JUST AN ORDINARY GIRL, LIVING AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE!: My First Week in Barcelona, Spain

Hola from Spain!

My first week in Spain has been amazing! I still feel like I am dreaming. It's hard to believe that I am living and teaching elementary school in such a beautiful place. I mean, how is this real life?! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

The school that I am teaching at is called Col-Legi Reial Monestir De Santa Isabel. It is a gorgeous school. It houses students from preschool to high school. I am teaching 6th grade for the month that I am here. The classes are separated into only boys and only girls. I have one class of boys and two classes of girls. The students here behave a lot different than they behave at school in America. The boys are wild and the girls tend to listen a little better. It is definitely an eye opening experience. I was nervous to have 6th grade, because if you know me, you know that I have a personality geared for younger students, but it is going well and I love my students.

The host family I am living with is wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better placement. I feel right at home and part of the family. My host mom's name is Laura, and she is the sweetest woman. My host dad's name is Carlos, but I haven't got to know him yet. I have a host sister named Sofia who is 9 years old, and a host brother named Alvaro who is 7. I absolutely love them! They are so much fun and so sweet! They also have a live in nanny/housekeeper named Patricia. She doesn't speak any English but she is very nice. Everyone lives in apartments here. The apartment I live in is gorgeous and homey.

I have gotten to experience so much this week. I've gotten to eat Spanish food which is based on a Mediterranean diet. It is very different from American food. I have liked most of the food that I have tried so far. This week I rode my first metro. I was nervous at first but now I feel like a pro. I've gotten to see so many amazing things since I've been here. I've gotten to see a few Gaudi buildings. The architecture of these buildings are phenomenal! I got to see the Columbus monument which was huge! I went to a famous market called La Boqueria, and so much more!