Hey!
It’s 2:30pm (+6hrs) on Monday, September 8, here in Alicante, Spain and 84 degrees! It’s always sunny and hot here and yesterday someone told me it hasn’t rained since December, and that was only for 5 minutes. I got here to my host home last Tuesday afternoon after they lost both of my bags at the airport. I got one of my bags (the one with all the clothes, thank Jesus) on Thursday and the other bag finally came yesterday morning! Such a relief!
Tomorrow, I have a meeting with my coordinator at the university to register for classes..I will start on Wednesday at the earliest. I live in the “city centre” of Alicante and I take either the bus or the tram pretty much everywhere. My university is located in San Vicente del Raspeig which is separate from the center of Alicante..it’s about a 35 minute bus ride from my host home. Carmen is the name of the lady I am staying with and she is 56. She lives alone in what they call a flat. It’s kind of like apartments. She has a daughter and the cutest granddaughter ever with blonde hair, blue eyes, and curly hair. And she always has to get her way! Carmen makes breakfast and dinner for me pretty much everyday I am here. The food is alright (very Westernized), so what I have experienced so far is not the typical stereotype we think of when we think of authentic Spanish cuisine, although I know it’s around here somewhere, I just haven’t found it! Before I came here, I thought I ate a lot, because I really do, but everyone says I don’t eat enough and Carmen says, “I’m going to go to the hospital if I don’t eat more.” Oh, and she speaks NO English whatsoever. It has been difficult to communicate, but we are starting to understand each other and I’m am picking up Spanish very fast, after all, I don’t know anyone really who does speak English (fluently). A lot of younger people know a little, but there is still nothing like really talking to a native English speaker. That will change though when I start my classes because most of my classmates will be international students as well, so I am definitely ready to make some friends and start school! (Weird, right?)
*I went to the beach yesterday and got a little burnt! The water is so clear you can see your toes! (And also all of the jellyfish swimming around you haha)
For those of you who have smartphones, I can text from an app called “What’s App” or “Viber”…I have both so which ever works. My Spain phone number is +34603132141 so send me your name if you text me 🙂
Well, I slept in pretty late today because it’s kind of my last day of summer, I guess! So, I probably won’t take my usual midday siesta that I have become very fond of since I arrived In Alicante. So, I think that’s all I have for now. I miss you all so much, and my dad was right, I already truly appreciate everything I have back home that I always took for granted, e.g. A/C, peanut butter, movies, rain, and most of all familiarity. Everything is so different here, from the clock to the outlets to the metric system. Yes, change is good and inevitable at some point in all of our lives and I’m thankful for these experiences, but it is also very very very hard! I will adapt eventually, but 20 years of Americanism is not shook off so easily! For the first time in my life, I actually want to scream “‘Muricaaaaaa” (America haha), but I know I would get even more looks than I already do..my accent and green north face backpack already scream “extrañjero” (foreigner) for me 😉
Over the next few months, I want to send you all postcards and emails like these, but I don’t have many people’s email addresses, so please feel free to pass this email along and share my email address (hunterselenebowen@gmail.com) with others so I can add them to my list!
And, if I don’t have your mailing address, please send that too if you would like some post card lovin’ from me!
I hope to hear from you soon 🙂
In the meantime, get your passport and come visit me!
Love you to Spain and back!
Hunter B.
Skype name: hunnerselene
Instagram: hunter_selene
Hunter's Study Abroad in Alicante, Spain 