The first 48 hours

I wasn't planning on keeping a blog while abroad, but many of my friends are and the more I think about it the more interesting it seems. So, here it goes!

As you all know, I set out on this huge adventure Tuesday, August 30th. Completely unaware of what to expect, I sat alone at my gate in LAX airport seriously considering finding the gate for Arizona and slipping off to my comfort zone. However, soon I was surrounded by 6 other wide-eyed, concerned college students. We realized everyone was in the same boat, so we quickly became acquainted and it was smooth sailing for the rest of the wait! For my first flight (LA to London - 10 hours) I was sitting next to a Swedish couple who spoke very little English and were completely engrossed with their new iPad - boring. The movie system on the plane didn't work so I was left to my own devises. Luckily I got 5 hours of sleep and when I woke London was beneath me! The flight attendant made fun of me because when I realized I was staring down at London apparently I "looked like a kid on Christmas morning" so he knew I had never been out of America. After a confusing 3 hour layover (everyone's tickets had different departure times, even though we were on the same flight to Madrid, and the signs in the airport didn't have our flight posted) I boarded a 2 hour flight to España. I'm in Madrid until Sunday, then I move to Bilbao for the duration of the semester.

The next day, Thursday, we toured Madrid. Besides our 4 program leaders we were accompanied by 3 tour guides. We walked through the city, visited the Museo del Prado and the Royal Palace. My tour guide (who I also had today) was perfect! Witty sense of humor and totally knowledgeable about everything in this country (we quizzed her). For those of you who haven't been, it's amazing. I'm not usually one for walking around a museum for 2 hours, but when our tour was over I wanted to stay! Unlike my experience in American art museums, the work I saw here had so much depth and history to it, very fascinating! Next we rushed across town for our appointment at the Royal Palace. Let me start by saying - HOLY COW. Not only is it gorgeous on the outside, but the inside is so intricate. Every room (all 2,800 of them - not an exaggeration) was stunning. Fun fact - King Phillip the fifth ordered an extension be built because there weren't enough rooms for his lifestyle (never happened). There is a beautiful courtyard outside where weddings/special functions are sometimes held if there are more guests than the palace can accommodate (which I found hard to believe because the dining room table alone can fit over 100 people) and a great view of outer Madrid.

Today, we took a day trip to Toledo. I was very excited because my friend who studied abroad in Seville last year told me if I don't go anywhere else in Spain make sure I get to Toledo. After the 4 hours I spent there, I completely understand. It's one of those cities that takes your breath away when you look at it (at least in my opinion - maybe I'm just in the "honeymoon phase"). We visited a cathedral, synagogue, and a painting by Greco (it is wanted by the Prado in Madrid but is too large and delicate to be moved from it's original church location in Toledo). The cathedral was unbelievable! For knowing basically nothing about any religion, I was in awe with everything our guide was telling us; from the history of the architecture to information of past cardinals. The synagogue was equally impressive, but on a different scale. While the cathedral was decked out in intricate gold details, the synagogue was simple but beautiful.

After the scheduled part of both days we were given free time in which my friends and I have used to wander the given city and find food. Yesterday we got lost in Madrid and were forced to put our Spanish skills to use when talking to a police officer and today I almost got hit by various cars because not only are the streets tiny, but there seems to be a lack of "rules" when it comes to driving in Europe. As far as food goes, I'm trying to be as adventurous as possible but sticking to simple things for now.

Phew, this was a much longer post than I expected! I will try to keep up with it on a more regular basis so my fingers don't cramp up and whoever is reading this doesn't feel like they're reading a novel! I am so excited to be here and can't wait to see what the next 3 months has in store! Miss you all! I'm off to explore Madrid more...