Lady In Spain.

Hello Dear Family and Friends.

I write this while procrastinating on studying for finals.  Shocker.

But in all seriousness, I wanted to update you on the past couple of days here in Sevilla.  But first I have a confession.

Sevilla is absolutely stunning dressed in Christmas lights.  That's all I gotta say about that.

So, this past weekend we went to our mentor's house for some games and an amazing lunch.  And get this; I had Dr. Pepper.  Yes.  It was glorious.  I absolutely love this group of girls and the family we have been getting to hang out with.  It has been such a great thing to be able to fellowship in a Christian environment and really encourage and challenge each other.  And the family we get to hang out with is so cool.  Seriously.

After that, some of us wanted to go back to Plaza de Espana here in Sevilla.  We spent time there our first weekend and we thought it would be a good way to say goodbye to Sevilla by going back for our last weekend.  We rowed the boats.  It was difficult.  And funny.  And awesome.

This past weekend, we celebrated my friend Leah's birthday because her birthday is actually two days after we get home and we wanted to celebrate with her and have a proper good time before we all leave.  We went out for some tapas and of course Rayas ice cream (banana to be exact).  It was such a fun time laughing and being with friends.  We were able to just walk around and enjoy all the Christmas lights.  It is seriously beautiful.

Here are some photos for your eyeballs.

We also walked around the Christmas markets that are here right next to the cathedral.  I noticed something odd, and I couldn't help but share.

There were many more where that come from...

At any rate...

On the way back, I walked by the Torre de Oro which is a landmark here.  It is actually a really cool place.

So, now we are in full gear with finals and I actually have one suitcase packed.  Yes Mom.  You should be proud.  But in the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share a couple of things.

1) I wanted to share me as a tree topper because my lovely friend Katelyn decided it was the perfect tree topper in all of the world.  I mean, I can't disagree with her.

2) I have 3 days left here in Sevilla.  Man has time flew bad.  As it saddens me to get ready to say goodbye to this beautiful place, I am also so stoked to go home and spend the holidays with my family.

3) Here is a great cover song that I found this semester and it has to do with going home.  You may know it.  You may not.  Either way, I like it.  So, without further ado (In case you're wondering, the meaning of ado = hubbub, bustle, flurry, or fuss.  You're welcome).

Home by James Allen

Love Always,
Ang

In the Quiet, In the Crowd.

Hello Dear Friends and Family,

I have been here in Sevilla for 6 days and I feel as if I have been here forever.  There is so much that I can tell you, but I will spare you (and your time) and just get straight to the point.

I am loving my host family.  I may not be able to communicate with them a lot, but I do try really hard and just laugh because I talk like a child.  They laugh too, so at least I know they have a sense of humor.

This past weekend my friends from the ISA/Veritas program and I walked all around the city on Saturday.  We walked around 9-10 miles exploring Sevilla.  We went to one of my favorite places in the city (so far); Plaza de Espana.  Oh my word, this place is absolutely gorgeous.  I took a ton of pictures for you all to see.  There is a mini river thing that goes all around the front where people are able to take canoe rides.  So, sorry for the amount of pictures of this place.  By the way, the blue tiles that cover this place are called "azulejos".  :)

So, that's that.  Now onto something different.

Some of you may know that I live pretty far from the school, but luckily the walk is absolutely gorgeous so it makes the walk enjoyable.  I live in a neighborhood called Triana and to get to the center of town where my school is, I have to pass over a bridge that goes over the Guadalquivir River.  The bridge is called the Triana Bridge and it has quite the story.

If you walk onto the bridge, you will see many locks (that I will show you in a minute) that are locked onto the bridge.  The story behind them goes like this.  A couple, who is in love with one another, will purchase a lock and write their names/initials on it.  They will then lock the lock onto the bridge and then throw the key into the river.  It is a symbol of their never-ending love because it cannot be broken or unlocked.  So, here are some pictures of the bridge and the locks.  Just to let you know, I found a lock with my name, it isn't mine.   Just throwing that out there.

Isn't that such a nice walk to school?  I think so.  :)

On Sunday we all went to the last bull fight of the season, and it was so interesting!  It has so much history and culture behind it.  I enjoyed it even though it is animal cruelty.  I was just so fascinated by everything; the crowd, the matadors, and the rules of it all.  People would yell ole and suddenly get completely silent.  At any rate, here are some photos for ya.

Although the stories are nice, there is a reason why I am in Spain and that is to go to school.  We started on Monday and I thought I would show you some pictures of the school and what not.

 Not super fancy, but hey.  There ya go.

So that's all that I have been up to.  I have been exploring the city and getting to know my surroundings.  It is such a beautiful place with amazing people in it.  It is so relaxing and great.  I have been making some friends who are really fun to explore with.  That is always a plus.  :) 

Now I shall leave you with a couple things:

1) Here are a couple of photos that I really like from this past week that I want to share just because I can.

2) I want to encourage everyone to listen to the new Mumford and Sons album "Babel" because it is awesome.

3) I encourage you to walk around where you are with a new perspective.  Whether you are in Oklahoma, Texas, or Alaska, try to be observant of things that you may take advantage of because you are so used to it.  The Lord made a beautiful world and when we get so comfortable with a place because of getting busy or because of the length of time we have lived there, we tend to ignore the small little details the Lord placed in our hometowns.  Find the beauty in the quiet and in the crowd.  Just try it.  I dare you.

Love and miss you all!

Love,

Ang