1) jet lag
2) for the first time, I am learning to be truly bilingual! Jumping back into Spanish is proving to be slightly more difficult than expected. I understand almost everything I hear, but responding and asking questions is a different story.
3) English and writing have never really been my strong suit, anyway!
I made it to Madrid by 7:30 this morning, as planned, and waited at the airport until it was time to meet the rest of the group and the people from Alcalá, where we are studying and living! They brought us all here on a bus or two and we met up with our host families in the central plaza downtown, right across from the building that is home to our classss.
My host mom brought us home and we got settled in, and i may or may not have taken a 4 hour nap...meaning that I definitely hibernated. I have one "roommate"ish; we each have our own room but we are with the same host. It's a condo-style apartment in Alcalá, about a 20 minute walk from class. We live with Mila and Antonio, who aren't married because she's stubborn but otherwise function like a normal family with Antonio's 17 year old son, also named Antonio. Mila is a short, trendy, healthy, and fashionista.
After my extended siesta, my roommate Kelsey and I had lunch (at 17:15...weird). We took a walk around town, bought a hair dryer, and watched the Lion King, or better yet "El Rey León", and I took my second nap of the day during the movie. Blame it on the jet lag...this will not happen again! Antonio cooked dinner, which we sat down to eat around 21:00. Tonight we ate a salad (YESSSS SERIOUSLY PRAISE THE LORD!), sausage made with onions, a Spanish tortilla-type dosh made with potatoes and cheese, and, of course, bread.
Orientation starts "bright and early" tomorrow- but Spain bright & early is really not bright and early at all, compared to what I'm used to. I have to be at the school at 9 and finish around 2, which is similar to what my everyday schedule will be like once classes start next week.
Other interesting sights and discoveries so far:
- saw all the branches of the armed forces while traveling, including one of my friends from Auburn who was on the way back from basic headed to Pensacola- that was such a blessing!
- saw 2 monks while traveling
- storks sit on top of the buildings where our classes are around the central plaza
- found a Catholic Church close to home
- found a couple of places to get my ice cream fix...this is critical
- heard about a few 1/2 marathons in April in Madrid that are very realistic possibilities! It's a step down from a Tough Mudder, but that's not completely out of the picture yet, either. Heck, why not both?!
That's day 1 in not-so-small nutshell. It's past my bedtime!
Hasta luego,EG
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