Saludos desde Madrid!
9:00 am, 14 January Manhattan to Madrid…the 8 of us touched down in Madrid, Spain,
and began what will arguably be one of the greatest semesters of
our college career. We gathered our luggage (which, if you know
me, it should come as no surprise that I admittedly brought the most luggage…) and awaited the bus to our future homes.
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| The beautiful "goodbye" from New York |
10:30 am, 15 January We’ve been here for just about a day, and the excitement is
building, although I have to admit, this is all still quite surreal. A
dream we’ve all considered for quite some time is now a reality. I met my host family, who are very lovely people with the sweetest and silliest dog, Vega, and they welcomed me into their beautiful home in Cuatro Caminos, Madrid. My home away from home.
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| Settling in |
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| The adored Vega |
1:30 pm, 15 January I’ve unpacked and settled into my new room, so Chris and I met
up for brunch on our first day. We found a delicious little cafe up
the street from Chris’ student residence, and of course with a latte to cure the jet lag.
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| A delicious brunch |
feeling, I’ll admit. As I open my eyes to a foreign place, in a new
home, preparing for the first day at a new school, knowing that
there are countless memories ahead of me. I got dressed, packed
my bag, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast, where my host
family left a wonderful assortment of breakfast essentials to fuel
the day. I then run out the door to catch the metro and head to
School for the exchange student orientation.
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| El desayuno |
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| Let's have a great day :) |
10:00 am, 17 January Tuesday has come, and I am preparing for my first class. Spanish
class. Although I love Spanish class and admire the beauty of the
Spanish language, a new school, class, and professor bring
much to mentally prepare for. Today, today is the beginning of
what will be the reality of my next five months and will bring
countless opportunities to fully appreciate the beautiful culture,
language, and way of life in sunny Madrid, Spain. Off we go, but
first, COFFEE!!
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| A necessity! |
11:00 am, 19 January My goodness, the temperatures are far from what they were
explained to be. Comparable to New York, in fact, the wind may
even make it less bearable. However, there are no days to waste,
so we are headed out for a tour of the center of Madrid. The
history, the beauty, the intriguing idiosyncrasies of the city, and all
that there is to explore.
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| El Palacio Real |
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| Plaza Mayor |
4:15 pm, 19 January Following the tour, we had to warm up with a traditional sweet
treat of churros con chocolate. I can attest it is most certainly
worth all the hype!
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| Churros con chocolate! |
12:00 pm, 20 January We are about six days in, and although the future is very exciting,
there is a lot to adjust to and reflect on. The first six days have
been great: my host family is wonderful. Kind, patient, and
welcoming. My professors also seem to be promising in
supporting our academic achievements and cultural immersion.
Supportive, encouraging, and dedicated. The city is beautiful and
full of opportunities to explore and experience. The new reality,
although exciting, it has admittedly been a bit overwhelming, so
today was a quiet and relaxing day that I took to reflect on the
the present state of my life, the next five months, and catch up on
the sleep I’ve missed out on during the busy first few
days.
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| Some journaling and listening to music |
4:00 pm, 21 January Well rested and ready to explore further, Chris and I headed to a
park on the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Madrid.
With a 360-degree view, it felt like we were on top of the world.
The sun shinned, illuminating the streets of Madrid and reflecting
off the historic buildings…the future of our semester looks bright.
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| The view overlooking the city at sunset |
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| Chris & I exploring :) |
11:00 pm, 22 January Saturday night in Madrid, the time has come to explore
the bustling nightlife of Madrid that is known around the world.
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| Indeed :) |
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| Fun nights! |
7:00 pm, 23 January As somewhat friends, somewhat strangers when we left New York,
but as the days go on, we’ve all seemingly come together to tackle
the beauty, challenges, and experiences of this wonderful
opportunity together. Sunday night's call for family dinner!
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| Family dinner :) |
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| Cooking, cooking, cooking! |
11:00 am, 24 January I don’t have class today, but the sun is shining, and there are lots
of exciting things to do in the city, so Chris and I decided to pop
over to Mercado de San Miguel. A market full of vibrant,
delicious, and authentic food. A place where all should visit.
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| A classic bocadillo con tortilla española |
1:00 pm, 24 January Following the market, we headed over to a cute florist on a quiet
back street of the city to pick up a floral arrangement for my host
family, as they have been so kind to welcome me into their home
and family.
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| One of my favorite places <3 |
4:00 pm, 24 January We stopped back at home before heading out for another walking
tour around the city, this time in the beautiful neighborhood of
Lavapiés, which is arguably the most multicultural neighborhood
in Madrid. After the tour, we grabbed a coffee before heading back
to finish some homework and have dinner. I often end every day
with a delicious dinner at home with my host family and reflect
upon the day.
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We have a full slate of excursions, events, and exciting experiences planned for the next few months, so stay tuned for the next blog entry. I’ll be back with more updates soon…for now…¡Hasta luego!
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