The Cure

Obama wonnn!!! Yayyyy the elections are finally over and now we can move on and start focusing on improving our country again.  It's pretty exciting that the first election I am allowed to vote in, the candidate I vote for wins the presidency.  I feel as if I am making a difference all the way from Espana!  (Sorry dad!)  This week I have definitely been a little homesick with all of the election excitement and news about hurricane Sandy and my sister getting accepted into her first college.  However, after a night of skyping my entire family and people back at Duke and missing everyone madly, something magical happened in Madrid.  I have been dying for Reeses.  It has been a huge issue for me here.  They are my favorite candy, my mom always sends me care packages with them at Duke, I put them in my ice cream every night for dessert; except here, they do not exist.  Or so I thought.  After reaching my homesickness peak, I was wondering around Madrid trying to find some new clothes and exploring when all of a sudden I discovered the best thing posible:  Taste of America, a small supermarket type store that only sells traditional American favorites.  And yes, they had reeses.  So of course I spent a ton of money going to town, buying reeses, goldfish, favorite candy and other things in just sheer excitement.  I don't think I have ever smiled more in my life, and I smile all the time.  It was truly a magical moment and I took it as a sign to stop being homesick and start taking appreciating my time abroad.  I will be home before I know it and there is no time here to spend missing America.  I will have plenty of America in my life before I know it.  Spain is awesome, Europe is awesome.  Live it up and make memories every second because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am so blessed to have.  Only I would need Reeses to finally put everything in perspective for me.  Reeses is always the cure no matter what.

So now that I have been endulging myself with Reeses and all other sorts of American goodies, I have found myself wanted to take more and more advantage of my time in Madrid.  This weekend I am not going anywhere and I want to stay here and enjoy as much as I can of the city.  Go to museums and the Rastro and el Parque Retiro.  This past week I went to the Thyssen Museum with the program and loved it so much that I want to go back.  Today I went to the Centro Centro building dedicated to modern art in Madrid which is located by Plaza de Cibeles.  I have also been walking to all of these places and exploring more as I go.  I am really excited to have this weekend here to take advantage of this awesome city I live in.  Also, I love my host mom and this weekend Alexandra is traveling to Paris so Carmen and I are going to have some awesome bonding time.  I am excited.  Except for the fact that the Mexican and his wife are moving in on Saturday.  That will certainly change the household dynamic, going from the three chicas to the three chicas with a married mexican couple living here as well.  I'm sure they will be fantastic people though and I am excited to meet them.  Also, this weekend my host sister is coming home from Florence for about a week so it will be nice to have her around again too.  I know Carmen loves when her daughter Elena is around.

Basketball has also been going well and I am so excited I made the decision to join the team.  The girls are awesome, practices are so fun, the commitment is wack and the coach is hilarious.  I love getting to know Spanish people in a setting I feel comfortable in: the basketball court.  The girls are all great and I am so excited for our dinner with the guys team next month.  Also, I now have sweet gear and I look legit.  I am totally going to wear this stuff around Duke.  And I can forever say I played varsity basketball in college.  Even if it is spanish basketball.

MISS THESE FOOLS. FAMILY<3