Bilbao SPAIN!!!!!!

So wow. just realized how long it had been since I last posted, and/or looked at lj at all. Life in Hamilton is, how do you say? Boring... Yes I have a large bit of family here and a few friends are home, but in reality I'm bored out of my mind. I haven't met anyone new in like 2 weeks, horrible.
Toto is getting too old to go on hikes, makes me sad. She is also shaved for the summer which is absolutely adorable. I haven't really been doing much besides visiting the folks in Hamilton and going for hikes.
Today felt like a complete waste of time, though I did get an application in for a home health organization that should hire me. Really the only reason I can think of for not getting hired is the fact that I have dreadlocks. Seriously if I don't get hired because of my hair I will have a coniption fit. Really there will be screaming(tal vez en castellano) and possibly bitting. I'm a biter.
The last stretch in Bilbao was amazing, beautiful, and perfect. It involved exploding fridges, dreadlock mullets, the txalaparta (ask what that is at your own risk, Anslem Keifer (which is the greatest name ever, even when you're not a pot head), and the beach. Which did nothing but make it harder to come home. It would have been easier to come home to Corvallis instead of Hamilton. I can find so many worthwhile distractions there, and I really do miss school (real School) alot. As of now I sit and wait to get a job. I should hike and wait, but I didn't today. Mostly I watched Firefly in Spanish and was confused by the fact that the spanish subtitles are different than the spanish talking... no entiendo. I think I need a no TV, except for movies and Spanish for the summer, rule. I hate who I turn into when I get to Hamilton. It is like I revert to the lazy 10 year old kid who was happy to waste the day sitting at home. The only problem is that I'm not 10 and it just pisses me off. Wasting days is stupid. I only have so many. Tomorrow is the 4th, meghan's birthday. I wish I was in Spain to celebrate with her. Oh well I will just have to figure something out. Really there are only 2 people in town at the moment from highschool who I talk to...
Time to stop winning though. Bilbao spoiled me and now I have to move on.
We found wolf sign in the medow where my Grandpa's ashes are. It was pretty cool. Except for the feeling of being watched. I think Dad and I are going to go shooting this week, so I can learn to shot the pistol, rifels are too heavy to carry backpacking. And no Amy I wont shoot the wolf... I'll just scare them if needed...
I just finished a DR. Pepper, and remembered why I don't drink pop. Gross. Why did I do that. Worst after taste ever. sick. Saved by sunflower seeds, releaved sigh.

Bueno. It is time for me to tackle this mountain of a post that has been needing to occur for about a month now. We had our spring break here. Let me say spring break in Spain is a whole other thing than in the states. It was amazing I´m pretty sure vacations just don´t get better than this one.
Emilia and I went to Andalucia(southern Spain) for 12 days and then ended the trip in Donostia/San Sebastian for two days, or nights rather. It was Semana Santa, the big spanish holy week, while we were in Andalucia, so we got a huge dose of Catholic festivity... It was kinda crazy. They have these huge processions slowely making their way down windy, cobbled streets. The people follow them from plaza to plaza for most of the day listening to the slightly depressing music, and watching these crazy people carry ginourmous float-type-things that way thousands of pounds. I think the biggest one we say was being carries by 35 people. It was very impressive. The first 3 times you see it. Then they just start getting in your way. When trying to navigate a strange Spanish city it is hard enough even when you dont suddenly have 500 people bocking the only way you know to get somewhere. Mostly it was funny. We started running from the procesions as soon as we saw them. One of emilia´s more entertaining quotes was "oh crap! we´re getting processed to again. run." I believe we were in Cadiz at the time.
Which is one of the most beautiful little cities you could ever see. I want to live there so badly. Though I don´t think I could ever speak to anyone because the accent is absolutely insane. Really Cadiz is pronounced Cai. If your lucky sometimes it´s just Ca. It was funny. It sits on this penninsula so it is surrounded by the sea and has four amazing beaches, one of which sits in between two castles.
Our hostel was great. In the way that it was a complete wreck. Run by complete hippies, who told us when we got there it was a half-assed opperation. But it was very friendly and cozy. Plus, it was on Calle Salizar! Emilia told me when we were looking for it I was so excited. It´s impossible for me to forget that street name! She called me a big nerd and we moved on. Don´t worry if you don´t understand that last bit, it just a bit cass´dorkyness that the other HP fans will enjoy.
Anyway, so I loved Cadiz. It was great. Next we went to Tarifa. Which is quite literaly on the very tip of spain. You can see Africa for 14 KM away which is pretty much crazy and completely amazing. Tarifa is a complete hippy-windsurfer town that was just too cute and too amusing. We had a lot of fun, mostly just wandering the town and sitting on the beach. cause that is what they do there. Leaving was interesting. The bus station decided to close for 3 days starting the day we were supposed to be in Granada... Which means we had to put an unsafe amount of trust in the Spanish bus system. For me this is particularly difficult because I live in Erandio(but that is a whole other story) Anyway lets just say it was a small miracle that we made it to Granada at all.
Granada was unbelievable. We stayed for 6 days so we really got a chance to experiance a little more than the other places. After some reservation mishaps we ended up staying at an adorable hostel run by an old Italian cupple. We did alot of walking around the Albayzin (old Muslim quarter) spent too much money, went to a couple cathedrals. The highlight of Granada was the Alhambra. It was just unbelievable. They sell 6000 tickets a day. and they sell out every day no matter what. IT is basically this huge grounds where various monarchies have built castles, palaces, gardens,and parks. It overlooks the valley where the city sits, so from one of the castle towers you get one of the most beautiful views in the world. I can´t even describe this place. I will just have to show people pictures because it is just something you have to see.
Of course i´m leaving a ton out mostly just cause im lazy and don´t feel like typing anymore. But from Granada we flew to Donostia. In Montana it would be Bozeman and Bilbao, missoula. And in Oregon Corvallis is Donostia and Eugene is Bilbao. So it was fun to see the difference. It was also really great to be back in the Basque Country. Really it is completely different from the rest of spain. I like them both, but I love the Basque country. We had a lot of fun the last two days. We ended up meeting a couple of guys from the states and an autralian who were really cool and highly entertaining, so we hung out with them most of the time. Again there were more beaches. Acctually this weekend I´m going back with the API group then to Pamplona.
okay seriously I have to be done now. WE all know cass has a computer limit. Everything is good back in Bilbao. Mabye not school, but that is just because it is a joke here. Everything else though is great. I´m headed over to my friend Racheal´s new apartment for dinner tonight and then probably to a party with Cassio.
Besitos a todos.

This weekend was fabulous. I went to Barcelona with the all the people from the program I´m in here. We had so much fun. Barcelona was just as perfect as I remembered. We arrived Friday afternoon and left monday afternoon. I would have liked to have more time there, the trip was a little rushed. It would be impossible to do everything in a month let alone 4 days. However, when you have trips like this one you definetly feel like you spent your time well, because the exhaustion is so overwhelming.
After getting lunch and hanging out in this cute little park on friday the tour started. First we went to Guël park. One of my top three places in the world! It is so amazing. If it weren´t for all the tourists it would be absolutely perfect. It was designed by Gaudi. My favorite spanish archetect. He has an amazing ability to make you feel like you have entered a completely different world. Guël feels like a mix between the Flintstones, Edward Scissor Hands and Hansle and Gredle. After exploring here for a couple hours we went to the Picasso Musuem. I really like this musuem. It is smaller than most, and only has Picasso´s work, so it isn´t as overwhelming as others. By this time all of us were starving so we found a great little Tapas Bar (kind of like appetizers that you get multiple of to make a meal) for dinner.
Saturday started by accedently haveing really expensive hotel breakfast, because we thought it was complementary... oh well... it happens. Then we walked to La Pedrera. A huge "house" also designed by Gaudi. It was completely amazing. I can´t imagine living there, honestly it is almost undescribable. From the basement to the the roof it is unlike any other building in the world. If I had unlimited funds this is were I would set up camp. It took 2.5 hours just to see the parts open to the public. Then we made it over to La Segrada Familia. A huge church, designed by... you guessed it, Gaudi. I feel like I´m repeating myself, but yet again I must say that it is unlike any other church in the world. It isn´t finished because Gaudi died while he was still working on it. There are alot of sarcastic jokes about it never being finished, because they keep pushing the completion date farther and farther forward. After this lunch was a nececity, followed by a walk down Las Ramblas. The most famous street in Barcelona. And the best place to get pickpocketed if you are not paying attention. We started wandering around the old part of town, which is much more interesting than any modern part. The streets are those small winding ones accociated with europe most of the time. Anyway, we made it to the Catedral, to find a Catalunian dance festival taking place. It was absolutely the best thing that happened in Barcelona. There was a live band playing this great music while a plaza full of old folk danced in circles. We learned to dance from some of the cutest old men in the world and I took a bunch of pictures. It was perfect. From here we strolled to the fruit market that is open every day, and grabed some fruit, bread, cheese, juice, and wine for dinner.
Sunday we could do whatever we wanted. So one of the girls and I decided to check out some of the parks in the town. It one of those great days, that just seems to work out perfectly even though you didn´t plan a thing. The parks were great, beautiful and free! We had a great lunck and then ran into one of the most amazing street performers I´ve seen. He was just playing this beautiful completely weird string instrument. I loved it. By 5 we needed a break so we went back to the hotel and rested for a while. For dinner 4 of us found a great Tapas bar then went and found Gelado at 11 at night hehe. I love it. We wandered the streets for a couple hours. It is just so beautitful at night. The way the city is lit turns it into a completely differet world than the in the day.
In the morning we woke up early to go to the fuit market one more time, and to the Contemporarty Art musuem. Both of which were completley great. The museum is definetly one of my favorite so far.
Wow.. I´m tired now. just thinking about all that we did. Tonight we are going to the theater. I can´t remember the name of the play, but i´m very excited about it. This saturday Emilia and I leave for southern spain. 14 days without school! easter in spain! I can´t wait.
If you made it this far in the post I´m very impressed because it is obnoxiosly long.
Hope everyone is well. miss you tons.
Agur

I have an hour to kill before my Castellano class, so I figured it would be the perfect time to update the journal. All is well here. School is really getting going now. I acctually have things to work on and due dates and what not. I´m acctually happy about it. I feel like I haven´t really produced anything since I´ve been here, so having some real work is absolutely great.
This last weekend was great. The weather here has been absolutely perfect, so true to form I was outside pretty much the whole time. Let me just say the beach at Sopalana is absolutely one of the most beautiful places I´ve ever seen. A couple of friends and I headed out there to soak up the sun. As we watched the sun set we were all in awe of the fact that we live in such an amazing place.
I finished the second Harry Potter in spanish, so now I have nothing to read. Which if you´ve been around be for longer than five minutes, you know is not a good thing. I think reading in the language is one of the best things I could do. I learn way more reading than doing silly boring excercises in a workbook, and Bonus! I enjoy it too.
Everything is great at home. My host family is very nice, I´m constantly amazed by my host mom. She is so full of energy and usually absolutely hillarious.
My plans for spring break are turning out to be really awesome. I´m going to Sevilla for holy weak. Then all around southern spain for 12 days! With one of the girls from my program. We still have more planing to do, but it should be great.

It has been awhile. There is no way I could write about all that has happened, however I will give the Reader´s Digest version...
Carnival was a couple weeks ago. It was really fun during the day. There were tons of parades with great floats and tons of people. Here people like to dress up in groups as the same thing. I saw a family of kangaroos that were way to cute for words. There was also a whole group of where´s Waldo fellas that made me giggle. The night wasn´t very fun because it rained like the world was going to end. I was completely soaked and freezing and of course sinse everyone was out you couldn´t find anywhere to stand inside. I went home pretty early.
School is going well. Classes are very laid back. I almost never have homework. The profesors are nice though, some confusion results from the language barrier. Last week my friend Emilia and I showed up to photography without the prints we needed. Luckily the prof. is very nice and was cool with us bringing them to the next class.
Saturday was awesome. The group that I´m studying with here went to San Tander. A little town about an hour and a half away. It is on the beach. We took a boat ride and went to a beautiful park. That night a some of the girls and I went to the beach to watch the lunar eclipse, which was absolutely great!
Yesterday I went to the cliffs where I climb sometimes and just hung out and revelled in the great view. I have a ton more to say but not so much time so I will have to say Hasta Luego. I miss everyone tons!

Wow! I said I was going to update more often, but apparently that is just not the case. I seem too busy to even get to the computer, let alone take the time to relate my resent acctivity. Not that I´m complaining, life is good, life is crazy, and I love the Basque Country. It feels like I´ve been here for three months already, even though it has only been a few weeks.
Lets see now what have I done since I´ve been here... lots... I´ll start with buying my costume for carnival, which is this weekend. There was a large ERASMUS party last night, it consisted on a whole bunch of the foriegn students from university having a great time dancing and getting the chance to meet one another. Italians are my favorite... or mabye Brazilians... French people are cool too... and Germans... okay I liked everybody ;)
I´ve gone to the beach, which is about a thirty minute metro ride away, and that was amazing and beautiful, everything a beach should be. Including the acward, lone, nude man and lots of surfers. Another day I got to go climbing outside for the first time. The place is one of the many incredible places to climb withing 45 minutes of Bilbao. My friend David and I met up with a Danish girl, a German guy, and two Finish folk who climb often and had ropes and harnises. It was so much fun! I loved it and didn´t do as badly as I thought I would, considering I haven´t been climbing in many months.
The group of Americans in my program went on a day trip to Guernika. It is a smallish village about 45 minutes away with loads of history some great musuems and great archetecture. I stayed after everyone else left and took a bunch of photos and wandered the streets.
My spainish is improving very quickly. Though it is still way easier to understand it than speak it. Classes have been interesting it is difficult to understand the profesors when the lecture, because they use so many idioms and obscure words with multiple meanings. All of them, however, have been extremely nice about explaining things again, more slowely to the forgein kids. The photo department and UPV is incredible. I couldn´t believe my eyes when one of my profesors gave Emilia and I the grand tour, after discovering we are foreign. I´ve done alot of waiting for buses, they are never on time and show up at any one of three different stops in Erandio. It is slightly confusing. It´s okay though because spanish people, including the profesors, don´t take time so seriously. Alot of the profesors didn´t even show up this first week.
Well I should probably cut this off, I have to go get ready for carnival towmarrow and work on my first art project. I hope everyong is well, I miss everyong So much.
Auel (Basque for bye)

Madrid was amazing! So beautiful and interesting. It is even better than I remember. We did alot while there. Including eating some of the best food ever and walking more than is sane. We went to three huge musuems, El Prado, The Thyseen, and La Reina Sofia. They were all extremely impressive and extemely interesting. I got to see some of my favorite painting and be introduced to some artists I hadn´t heard about. I would have liked to be able to spend more time there so that I had more time in the museums. Even the Art kids, going to Bilbao were a little musuemed out. We also went to the Palacio Real. A huge Royal palace with some of the most incredible rooms I´ve ever seen.
I have eaten more mystery sea food than I ever thought possible and so far haven´t found anything I haven´t loved. It seems like each meal is better that the last. I can´t quite remember all the other places we went in Madrid. I have them written down, but of course they´re in my room. We road the bus to two towns outside of Madrid. The first had a huge monastary that used to be used as a summer palace. It was extremely interesting and had the second largest christian library in the world, so I pretty much loved it, books, art, beautiful mountains, and castle like archetecture, my paradise. The second was Toledo. When you see pictures you will die. It the perfect midevil town. If it weren´t for the cars I would have believed I was 700 years in the past.
All the other students in the program that I met are great. We immediately got along and had a ton of fun exploring together.
We arrived in Bilbao yesterday I met my host familia and got to see my new home. If I could understand and talk to my family a little better I would be happier. Even with the comunication problems I love my host mom Itxaso. She is very concerned with my well being and so helpfull and sweet. My room is small but very nice, I don´t plan on being there too much ;)
I walked aroung the Casco Viejo (old Town) today with Andrea, the director of the program, and the rest of the group. We had a great time and I can´t wait to explore more. Anrea is sweet as can be and extremely helpfull.
I´m sure I´m forgetting a million things, but now that I´m slightly more settled in I can get to a computer much more often, so I will update more frequently.
I miss everyong soooooo much and wish you could all be here with me! I hope everyone is well. Email me or leave a comment on livejournal and I´ll try to get back to you in a few days.
Hasta

Well I'm still here in fun old Hamilton. Trying desprately to keep myself busy and not think about everyone back home (that would be Corvallis) who I miss so very much.
I did a damn good job of it yesterday. Bonnie and I went snowshoeing...
The day was mildly warm for a Montana winter. The temperature settling somewhere between 35 to 40. As per usual we started later than we had planned, leaving the house around 2.
After the slightly perilous drive to Lake Como, through snow and over ice we arrived at the trail head. As this treck was Bonnie's first of the season and only my third so we planned on only walking part of the 3 mile long trail. The falls at the end of it probably wouldn't be doing anything in January anways. Leaving the car, without food, water, or headlamps we began our hike.
Now a funny thing about my snowshoes, or the way I walk or a combination of both, causes snow the fling up with every step I take. Literally it feels like it is snowing all the time as chunks of fluffy-white-goodness are pelted over my head and onto my back and legs. I was in sweats and some really attravtive longjohns, since I can't find my snowpants anywhere... story of my life... Anyway this constant battery of snow onto my legs and the relatively high temperatures of the day caused my pants to become increasingly wet as the hike progressed. Luckily after the numbness sets in you don't really notice little things like that.
The trail was relatively flat most of the way. Beyond breaking trail it wasn't too hard of trip, so we just kept going, and going. Neither of us thinking about how long we had been walking, how long it would take to get back, the fact that we had no water, or that in Montana in January the sun sets at five thirty.
Within and hour and a half we had reached the falls, which were still going and quite beautiful. There is something about a winter landscape that is just more romantic and whimsical than any other time of the year.
Bonnie looked at her phone after taking a few pictures with it, we both forgot our cameras. She realized it was four fifteen and we didn't have much time to get out of there before it got dark and her parents had anyerisms (yes I can't spell).
So two extremely thirsty, pretty wet, and more than a little tired girls began the treck back to the car.
It is always amazing to me how much heavier feet feel when one is extremely tired and has snowshoes on and pants that probably way 3 more pound than when you put them on. It is also amazing how long an hour and fifteen minutes of trudging through snow while exhausted can feel.
We did finally make it back, beating the twilight by mere minutes, as we ran the final twenty yard to the beautiful white, ford explorer that held promises of warmth, water, food and a chair.
Of course we were out of cell range and unable to call the folks. After shedding the drenched sweat pants and chugging half a liter of water we headed down the hill, both of us fully ready for a large meal and a long shower.
Bonnie's obviously worried father ended up meeting us on the road. His face holding a predictable mixter of annoyance and relief as we stopped to talk. I assume Bon left out the part about us not having water and food when she related the story of the day to the folks... at least I hope so.
So that is what I did yesterday and I have the calluses and sore muscles to prove it. Six miles in three feet of snow in a desprate attempt to beat the impending darkness. I love the outdoors. Goodtimes. Goodtimes.
Obviously today has been sifnificantly less interesting. Coffee, computer, book, painting... all the usual stuff that stops me from going insane.

I think i have become addicted to sleep. A nap sounds like an amazingly superb idea at the moment. Wow... random naps in random places... does that mean i have officially become a college student?! (one exclamation point hehe just for amy)

Yes I gave in... i suck what else is there to say.