nashville to see them all.  Also, I got a pedicure today! I know that's not exactly exciting, but I'm pumped about it haha it's been awhile since I've had the time and the money to be able to do that. Ohhhh also :) I've been going golfing lately and I'm getting pretty decent. I shot a 53 on 9 holes yesterday! Par is 36 so my score is not great, but it's improved from last time when I shot a 57! I'm getting better and that's all that matters :) Check out some pics below!
Words of Wisdom:  Try, Try, Try, and never give up.  The road to success may be bumpy and difficult, but the guilt will never go away if you don't give it a shot.