So much to write about!

Wow! I feel like I have an entire book to write to describe all the things I've done in the past day and a half! So Josh and I went down near the center of Valencia to check out a flat I was debating on moving into yesterday.  It was in a cute little alley way and I fell in love with is automatically without even seeing the inside! There's a really pretty plaza right next to it called Plaza de la Virgen, which has a big cathedral and fountain in it! Super pretty.  So Josh and I ate lunch there, which wasn't the best idea.  Anywhere really touristy is bound to be expensive...eh well. we tried the traditional paella which we were told is so much better if made homemade, and some kind of seafood macaroni dish.  I don't eat seafood I was so proud of myself trying it! haha We also had steak, potatoes, and dessert served with it...well haha what we thought would be dessert.  We had the choice between manzana (apple), platano (banana), or some other word I couldn't understand,which I picked, and Josh picked platano thinking whatever he got would be some kind of thing that was banana flavored and the waiter told me my order was super delicious. well it turned out Josh got, a really cold banana, and I got some plain yogurt that  I had to put sugar in myself haha.  So then, we tried to find our way to a metro stop and found a Starbucks! So we used their wifi to check our Facebook and such and were on our way again.  So many pretty fountains and buildings! Man this city really is spectacular. I could just sit and read a book at any of the little gardens in the middle of the streets anyday and be totally content :)  Let's see, so then I went home and that I believe is about all I did yesterday!
It's sad really how easily I forget where I've been in the past 24 hours, but I have been doing so much stuff and walking ot and from my dorms so much that I forget what I've done! When I was walking to my dorm I sat at a bench in a little park in the middle of a roundabout and some guy started talking to me from Spain.  It was nice just talking to someone trying to use my Spanish as well as I could since he knew no English.  But he was kind of a weird guy haha so I made sure to keep my distance! I skyped Mom and Dad last night and went to bed early so I could wake up in time for church at 10 a.m.!
Josh and I walked to church and it was in this pretty little one story building between all these huge apartment buildings.  There were probably about 40 people in the ward and I'm pretty sure we were the only ones who could speak English.  Many of the members were from South America and not from Spain.  They were all very excited to have a new member in their ward.  The bishop came and asked if I was the girl who wrote him an e-mail to let him know I was coming to church.  He seems like a really good man.  Many of the other members in the ward were also very friendly and came up to introduce themselves.  The bishop wanted me to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting, but I was so scared I don't know enough church vocabulary to say anything! I didn't end up doing it, but one of these days I'll definitely say yes after a little more practice! There is also no piano player in my ward, so that and helping the relief society women learn some of the hymns is my calling I guess you could call it! There is a sister missionary from Utah who can play the top hand with one finger, and that's about it. haha Singing hymns in Spanish is so crazy! It is quite the experience doing all of this usual stuff in a different language! I practiced the piano in a separate room where a whole bunch of little kids were playing the piano.  One of them was actually pretty good for the age I guessed he was and using only one of his hands! One boy asked if I was from America and he was all excited, and another little probably 3 or 4 year old boy kept trying to kiss me!!! Hahaha crazy kid! Not sure what those parents are teaching him! hahaha
We went to a little bakery after and I got a chocolate raspberry little cake pastry thing and then we headed to my dorm to change clothes.  We then decided to hit up the beach! So we went through the Tarongers campus of University of Valencia to get to a metro to take us to the beach.  This metro is a lot closer to my dorms than the one we had been taking these past few days here since we arrived!  Also if you get on and off of a metro that is above ground, you really don't have to buy a ticket in order to get on or off! sweet little thing to remember! haha.  The beach was lovely! There were lots of palm trees and well. sand. haha of course.  So we took off our shoes and walked along the beach.  There was a ton of worn down red pottery everywhere and shells and garbage and maple leaves, which I found strange seeing as there were only palm trees around! But I picked up some of the broken pottery for Mom cause I know she loves that kind of stuff :) We sat and let our feet dry finally a while down the beach at a little bridge with some steps on it and enjoyed the first sunny day we've had! Though it was windy.  I guess you would expect that near the beach anyways.  The waves weren't insanely huge, but they weren't as small as I pictured them.  It was a pretty blue color though. Then Josh and I rode the metro for fun for a while and went back to my dorm for a quick nap before we met up with my possible future Spanish roommates!
We woke up and took the metro to the Plaza de la Virgen again where we were suppose to meet Ana and Natalia at the fountain.  We met up with them and went to a little cafe to talk and relax.  They seem like really fun girls! And I feel like I could really learn a lot from them! They are from Valencia so I'm sure they know all the local secrets :)  The cafe we went to was absolutely beautifully decorated too! I'm sure it's not the last time I'll be there so I'll make sure to take some pictures of it sometime.  After we left them, we headed back to my dorm to find a vending machine with more Kinder chocolate !!! We then met some girls at this vending machine from Japan and Ireland who were exchange students as well.  They had been in Valencia last semester as well and gave us some heads up on things to know about the university. Very helpful.  We went and had tapas with them (appetizers that are really cheap). Some were pieces of bread with hummus on them or tomatoes and greens, and another kind of chicken dumpling thing.  Pretty tasty.  Then we went to our apartments and I talked to some of the fam on Skype which was a nice ending to a great day! :) Well it's about 2 a.m. here and I have a meeting at 11 tomorrow! So! Until next time :) Sorry this was such a LONG post! It's hard for me to keep things short and sweet haha.  Buenas noches!