Best Weekend Ever!

         This has been the best weekend since I arrived in Spain, and maybe even one of the best weekends that I've had in general. 
     It all started Friday, our last day of school before break. We had the first three classes of the day like normal, even though I didn't really have anything to do because I had finished all of my exams and everything. Then we had "free time" like usual, where we go and get food or hang out for 20 minutes and then have the last three classes of the day. Only it was longer than normal, about 45 minutes. We did our class "secret santa" exchange that day and let me just tell you that I was genuinely crying of laughter at my gifts. This absolutely adorable little kid who looks 10 even though he's 16 and says things like "Harry Potter is by Shakespeare, right?" was the one who bought me my gifts. I got a piggy bank that looks like a chicken, a game that I don't even know how to explain (I'll put up pictures), a cat from a chino that waves its arm back and forth if you put a battery in it, a tiny little plush soccer ball, and a freaking wooden spoon. I kid you not I was crying because I was laughing so hard at the fact that he bought me a spoon. I love that kid. But anywho, we spent about 45 minutes after our break in the class playing cards, talking, laughing, playing music, and just having a good time, and it was easily the best last day of school before break that I've had: 

Me and my girl, Fernanda

Rudolph wassup

Fer & Maria

     Then later, I had a Christmas dinner with some of my girlfriends from school and my sister: Alazne, Vanessa, Itsaso, Elena, y Ane-Elena. We went to Krunch which is a sort of restaurant but a little more "fast foody" and had some great food and great conversations. Then we went for a walk and ended up at this gorgeous tree lit up for Christmas, which is situated right in front of one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, buildings I've seen in Bilbao. Of course we took a bajillion pictures: 

Elena, Itsaso, Vanessa, Ane/Elena, Alazne and I 

     Then Saturday, day two of the four great days this weekend had to offer. Saturday night, like a lot of other Saturday nights, we went to Anaconda, the discoteca. But this time it wasn't just us girls. It was basically all of my class (1A), all of 1B, and some of the people from both 1C, 1D, as well as some from 2 Bach (seniors). It was so fun to have everyone there, especially the people that you would never expect to be there, but that showed up because everyone was going. It's so adorable to see those people letting loose and having fun and even telling you they'd go again (though they definitely need a little practice). It was a night of dancing, laughing, talking, and a night where I realized just how cool some people are that I normally don't talk to as much, especially this one guy from my class. We talk, but we had never talked very much, and I always thought I annoyed him, but we ended up hanging out the whole night and he's SO funny. I think by the end of this year we'll be best friends, or at least I hope so. Of course there was some drama, and we even saw a fight on the street, but hey, that's what comes with the life of partiers, I guess. That night I stayed at the house of my best friend that I have here, Fer (Fernanda) which was hilarious and fun and as perfect as always. Love that girl. (First discoteca where I actually didn't take pictures)

     Day three, Sunday, I came home at about 10:30 AM, ate, showered, got dressed and made up all nice and purty, and then I had to leave again. Sunday we had the "comida de clase." Everyone from class that could make it went out to lunch at this place called Deluxe in Bilbao. They serve the biggest hamburgers I have ever seen in my life. Of course I shared one with another girl from my class, Olatz, because there is no way either of us could ever eat the whole thing. What cracked me up was seeing some of those guys eat the whole thing like it was nothing, especially Jon, the one I talked about before who is tiny and looks like he is 10 years old. I'm pretty sure that hamburger wheighed more than him and yet he ate the entire thing. Then after we ate, we all went to Zubiarte, the mall, and just hung out, walking around, talking and laughing like always. When a few of us were at McDonalds eating icecream, there was this guy who had a popsickle stick stuck to his forehead, don't ask me how that's even possible) and I turned to Jon and asked him why the eff that man had a popsickle stick on his head and then we just started dying laughing. Once again, I was crying from laughter, like laughing so hard I couldn't even breath. Poor guy noticed us and took it off his head, though he did put it in his lip..strange fella. Then we went to the park where they have this adorable little pond with ducks and geese and walked through the park. After that, Olatz had to leave, and that left me with all the guys because the other two girls from class couldn't make it that day. But hey, I didn't mind. I've always been more comfortable with guys than with girls anyway, so I felt right at home. We went to this adorable little cafe and all ordered coffee, sitting around outside just having a good old time. I even ordered in English because one of my friends got down on his knees to beg me to do it, and how can you refuse that? Poor waitor had absolutely no clue what I said so I ordered in Spanish with a horrendously overexaggerated American accent and suprisingly enough, he understood me, though he was laughing at my obvious idiotic accent. I thought we were going to go out to eat and then go home, 2 hours max, but we ended up all hanging out for 7 hours, time flying by like it always does when you're having fun:

Jon and the hamburger that is bigger than this head

Kacper and I obviously being dumb

Aner and I have way too much swag to function properly 

(PS right after we took this we got yelled at for taking a picture with the merchandise)

My absolute love, Olatz

This mocha is too cool

Christmas timeeee in the city

     Then yesterday, Monday, the last day of this great weekend, we had the party of Santo Tomás, or as we call it, Santoto. It was in Casco Viejo, which is the oldest (and prettiest) part of Bilbao and it's basically just an entire day of people hanging out in crowds, drinking, eating food, and having a good time with their friends. I went with some of the people from class: Sara, Pino (Cristian), Kacper, Aitor, Onti (Dani), and Uni (Unai) and we met up with some others: Oria (Pablo), Aitor (a different Aitor...every freaking guy here is named Aitor), Iker, and later more and more people. The party was kind of crap, but the company was not. With these people, I always have a good time:

VENGAAAA ES LA HORA DE FIESTA

Pino is presh

Oria, Pino, and Uni hiding in the back

Sara aka the best friend a girl could ask for

Because no matter where I go, I've always got my boys

(Kacper, Aitor, Pino, Uni, and Onti)

Love it when they hopelessly try to pull off wearing my glasses

     I remember how terrified and alone I felt when I first got here and now I can't even imagine leaving these people. You know you're really making friends and you're really loved when they tell you "Bri no te vayas!" ("Bri don't leave!") or that it’s going to be extremely strange when I go back home. I also remember how lame my life was back in PA. I mean for one thing, there’s really nothing to do in Lancaster, PA, like literally a good old nothing. The company was great though, because I absolutely love being with my best friends there, and I miss them so much, but at the same time, I remember that I would choose Netflix over my friends, that I would choose staying in rather than going out, that I would choose being alone rather than being with my friends…the majority of the time. And that’s something I can’t take back or change, but now I feel dumb because all those times, I could have been spending more time with my best friends, and I wasn’t. But all of that has changed. If there’s a chance for me to go out, I go! Maybe it’s because I’m here and I want to make the most of my year, but I LOVE going out now. I’m always going out with my friends or doing something, and I love it that way. Maybe it’s just because I love my life here SO much, and I love my friends SO much. Can’t wait to spend the next 6 months with these amazing people in this amazing place.