On the John

So I'm sitting here on the John, and I thought...you know...I typically bring my laptop to "The Thinker" just for musical accompaniment but this time I want to actually do something while I kill time.
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I haven't updated this blog in a long while, simply because....well....nothing special has happened recently! But to be quite honest, I'm kinda glad! Before I left all I heard was, "Noah, you gotta take a lot of pictures!", "Noah, you gotta visit things and travel..." etc. I always told them this wasn't a vacation, though.

I know right now it sounds like I'm saying I don't want to do any of the things, which is a lie, because I do. However, I'm not looking to accomplish all those things in the first two months I'm here. The goal is to live the life here like I would if I had grown up here all along. To learn the life, teach my life, compare, and most importantly adapt. Families who live in America go and visit museums and aquariums and historical places, too. But they don't do it all the time.

I'm perfectly content with living a life where I come home from school, eat, take a nap, wake up, do my homework, and spend some time with my family in the house. It's nice. It feels like the life. In fact, I actually found myself in a routine the other day, and as much as I hate routines, I was happy to find myself almost not even noticing that I was doing these things all in a routine. (I just re-read that...and it was confusing, but I think the point is clear).

The point is, I'm going to go visit amazing places, and it probably won't be soon, but I'm not worried about it. The time will come when the time comes. I'll get there, and when I do I'll be happy, and while I wait I also plan on staying happy!

Now onto the more "routine" (tehe) things. My spanish is RIDICULOUSLY better than when I got here. Even though I had been studying spanish for like 6 months (on my own) in the states it's safe to say that I knew nothing when I got here. I was in complete and utter shock at the language of Spanish. However, in this month and a half I've probably learned as much spanish, if not more than, a student in America (in an average high school) learns in 2 years. Most importantly, the spanish I'm learning I can actually speak, and the spanish I'm learning is useful in conversation. In my experience, half the things you learn out of the book are too awkward or literal and not practical like the things actual spanish speakers would say, in addition to that, learning out of the book, and learning to speak are two completely different things.

I think if I were actually in a Spanish speaking part of Spain my Spanish would be even better, but that is besides the point.

My Catalan, well it sucks hahahahahaha It's not good at all, I only know a few little phrases. I understand a little little little little bit more than before but I speak almost none. Sometimes I wonder why Rotary sent me here to learn Spanish -.-

I've found that watching a lot of TV helps with my pronunciation, and helps me get used to hearing it, as long as I actively listen. I have a TV in my room, right by my laptop, which I spend a lot of time on late at night (GOTTA KEEP UP WITH FANTASY FOOTBALL)

Anyways, that's about all I have for now, look for a video this weekend! and maybe another blog update to go along with it!!!!

P.S. Listening, focusing, and attempting to understand a language 24 hours a day is really tiring. More than you'd imagine.