Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
What a crazy and exciting week it has been! I've been busy with orientation, and in my free time, I explore the city. So when I sit down to write a blog post, I feel super tired. But that's not going to stop me from doing it!
Since everyone is in the same dorm, it is easy to meet new people. I have yet to meet someone unfriendly in my program of 48 students! A few days ago, a big group of us took the metro to the Temple of Debod. This temple was from Egypt and rebuilt in Madrid. Egypt donated the temple to Spain for saving the temples of Abu Simbel. We admired the architecture at night, and I would love to go back and see more when it's open during the day. An Instagram account that I follow (@madridbible) frequently posts pictures of the well-known temple. So, it was cool to see it in person. After that, we made our way to Gran Via for delicious gelato.
A lot of the fun excursions from this week were last minute plans. Sometimes that's the best way to go! On Saturday, I went to Toledo with a group of girls from my program. We planned the day trip at 2 am of the day that we were going, and the trip actually couldn't have gone smoother. We took the train, which was fast and only 20 euros round trip. There is so much to say about that beautiful city. I'll make another blog post about that later.
On Sunday, I met up with Abby and Allison, who are from Tulane but are in different study abroad programs. We got our hopes up on going to a funky coffee shop called La Libre, but it turned out that it was closing right when we got there. I still got to sneak in a few pictures, and we want to go back and sit there for a while with some coffee. Luckily, we found another café called Cafelito. I ate maybe one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had there. We sat and talked for hours! In Spain, you have to ask for the bill; they're not going to just give it to you like they do in the United States. I like the slower pace of things here, but it is definitely something to get used to.
There is one thing that I am already used to, and that is THE METRO! If you've ever traveled with me, you'd know that I have a lot of trouble with directions. The NYC subway is my nightmare and Google Maps is my best friend. I was extremely nervous about adjusting to the Madrid metro, which is how everyone gets around here. Also, I will commute from my homestay to UCM via the metro. At first, I was a little bit confused, but I got the hang of it after only a few times. The metro is clean and organized. The lines are color coded, and there are clear directions on how to transfer with arrows on the wall. Within days, I was navigating the metro all by myself!!! (It's a big deal for me, okay?)
Yesterday, I chose my classes. Right now, I'm signed up for the following: The Prado class, Linguistics, Madrid culture, Theatre, and Spanish Literature (18th-20th century). I chose these based on recommendations from both my Tulane adviser and Harlie, who did this program last year. SHOUTOUT to Harlie who has been such a HUGE help in answering all my questions, giving me advice, and talking to me about anything and everything Spain related.
Those are the big updates! I messaged my señora (host mom for the semester) on Whats App, and we are meeting on Friday. She seems lovely through messaging, and I can't wait to meet her. She lives with her husband and Persian cat named Mimo. Isn't that the cutest name ever??? I'll move in next Sunday.
Blog on my trip to Toledo is on deck!
- comments
Lisa Better cookies than mine??