Leadership and Independence (If We Want To Sound All Fancy...)

I've learned some important things since I've been here, both about myself and other people and my feelings towards others...have you sensed a common theme in my blogs yet???

Anyway, item number one that I feel it is important to note - if I actually need to accomplish something, it is better for me to go alone, rape, pillage, and plunder and get on with my day. When other people are involved, things just fall way off track and take forever.

Item number two - I love my plans. It's kind of a problem. I need to learn and understand that there is a time for plans and that it's also ok to do things and just go with the flow.

Number three - I've gone back and forth over the years wether it is better to lead or if it's better to follow, and while there is a time for both, I'm going with it's better to lead right now. Mind you, that may leave me alone on some crazy adventure and not having a clue what's going on with my life, but hey, at least I tried right?

And finally, number four - When all else fails, I go with my gut. Yes I love my plans, but I also love spontaneity. When I feel something and it sounds good, I'm gonna go for it without looking back. (and again leaving myself with the possibility of being stranded, alone, wondering what the hell am I doing, but hey that's the risk I'm taking)

And to my family (particularly my mother) - no, that does not mean making stupid decisions. Clearly I'm gonna consider all things while I'm running around some foreign country. I as well would very much like to return home in one solid piece.

So, all of this being said, I want to comment/update on some exciting and what I feel is (insert the english word here that I seem to have forgotten because my English is getting worse and worse by the day that means I'm pushing myself as a person and it's going to better me).

First, yesterday I went to a cooking class with the group Disfruta Madrid Más. Basically it's a group for university students to meet each other and gain cultural experiences for discounted prices by paying to be a member of this "club". Anyways, cooking class was amazing - I learned all kinds of yummy things that don't seem to hard to make again. (let me point out the word 'seem'). But yes, getting to the place where this class was, I got lost (what's new right? I'm always lost...) Well, while being lost is usually a problem, I actually enjoy the opportunity here because it gives me an excuse to talk to random Spanish people and not have to have some dumb excuse. Well, I asked about 5 different shops and random adults on the streets, and no one knew where this place was. So as I'm walking around like 'oh crap' and it's pouring rain, I run into 6 teenage girls looking to be around 16. So I ask them, and what do you know, they knew where it was. So they actually walked me all the way to the place, and we talked the whole way. It was pretty awesome for me and made me feel cool. (no I'm not too cool to hang out with people 4 years younger than me lol) But, I didn't get any of their names or phone numbers (sad face...) None the less, I feel like this was a good example of doing my own thing and bettering myself.

Next, today I'm asserting my leadership skills. My goal of being here for the year (along with learning spanish) is to really understand the culture of all of Spain. This being said, I want to explore all of Spain. So today when I found flights to the Canary Islands for 35 euro, I was all over that. (we just got done talking in class about how great the canary islands are to visit and my professor highly recommended all of us to go if we could) So, I called 2 of the girls I like (the same ones I'll be going to Poland and Dublin with) and asked if they were in. So, what do you know, vacation on the beach in the December, perfect.

And finally, Lisbon, Portugal is on my list of places to visit. Originally I had planned to do this more in November or next semester, simply because October is a crazy month...but Disfruta Más just happens to have a trip there the weekend before I'm going to Galicia, so what the hell lol, why not? (It was much, much cheaper than anything I could find on my own too) So, here comes the independence part - I booked my seat and I'm going for it. This will be the first trip I've booked/planned that doesn't involve anyone else from USAC. I won't be alone because it's all organized with the group and there will be other students, but it's no one what I actually know.

So yes, that's my life. My list of places I want to go is growing. Don't worry Mom, I took Croatia off the list per your request/demand/threat of disowning me and replaced it with Moscow, Switzerland, Berlin, and Sweden. Fair trade right? =D

Anyway, as always I'm avoiding my homework and have to go read 150 pages of some Spanish play...sigh...college

Patinaje en Hielo...I Think Yes!

My newest mission in life is to coach figure skating while I'm in Spain. I think it'll be a good way for me to meet people and practice my Spanish and stay in shape.

There's only 2 problems.

1. I don't have skates. So either I'm gonna have to buy some here or ship mine over from the US...
2. I have to write a resume in Spanish about my teaching experience. Hum...how does skating vocabulary translate??

So yeah, I'm excited. I really hope I get to do this and it fits with my schedule. I don't know what dates it will be or what I'll have to commit to, so this is still in the works, but I'm really hoping it works out!!

Not much to say other than that...

I should probably do more homework lol

My Complaint For The Day

I wouldn't consider myself a very Type A person, but I do like plans, and I like to stick to them.

Without typing out an entire boring rant, I'm just gonna sum it up pretty quick...

Today there was a soccer game and the tickets were pretty cheap. I wasn't planning on going, but eventually got talked into it because I thought it would be good to spend time with the other USAC kids. Well, the plan was to go from school to the ticket office at the stadium. The stadium is on the opposite side of the city of my house, so after buying tickets I needed to go home, get some homework done, then go to my dance class, and then to the soccer game.

Perfect, right? No. Well, instead of going straight to the stadium, we had to stop at 2 different people's apartments, go buy shirts for the game, go to 4 other gift shops, and then finally go to the stadium.

Mind you, I didn't know where the stadium was, or I wouldn't have wasted 5 hours of my life riding around the entire city on the metro.

So eventually, I'm pissed because the person I'm with who "knows" where we're going won't tell the rest of us how to get there and is bitching at me because I won't "relax". This person then continues to insult me and my relationships with both my family and my boyfriend.

As if this wasn't annoying enough, once we got to the stadium this person decided that the tickets were too expensive at the stadium and instead is going to buy their tickets online (even though they are from exactly the same place).

In the end, I bailed. I ran into another one of my friends and we went and got lunch.

However, it was frustrating and it wasted a day that could have been used for studying and catching up on my work. Eventually I got home (after my dance class).

Sigh - I have no faith in anyone here. I wish people were reliable and would just stick to the plan.

No Quiero Estudiar!!

That's right, tomorrow is my first exam and I do not want, nor do I have any motivation to study.

While yes this exam is important, and yes after I write this quick rant I will suck it up and go study, it is so hard to study here - even though the work I'm doing I feel like my 10 year old host broth could do better than I can.

There are so many things to learn, so many words, so many phrases, so many cultural ideas - I want to study the things I'm using in my everyday life. And, yes I'm sure what they're teaching in my classes is relevant, I feel like there are things to which my time would be more beneficial.

I want to cover the house in post-it notes because I don't know the words for anything...

Sigh.

Ok, back to work I go. Gonna go learn how to spell in Spanish, even though I can't spell for crap in English...Wish me luck!

God Gave Me You

Something hit me today. Something that I knew but didn't really realize.

As most of you (should) know, I'm currently living in Madrid, Spain and my boyfriend Keith is living back in Toledo, Ohio. It's a 6 hour time difference.

That being said, this post is about us.

When we first starting dating, we were very open with each other. He knew from the beginning that I was going to be leaving for a year, and we were ok with that. We have always been very open with each other about everything and have a great relationship.

So, of course, when the day came when I had to leave we were both pretty upset. We sat in the middle of our hotel hallway crying together before we drove to the airport. The airport was sad for everyone and my whole family and I cried. But once I had gone through security and there was no turning back, I sat waiting by my gate for the plane to arrive. And in that moment, I knew. I wasn't scared. I knew that we had a strong enough relationship to have a successful long distance relationship.

I don't know what we would do without our iPhones - they are literally a necessity for life!

But this morning was a rough morning for me. I was thinking about Keith as normal and I started to cry. I've been here for 3 weeks now, and while yes I always miss him, this was the first time it's made me cry. (Naturally I called and woke him up and he made me feel better...)

On one hand, it is sad to be sad and to miss the people you love, however at the same time being sad is a good feeling, because I know I still care and love him.

So we talked for a long time - about all aspects of our relationship, our lives, our goals, and the future. While this is completely normal for us, the feeling of being that close to each other and having the feelings we do - even across the ocean - was amazing.

I don't think you can really ever understand how complex and truly real a long distance relationship is until you've been there.

There is so much that goes into it. You have to work. You have to accept. But most importantly, you have to take time and communicate.

I'm sure this blog post means nothing to most of the people reading, but to me, today was everything. Today I have felt the greatest happiness since I've been here. Happiness that brings tears to my eyes.

Rock Climbing?!

Today I spent the day with my host family and we went to a park about 30-45 minutes outside of the city. We went on a scavenger hunt sort of thing where families raced each other to find 6 different locations. We each had a map and a compass to find our way around.

Well, we weren't very good at finding the trails, so I led us on a rock climb. By no means was it anything ridiculous, but we were climbing up the mountains. Of course, there were real rock climbers there too - and by real I mean people a couple thousand feet up handing by rope!

After our little adventure, we started hiking and eventually got to this waterfall and hung out there for a few hours, playing in the water and sliding down the falls into tiny pools.

Overall, I loved it. Defiantly one of the coolest and prettiest places I've been so far. I can't wait to go back in the winter when Keith is here. I know he'll love it. 

My host mom took some pictures, so when I get those I'll post them.

And...I only got a little sunburnt =D

Help Me I'm Melting!!!

Ok, maybe I'm not really melting - but seriously Spanish weather, what the heck? Why can't it be 50 degrees like it is back home? I'm sick of this 90 degree crap. I wanna wear my sweaters and jackets already!

Anyways, just a quick update for the night - this week has proved to be very exciting for me because I'm starting to figure out some of my travel plans and different events that I will be attending.

In Chronological order so far I have...

September 22 - hiking with my host family
September 28 - cooking class
October 5 - trip to La Manchu
October 16 - Amaral concert
October 22-25 - Trip to Galicia
November 2-5 - Trip to Poland
December 5-8 - Trip to Ireland
December 20 - Keith gets here
December 23-26 - Trip to Paris
December 27 - Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil
January 5-13 - Trip to London with my parents
February 10 - Real Madrid vs. Sevilla Football game
February 25-28 - Trip to Andalucia

I've got more things in the works, but this is all that is finalized as of right now. It's really hard to plan things to do for spring semester because I don't know what my school schedule will be yet, but hopefully I'll know soon. I want to go to Greece, Italy, and Croatia for my spring break so I'm looking forward to booking that. Other places on my list include Amsterdam, Portugal, Prague, Barcelona, and other random places in Spain.

So yes, my credit card is melting and I'm having fun. I just need to meet some people that are willing to travel with me.

I need to go read a book. Who would have thought I was in school right? lol.

And Then I Wore Shorts...

Well...as if I didn't stand out enough as being the person who can't speak Spanish, today I decided to wear shorts. I don't have class on Fridays and it's been a gaillion degrees here, so I figured I would wear shorts and be comfy while I spent the day doing my homework. Well, I needed to go to school to buy a folder-type-thing (I don't know the name of things here because American school supplies do not exist - I'm serious - there is no such thing as a folder or lined paper) and I left the house in my shorts and my hair up on top of my head (still slightly damp from the shower) because I'm curling it for later today.

Mistake!

I got on the metro and everyone just stared at me. Ugh. I hate standing out. So yes, lesson of the day - I'm never wearing shorts again and I have to continue doing my hair even when I'm dead tired so I won't stand out as the lazy, poorly dressed, unable to speak American.

Lovely :)

Aye Madre Mia...

There are often times when I think about the things I've done in life and wonder, "What would my life be like if ..... had happened?" or "I wish I would have done ......" On one hand, there are things I wish I had done differently, however at the same time I think how would those changes have changed my life and the person I am and the events occurring now. It boggles my brain.

I'm finding more and more with each day that I actually feel somewhat resentful of the program I am with. Mind you - the program I am with is amazing! My advisors and directors are great and so helpful! It's just not what I was expecting and looking for.

When I decided to go abroad I thought maybe I'd go for a month...then it was a semester...then it was a year. Most people can't believe that I'm going to be spending a year here, but for me that was the only option. I read somewhere that to learn a language fluently, you had to live the language 24/7 for at least 6 months. (right now, I feel like I'll never be fluent) When I was looking for programs, I looked at all of the high school programs first (even though it's my sophomore/junior year of college). I'm not sure why, I just knew that I wanted to be an exchange student. So, as time went on and I realized that I was much too old to be in an actual exchange program, I went with the study abroad program offered through my college. Now for most people that's no problem, but for me it was settling for second best.

I wanted the real immersion experience - the being thrown into a world where no one speaks your language (unless you call home of course). I wanted to be surrounded by Spanish customs and culture. I wanted to make friends with people from here. And it's so hard to do that with a college study abroad program. I am constantly surrounded by 60 other American students - that's 60 people who speak English constantly and do things the way they are done in the US. And as much as I want to separate myself from them and hang out with local people, it is beyond difficult to do that.

I've been talking to my advisors about how I'm feeling and as it turns out, of course, I am not the average study abroad student. (Who would have guessed that I didn't wanna come here to get faced every night and run rampid around the city because I'm away from home with no rules) So they gave me a book, "How to make the most of your study abroad experience". It's got some tips on learning culture and the language as well as other random things that could be important.

I met my intercambio today. She's 21 and I really like her. She doesn't drink, so I feel comfortable going out with her at night, and she said she would introduce me to some of her friends. I'm hoping that we can hang out a lot more and that I will be able to spend more time around Spaniards than Americans...sorry guys lol

And on the other side of things - I have a shoe obsession. It's so great to be able to go shopping and actually find my size in a store - in every store. I've bought 4 pairs of shoes this week as well as a watch. At least I'll finally know what time it is haha.

And with that little rant, it's time for bed. I'm still constantly tired and worn out. Language learning is hard stuff I tell you.

Dos Mundos...

After class today I spent my afternoon talking with my advisors. I've come to realize that I am very frustrated with how I have spent the last two weeks here and I'm on a mission to improve and accomplish my goals.

As I've said time and time before, I do not speak in Spanish nearly enough. It's frustrating because that is the whole point of me being here. In my classes I speak in Spanish and with my family I speak in Spanish, but whenever I am with my friends we always talk in English. For me this is very frustrating - I am willing to speak in Spanish to them, however no one else wants to. According to my advisors, all we need is 4 or 5 people to commit to speaking Spanish all the time and we will be good, however that is like pulling teeth.

In an effort to improve my Spanish and become more involved, I requested another intercambio. Her name is Beatris and I think I will be meeting her on Wednesday. I'm not sure what we will be doing, but it'll be nice to meet someone that actually lives here. I'm really hoping it goes well because I would like to spend more time with Spaniards than with USACers...sorry guys. No offense but I need to speak Spanish!!

I've also requested to be placed in a volunteer opportunity. I'm not sure where it will be yet - I really wanted to do something medical related, however my Spanish isn't good enough for that yet - I'm hoping in the spring...But for now, maybe a school or something else. Who knows - I just need to be forced to speak more.

Finally (and let me say in advance - this is very important to me and it is a part of my life that I will not compromise on), I'm basically trying to live in 2 different worlds. My current life here in Madrid, and my life that I have in the US. Every day I talk to my family and my boyfriend because it is important for me to stay connected with them and keep strong relationships. This is what I have to do for me - I can throw English out the window with everyone else if I have to, however with my family and Keith I have to talk to them.

I feel like I'm realizing more about myself and like I know what changes I have to make to accomplish my goals. I just hope I can get other USACers to do the same. While I don't mind doing my own thing, it's also nice to have friends in my classes and to go traveling with.

Again...I wish I could have done this in high school. When I have a house, I will host exchange students. My children will be exchange students (sorry kids, you have no option...)

Bullfights...

Now let me just say that this is one Spanish tradition you simply cannot miss - However - for me it is a one and done type of thing.

Yesterday a bunch of us USACers went to our first bullfight (un correo del toros??) and I have a mix of emotions about it. First off, it's sad. In just under 2 hours I saw 6 bulls get basically tortured and killed. Second, the arena (plaza del toros) was beautiful!! Very large and elegant and I loved it. Third, the slightly demented, EM doctor side of me wanted to see one of the matadors get nailed. Luckily, in the last round that happened and I got to see him get carried out of the plaza.

I'll post a video and pictures on YouTube eventually - you know when I have a life. Because I really can't describe it in words. Mind you the pictures and video may be graphic so be prepared.

Like I told my host family - I will never go again, but it was a cultural experience I had to have.

Life, Love, and Laughter

This week has defiantly had its ups and downs - and warning now, this is going to be a long post.

Yeah, this week started out much better - my host family was home a lot more and I feel like I was starting to understand a little better. I've defiantly figured out a lot more of the students in my program and who I like and who I don't. Basically, I'm just trying to settle into this new, odd life.

As far as some more good things for the week, I planned and booked two trips. The first is going to be to Poland from November 2-5. And the second is going to be to Ireland from December 5-8. I'll be going with 3 other girls (plus whoever else followed suit but I'm not responsible for them). I'm excited. I've never really gotten to travel so I'm hoping that these trips here will go well.

That being said, let me get into my major complaint of the week...the majority of American university students who study abroad are dumb. Let me be a little more clear - they are loud, obnoxious, disrespectful, and don't care about fitting in with the culture of the place they are. Example A: Last night a group of us were going to go to a bar for drinks and tapas - well suddenly a small group turns into 20 people, who all manage to run into each other on the metro and begin talking in English. Problem 1: Everyone is speaking English. Problem 2: Everyone is yelling. Problem 3: The entire metro train full of Spaniards is now looking at us really pissed off. Ok-usually I don't care what people think about me, but here I do. Being identified as an ignorant American is not only annoying and looked down upon, but it makes you a clear target for pickpockets.

Long story short - I came here to experience a different culture and learn some new stuff (aka Spanish!!) not to be wild and crazy and go out every night and get shit faced...yeah.

Insert the next problem - I do not use my Spanish enough. I've been here almost 2 weeks and I feel like I haven't learned anything. I can feel my time ticking away!! Again, this is why I wish I could do this in high school - you are the only American at your school - you are the only one who speaks English - and to fit in, you have to speak Spanish 24/7. With a university program, you know 0 native spanish people your own age and all you do is speak English. My goal for this week - talk to my intercambio (my native spanish speaking "friend" assigned to me by the USAC program) and see if she wants to get together at all. Next goal - see if I can have 2 intercambios, because my first one is 28 and much older than I am. I want to find some girls my age I can relate to a bit better. Third goal - find a volunteer program that actually requires me to use my Spanish more. And fourth - spend some more quality time with my host mom.

OK - biggest problem of the week. One of my biggest fears came true. Last night I found out that within the last 2-3 days my dog back home has developed a tumor in her spinal cord that basically made her paralyzed. So yesterday my parents told me they had to put her down. As of then, anything past her waist she had lost control of. My family set up a spot for her in the middle of the living room with blankets and towels and her toys. All day someone sat with her, and she was mentally her normal happy self. Today, by morning she had lost control of her front legs. According to Keith, my Dad said she hadn't given anyone kisses all day, but when Keith came over she gave him some. Keith says those were for me. They had her put to sleep around 10 am, and although I am devastated, I know she's happier now. She loved to run and play, and not being able to move and enjoy life is not what she would have wanted. It's just hard not being able to be there.

On the other hand, today I went to Segovia and had to try suckling pig - NEVER again! I about puked when the waiter plopped this baby pig's head on my plate. The director of USAC had my plate taken away and replaced with a less-identifiable piece of pig that I still didn't eat.

And on the bright side of things, my host mom and I had a really nice conversation and I actually understood all of it.

Sorry to be quick at the end there - it's been a long day and I need to sleep. Night all.

An Insight On Spanish Culture...

So while I was having a somewhat intellectual conversation with my host dad today (I say somewhat because while he talked about intellectual things I just said "Sí, Sí, Vale." for most of the conversation and threw in a few comments here and there.) I discovered some interesting things about Spanish culture and why a good majority of Europeans dislike Americans.

Here in Spain, everything is slow (except my showers - god I miss my half hour showers...). Whereas in America we do everything quick - food, driving, talking, ya know. And in America, everything is very big - the food, the houses, the country. According to Spaniards, we put too much focus on our things rather than our experiences, friends, and family. Now, I totally see where my host dad is coming from - as I told him, in America it's almost like a constant contest - If so and so has a big house, you have to have a big house as well. As a little kid you say, "Billy has that toy, so I need it too!" We do the same thing with jobs - if you aren't a doctor or a lawyer or a CEO of some major cooperation you can't hang out with others who have those jobs.

Basically, Spaniards put emphasis on spending quality time with people and respecting them regardless of who they are or where they come from. In Spain, race isn't a big deal - yes people are black and white and oriental - but they are all Spaniards (except for the Chinese...I haven't quite figured it out but they are not well liked here...? No offense to anyone of course - personally I have no problem with anyone - unless you annoy me...) Anyway, when you go to a meal or a gathering no one has a phone, no one is updating their Facebook status - everyone is communicating in some way - often many people at the same time talking really loud and making it really hard for me to comprehend anything.

They also think we are ignorant. And honestly, I will agree. I came here and almost every day a Spaniard has tried to talk American politics with me - I barely know what's going on back home (thanks Mom for your political efforts...) but even so there are so many who don't have a clue. I didn't realize how much our politics affect the rest of the world. In Spain, people are very worried about our election results because of how it will affect the country here.

Anyway - it's not very entertaining, but I thought it was interesting. I'm sure I explained that really bad...oh well. Goodnight all.

Toreo Jones!!!

That's right - I saw my first Spanish movie in a theater in Spanish! ... I'm not sure that sentence makes any sense but I'm gonna go with it.

Yes, today my host brothers and my ...host dad...? I'm still not sure on that one - it's a long story. But yes, anyways we went to the movies and it was a cute little animated film and I really liked it! Most likely because I actually understood it =D

Movie theaters in Spain are pretty awesome. All of the seats are like La-Z-Boys and they even have booster seats for little kids - I mean hello America!! Where were the booster seats when I was little? All I ever got was the pile of coats my family took off...

And I've decided that I can never drive in Spain. People here are crazy! There are no stop signs and it's like the lines on the roads are invisible - people are constantly all over the place.

That's all for today - short and sweet. Thanks everyone for trying to stay updated with my life. You guys are awesome =D

Much Much Better

Today was a much better day. Last night I was pretty upset and feeling pretty down. I think it was just a mix of being in a new place and being stressed out, as well as some things not being what I expected. This week my host brothers were not at home, so my host mom wasn't home very much - and I don't understand her very well - so I was pretty sure that she didn't like me. And all of the people in my program really like to go out to just get drunk, and that's not my scene, so I've been feeling pretty lonely.

Anyway, I talked to my host mom and told her how I was feeling and last night we made some pasta and watched Miss Congeniality (in Spanish of course...I think it was called La Agente Especial"... something like that...But yes I felt better after that.

So today, I went into the city with some people in my program and we went to El Corte Inglés because I needed to buy a straightener and a bag for my school books. I can tell my spanish is getting a little better here and there because today I was able to go to the store and talk to the cashiers and know what was going on - much better than trying to buy a phone when I know nothing about electronics to begin with. After that we got lunch at a little restaurant and I tried "una bocadilla de calamari" - which I believe next to paella is the second most popular food in Spain.

After I got home I took a little nap and then around 6 I finally got to meet my host brothers. They are 10 and 7 and have so much energy! We ended up playing Sims for a few hours then had some homemade pizza. I also got to meet their dad who is from the Galicia area and he was much easier for me to understand. We actually had an intellectual conversation about different languages and the complexities of them and how words are created and whatnot - how I can manage that but not a conversation about my trip to school is beyond me.

But yes, today was much better and I'm starting to feel more comfortable with the city and my family and communicating with my real family. (By the way - Happy Birthday Mommy!! your present will arrive whenever I can manage to figure out how mailing packages works...so it might be a while...) Tomorrow I have another orientation type activity. It's a scavenger hunt around the city to help us use our Spanish and meet people so I'm excited.

Meh. Rough Day.

So the first couple days were ok, then we got to today. Today was the first of many days from hell. I'll start from the beginning...

Traumatic Experience 1: The showers in Spain are very small and water is very expensive, so you have to be quick. So this morning, I couldn't get the water to get warm - so the beginning of my shower was like ice. Well, I am showering and suddenly the water gets scalding hot. So since there was no in-between, I took an ice cold shower.

Traumatic Experience 2: When I was trying to leave for school this morning, I was trying to lock the door, but I couldn't see anything in the hall, so I tried to turn on the light - however I hit the house alarm instead of the light. Well, my host mom woke up and came out and pointed to the light switch then told me to have a good day and closed the door. Got off to a great start there didn't I...

Traumatic Experience 3: My host mom showed me where the metro station was, but not how it works, so this morning I had to go put money on my transit card. The cards have to be put in a machine and you pay with cash or a credit card. Well, there are lots of different types of transit cards here and I put my card in the wrong slot, and it got stuck, so I had to ask a random lady for help (in spanish...very broken spanish...). She got it out using a straw.

Traumatic Experience 4: So after I got my card back, I still couldn't get the machine to work. So, I asked a woman who worked there if she could help me (again with the very bad spanish...) and eventually I got it paid for. However - in Spain, credit cards have pin numbers and in the US we don't, so of course I couldn't get my card to work. Debit was good though, so no problems.

Traumatic Experience 5: So I now have my card and I can't figure out how to get through the gates to get to the train. I'm thinking it's like Chicago where you put your card in the side and it comes out the top...well it turns out my card is a magnet and you just tap it on the top.

Traumatic Experience 6: Figuring out what side of the track I needed to be on to go in a specific direction. There were no stairways - you actually have to exit and go back up to the road and come down on the opposite side of the street.

And to top it all off, I can barely understand my host mom and anyone else in the city, yet I can understand my professors and the program leaders. I think it's just that they talk too fast and have the accent, but it's hard. I can tell my host mom laughs at me and gets frustrated because I don't understand a lot, but I'm trying. No one understands how hard this is until they try it. In the US, I thought I was really good at Spanish, but here, I am very bad. I couldn't survive without some of my friends that speak fluently.

And on that note, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully it will be better. It's the first day of classes...

Estoy Aquí!!

So I have arrived safely in Madrid and have no idea what day it is and am quite jet lagged. We are staying at an orientation hotel for the night and have had some orientation classes today and some more tomorrow. Then, at 5pm I will be going to meet my host family. It's been a long day with very little sleep - I didn't sleep much at all on the plane, maybe an hour or so. I made my way to Starbucks and successfully ordered a Mango Pasión Té y Fruta...I wanted a Passion Tea Lemonade, but that was as close as I could get =D I received my transit pass and tomorrow I will worry about figuring out the metro system. I also got to bargain with a guy who worked at Mc Donald's to try and get 5 euro in coin instead of in paper money - that was interesting to say the least...

Anyway, it's time for bed. Night everyone!!

The Airport - Update 1

Well as I get ready to embark on this journey I'm sitting here in the airport terminal waiting for my plane to load. My first flight is on one of those small puddle jumper planes (you know one seat on one side of the plane and two seats on the other) and will last about an hour and a half.

Anyway...there are some strange people in the airport.

Currently, I've got the middle aged man that can't stop coughing and hacking for more than 10 seconds - I'm hoping he is sitting on the totally opposite end of the plane and I'm kin of regretting not packing that quarantine suit...

Next, we have the poor woman who looks to be in her late 20s with her 2 or 3 year old child. As she is walking an dragging her bag, the small child is holding on to the bag and dragging on the floor behind her.

Next, the college basketball player who looks about 7 foot tall and who is jamming to himself with his gigantic headphones on. Not very exciting.

Behind me there is the family with three small children, all looking to be under the age of 1 - all of whom are crying and not happy to be getting on an airplane. It's a good thing I like kids and can do a pretty good job of ignoring crying and screaming.

Update on the mom with the child dragging on the floor behind the suitcase - he's now running around holding himself and yelling, "I have to go potty NOW!!!".

Oh and my flight just got delayed by 40 minutes. Lovely. It's a good thing I didn't take that flight that only had the half hour layover - stupid travel agent that didn't know what they were talking about.

That's all for now. We'll see what other interesting things happen...