meet the flat-mates

why, hello there. in an effort to keep up with my little blog here, i shall introduce you to the new lovely ladies living in my little 'piso' or flat. sadly, after three of my flat-mates from first semester headed back to their prospective countries, their rooms were left empty and freakishly clean awaiting the new arrivals. unlike my california living situations in which roommates are planned a year ahead of time, not knowing who would be living in the room next me was strange, but kinda thrilling.
well, i lucked out once again, with two wonderful italian chicas. (the third room, once the guest room, will be occupied by a sweet french girl this upcoming friday)

starting from left to right: Valentina is a sweetheart from Genoa, Italy who loves to sing Tracy Chapman as she cooks in the kitchen and debate about consumerism and socialism. next is Jenny, also Italian but who studies outside of London. she is a complete movie buff and is determined to catch me up on the american classics i have missed...the irony. second from the right is our old neighbor from England visiting for a catch up session on life in granada. and lastly, farthest right is Joanna, my French roommate from last semester. our flat is constantly filled with people from all over--it's amazing how living and interacting with people from dozens of countries daily has become extremely normal.

while i truly love the international experience i am living, sometimes it is necessary to return to my roots and hang with my california girls. this past weekend was my good friend Laura's 21st birthday celebration. theme: Leisure Suit (song by Fiest--40s glam) menu: mushroom and pea risotto, noodle shells stuffed with spinach and ricotta, chocolate covered strawberries, and yummy drinks of all sorts. execution: success. celebrating together that friday made me realize how being abroad has brought us all together in a special way. while we all want to meet people from exotic countries, practice our spanish with locals, and live our experience outside of california to its fullest, i think we have all come to understand the deep connection we have as americans and how we have become each other's support systems--a family of sorts.

feliz cumpleaños, laura!