On Monday morning after a long flight (and a few mishaps), I arrived in Madrid. I was forced to make the flight Ipod-less, as I left in the airport in Nashville. My mom was nice enough to go pick it up, so I didn't wind up losing it, it was merely 'misplaced' :-). At 9:15, I (along with 100 other excited and deliriously tired students) swarmed the lobby of the Madrid airport, waiting to be claimed. A few friendly, attractive Spainards greeted us, we loaded our luggage and headed to our hotel. Waisting no time, I joined a few other students and we began to roam the streets of Madrid. We saw the Plaza de Mayor, and enjoyed some tapas and sangria. The architecture was so diverse and unique, and there were sooo many people in Madrid. I enjoyed some cheap cervesas con mis amigos, and took it easy as I was pretty tired. The next day we visited the Museo de Prado. It has some extraordinary artwork, and really tells the story of Spain's entire history. We also visited an old and famous Palace in Madrid that is still used for all formal visits. Spanish holds some of the most interesting and diverse history. That night, we went out and were able to practice our Spanish at the bars, and met some really interesting people from Italy, Venezuela and Sweden. By the way, when I say "we", I am referring to the students I have met in ISA, in particular my new friends Katrina and Maddelon. I am so lucky to have met them and we've had a blast so far!
After a couple days in Madrid, we left for Toledo. At this point, I was so ready to get rid of my luggage. Traveling light is truly the best advice anyone has ever given me. I brought with me one very large bag and a carry on, but trust me when I say that is NOTHING compared to some of these people here (girls and boys). Some have 3, 4 bags (and large ones at that). Anyway, when we made it to Toledo, I just wanted to go take a 'siesta'. Well that didn't happen. We immediately explored the city. It was for the best, as I only had one day in Toledo and I am glad I was forced to explore it. The city is on one massive hill, and is so old and beautiful. The whole city seems like a scene from a movie. The old cobblestone streets were beautiful, and the Catholic church was outstanding. I believe that Toledo is home to Spain's bishop, and therefore the Catholic church is said to be the most important in the country. After exploring, we went back to the hotel and had an easy night.
The next morning, we headed out for Sevilla! I know by this point I was so excited to finally go somewhere I could settle. Everyone tried to look nice for our families, and I know that I was full of butterflies. The drive was a good 5 hours or so. Interesting fact: In Spain, drivers must pull over for at least an hour or so, within a four hour drive. It is a law that you cannot drive more than four hours straight. I found that extremely interesting, and to make a lot of sense. Once we arrived in Sevilla, my nerves were out of control. Kelly (my room mate) and I were greeted by our host mother and her son. Immediately we realized that she spoke NO English. At all. None. Not one word. Well, I am quite the beginner with my Spanish, and this was extremely intimidating. We got to her apartment and she showed us our room. We share a tiny room with a tiny closet, and at first Kelly and I really struggled to put our stuff away. We both had an immediate culture shock, and sort of panicked. We spent the first hour almost in tears, wondering how we were going to do this. We are the first couple of students that our mom (Josefa) has ever hosted. One of her daughters lives here as well, and speaks a very small amount of English. I mean very, very little. Things have gotten so much better though, as they have slowed down when speaking to us, and gestures are often used to communicate. Side note: Andalucians speak Spanish quicker than anyone else in the world. Truly). I can already see myself getting much better with the language.. I am so, so lucky to have an awesome room mate like Kelly. She speaks Spanish well (much better than she realizes), and has been such a crucial element in my communication with my family. Our 'madre' is so unbelievably sweet, and we have already grown to love her so much. At first I was extremely intimidated, but I look forward to meals because she is such an interesting person. She has 5 children that have all grown up, and she misses having them around. She really wanted the company, and someone to cook for. She is so accommodating, kind and beautiful. She is a beautician as well, and does nails, pedicures, facials and waxes in our apartment. I hope to take advantage of that one day. :-) Her children are all very intelligent, each having graduated college. One is a professor while another is in the military, and I know that two others studied finance. I really think doing a homestay was the best decision I could have made.
As for Sevilla, the city is unbelievably beautiful. I wish I could describe the atmosphere to you, but it is truly impossible. I will try my best to post many pictures and videos to help you understand, but it is such a lively city. I've never seen anything like it before. It is nothing like New York, Chicago, London, or even Madrid. While it is a large city, it has a small city feel in the sense that life moves a little slower. Everyday, people are strolling the streets, riding their bikes, eating and drinking in the plazas, and enjoying life. I have truly never seen an atmosphere more positive. The architecture is incredible, best described as a bigger, better Charleston. Public transportation is everywhere, and people stay out all night long. There's music in the streets, gypsies selling goods by the Cathedral, and horse drawn carriages throughout the city. Each day around 230, one plaza is filled with people eating and drinking while enjoying each other's company. It's a beautiful thing. The climate is wonderful, with little to no rain and constant 60 degree days. Everyone is so happy, and everything is so beautiful. I am in love and I can see why locals are so proud. This is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
It was definitely difficult to initially adjust. While I'm loving things so much, it's definitely different. Meals are a big deal here. You could almost say life revolves around them. However, snacking is not something that really exists. You eat breakfast around 10 (people seem to sleep in), lunch at 2:30, and dinner at 9:30. Siestas truly exist after lunch, which is your biggest meal of the day. The food is terrific, but much different. I am living a life full of carbs, fruit and olive oil. Food is not processed or greasy, and I already feel healthier. In Andalucia, there is no central heat as for the most part, the cities are always warm. However, nights do get chilly so it's hard to get used to that. In this region of Spain, it is typical to have a 'la mesa comia', which is a heated table. The living room and dinner room is one, and we sit on the couch as we eat. We put the skirt of the table over our laps, and we have a warm meal. I wish it was like that in America. Meals always have multiple courses, and our mom takes much pride in her cooking. All of her food is good but she prepares a LOT of it, so Kelly and I had to explain to her not to prepare so much without offending her.
All in all, I am absolutely loving Spain. Now that I feel as though I'm settling in, it's been wonderful. I no longer get lost on my way home, and the language barrier is becoming (a bit) less of an issue. I know that if I can learn Spanish here, I can truly speak it anywhere. I feel ignorant in the fact that I presumed some people would speak English. This is truly not the case. People are content with where they live, and really have little need to learn another language. Some are still interested, and I was lucky enough to meet someone who is. I went to eat at a Mexican restaurant the other night, and our waiter name Anibal was looking for an American to help him learn English. In return, he will help me with my Spanish. This is called an intercambio, and is a great way for me to make some local friends. I'm really excited. My family is great as is my room mate, the location of my apartment is wonderful, the food is terrific and life is exciting. I'm excited for my first full day of classes tomorrow, and to start a routine. I know this post was extremely long, but I felt is necessary as I was unable to post all week. I promise I will get better, and post on a regular basis and with less information. Miss you all, but love it here!
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