I'm Back!!

Wow, I can't believe its been more than a year since I last wrote in this blog. In less than a week, I will be off to college, where I hope to major in Anthropology and Spanish. So far, I'm starting out in Spanish at the junior level, 280. The past year as been amazing! Not only did I become more confident in my self, thanks to my trip to Spain, but I was also able to help inspire others to travel via IU Honors as well. My spanish has improved, but with the summer, it has gone into hibernation.

So, why am I writing again?
1) I like to write, really
2) I looked at the stats and I've had over 1,000 views, that, to me, is exciting. People all over the world have read this blog, and I feel like I should keep up with it.
3) I hope it will help me to continue my Spanish.
4) And most importantly, I hope to document other travels outside of the US here.

 Vale, ahora quiero escribir un poquito en español. Porque? Porque sí. Dios, no puedo creer tanto tiempo a pasada desde estuvé en España. Es mi esperanza que regresé cuando estoy un "júnior" en la universidad, pero no se.

I suppose I can kinda still write in Spanish. Over the next couple of weeks I also hope to have some more poetry updated on here, and I've been drawing a lot lately too, so maybe you'll see some of that.

Hasta pronto! :D

The End...But Really, The Beginning

So, I've been back here in the US for a week now and I've just about adjusted back to normal. Hey look, I can write more than one phrase in English without feeling the urge to switch back to Spanish...and to me, well, that's a little sad.

Over the past 6 ½ weeks I've learned a lot, and it's my belief that I've changed a lot too. But, you guys can make that decision for yourselves once you spent more time with me.
When I say that I've changed, I don't mean like that fact that I say "Vale" in place of "OK" or the fact that I might speak to you in Spanish without realizing it. I don't even mean it in the fact that when I'm in a crowd of people speaking English I get headaches (which I do, idk why). I think that some of my morals and ideas of the world itself have changed.

So, yeah, I'm not going to be eating McDonald's anymore (Nick would be proud) and I'm going to refer to the way things were in Spain a lot. It's not that I don't love the US anymore, it's that I feel like Spain is my adoptive country. Now that I've rambled a bit, back to my point. The world to me seems a little bigger now and I feel a little more free. The last couple of years have been long and hard ones and after this summer I feel almost like a new person, like the old me is somewhere inside... a distant memory.

Because of this, I have some new principles, new ideas of the world and hopefully these will help change me for the better. This is my Senior year and I want to make the most of it. I am done with the drama, I don't want to be involved. I want to have all the time I can with my friends and family before its gone. ( and I know this sounds really cynical, but I believe that we need to recognize the time we have now before we all spread out to different colleges) I want to meet new people, try new things, make new friends, and do all the things I've always told myself I would, but haven't!

That's my new philosophy. Hopefully, you guys, my friends and family, can accept that and what changes you may see.

Secondly, yes, I miss Spain terribly, and sometimes I wake up thinking I'm in Spain. But, at the same time, I'm glad to be back because believe it or not, I've missed you guys. So, yes, I will consitently be talking about Spain, my friends in Spain, my family and my adoptive family in Spain, my group from Spain, SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN. BUT! I want to hear what you guys have done this summer and if I ever get on a tirade about Spain, please stop me. I don't mind. I'll survive...Megan, this may end up being your job! :)

OK, SO THATS IT FOR THE WARNING

Now I have to say how strange it is to be back now. Seeing you all is kind of like a dream. And not wearing shoes in the house and always having toilet paper is a plus to that dream (and this is another story)

So, FRIENDS, FAMILY, and random strangers who may be reading this: I say that we spend all the time we can this year, especially us SENIORS, together as much of the time as possible. I look foward to seeing you soon and I can honestly say that the end of this trip has brought the beginning of a new way of life for me.

I love you all with all of my heart,

Os quiero,

Kahle

well....

So, I have 11 more days in Spain and not much to write.

I can´t really think in English and my sentences are horrible most of the time right now. I miss you guys a ton!
Oh, and spain won the World Cup!

It was amazing and I´ll put pictures on here eventually....maybe

so, um that´s all I´ve got right now, see you guys soon.

Love ya,

Kahle

2 Weeks Till the US... what?

Hey everybody....so as you know I have now been in Spain for about a month...but it really doesn´t seem like that to me. I hope everyone back home in Indiana is doing fine, and of course, that you guys had a fantastic July 4th. I don´t really have a lot of time to write today...so maybe next week I will put an additional blog...idk. Sunday is the Copa Mundial and I am really excited. In the main plaza of Ciudad Real is a huge TV screen, and Sunday most of my group is going to watch the game together. Then, afterwards, if all goes well, most of the city ends up in the fountain. :)

Yesterday we saw Madrid, which was great, but I wanted more time in the museum of traditional art over that of the modernism in the Reina Sophia. Madrid is huge....most of the day was walking, and sorry, but I don´t have a lot of pictures. Next sunday we are going to watch the bull fights in a nearby city and this week we are going to a museum of Don Quijote....i don´t think i spelled that right, but o well.

I really love my group here and I´m not too excited over the fact that once we return to Indiana, its pretty difficult for us to get together, since many people live far north or far south. However, there are a few who live in Indianapolis, so all is not lost.

Alrighty, I gotta go now, love you guys and see ya soon

Kahle

Happy 4th of July!

¡Hola todos! ¿Que hay? Spain is going to the semifinals of the World Cup, which is a huge deal! It´s really interesting being here in Spain during the World Cup. After winning a game, people are in the streets yelling and honking there car horns. Moreover, my favorite part of the game is to watching it from my room with my window open. When Spain makes a goal, everyone in the piso (apartment) yells.

So, I´m having some issues writing in English... I can´t seem to form sentences correctly and I have issues with spelling...lots of issues. The keyboard here is a little different, which doesn´t help.

Friday I´ll be going by train to Madrid, I´m extremely excited because Madrid is one of the major centers of tourism and we´ll be there during rebajas, so everything will be cheaper. I believe I should have written this blog before now in Spanish and translated it, because my brain is in Spanish now and it´s difficult to translate my brain to English.

Anything exciting happen in the US lately? or in your lives? All I have left to write now is that today I am halfway through the program here in Spain, which is both exciting and terrifying. How so? For one, I´m halfway to coming home, but at the same time a don´t want to leave. And two, I don´t feel like I know very much Spanish now, but I do have un poquito (sorry) more than 3 weeks left. Idk

So, i think this is it because I really want to write in Spanish and if I type more, it´ll be in Spanish. Entonces,
hasta luego

Con amor,
Kahle

Blog #2...dun, dun, duh

¡Hola todos! I am good here in Spain, but, how are you guys? What´s up in Indiana? I honestly don´t ahve much to write now, so, this is going to be a short blog. Cordoba and Granada, in my opinion, were better than Toledo. I loved the arabic architecture and the geometrical patterns. I have a lot of photos, but its difficult to upload them to facebook, I can only put 5-7 now. If you guys have any questions, I'd love to answer them. The only new thing I can think of to write now is that I have a collection of owls here, one from each city, but it was the most fun searching for one in Granada. ....I´m going to try and write more next Sunday, July 4th!, and I hope to have more to say.

I love you all and will see you in 5 weeks.
Kahle

¡ Finalmente, Hola todos!

I hope that all of you are good and are having a great summer. This is my first blog from Spain, and I am so excited. I have so much to write and only a small amount of time.

First, yes, I am alive and my family has killed me...yet. Friday I went to Toledo, and I am still without words to describe how amazing it is. The cathedral....how amazing! but, I couldn´t take pictures, so if you want to see it, you´ll have to check on the internet. I loved the mixture of Arabic, Judaism, and Catholicism in the architecture. This was my first excursion, next week is Granada and Cordoba. Alright, now what else?

¿My journey by plane?
So, my journey was very long. I was suppossed to leave from Indy at 10:30 and ended up leaving at 4, because of rain in Chicago. Then, I had to run to my plane for Madrid....not fun. But, I met people from my group on the plane, so it was good...and I watched Alice in Wonderland in Spanish.

Here in Spain is so different from the US, but at times the same. Here are some differences:

• They hardly ever use their lights, even at night, and never during the day.
• They shower for 5 to 8 minutes and they don´t use water the entire time...and yes, its very cold water
• They don´t really eat fast food like McDonald´s or Burger King. In fact, I only know of one Burger King in my town, and its on the outskirts. And there is one McDonalds in the center of Toledo.
• They eat so much...and its true, I can´t eat this much, but my mother here is always : "eat more!"
• They walk everywhere. Or they use the bus. and their cars are tiny.
• They live for "No pasa nada" and "Vale" or "it doesn´t matter" and "ok"
• Their houses are so tiny and many live in apartments. (Although, those who live in Miguelturra live in mansions)
• Their icecream has "drugs"....its addictive
• Bread is always fresh and with every meal
• There is more, but they are for another time.

Speaking in spanish the first day was impossible. I only wanted to sleep. Each day gets better. My only problem is that almost all of their music is in English. So I try to think in spanish, but want to sing in English.

OK! My family here is very nice and I like them a lot. My mother is very talkative, and I don´t know my father or brother very well because they are always working.

I love my school and the people in it. Yes, there are always bad eggs, but for now, I think most if not all have good intentions. I have two very good friends, one who lives very close to my apartment. I also have two other neighbors from my school. Now, school is easy...eventually, no...

For now, I think this is all. I´ll write again next Sunday,

With love from Spain,
Kahle

PS This is for Christian, my first words in Spain were "Es ist mir kalt" You´re welcome :)