Hola, ya'll.

By now I've introduced our new Texan friends, Morgan and Mallory, enough that I think it's time to eliminate the prefix and simply refer to them by first names. However, it is worth noting that they, like many other ISA students, are from Texas. We have other friends from South Carolina and the Midwest and I can't help but acknowledge their accents. "Ya'll" is as common here in the every day dialogue as is "Hola." I'm beginning to think it's part of the Spanish vernacular.

Jessica and Diana admitted they have fear that I will only speak in Spanish when I get back to the states; I have fear that I will catch the "ya'll" bug. It's frighteningly contagious and I find myself deliberately and consciously avoiding the southern colloquial fusion of "you" and "all." In a way it makes sense, making "you" plural, in fact, in Spain they have dedicated a complete verb tense to the plural form of "you:" vosotros. Not that I'm suggesting it for the North.

Sorry that my inner English Teacher is coming out, but I can't help my nerdy tendencies to evaluate grammar.

Anyway, Morgan, Mallory, Lauren and I leave for Rome tomorrow night! I can barely contain my excitement for pizza, pasta, and gelato!!! :) - Although, today was a particularly good day for Spanish food - Rafaela made Paella again! (Dinner conversation was also muy bien, Lauren and I have reached a level in our Spanish speaking skills where we can more or less gossip. Rafaela loves getting the scoop on the other home stays. Quite comical, I really need to video tape our conversations one of these days!!)

Ciao, Ya'll ;)