me queda un mes en madrid. one month. i've been in europe for 3.5 months. it feels like less, but sometimes it feels like more. the weather is finally nice, which ups my spirits and enthusiasm for spain just in time for me to leave! i had a great weekend here in madrid. i actually spoke a lot of spanish (though with romanian people), and got mistaken for being spanish a couple times (thank you european/short haircut, to which i am still accustoming myself). i know, i've been terrible about keeping my blog. sorry guys...look at my facebook pictures? i guess i've had barely any time to actually reflect on this trip and on myself, which is usually why i would update a blog anyway. i get bored recounting my trips step-by-step in a journal. so i apologize.

how do i feel about going home? excited! i saw hayley last night, and she's going home tomorrow. yes, i'm actually envious. i want to come home. but at the same time, when i spend weekends like this one in madrid, it pains me to think i only have 2 in madrid left, with so much stuff left to see and do. but i have too much emotional stake (you guys! and berkeley) in stuff at home that i don't think i could bear to stay any longer than i will.

bah, school. the bain of my existence. seriously guys, it's a joke. but not the good kind, the painful kind. workbook exercises, 2-page regurgitation write-ups, shitty grading system -- it's on my nerves. it's a bad time for it to get on my nerves too; in two weeks i have 5 finals and a 10-page paper and an 8-page paper. what the fuck am i going to write about for 8 pages for spanish history? yeah the inquisicion was shitty. end. it makes me thankful for the intellectual standards at berkeley. it at least motivates me to do work most of the time. it's pulling teeth for me to write a 2-page art history writeup. it actually feels like high school.

yeah, so that's my update, sorry it's lame, but i will recount my whole trip (and you will recount the entire semester for me) when i return. in one month :)