It's been a while!

Update time! I know... I’m sorry. =)
Umm... Let’s see. So much has happened in such a short period of time (I just typed a paper and my Spanish spell check is on. Apparently, I can’t spell anything correctly right now... except “has” hehe. Okay, it’s off. The perpetual red squiggly line was getting on my nerves. *ahem*) Mkay... from the beginning (Strap yourselves in folks! this could be a long one!... um... that’s what she said? I know, I shouldn’t have...).
On Saturday, I decided to climb the mountain behind the flat where I live, as I was in desperate need of some unpolluted air and... OH MY GOSH! Its absolutely breath-taking! I brought the gnome along... for good measure. Man! I can’t tell you how many conversations have begun with that Gnome... So, thanks Bryan (shout out!). He’s quite the conversation piece. =)
Anyways, as I was climbing, I kinda moved off of the beaten path further into the woods. Just being in the trees again was so calming. I could hear anything, with the exception of a few very chattery birds, and the air had that filtery-green look. MMmmm! I continued climbing (I really wanted to make it to the observatory at the top) but the trail became incredibly steep. I took many-a break (and pictures... had to justify the frequent stops somehow...) and eventually stumbled onto some mountain bikers, who guessed my nationality after the first word out of my mouth... actually, it wasn’t really a word. I had hit one of the steepest parts of the trail, and was panting so hard it really came out more like *Hellloooohhuummmmee ha* ...sad. As it turns out... I was on a mountain bike trail... heading up the “down” path, to be precise. Figures. That’s probably why I didn’t see anyone! Anyways, these guys were hilarious! Very friendly! When I told them that I was studying Spanish at UB (Universitat de Barcelona), one of them asked me “Oh! So, you speak Spanish?” When I said “yes” he said something to me... and I didn’t understand any of it ( I tried!). I politely told him that I could only speak Castilian (figuring it was Catalan). Simultaneously, his friend nudged him in the side and said “She speaks Spanish, not Portuguese!” We then laughed. A random friends. Oh, speaking of which, while we were joking around, another person came up the same path. This time, I think they said something to him in French. He wound up being American. Better luck next time! So, the four of us talked on a ledge overlooking the whole valley (or close to it) of Barcelona, until the other American and myself had found, captured, and incarcerated our breath (No! totally kidding... but, really- it was steep!). We continued on together, and had a good talk. Nice guy (Shout out, Brett!). Yep! I made it to the tippy-top of the mountain. Huzzah! Took a million photos of the Cathedral, and then of the Basilica on top of the cathedral (excessive, mucho?) and then headed down via bus. I know! cheater... whatever.
Yep, so that was Saturday. I woke up the next morning and went to church (Pain free, I might add! Why is it that I can hike up a freaking mountain for the first time in ages and not get sore, but I take two weeks off from riding and I can’t walk the next day. Where be the logic in that, I say?!). Anyways, back to church. It was very nice. There are a little over 100 people that go there, and just over 30 nationalities. Amazing! I talked to the translator afterwards (services are held in English and Spanish) and it turns out he knows the Madisons in Madrid (the friends that picked me up when I arrived) and his kids go to the same school that Paul and Bethany teach at! Horray, connections! Um, I’m also planning on going camping over Spring break with a group of friends (Shall be fun) and I talked to Thomas to work out some details (boo, internet connection!).
I went over to a friend’s apartment for lunch (she’s the girl that told me about the international church) and got to know her roommates a little better. They’re awesome! And, got my paper back in my Spanish writing class... which had been bleed on by the evil red pen, but also had some lovely doodles of flowers in the margins (not making that up, and no, I didn’t put them there. Apparently, when one uses the phrase Si hubieran tenido” correctly, a magical cartoon garden pops up on the paper. *sigh* my teachers are awesome! ... that, and I wrote about graffiti. T’was a solid first paper. =)
Well, tomorrow I have a field trip with my art history class, and then Thursday I have an audition for the University Choir. It will be taught in Spanish and Catalan. I’m pretty excited =) Um, yep. That’s all I can think of right now. I have a busy, busy weekend ahead of me. Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!

Love you lots!

Michelle

You can find the pictures from the hike here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16207&l=2e31f&id=1323450019

And the random doodlings at the end of the album here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34&l=3152a&id=1323450019


Enjoy!