Incómodo

After a two sleepless flights, 8 hours of layovers, absolute chaos (and maybe a few tears) in trying to find my friend Bailey at the Madrid airport, a metro ride, a train ride, and a taxi summing to a total of about 35 hours of travel, I finally arrived in Santander and finally have access to internet. However, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to sit in this internet cafe. The lady gave me the stink eye when I only ordered a bottle of water.

I honestly don't know where to start. My host mom María is so precious. She's about 60 years old and lives in a little apartment, hosting international students throughout the year. She kisses me constantly, calls me "guapa," and forces me to eat far more than I am capable. Who would have thought someone would have to force me to eat more? Her cooking does not even begin to compare with my mama's but it could definitely be worse. Everyone seems to eat the same things here all the time, which is so different than the U.S. with our giant supermarkets and endless options. I think I've consumed more white bread, eggs, olive oil, and pork during these few days than I do in a whole month! I'm sure my stomach will adjust.

This week is Santander is festival week! There are tons of little wooden booths set up in all the main plazas with various tapas and drinks from different restaurants in the area. It's a really fun way for restaurants to showcase what they have to offer and for locals to eat well for a bargain. For those of you who are interested, I had a scrumptious little slice of a baguette with a green onion and ham salad on top and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Yum!

My first real night in Santander, Bailey (my roommate) and I went down to the beach to watch the most incredible fireworks show I have ever seen in my life! We had no idea where we were going but found the show easily by following the crowd. I took a few pictures but they don't do the show justice.

On Monday we finally were reunited with the rest of the students in our class and our professor. We all did a little scavenger hunt together and then headed to a restaurant where I had the tastiest calamari ever! I was kinda of afraid when the waitress brought me a plate full of legged creatures sitting in their ink, but it was fantastic!

My Iberian Culture class officially started on Tuesday, which so far is actually pretty interesting...although some of my peers might disagree. Even a long history lecture is a lovely break from the business world I was living in last year. Although, I've never had to fully and completely concentrate so much during a 3 hour period. If I regressed back into my English brain for only a second, I was totally lost!

Today we went on a class excursion to these see these prehistoric caves outside Puente Viesgo and visit the medieval town of Santillana Del Mar.

Puente Viesgo:

Santillana Del Mar:

Notice the creepy Playboy bus

Hydrangeas are all over Cantabria!

At this moment, Spanish is coming as easily to me as Chinese. It is as if I've never heard a word of it. Everyone speaks so quickly and there is a strange rhythm to the Spanish (or Castellano) that is making communication with my host mom and locals very difficult. This whole experience has been so uncomfortable and strange. There's no real place that seems like home to me yet but I'm sure that will come soon. One of my best friends, Catie, sent me this quote from John Piper the other day in an e-mail and I can already see this truth becoming a reality in my life in Santander:

"If you give up the sense of at-homeness you had in your house, you get back one hundred times the comfort and security of knowing that your Lord owns every house and land and stream and tree on earth."

So true! How often I strive to control so many parts of my life in order to make it as comfortable as possible. Praise the Lord for discomfort!