La vida buena...

I went to granada this past weekend. It was one of the coolest things i have ever done or seen. All of the coolest things ever for me have happened in the last month and a half. I am such a blessed person to be doing everything im doing and seeing eveything im seeing. I got to see 3 spanish catholic kings and queen isabella, whom sent christopher columbus to discover america in their tombs and an awesome royal catholic church. The feelings that take over me when im in some places like this are unexplainable and incredible. I feel like i have a personal history with this country and i feel like its intertwined with who i am as a person. Afterall, i am part spanish and all roman catholic. The other kings were king phillip the handsome and his wife as well as king ferdinand. Granada was am awesome city, i really loved it there. We were also surprised with a flamenco show in some caves. Best performance and experience yet. Words cant explain how these experiences make me feel considering i have been on a mission to know and live my cultures and heritage.I also visited the alhumbra, a moorish castle and fort in granada that was taken over by the spanish catholic kings during the reconquista. What amazed me was how there was a building in the middle of all it that totally looked like it had no business there. Come to find out, it didnt. I asked my isa advisor and he said that king carlos V had it built in the middle of all the moorish forts and palaces as a display of spains power at the time. It turned out to be the palace of king carlos V. So awesome. Im also italian and ill be going there for 5 days in beginning december, so ill get the other half there. This past week has been quite chaoticwith midterms and all. We have a midterm test and 5 page essay in all classes and im in 5 classes so thats 5 exams and 20 pages of essays, but i have 4 exams down, one more to go next week and 2 more essays. It is admittedly a little difficult given my surroundings and my urges to want to just go out and see everything and experience everything i can here. But i think i have found a good balance between my academic and social/adventurous life here. This weekend, on friday, im going to paris. Ill be alone and might meet up with some other people from the program there. Im going to go see the notre dame cathedral, eiffel tower, louvre museum and the catacombs. It will give me a good opportunity to put my french to the test and learn some more. I often get sidetracked with the "alone" part of my travels because its been a long time since ive felt alone, and i sometimes wish i had someone to be here with me experiencing all these things, but i cant think about that. I have to block it out because i am laying afoundation for my unborn children and the youngsters in my family to see all things are possible. I believe that is my purpose in life, is opening minds and brains from their restrictive thinking and show them, not tell them, that there is a world out here outside of durango or wherever they live. But anyhow, im going to end this post for now and will let you know how paris goes after i get back sometime. Take care all