I put aside my stubborn side and took some advice...

If I wasn't in love with Toledo before, then I fell in love with it today. But I also found out something rather unfortunate today too: I am pathetically out of shape.

Today was (well and still is, as the sun gets closer and closer to setting into the horizon) one of the most beautiful days here so far. After spending the majority of yesterday sleeping/watching movies/eating/lying around, my goal today was simple: get out of the Fund! Also, the extra pudge around my midsection has reminded me that I should probably try to get out and get some exercise (and probably eat better, but I'll talk about that later). So, most people know how I hate running...and how I hate doing things because people tell me to. Well, today I put my stubbornness aside and took some advice given to me by both my sister and my boyfriend: go for a goddamn run. (I'm using the colon way too much in this blog post...). But yes, I went for a run today...and I hate to admit it, but it was the best thing I've done since I've been here in Spain so far.

Let me be clear though, it was more like a walk/jog/slow trot. But I loved it because usually at home I never would "run" because I am so self-conscious of people looking at me or seeing people I know when I'm exercising. Here though, I don't know anyone, and everyone is doing their own thing and paying no attention to me. It's great. So armed with a map, my phone, 20€ (in case I stopped at a store I liked...I didn't), and my MP3 player, I set out into the streets. The map was only necessary to get me out of the labyrinth that is the streets of Toledo, and I was able to get out onto the road that lies alongside the Rio Tajo. I peered over the edge of the cliff on the side of the road and saw a little trail way below me that was right next to the river...it was so perfect! So I figured out my way down there and read about La Ruta de Don Quijote on one of those touristy informational panels, and started my jog. I saw a lot of cool things on the trail...families with young children, a young couple holding hands (aww!), a few old men walking with canes, and a woman relieving herself on the side of the trail. That was kinda awkward...I couldn't tell what number she was doing exactly lol, but either way I don't think that is appropriate for a woman to do in public! Crazy...

Anyway, my point is that it was beautiful. Next time I will take a camera so I can share the view! For my culture class, I have to write a paper on either a geographical or historical aspect of Toledo and my thoughts on it. I might do it about the Rio Tajo...I'm not sure yet. On that note, my classes are going well! for all my classes (except for service learning), we have a midterm and a final, along with papers and discussions and such. I don't get that much homework in the classes I am in, which is really nice. My hardest class might be my "Arte de leer" literature class, just because it takes so long to read so many pages of spanish literature when they use so many words I don't know and I have to look them up lol. But I absolutely love every single one of my professors, they are some of the nicest and best profs I have ever had. Oh, and I just found out that I'm working at a school for my service-learning job, helping kids in the classroom. I'm excited to start next week! And I also got myself an intercambio, which is where I am paired with a native spaniard and we meet once or twice a week for me to help her with her english, and her to help me with my spanish. It's just conversation, and we spend one hour talking in english, and the next hour talking in spanish. I feel like this will be really good for my spanish, and to build a relationship with a spanish person here. I will start meeting with her next week!

Well, there are 2 hours until dinner and I might read until then I think. The food here is getting progressively less appetizing to me, but I eat it anyway haha. The only thing is that it is so much carbs, and the meat that they serve is basically a hunk of fat with a bit of meat on it. Ridiculous! And I bought a bottle of hot sauce to take down to meals with me, since I miss spicy food so much. Nothing here is spicy at all, which is a little surprising to me but it's not a big deal lol.

Well that's all for now! Adios!

Angie