I'm going to Ireland tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day!!!! That's exciting. 1) I'll be in a country where the speak ENGLISH, and 2) It's Ireland!!! AAA I can't wait. FYI I've posted more pictures on shutterfly for your viewing entertainment :) They are of Cartagena and Carnival.

Last Saturday I went to Caravaca, (it's a pueblo in Murcia). This city's big attraction is in it's Catedral there is cross with a piece of wood from the cross of Jesus. Now, I was expecting a big hung of wood, or like a wooden cross with an old piece of wood in it, BUT I should of known better. The cross is in a room of the Catedral, and it's not wooden it's gold and silver and very ornate and in that cross is the piece of wood, but you can't see it and just have to believe them. So, as far as I'm concerned I saw it :)

This week Andrea's brother and his friend, Lara, came to visit. They were both great and I got to tag along a little bit and it was nice to see other Americans and have a small piece family around, even it wasn't mine haha, on SATURDAY Andrea took them to Rincoun which is our little restaurant/tapas bar that we go to on the weekends just to unwind and relax and have yummy tapas!

I think they enjoyed themselves then on SUNDAY Jaime took all of us to Cabo de Palos. Which is on the coast, and just south of La Manga... so we drove to La Manga del Mar Menor (the sleeve of the smaller sea) and it was beautiful...I think this is my favorite coastal area thus far. At La Manga you can see the Mediterranean sea and Mar Menor the coast cuts in between the two bodies of water and ah, it's gorgeous.

This school week was a little tiring because we had a couple of presentations and a History (Spanish History of course) exam all on Wednesday. But hey, if I was in the states it would be nothing because I would be accustomed to the work load. But my learning consists mostly of trying to decipher what someone is saying to me, how to speak back to them without sounding like a caveman, and traveling :) Oh well it's over now and I'm sooo glad- everyone is still friends and there were no deaths in the process of this stressful week!

THURSDAY night Andrea and I hosted a little going away fajitas dinner for her brother and Lara. Travis (her bro) was the chef and it was sooo good. It's amazing what a little packet of fajita mix can do. Almost all of the girls from my program came and our new friend Mark. I met Mark yesterday at McDonald's with my friend Ashlee-- and he noticed our mannerisms and English to be quite American. BUT what sold him was I was wearing my Chacos (outdoorsy sandals)! Ashlee and I asked him and his Spaniard girlfriend Bea to sit with us. We sat there and talked and ate for about 2 or 2 1/2 hours. He does a lot of hiking, and knows all of the good spots here in Murcia, so I think he's going to take me and anyone else that wants to go one sunny weekend. He came to fajita night and I think he thouroughly enjoyed the American companionship... he's from MN and has been here for 6 months. That's the majority of the highlights this week.

FYI- I'm leaving for Ireland for 5 days, coming home then going to Valencia for Las Fallas (big celebration, maybe comparable to the 4th of July, and then I'm going to Barcelona. So I'll be MIA starting tomorrow. I'm uploading all the pictures to shutterfly and facebook I can before I leave but the internet is being temperamental..

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Oh yeah, I just got a package from my bible study-- THANK YOU!!