housing information

So yesterday I found out my housing information.  I am going to be living with an older couple, R and J, and their cat.  All I really know about them other than that is that they like art and theatre.  I was also able to look up the area I think their house is in and try to follow a path from there to the school.  It's about a 15 minute walk.  But hopefully I won't have to go alone everyday because there will be another student living there as well.  So hopefully I will get along well with him/her.  With every step it is just seeming so much more real.  I can't believe it.  I'm really excited and really nervous at the same time.  But it'll be great.  I'm sure it will.

Now we're just waiting on the business office (still) to get us the right bill for tuition and such.  When we talked to them the other day it really seemed promising, but so far there hasn't really been any change.  Any bets on how long it will take to get things straightened out?  My guess is way longer than really necessary.  But, business office, please don't hesitate to prove me wrong.

one more step towards Spain

Dealing with the business office.  Telling them, again, that the tuition worksheet posted for people going to Spain is not right.  Not right at all.  As in, there's nothing on there that is accurate.  But whatever.  At least we finally got to talk to someone that sounded like she could actually do something about it for once.  Of course we went in there, Emily and I, to talk to her about it and she pulls out a list with the names of people going to Spain on it and the cost of everything.  So they know they have to do something about this clearly.  But the prices are in euros...so whoa.  What are they supposed to do about that?  Apparently it's quite confusing for them.  I know that other people have done this before, gone to Spain that is, so I'm not sure why it's so difficult and seems so unknown to these people, but whatever.  We got her to say she would get things sorted out with the foreign language department head and email us what should be our bill by early next week.  So we should soon be able to figure out exactly what this is going to cost.  And then I'm going to be so ready to plan some extended traveling when I see what kind of funds we have to work with.  I'm glad I'll be able to work some over break.  And having Christmas and my birthday in there is a plus as well.  But no matter what we end up being able to do, it is just going to be so exciting to be in Europe.  I don't think I'll really be able to believe it until I'm there.  That's how it was with Rome.  There was so much excitement and anticipation leading up to it...and then we were there and it was incredible, especially realizing every now and then, hey, I'm in Italy.  Weirdest feeling.  But so so cool.  I feel like it will take awhile for that wow I'm in Spain feeling to wear off.  Did I mention that I'm excited?  And nervous?  And scared?  And just so excited?  Well I am.  This was really random.  But I want to capture the memories of the whole trip, and these emotions and preparations are all part of it.

NKOTBSB on tour? In Europe?

Sign me up!  I don't know if this will actually happen...but it would be so cool if it did!  I can't believe nkotbsb is going to be in Europe at the same time as me.  What a way to finish off a trip to Europe, right?  I'd be transitioning back into American culture.  I'd get to see nkotbsb fans from other parts of the world.  It would be so much fun!  It was seriously like the most fun concert I've been to and I would totally go again.  Especially since we were planning on traveling through the UK and Ireland anyway.  I'm sure we can fit our plans around these tour dates...

Thanks for the distraction Katy.  As if I needed another reason not to write my spanish papers.

Just 2 more weeks til end of semester.

Just 47 days til I leave for spain.

Wow.  How crazy is that?

ISIC, etc.

That stands for International Student Identity Card.  And it's sitting on my kitchen table waiting to be assembled right now.  I just have to cut up some picture to fit the space on the card.  Then I think I'll have to activate it or something...

That's the latest step toward España I believe.  The estimated tuition worksheets for next semester are up, but mine isn't right, so I still don't know exactly what this is going to cost...

On a more fun note though, black friday shopping was pretty successful in my goal of adding pieces to my spain wardrobe.  I got some new simple solid color tees that were on sale for $5 just like the couple pairs of leggings I got.  I got another pair of black and a pair of grey, but I still would like a navy pair.  I also picked up my sperry's - with a $10 off coupon!  And I got 2 pairs of super cute boots for a pretty good price.  Exciting!  I still know I'm going to have to practice packing all christmas break to figure out what all I can take and what I will have to leave behind.  Stress!

But right now there are more pressing issues to be dealt with.  You would think going to spain would encourage me to write my spanish term papers...

Sadly, no.  Wish me luck!

Flight Booked? Check.

Today we officially purchased my flight to Spain!  I'm leaving Bloomington at 11:00 on January 14th, stopping in Chicago where I will meet up with my friend Emily, and then leaving Chicago at 4:45.  We will get into Madrid at about 7:40 the next morning.  Then our flight to Sevilla leaves at 9 and we should get in at 10. Yep.  The ticket is bought.  No going back now.  So exciting!  So scary!  I can't wait!

Oh and I also got an email from the the foreign language department head who is in charge of all of this stuff saying that she sent my enrollment info to the school in Spain as well as the registrar here.  I've got 6 hours of SA350, 3 hours of SA341, 3 hours of SA379, and 3 hours of SA398 business Spanish.  I don't really know what all of that other stuff is.  There's some intensive Spanish language courses, a grammar and conversation course, an internship, I don't really know.  But I'm enrolled in some stuff.

Now I'll be waiting on the lovely billing information as well as some information about my housing.  Don't know when that is going to happen...

But rest assured you'll know as soon as I do.

And the decision is...

SPAIN!

I'm going to Spain next semester!  I mean, I don't have anything officially saying I'm in enrolled in classes or anything like that, but...

I have turned in my application.  And am now waiting to hear about all the other details.  I'm already obsessively checking flights.  I read every single post from one of the girls that went last semester on her blog.  I check the school's website almost every day, even though nothing ever changes. (spainstudyabroad.info - for specific info about the program with bc) (clic.es - the school's main website)  I've also already started thinking about what I'm going to pack and what things I might want to buy before I go, clothes and shoes that is.  I created this blog.  And I will change the picture to something in Spain once I'm there.  I've been really excited and really nervous and spent plenty of time thinking that this is crazy and that I'm crazy.  But there's no going back now.

Trust me there's a part of me that knows that going to Florence would have been a lot less stressful and worrisome.  It would be a lot of fun.  And I'd get to travel more.  And the classes would be easy and fun.  But I honestly don't regret my decision.

I know that Spain is where I'm supposed to go.  I'll be closer to that person I want to be for going.  I think I would come back from Florence more or less the same.  But I know that things will change in Spain.  I'm going to have to be independent and confident and outgoing.  There will definitely be challenges and I'm going to have to see them as opportunities to grow instead of obstacles that keep me from moving forward.  I think I'll learn a lot about myself and what I'm capable of.  And I can't wait.

So there you have it, my first official post on my study abroad blog.  And I promise there will be many, many more to come.