don´t worry, be happy.

It really is hard for me to grasp that the month on the calendar actually is November. Sunny with a high of 7osomething isn´t exactly what I expected for this time of year. But no complaints here. So next week I will have been here two whole months, with approximately 8 more left. Crazy. Still cannot believe I´m living my dream.

Casi dos meses y he aprendido mucho. Me encanta Alicante.

I feel as though every week marks some sort of improvement. While I cannot always see the improvement in my Spanish speaking, I do always notice something, like my relationship with my host family growing or I seem to be fitting in better at school, or a general boost of confidence--always something. I am nothing but grateful. I´ve noticed I smile more lately. Life here is beginning to feel almost normal. The routine is becoming quite natural, and easier than before.

So the my Physical Education class here actually is the real deal. At my old school we would do a lot of walking and maybe some basketball, but here we run. Corriendo. Lunes-15 minutos. Martes-25 minutos. Jueves-35. Viernes-todo tiempo en clase. Mas o menos 45-50 minutos. Thus, my calves are beasts. We run a lot. And I also swim a few days a week. Planning on being in pristine shape upon my return to the states. Or just to compensate for all of the eating I am doing here..
There are some little quotes I have either read, heard from friends or family, or come up with which have helped me a lot lately. When I need to get on track and focus on my task at hand, or just chill out and de-stress, there are some things I like to dwell on:
"doubt restricts dreams from becoming reality",
"take advantage of your opportunities",
"imagine a life brimming with spontaneity",
"always be true to yourself", and
"live one day at a time".
And my favorite, spoken from a true Spaniard, in purest form (strong accent which makes me laugh always): "don´t worry, be happy". Happiness in Spanish is a completely new feeling. Laughter is universal, but takes new form and provides new feeling when another language spoken evokes it.