The Adventures of Merrick: One Month

January 31, 2013

The weather is starting to really warm up during the day. I have retired the larger jacket in the mornings because I know it will be too much by the time I head home after class. I look forward to being able to watch the sunrise as I walk to school as I continue the 8am M-F class through March.

My hammock has officially been broken in on the beaches of Spain :) Took me 3 tries at different locations and about 20 minutes to figure out how to set it up. Apparently hammocks are not a common thing on the beach here. I felt like a spectacle; people would slow down running or on their bikes to look over at my setup. There was even an old dude with a scooter who literally stopped, stared at me until I waved, and then continued scooting along.

I don't know how to break it to my host mom that I'm getting tired of her food. She makes the same meals over and over again. If I have to eat one more piece of presliced processed white bread I think I am going to die. It's not like the food is bad, per say...it actually is relatively tasty and healthy most of the time. I even get chocolate cake every morning :D I just need a little more variety. But how do you go about telling a Spanish woman that her cooking is basically not good enough? You don't, I guess... :/

February 4, 2013

It's officially been just over one month since I arrived in Alicante. At least I have almost 5 more too look forward to :D I finished my first class of the semester, as well. Pulled off a B in the class, which isn't bad considering I was in a class with people who have been studying Spanish their entire college careers. I'm proud to say that I have actually improved quite a bit and can relatively hold a conversation. ^_^

The afternoon after exams on Friday was crazy on the beaches of Alicante. The beach was America.
Every study abroad student went straight to the beach for sand, swimming, sports, and sangria immediately following school. Most students are not taking another month block of Spanish five days a week, so for them it was a day of celebration! For me, as I have two more months of 8am classes, simply set up my hammock and relaxed the afternoon away. The American day-drinking extravaganza morphed into a drunken night of debauchery in El Barrio without the slightest hesitation in between.

The crazy wind from the prior week returned for an encore this weekend. It was even strong enough to keep me from going out for ice cream Saturday night. Anything that can overpower my craving for ice cream is a force to be reckoned with.

Sunday was another glorious day of climbing in a new area called Redovan with Barbara, Raul, and Jose. Even this location was not safe from the blistering winds of the day before, making the first half of the day a tid-bit nipply. All of the routes were 12-14 bolts and gorgeous. The rock was so textured that I, Melissa Merrick, was actually comfortable smearing. The crag was bustling with people, but everyone managed to get in 4-5 routes (and I managed a crag nap as well) before the day was out. It's hard to tell if I've gotten stronger or not when I never had a sport climbing base to begin with.

Afterwards, the four of us retreated to Raul's brother's house for vegetarian fajitas and beer. Now, I've been climbing for 3 years now, and I can honestly say I have never been surrounded by so many dreadlocks and so much weed in one sitting. I felt like I had walked into a haboob when I walked into this house. As I introduced myself to the four other housemates, one of them exclaimed,

"Melissa? Your name is Melissa? Like the weed!"

To which I reply, "What?"

Apparently, there is a medical marijuana that is fabulous for helping insomniacs, and it is called Melissa.

I digress; they were incredibly nice people, very hospitable. Moreover, they complimented me over and over about how I speak very well for someone who has only been in Spain for one month :) Ego boost!

Speaking another language legitimately poops you out. The amount of energy used actively thinking and translating words all day transcends anything I ever expected. After three hours of speaking Spanish all I want to do is sleep. That's alright, because all it takes is a little cerveza to get the cogs in my mind oiled and turning again!

Until next week!