New Year, More Blogging

One of my new year's resolutions is to start blogging again! I know my blog has been kind of a failure, but I'm going to give it another go.

After looking back on the last year, where I've been, the friends of made, the lessons I've learned, I'd say I've had a pretty fabulous 2010. Let's look at some highlights:
-Took all UD courses winter quarter, 3 of which were literature, and managed to get all A's! (...k, one A-)
-Enjoyed the sun, sorority stuff, and some well needed relaxation during spring quarter..
-Spent the summer traveling to Montana, Las Vegas, Florida, NorCal and New York...all while dreaming/ thinking/ preparing for my year abroad.
-Dealt with a significant relationship in my life ending.
-Arrived in Madrid, struggled through culture shock, a little homesickness, and some really disgusting dorm food.
-Made new bestfriendships with my amazing roommates. We are practically family now :)
-Traveled to Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Dublin, Gran Canaria, Granada, Córdoba.
-Found romance unexpectedly. I met Santi one night at a club in Madrid... I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I knew he could be someone special in my life :) Not only has he taught me Spanish, he has welcomed me into his world of amazing friends and delicious comida filipina. He's changed the way I view life and love and made my abroad experience all that much better.
-Welcomed my parents to Madrid for Christmas and New Years! Having them here was the best present I could have asked for. After the holidays I realized how important it is to me to eventually live somewhere close (or at least closer) to home when I grow up.

And now here are a few things I'm looking forward to in 2011:
-Becoming fluent in Spanish.
-Seeing my best friends Linda & Stephen, at least a few times, in EUROPA!
-Visiting London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Brussels, Paris, Venice, Florence, Greece and hopefully more places!
-Living it up for the next 6 months in Madrid.
-Coming home to California and it's amazing food <3
-Turning 21, heading to VEGAS.
-Turning 21, heading to NAPA.
-SENIOR YEARRR, LIVING ON DP!!!


Thinking about coming home makes me excited but sad at the same time. I don't want to get ahead of myself, I still have 6 months left! In a few days I'll be celebrating Dia de Los Reyes with Santi and his mom! I guess it's a Spanish tradition, every January 6th, to eat "roscon" for breakfast. Roscon is a doughy sweet bread that has a hidden porcelain surprise of sorts! Whoever gets the surprise in their piece of roscon has good luck for the rest of the year. Hope its meee! Later on thursday we're going shopping! Apparently stores here do this "Rebajas" thing after the holidays every year. There's supposed to be mad sales... And I want new boots.

Oh and update: Soy profesora de inglés! That's right, Marissa Morimoto, English Teacher at your service! I currently have two students. One is a 40 yr old, mas o menos, professional who needs to perfect his English for his new job. I spend a lot of time preparing for our classes because they are each TWO hours long and I'm scared of running out of things to do. My other student is a 12 yr old girl. Our class starts next week, but I have a feeling I'll have more fun with it. It's pretty easy money, considering I just get to speak in my native tongue, play games and do grammar exercises... pero mi jefa es una puta! If I didn't want the extra money so bad I wouldn't take all her shit. Maybe on my way out of Spain she'll get a piece of my mind.

That's all for tonight, folks. Over and out.

On Luggage, Love, & Learning

One more week until I depart for Madrid! I think it's hitting me now that I have begun to seriously pack, stock up on essential items, and say goodbye to close friends. After making several trips to REI, Bag'n Baggage, Macy's, and Sports Authority, I have selected the luggage that I will pack my most necessary and essential items.

Today I made a trip to the mall with my friend Sonja to buy a few more things for my trip. From my list of things to buy, I checked off boots, casual tops, a pair of black toms, 2 bare escentual foundations, 3 eyeliners, 3 mascaras, moisturizers, and a giant red suitcase! For a long time, I was sold on the idea of taking either one LARGE rolling duffel bag, or two medium sized rolling duffels. But after purchasing two, and packing one of them, I realized that they don't stand up on their own! I don't want to deal with rolling duffels falling all over the place as I fumble through the Barajas Airport in Madrid... which is why I'm bringing two large red suitcases instead. No, unfortunately they don't have those fancy wheels that let you push your suitcase alongside you while you walk... I will be dragging them behind me as I find my way from the airport to my hotel.

I still have lots to do before I leave... and I love making lists so bear with me.
-Make copies of my passport/visa and ID.
-Fax in a Power of Attorney to the financial aid office at school for my parents.
-Get a mani pedi.
-Download new music for the flight.
-Get my hair cut and colored back to my natural color.
-Buy outlet adapters.
-Make a FB event to get everyone's skype names!
-Eat Grandma Betty's cooking one last time.
-Set up online banking.
-Exchange some green for some euros.
-Figure out my medical coverage.
-Clean my room? Eh, maybe.
-PACK FO REAL.
-Become fluent in Spanish within the next week.
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-These blanks ones are for the things I know I'm forgetting.

This summer has been filled with such highs and lows. I've gotten to go so many places with friends and family. I've been to Orlando, New York City, Las Vegas, Darby (that's in Montana), Santa Barbara, and even Norcal! I've tanned, surfed (tried to), wakeboarded (tried to, ha), hiked, went shooting, fished, cried, laughed, danced, and shopped! I'm going to miss my life here so much. The last month has been extra rough because Michael and I broke up. I knew that going abroad might mean that I'd lose him... I guess I just wasn't prepared. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, feeling shocked, angry, in denial, rejected, sad...

But I can honestly say that I'm feeling better now. Our lives are leading us in different directions and we are too young to hold on. I have so much to learn about myself and what I want from life. I have to do this on my own. This adventure is for me. I hope to become independently happy, to be captivated by another culture, expand my world perspective, abandon unnecessary inhibitions, try new food, get lost, say yes, and to live by these words: "To have courage for whatever comes in life - Everything lies in that" (Mother Theresa).

PS- I changed my blog name. I'm just a sucker for alliteration!