Contenta

This morning I was feeling very homesick and hopeless but as the day went on, my spirits lifted. I still do not understand my teachers, but I am finding that they do not mind. I met some more girls at recreo today and I understand my friends more too. They are so patient and helpful and positive, can I bring them home with me??????!
Poco a poco I will understand this lifestyle.
In my class titled AE Soledad (no idea what this class even is....) the teacher talks very fast. Like seriously....super fast. I can't even understand English that fast. She asked me if I understood anything and I just told her straight up that no entiendo nada haha and this was definitely a good choice. She laughed and explained that she just speaks very quickly and it's a problem,and one of the guys in my class that I thought would never ever talk to me made jokes and I felt much better. He also asked me if I would be at the festival tonight and everyone was excited when I said yes. It made me feel very warm.
Our clase de ciencia was cancelled, and this is the last class of the day, so my class (Christina, Leila, Sarah, Eva, Noelia, Ty, Raul, and Ian) found themselves seated around the stairs outside of the school. Unlike yesterday and the day before, everyone was talking to me. It helps that I am understanding more I guess. Also, Leila will translate what I don't know because her family speaks ingles at home.
After school, I had lunch with my family and then we went to the village. The "small" town is actually pretty ummm....hopping? And it is very confusing to navigate but I think I'm  getting the hang of it. I can always find my way home by 9.
Tonight I hung out with Olivia and her sister's friends: Xandra, Flore, Pedro, and ummm I do not remember the other names...I've totally got a list going in my phone. The names are so different here, I spell them all wrong! Olivia decided we would speak only in Spanish, and it helped me so much. I understood everything and talked much more; I am getting more confident in my
Spanish. However....I am the only without the whole tongue-rolling ability.....like it just doesn't come to me.............
I have found a friend in Flore! She coincidentally lives right across the street from me. We had an intense heart-to-heart conversation about being shy when we walked home together, just the two of us. It is quite the experience to have such a deep conversation in another language with someone who lives on a different planet. She wants to visit Los Estados Unidos but is afraid she is too shy. I think she is willing to stay with me though.

Last night I was wondering why I decided to put myself through this but tonight I have no questions. My relationship is not only growing with my new Spanish friends, but with Olivia and my host family as well. I am learning that I will fit in more if I just jump right in and pretend that this is where I belong.
Motto: fake it till you make it.

Okay, peace out. Each day is so long. I wish I could explain every little detail, like how the coffee tasted with Lupe today in the village or how Pablo's English teacher has a cute Irish accent or how Ian has lip piercings or how my favorite kind of bread here has chocolate chips, but there is not enough time.
Goodnight!