ya está julio?

First of all, happy july 4th! Although this isn't the first july 4th I've celebrated in a different country, it's more significant. Because, I mean, I'm here forEVER, to live, I'm obtaining a student visa to stay here this long.... and as much as I'm truly enjoying my time here and learning and speaking spanish and newnewnew, it's like as much as that's the purpose and value I'm obtaining from this, I'm definitely also gaining some intrinsic value appreciating my own country, friends, family, culture, and other blessings. You know, that whole you-don't-know-what-you've-got-til-it's-gone kind of thing;)

I calculated yesterday that I'm 1/4 of the way done with my time here... pretty much exactly! Part of me can't believe how fast everything's going and part of me is a little panicky at the thought of how much time I have left here. Nonetheless, I'm pretty orgullosa of myself, that I've really been living in the moment, taking each day as it comes, and just being content in the day-to-day. Except for last week. It was definitely my first honeymoon-period-is-over, baddd week abroad. Because, you know, for the first month+ everything was novel and exciting and fresh... who am I kidding, it still is. Last week I had a pretty nasty headcold and if I thought being sick at college away from my home and family was bad HAHA, being sick in a different country thousands of miles away from my family, friends, Americans, english-speakers, understanding-personal-space culture was WAY worse. Still wasn't intolerable. I am seriously surprised at how well I continually adapt to different aspects of life here. Sure it's difficult and often unnatural. But I choose my attitude and for the things that I'll never get used to, I remember that this is temporary and I don't have to accept it as truth for me. I really feel like God is growing me in this area. Everything "bad" that may suck doesn't have to turn my smile upside down if I don't let it. It's a lot easier to remain positive as well when you already have the greatest joy;)<3 This week I bounced back quick from my little valley-experience of a previous week, it's been a good one!

Something that has reallllly encouraged me this week is that I am totally getting way way better at the language. Sometimes I can understand word-for-word, but if not I'm still pretty darn close! Yo siempre tengo mal dicho también pero estoy mejorando y acelerando cada día! (I still always say everything wrong, grammatically incorrect but I'm getting better and quicker every day!) Like, that spanish sentence only took me maybe 10 seconds more than a regular process in my head to formulate something in english. Sometimes too it just comes out better in spanish. Like I feel like "mal dicho" describes how I talk better than grammatically incorrect... it also includes in a bad accent and just generally the way I say something, like the order of my words or whatever. bro. boss. I love speaking spanish... well, only when I don't hate it;).

I have some fun stuff going on this week and then my mom is coming next week! I'm super excited to spend time with her and finally share what I'm experiencing with someone from back home. I'm excited to speak english;). AND I'M STINKING ECSTATIC FOR SOME OF OUR ADVENTURES WE HAVE PLANNED. I'll leave you in the dark about that, but in a couple weeks I am going to have one heck of an update! Le voy a actualizar mi vida a ustedes prontoooooo! ciaooo for nowwww!