A wee bit of culture shock

I've been thinking a lot about how to start my first entry in Spain. I would like to be overwhelmed with excitement, but quite honestly, I'm just overwhelmed. It really is a completely different culture. And I am, to say the least, shocked. I've realized what makes cultures so different are an aggregation of little things. What people eat, the time they eat (lunch isn't until 3 and dinner at 9), la siesta despues el almuerzo (nap after lunch), what people wear, the night life (everyone stays out until 6am), that people here think flip flops are weird (and that's all I wear), people don't tip, they talk really fast, smoking everywhere, AND there are actually quite a few Asians here, and they speak fluent Spanish (that was probably the biggest shock for me).

But, sitting here in a smoke filled internet cafe with the white noise of a language I can't even understand, is difficult. I want to tell you about my host family and how cute my host siblings are, how thankful I am that my señora tiene mucho paciencia con mi y mi 'hermana' Janice (my host mom has so much patience with me and Janice), I want to write about the beautiful city of Córdoba, I want to talk about how amazing it is living in the (some say) most beautiful city en España, pero no puedo (but I can't), at least not right now. 

I really didn't expect to feel this way. I don't even know what it is. Confused? Lost? I'm just at a loss for words. And estoy frustrada porque I'm a very verbal person and the fact that I can't express myself is almost suffocating. But I'm trying, and I know it'll get better, it has to get better.

This is a new feeling for me, but it's funny because I almost embrace it. In my past, I've always learned the most during my darkest moments (not that I'm saying this is a dark moment, but it's certainly not the highlight). So I'm hopeful, more than that. Aprenderé muchisimo (I will learn so much), and that's what I came here for. 

There are so many things I want to tell you. But, I need to process it for myself first. So por favor, be patient with me :). 

Pictures to come!