^This is my new favorite Spanish phrase! It means, it's only a joke! I love it.
Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long. This last week has been crazy busy. We've been going to events for Carnaval like the offering to the Uruguayan sea goddess last Wednesday, and the candombe parade last Thursday- which is this drum festival with dancing and costumes. It was all really fascinating. We also got to go to el teatro solís Friday, which is a symphony hall here in Montevideo. The performance was of all American movies' songs and made me love American culture that much more. I thought it was interesting that they used our movies too. It was so fun to get all dressed up and hear all the talented musicians. Then this weekend, I spent some time at the beach, got some homework done, and visited the open marketplace on Sunday. On Monday, a group of us payed to go spend the day out in the Uruguayan country side at la estancia (a ranch house) and we celebrated one of the girls here's birthday. That was one of the most wonderful things I've done here in Uruguay so far hands down! That day we got to ride horseback (my first time), lay out by the pool, have a huge, delicious lunch, go canoeing, swim in a heated indoor pool, use the sauna, get a mini massage, and enjoy another delicious meal. Our group had the most wonderful time and took some great pictures. The birthday celebration continued the next day when Stefanie got to choose our breakfast (mm, blueberry pancakes), and the cake (traditional spice cake with cream cheese frosting). We eat so well here! I have really enjoyed the last few days.
I am feeling alot better about being here, and slowly but surely adjusting. I've begun to feel more comfortable walking around the city to take my laundry to el lavadero, go by the mannyy bakeries around town, and going out for supper with the youth from church. I've been here officially three weeks, which is crazy because I feel like I've been here forever. God has given me many things to be thankful for here including the wonderful group of girls I've become friends with and my sweet and supportive house parents. My Spanish is improving too! Even though 10ish hours of Spanish a week is brutal, I feel a big difference in my vocabulary and sentence formation, plus I love our teacher Amelia. I still have alot of work to do with speaking, but I feel like I'm getting better and better with comprehension. The only thing I am super overwhelmed with is our total homework workload. The girls and I have been doing homework for hours the last couple days and I can't imagine adding travel to all of this!
It's just all very new, and I am prayerful that each day I come to like South America more and more. I love that God brought me so far from my comfort zone to show me and teach me things, and already my eyes have been opened to so much. I'm excited to see what happens next and have such confidence in the transformation I'm going to experience this spring. Sometimes I get really distracted about what's going on at home or what I have coming next later in the semester, or when I get home this summer, but I've tried to adapt my attitude and understand that what will be, will be and I just need to concentrate on being present here! Please continue to pray for our spirits here as we have ups and downs, homesickness, and as we try to focus on our studies, as well as safety when we begin our travels here pretty soon.
I love you all and appreciate your interest in my life. Thank you for that!
Hailey
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