I'm sorry I haven't written in a while! I think about it everyday, but it's getting harder and harder to keep up with this blog. I'll try to give as good of a summary as I can...

This past weekend I took my trip to Valencia and Granada and surprise! I went all by myself! I didn't mention it before because I didn't want anyone to worry but now that I'm back in Barcelona I can say that everything went PERFECTLY. I had a fantastic weekend all to myself. In fact, the only hiccups I had all weekend involved the Barcelona train station so I really can't complain at all. I took a train to Valencia Thursday evening, it was about three and a half hours. I found my hostel and checked in and I had a dorm room meant for six girls all to myself. Friday I spent the entire day walking around the city seeing the churches, plazas and museums. I even saw a movie when it started to get dark, just to kill some time. My train from Valencia to Granada left at 1am, so I had plenty of time to kill.

I spent all day Saturday and Sunday in Granada, a city that turned out to be my idea of a Spanish paradise. It's the Spain that I've been looking for, the Spain I read about in all of my textbooks before coming here. Granada is a relatively large city, but the historical center of it still feels like a pueblo. I had a great time just wandering around watching the people, smelling the flowers, and working on my tan! I ate some traditional tapas and seafood and tried just about all the pastries I hadn't seen before in Barcelona. Saturday night I even saw an authentic flamenco show in a great little hole-in-the-wall bar.

Sunday I spent almost the entire day at La Alhambra, the royal grounds and palaces of the Moorish royalty that thrived in Spain until the Catholics forced them out in 1492. I was amazed how well it was preserved, despite how my travel guidebook says they're nothing like they used to be. Apparently Napoleon used La Alhambra as a fort during the Spanish war for independence from France and he and his troops destroyed as much of it as they could. La Alhambra (and Granada in general) is filled with gardens and flowers in every available space. I felt like I could smell flowers and hear birds singing even when I couldn't see the flowers or the birds. How Granada became such a happy-go-lucky place I really don't know.

I really enjoyed spending the weekend alone, even if it meant a 13-hour train ride back to Barcelona. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted and for as long as I wanted. I took time to stop and read anywhere the mood struck me and found that I really enjoy reading near fountains. I had time to write in my journal and think about whatever I decided needed thinking about. (Like how two weeks from tomorrow I'm getting on a plane to the United States...) Silvia noticed right away how happy this trip made me and said it was the happiest and most excited she'd seen me after any trip this semester.

Tomorrow at about 7am we'll be on a flight to Amsterdam. No, I'm not traveling alone this weekend. Matt, Trent, Stephanie, Adriana and I rented an apartment for the weekend so we'll all be together. I might even see a friend from home who is studying in Holland and is thinking of coming to Amsterdam to see us tomorrow, that should be fun. I'll be back Sunday evening and will try my best to write again by Monday at the latest. Next week final exams start... I think I'll also try to start packing then, too! EEK!