Lists

So my friend Kara and I have a lot of the same passions that we have luckily been able to share a lot of them together. She is always someone I can call that I know will listen and enjoy hearing everything I have to say because she is probably experiencing something similar. Anyways we both have a very big passion for Spanish and have both been so lucky to be able to travel to countries and surround ourself in the language. I was the first to travel to Spain in between my sophmore and junior years and before I left Kara gave me a letter for everyday I would be gone (2 weeks) saying different things about the places I would be (because she knew my schedule and where I would be each day) these letters were so thoughtful and I absolutely loved them that when she went to Spain during the spring break of our Junior year I did the same thing for her. So when I left for four months I never thought she would write me letters again but right before I left she handed me a bag FULL of letters (not one for everyday but still a bunch). I could not stop smiling and just wanted to open all of them right away! All the letters have a date written on them for when I am suppose to read them and the one I want to talk about was from February 1st. I am blogging about this so much later then February first because I really didnt understand what she was asking me to do.
The letter said "Ok...you're going to think I am crazy but today I'm telling you to start making a list of the little things about your trip that you want to remember. What things do you see, smell, hear and taste each day that are special? What people are memorable?" She went to Costa Rica last Spring and she said making this list was her favorite thing and she loves looking back on it.
It sounds very basic and self explanatory but I really didn't understand. Was I suppose to write down that I appreaciate all my food being brown or yellow, the smell of the detergant they use, how my school is hotter then standing in the desert? I didn't know so I talked to her about it and so far this is what I have on my list: Fuzzy sheets, going to church with Abuela, walking to school, being surrounded by Spanish, messages from friends, my gold slippers,
But today I realized I really am so thankful for Abuela! She is so funny and half the time I have no idea what she is saying. If you are sitting in a room with her she finds it the perfect moment to tell you everything she knows. Silence is not golden to her. Even when we walk to church she is mumbling stuff to herself. She is so hard working and never expects anything in return. I am trying to think of something really nice I can get her before I leave so if you have any suggestions let me know. Even just today I was telling her I was going to the store to pick up my tickets for the concert this weekend and she started babbling about what we were going to have for dinner and how a plane crashed in Spain today. You just got to love her. O and she always thinks the tv is too quite...I swear neighbors three houses down can hear our TV! And she will break out in song at any given moment. She went to three different stores trying to find me grapes (hubos) because I told her they were my favorite fruit (they are not very common in Spain to eat only to make wine).