Four months in Spain!

Hola everybody!
I have been in Spain for about a week now and I decided that is probably a good idea to start a blog (albeit a little late). For those of you who do not know, I am studying in Barcelona for the spring semester and will be in this lovely mediterranean location until May. Here I am studying local and regional politics along with the spanish language, as well as taking some time to admire the beautiful architectural and art history of Barcelona! Hopefully this blog will keep everyone updated and in contact with me because I have a tendency to be pretty bad with staying in touch over long distances. But nevertheless, here is my blog for the duration of my stay in Spain!
The journey to Spain was long and tiring. The morning I was to begin my trip I barely spoke to my parents for fear I might just throw up if I tried to say anything. Sorry Mom, Dad, i'm pretty sure you knew I was nervous and not trying to ignore you! So between Syracuse, O'Hare, London, and BCN, airports I lost and found my cell phone, found and spent some time with a friend from school (Leah Taylor!), learned that I am easily preoccupied, and spent about 28 hours altogether in a plane or waiting for one to arrive/be fixed and about 3 hours actually sleeping. I am not a great flier. When I arrived at the airport in Barcelona all my nervousness was replaced by relief that I didn't have to spend more time in airport. From there my trip to my homestay was quite hysterical because it is a testament to my naivety about my trip. No my taxi driver didn't speak english, nor did he know where my homestay was actually located. Long story short, between some shotty exchanges of my rusty spanish, and some prior knowledge from googlemaps, I finally made it to my homestay. And just in time to meet my host mother walking down the street with her dog! What a scene, me trudging up the 45 degree street with my massive suitcases, and my madre coming down the street at the same moment. We meet, we exchange dos besos (kisses) and then I realize she speaks abslolutely no english! surprise! Boy was I naive. That night I settled into my room a bit uneasy, realizing later on that I would also have no roommate, because for one reason or another she decided not to come here this semester. That first night was the hardest. There as absolutely no way to establish a connection to home. Not even with language.
The next morning I awoke to my senora softly knocking on my door to wake me up for my orientation meeting. I had no idea where I was or why someone was speaking to me in Spanish. Day two. Round two. I managed to have the good fortune of meeting two american girls who showed me to the metro and ti Placa Catalunya (about 4 metro stops away) which is where my program center is. The metro is really simple to use but the first time I rode it back to my homestay alone I was a complete wimp about it. And that is a good example of how things have been going for me.
As I said i've been here for about a week now. My homestay is great. I believe I lucked out with my senora, my madre, because she is really accepting and patient of our language barrier. She also understands what is like to have your family so far away. For me, having never traveled overseas, or been away from my family for a very long time, she has been a blessing. We have a dog named Pancho who is still a puppy, and we spend a lot of time talking and cooking and playing with Pancho. I am completely comfortable here. It is however a different story when I leave the building. haha. The biggest problem is not having a roommate because any traveling I do to and from the big centers for school or entertainment must be done on my own. But as with everything, there is a first time for everything and then it is smooth sailing from there.
This week I have had spanish classes and orientation events everyday. And in my free time i've been able to go shopping and see some of the most famous sights in Barcelona. We have already had a little excursion to the medieval towns of Besalu and Vic. And I have had some time to explore a little bit of Park Guell, which I live very close to. It is a very famous park with architecture by Gaudi. I plan to spend a lot of time there, as it has nice architecture as well as a great view of the city and sea. hooray! Next week starts the real work, when all my other classes start, but for now I am content to wander around the city making a complete fool of myself when I need to buy anything or ask anybody a question. Really, feeling like a fool has become a full-time job for me.
Tomorrow I have plans to get up a bit early and buy some cute boots and a few more stylish articles of clothing. As it were, I may never blend in with the Spanish people if not for my complexion/hair/eyes, but because the Spanish people are endlessly stylish. It is immediately known that I am not european as soon as you look at what I wear. So that is my my goal. I only have my spanish class tomorrow and then the afternoon and evening are free. How glorious. I love not having every hour of my day scheduled, like is usual for me. I also however have no idea how to fill the time. But I suppose that is the beauty of it!
So for now I am going to bed and looking back I realize that this entry hardly covers everything that happened in a week and I probably should have started this blog earlier...but alas. I am in Spain, and I am alive and well! and really cannot believe I am here! More to come, stay tuned!

Dos Besos,
Caitlin!