Madrid

"Vale." -Spaniards

Holas Amigas! I cannot even describe in full detail or do justice in words what has gone on in the past three days! Madrid is absolutely gorgeous. The architecture is to die for. Everyone walks so slowly here and meals take a long time. Lunch yesterday took over two hours. Meals are a very social thing here, so if you're in a hurry, don't go into a restaurant.

My arrival to Spain was long, tiring, and confusing. I arrived in the airport about eight minutes after the 10:00 am pickup time, which meant that I had to wait three hours until the next pickup time by my program. That was a little bit of a bummer. So I picked a seat and whipped out some Spoon. After a little while I noticed a large group of Americans (they're not hard to spot here : ] ) and asked them if they were from API Granada, and I finally had some friends to wait with. We were all tired and hungry, so we bonded over our stories of delayed flights and crying babies. I boasted of my German airline Lufthansa who provided me with three meals throughout my journey, a German beer, two free checked bags and a full row of four seats to myself. Needless to say, everyone decided my all inclusive $604 plane ticket was the best.

Once we finally met our resident directors, we waited a little more as people's flights had been cancelled. So we waited on the bus. And waited. And waited. Then we left them. Ha! Eli, one of the RD's is all about being on time. She'll drop you like it's nothing. We then proceeded to another terminal to wait for an hour for the next group. I was pretty much delirious as this point, along with everyone else. When we finally started on the road to Madrid, I couldn't have been happier.

The hotel is nice. It's very nice and definitely has a European style to it. It's beautiful. My room has a balcony looking out onto Puerta del Sol, one of the most famous plazas in Madrid. There's always people walking around, street performers, and more. My roommate and I take naps with the window cracked to let the sounds flow in.

Our first dinner was provided by our program and consisted of about ten courses--tapas. There were tortiallas (think omelette/quiche like), coquettes (mozzarella sticks with ham), calamari, empanadas, bread, salad (iceburg lettuce with tuna and oil) and more. I was so hungry and tired at that point,  I didn't care. I didn't care until I shoved the practically raw ham in my mouth and it was so slimy and fatty I almost vomited on the spot. Lesson learned. A bunch of us hit the sack immediately after for a good night's sleep. That bed was like heaven.

The next day we headed to El Museo Prado. I saw works from Valezquez, Goya, and more. I saw the original "Las Meninas" (this is a big deal if you've studied Spanish art). Pictures were not allowed, but I managed to snap one anyways. GREAT SUCCESS. I wish I could put into words for you what that means. But I can't. Our guide was in Spanish, and I was actually impressed with how well I was keeping up. It of course required lots of concentration, but I'm doing better than I thought I would've.

After that museum some of us headed to lunch after some wandering. We opted for the three course all inclusive flat rate meal that you can find at a lot of restaurants in Europe. The food was interesting, but it was a great time with some great people. We then walked over to La Reina Sofia, another art museum. Works from Valezquez, Dali, and Picasso were seen by my eyes! And you know the best part: Guernica! The original. I stood in front of that. I didn't risk a picture though. That was the only piece that pictures were not allowed. Truly amazing. Who would have thought I would be standing in front of Guernica?!

In Spain, they say this word: "vale" (with a 'b' sound) which means "alright" or "okay." I love it. I can't say it enough. It just has a great ring to it. They literally say it all the time. They can't get enough vale! But really can you blame them?

Last night a bunch of us opted for an Italian dinner--the jamon is already wearing on us. I had the most delicious pizza ever (a mix of it actually being good and deprivation). I love everyone in my program. I've only known them for three days, but everyone is so glad to be here meeting new people and experiencing new things. It's amazing. This is what I live for.

I know I have so much ahead of me, but just in the past three days I feel I've come so far. I've been ordering and asking questions in Spanish, listening to lots and lots of Spanish, and we even try to practice amongst ourselves. And I feel comfortable here. I haven't freaked out yet. Maybe it's because I was on break for so long and had so much time to process. Maybe it's because it hasn't hit me yet. Or maybe I just really am okay here. Well, we'll see when I get to my host family tomorrow. Marietta is waiting!

I'll post pictures when I get to Granada. Adios!