Hey from Valladolid

Hey Everyone!
I have to start this post telling you that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. It´s everything that I hoped for/wished for/dreamed of and more. There are so many things to see and do and it´s just all around amazing!

My family here is amazing. I have my roommate Nicole and then we have a host mom named Dori. She is really laid back and relaxed. Dori is a very talented cook and I am so lucky to have her as a host-mom. Oh, I and I thought that I should mention that we have a metrosexual yorkshire terrier as a pet. His name is Guiness and he wears a ponytail and a hairclip. His fur also appears as if he gets regular highlights. Guiness of course, loves to carry around a baby bear and sleep on my bed. : )

Yesterday was my first actual day in the city. So, I went to my class at ten and took my placement exam. I scored high enough to be in the top level offered to foreign exchange students at the university. It´s kind of exciting for me because I might actually be qualified to teach this stuff! : ) After class, our professors took us around on the tour of the city and it was amazing. It´s a mixture of things from the 1400´s and modern spanish architecture-- Completely in taste and magnificent. After the tour, we had la comida (mid-day meal) and the Siesta (which, I might add, is something we should adopt in the USA). After siesta, my four friends and I went to the plazas for red wine and tapas. We mainly just got some drinks because we walked about four miles and didn´t know what any of the tapas were! It´s just incredible to roam free and be able to get lost in a city that has 10x what any other city I have been to. It´s quite curious.

So here´s a list of notable small things that I have done in two days:
For those of you that know me well, you know that I am PICKY about any meat that I eat. So although these things aren´t that notable to a normal person, they are huge deal to me.
* Ate Jamon Iberico (a fatty ham that looks gross but is actually good. Expensive though)
* Ate Chiorizo (Not the best)
* Sampled Tuna (I started to gag profusely and will never eat that again)
* Bought my first legal glass of wine
* Made an international call
* Walked on a ground of a church that was over 600 years old
* Touched a mosaic that was over 500 years old

Things that I have noticed about the people here:
* It´s 70 degrees and they dress as if it´s fourty below.
* EVERYONE smokes
* Coffee and water are the necessary fuel
* Food is quality not quantity
* Trying to speak to them is better than not speaking at all. Everyone that I have met has been really friendly (and no, I am not naieve).

I think that´s about it for now! Can´t wait to have more adventures!
Hasta Luego,
C