Happy April!

Good morning, everyone!  Or afternoon...Or evening...Or at whatever time of day this blog post finds you.  Yesterday, AIFS invaded Segovia.  Since the first time I saw that city, I've said that it is one of my favorites in Spain.  The narrow streets, the castle, the hidden fountains...it's like being in a fairy tale.  We spent a wonderful afternoon sitting in the sun alongside the aqueduct and later meandering through the gardens of La Granja a few kilometers outside of the city.  It was the perfect way to end a busy week.  And now it is already April!  Holy Week begins today and I plan to watch a few of the processions that wind through the city.  Salamanca is famous for its Semana Santa celebrations.  The parades make their way through the narrow streets of this Renaissance city in solemn quietude.  Being Palm Sunday, there will be several processions leaving from various churches all around Salamanca.  Also, on Palm Sunday it is a tradition to wear something you have recently purchased, whether that be a simple pair of socks or a completely new ensemble.  I'll write a more in-depth post about Salamanca's Semana Santa traditions later this week.  Onto another subject...I don't have very many weeks left here.  I know that they are going to pass so quickly.  Studying abroad was something that I had wanted to do for years, something that I planned for over the course of several months, something that I put countless hours of effort towards....and now I'm down to weeks.  After all of the time I have put towards this amazing experience, I've been wondering lately what my next big goal will be.  I have so many things that I want to do...things to cross off of my bucket list.  Graduation from Northern and graduate school acceptance are a couple of pretty obvious goals.  It is hard to describe, but after being in Europe on my own for a while I feel more capable of accomplishing those goals.  I can't help but get excited about new opportunities and ideas now.  A few months ago, they would have scared me a bit.  I'm not talking about a huge self-transformation.  I'm just talking about having a good feeling inside of myself.  I know that sounds cheesy but so be it.  Hasta pronto.  Tened fe en vosotros.