Side note

Sorry I haven't updated yet, and I promise I will with pictures and all this weekend, but this week is a little hectic. :P

However, there was a small culture shock I wanted to share before I forgot it.

So Spaniards love to give besos (kisses). When you meet someone, when you say goodbye, when you say goodnight, when congratulating, you give two kisses, one on each cheek. Actually, I had someone just give me one kiss. Don't know how that works, or what that means. Anyways, see, this "kiss" isn't a kiss at all. It's more like putting your cheeks together and making a small kissy noise. Or "attempt" to kiss the other person's cheek, fully knowing your lips are probably not going to touch the other person's cheek.

But needless to say, growing up in a Korean household in America, kissing each other on the cheek as a greeting gesture rarely ever happened. I'm now a little more accustomed to kissing my host mom on the cheek as I leave for school in the morning, when I go to sleep, and such, but today I had a slightly different experience from the normal. My host mom's grown son (near my parents' age) came to visit, and when we greeted each other, we naturally gave each other a kiss on each cheek. But I was slightly startled because he's cheeks weren't as soft as my host moms. Rather, it was prickly! I should have expected as much since an European man's face would be prickly should he had decided not to shave all that well that morning. Nevertheless, internally, I was making this face and saying, O.O woah!! Haha

And that's all. (Haha, I know someone out there is thinking, "cool story bro.") That's a snip bit of my life in España.

PS am I a fifth grader or what?! Writing words like "kiss" and "man's face" and "cheek" and "lips" makes me think I'm writing about something that shouldn't be shared. It makes me want to giggle. -_- I am mature.

home sick.

D-day

Even though I am sitting here at JFK waiting for my flight to Madrid, I sort of don't believe that I'm going. Is this me in denial? Perhaps.

Oddly enough, I was pretty calm this whole winter break, but I had a mild freak out last night while I was packing. I know I shouldn't have waited, but legitimately I didn't finish packing until 3 last night. But then at the same time, I fell asleep around 11 PM, and woke up at 2 still in my jeans a little panicked. One of my good friends texted me last night telling me how packing was the most stressful, and hardest part is packing, and I now I wholeheartedly agree. Maybe it was my lack of preparation, maybe it was my sleepiness, but as I was packing, I had a tidal wave of fear and cold feet, I'm not going to lie, I got a little emotional. :P But you know what, whatever may come, God's got my back. I had this verse spoken over me by two people, and I wanted to share:

"fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." [Isaiah 41:10]

So encouraging. That's not to say that I'm not nervous, and scared, but I have the Lord's promise! What is greater than that?

I hope to be continually reminded of one goal: to be loved, and to love back. Let myself by showered with the Father's love, and reciprocate that love, and share that love.

That's all for now. The next time I update, I will be in España. Hasta luego.

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This is too cute to keep for myself. :D

T minus 2 days

Things are getting pretty serious. I have laid out and neatly folded (most) all of the clothes I want to bring with me, I got the luggage case out, and got four months worth of contacts. What's more, I've made two significant purchases today.

My new guide to Spain, apparently. Blame my
indecisiveness, my frugality, my practicality, or whatever, but it was very hard choosing a travel guide! So many options, all having their own pros and cons. One is too heavy, the other too many pictures, one with great hotel recommendations but horrible taste in restaurants, the other with great practical tips, but outdated information...etc. And then, to make matters more difficult, the books are divided by country, region, city, the whole continent! Ay Dios mio. If I had an unlimited budget, and an unlimited weight restriction for my bags, then I would have bought at least 5 of them.

Despite the dilemma (what a luxurious dilemma, eh?), I just went with the Frommer's guide. Seemed pretty organized, and people around me seem to recommend it so, there you go.

I sure hope I'll get my money's worth out of this book.

My second purchase of the day is the notorious money belt. While I was at Barnes and Noble thumbing through the travel guide books, Rick Steve's guide to Europe was going on and on about how to avoid theft, getting pick-pocketed, mugged, ripped off, falling for a scam, losing essentials, etc., and he mentioned how he ALWAYS travels with a money belt and feels really uncomfortable traveling without it. And naturally I was convinced that I needed one as well. I hear how common petty theft is in Europe (Spain), and I thought, well, although slightly uncomfortable and unfashionable, it's better to be safe than sorry. Right? Right, so I drove over to Target, and bought myself a nice, ugly, plastic-y money belth. But now that I am home, thinking about it, I'm not 100% sure I'll be using this contraption. Should I return it??!

Am I being super paranoid? I mean, once I can pull off "I know what I am doing, and where I am going" look perfectly in Madrid, I probably won't use it, but during my weekend trips, doesn't a money belt sound like an insurance of sorts?

But it really is happening. Really is happening. Really. Is. Happening.

T minus 7 days.

This time next week, I will be patiently(?) waiting for my flight to Madrid.

HOLY SHMOLY. This is actually happening. Currazzy.