An update!

I don't even know where to start!! So much has happened since I wrote last. For our last "weekend excursion" in Sevilla we visited Lagos, Portugal. We also went to a bullfight in Sevilla, and a few days later, we made the big move to Vera, Almeria, where we will be teaching English for the next 8 months. Portugal was absolutely beautiful and we had an incredible time, even though we almost got kicked out of our hostal for being too loud. Oops. What did he expect? You can't put 6 girls in a room and expect us to be quiet! Especially when one of them is shouting "I LOOOOVE VERONICA CORNINGSTONE!!" from off the balcony (this name shall remain undisclosed). The bullfight was cool, although I felt a little cold-hearted watching all the other girls around me weep for the dying bulls while I sat there guiltily emotionless. I mean, have you seen the inside of Bud's Country Corner?! My dad started taking me into the fields when I was 7. Needless to say, I wasn't too shaken up by the supposed cruelty. A few days later we made the long haul to Vera, Almeria where we will be spending the rest of our time in Spain. Around 11 p.m. on September 28, we arrived to find a completely silent city, and we began to wonder if there were any inhabitants in the city at all! On the second night we decided to explore a little bit to see what we could find...nada. The silence was DEAFENING! All of the restaurants were closed and there were no people on the streets! Until we saw a glimmer of hope, and I heard someone asking, "Are those....carnival lights I see??" We followed the lights and to our surprise, the entire city of Vera had gathered in this one location to celebrate their version of "Feria," an annual religious festival. "So this is where the whole town has been hiding out!!" we said. We decided to join in the fun and ride a few rides, only to be interrupted by a pre-pubescent boy puking all over my backside on the first ride we went on. WELCOME TO VERA!! "He is probably going to be one of my students," I thought. After a few days of searching, we finally found an apartment with our new friend Sarah in the neighboring town of Garrucha. We have now been here for about 3 weeks, and we love it! It's about a ten minute commute from Vera, and is right on the water. We started school the next Monday and my students were so adorable and eager to learn! They don't speak a lick of English so I have to use Spanish a lot (although I am not supposed to). It is supposed to be full immersion for them. I have also picked up a couple tutoring jobs outside of school to earn some extra money...I tutor a little girl named Blanca, and a middle-aged man named Jesus twice a week. I work Monday through Thursday so that leaves lots of time for traveling on weekends! Since we've been here in Almeria, we have traveled to Malaga (home of Pablo Picasso) and we rented a car one weekend to travel to Cabo de Gata and the other little pueblos along the coast. Cabo de Gata was one of the most aesthetically pleasing places I have ever been to. The combination of jagged mountain tops, clear blue waters, and bright pink flamingos makes it a place so beautiful it almost doesn't seem real! Ashley and I just hung out here this past weekend, because next weekend for Halloween we are headed to Barcelona! We finally got internet here so I will be able to keep you all updated more often. More later. BESOS!