Su Casa Es Mi Casa!

The entrance of my building.
I live in an apartment on the second floor that also houses a hostel and law practice. 

The door to my apartment.
At first, I always hit the switch on the left thinking it was the light in the hallway....It's the doorbell.  

The entrance of my apartment.
My family has LOTS of decorations in the house, including tons of art pieces and a doll collection
that scares me at night.

The hall way, with my room to the left.
I have the only room on this side of the apartment. It's perfect because my family goes to sleep very early, and I am able to play music or talk to friends without waking them up. I am also able to sneak in late...

My room!
I love having my own space, but I feel bad at times that my room is usually dirty. It's strange having a mother that washes my clothes and sheets and then puts everything in my room for me. I feel like I live in a hotel!

The view from my window.
I usually can hear almost everything happening in the surrounding apartments, but its okay because my neighbor is a really good guitar player!

My slippers...
I miss being able to walk in the house barefoot. 

A book in Spanish I am attempting to read.
My family loves and is very proud of the history of Spain. They gave me a book about Spanish history that I try to read before  bed, but I typically can only finish a few pages a day.

Millions of books (and a baby picture of my sister!).
The entire hallway of my apartment is lined with bookshelves. My parents are literary fiends, and I love thumbing through their collection. 

The bathroom.
Just learned this weekend what that other toilet-looking this is...

The shower!
I am in love with the shower because it has misters!!!! I wish I could spend more time showering, but I am scared to use too much water. 

The kitchen and mi madre!
Mi madre is a very loving and impressive woman. She has trouble with her eyesight and at times needs help getting around the house, but she always helps wash the clothes, cook, and clean. A typical day for her starts at 6:30 in the morning, and most days, she goes to the gym. She also is in a book club and takes on course about computers. She absolutely love to write poetry, and always tries to teach me pretty phrases or help me with my Spanish pronunciation. My sister says she loves her mom because she listens well, works hard, and is very curious about learning new things, and I completely agree. 

The living room.
This is where my family spends the most time because they love watching movies. I think mi padre knows more actors from the US than I do. 

You can always find mi padre in his chair in the living room. He works at the University of Granada in computer science. He used to be a professor, but he decided to take a job in administration after my host sister was born so that he could spend more time with his family. A typical day for him starts at 6:30, as he wakes up to make breakfast and wake up both me and my sister. He goes to work and then helps his wife clean and cook; I really appreciate that he contribute so much to the housework, which I wasn't expecting. 

My host dad and I spend most of our time together talking about music and politics. He has an amazing collection of records and love the Beatles. He is incredibly interested in the culture of the United States and knows a lot about geography, art, and politics in the US. His favorite thing about the USA is that there is no prominent Communist party. My sister said she appreciates that her father is very intelligent, understanding, and loves Real Madrid. He is always cracking jokes, and after I taught him the phrase, he often refers to himself as a silver fox. 

Mi perro.
I LOVE THIS DOG! Her name is Daroca, and she is by far the most well-behaved dog I have ever met. Everyday when I come home from school, she get up from here (her favorite spot) and sprints to the door. She also likes to lick my legs a lot because I guess my lotion tastes good. 

Mi hermana.
Every day, my sister Lucia gets home from school around 2:30, eats, and does many hours of homework. She is taking Latin and English and is very smart. She wants to be a lawyer when she grows up! She also plays piano, tenis, and does equestrian. 

Lucia is only fifteen years old, and in my opinion, is the quintessential teenager. She is silly and fun-loving, and her father calls her his heaven. I definitely enjoy having someone to talk to and explore with; at times, she will show me pictures of boys she likes or tattoos she wants and speak in English when she doesn't want her father to understand. She likes doing my hair and borrows my makeup and jewelry. I have never had a sister, or even a younger sibling, so it is a whole new experience. She is often very concerned with her looks and worries that she is ugly. She is super picky about her food and quarrels with her parents. I have definitely learned the patience that my brother had to have to live with my during my teenage years. But all in all, I love when we get to be silly together or when she laughs at me when I try to sing in Spanish.

The balcony.

View from the balcony of Camino de Ronda.

My host parents have been married for 33 years, and I have rarely seen a couple so loving and respectful. My host dad usually refers to his wife as perfection, and my hot mom went on and on about how loving, supportive, patient, intelligent he is when I asked how they met and what they liked about the other.  

My family also has a son who is 30 and works in Madrid, and a daughter who is 33 and just got married. I haven't met Susanna yet, but I met Pedro when he came to visit one weekend. He saved my life when my phone broke!

My family has many pictures of their ancestors, and they are very, very proud of their Spanish roots. 

The prized possession of my host father is this sash from 1935 that was his mothers. His father gave to his mother as a symbol of his interest in her before the were married.  

My favorite Pixar movie in Spanish!!!!

My favorite part of the house is the piano! My host sister also plays, and it is interesting to learn how music is taught in Spanish. I love being able to share my music with her, and we are going to learn a duet before I leave!

I couldn't have asked for a better family, and I honestly don't think I would be having such a great experience if it wasn't for them. They call me their daughter, and they even offered for me to stay with them if I could convince my parents to let me stay longer...I definitely will never forget their hospitality, love, and silliness!