mi familia querida

Of course I miss my family— my real family— but I certainly have found a comfortable place with my familia española. I have grown from feeling like they are a nice group with whom I can live peacefully and comfortably to feeling like they are friends for whom I really care and miss when I am gone for a while. 

This weekend we did not travel out of Toledo. I slept in on Friday until almost 2, which I did not feel that bad about because Ana, my 20-year old host sister, slept until almost 3. I ate lunch, the slowest and most leisurely meal of the day, with my familia and then sat down and had cafe con leche with the padres while we watched the news. Usually I do not particularly care to watch TV for that long here— one because I cannot understand a lot of it and two because I feel like there is more I should be doing outside. That day, though, we sat for over and hour and just talked— which I realize is more the purpose of sitting together for that long during the day. I was able to tell stories, laugh at their jokes, ask questions... and consequently I noticed they talked to me more and with more ease and they spoke to me like I see other Spanish people talking to each other: really close and without any regard for personal space. It's awesome though. I feel for once like I fit it. I know this does not sound like a big deal (we sat and talked for an afternoon, so what?) but I really feel like it was kind of a stepping stone. I am getting a lot more comfortable here. 

Last night we came to the Fundación before going out to watch the game, ND vs UNC in Chapel Hill (would have given my left arm to be there but now I don't know if I can show my face again in that state ever again. I mean how unfair is it? Carolina has basketball, give us our time to shine, honestly.) There was a huge storm in Toledo so we missed the last 3 minutes of the game. The lights went out and I felt like I was in some creepy European slasher movie— especially because just the night before this girl from Minnesota had been mugged not even 40 yards from the school. While that is totally creepy and I was a little scared last night, I for some reason never get scared in this city. It is really safe and I tend to readily trust people, which may or may not be a good thing. 

I voted the other day. Less than a month before the elections and I feel like I hear more political enthusiasm here than I heard in the US before any election. Our cab driver, the minute we hopped in the taxi last night, went on this rant about how much the US economy sucks and consequently how it makes the Spanish economy suck and how we need to vote Democratic, yaddah yaddah. I never cease to be impressed by how much Europeans know about us and how little we know about them.