I have finally arrived in Madrid! I am taking everything all in and will get into full detail, but going to rewind a little bit to leaving. The day before I left the United States, my mom and I ran last minute errands that thought would be completely stress free, but little did we know our last stop would throw us for a loop. We first went to the Regions bank downtown to exchange U.S. dollars for Euros, which was completely easy and the man that helped us was so very nice. If you have never seen what a Euro looks like, they are very fascinating! Next, we made a stop at Ulta to get traveling size shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc.. We were still easy sailing for now and then we ran into a shoe store and of course both of us came out with another pair of shoes, we just couldn't help ourselves. We finally went back into Madison from Jackson to find my host family a gift for letting me stay and taking care of me, we bought a bunch of things made in Mississippi to give senora a taste of the south. Crossing my fingers that nothing breaks while in my large duffle bag even though i surrounded it with plenty of my clothes that I brought. Next, was our speed bump in the road, trying to fill a prescription and letting my insurance company approve it to make sure I had all the right medicine with me. After two hours, we finally got it resolved, I literally thought I was going to pull my hair out. We finally met my brother and his girlfriend for dinner at a mexican restaurant, yes I know ironic that I am going to Spain the next day, but the food is completely different over in Spain from what I hear. On my last night, it took me a while to finally fall asleep but 6:45 A.M. came pretty early so I could get ready to make my way to the airport. My parents and I went and ate at Ihop before we left and we got in the car afterwards and I could barely make words come out of my mouth and my foot was just tapping away. My heart was pounding, I was really heading to the airport and I literally felt sick to my stomach. So many thoughts going through my head and since I am a worry wart they were all worrying thoughts, my dad said my name and I looked at him with an apparently funny face because his next words were "What is wrong?". I immediately started crying and told him how scared I was of the unknown, he assured me that the unknown was the best part of this trip and will be such a learning experience. I quickly wiped my tears away as we got out at curbside to check my luggage. I am pretty sure I was over the 50 lb limit but I was lucky to not get it weighed. Once my dad parked the car and met me and my mom in the airport we changed my seating from Atlanta to Madrid since I was in the middle for a 9 hour flight, we were lucky to get an isle seat so I felt much better. Then.... it was finally time for me to say goodbye. My mom started crying so of course I started to cry and I kept having to tell her to stop while tears were streaming down mine and her face and we both laughed. I had made my last goodbye to my parents and my dad handed me a card and said to not open it until I am in the air. I made it through security and to my gate and that card was staring at me in the face, so Dad if you are reading this... I opened it at the gate, whoops! I just couldn't help it! As I read the wonderful letter my dad wrote me I started to cry again... I was just a wreck at this point. His letter helped build my confidence for when I get over there though. I also found a CD behind the letter labeled "Katie Does Spain", I couldn't wait to listen to it and see what was on there. The flight to Atlanta went smoothly and I walked to get some more money exchanged and then went into the Sky Miles Club to get on my computer. I immediately put the CD my dad had made for me in my computer and started listening. The first song was by Sheryl Crow called Live It Up, so fitting for my trip! The next one was our favorite since I was a little girl and would dance with him, most of my friends know I love Sting so it is only fitting mine and my dad's favorite song is a Sting song called Heavy Cloud, No Rain. My face immediately lit up when the song came on and it just so happened my dad was calling me right then and there. I told him I was responding to his letter and listening to his CD, he did a very good job with the songs he put on the CD except he had to throw in Stevie Nicks, for some reason I am just not a big fan but the rest of the songs are so fitting and all have meaning behind it! Here is the list of the rest of the songs, they are really good if you know them or ever want to listen to them...
-Wildflower by Sheryl Crow
-This One is for the Girls by Martina McBride
-Somebody Like You by Keith Urban
-Shapes by John Gorka
-Love Song by James Taylor
-The Long Way Around by The Dixie Chicks
-Nightbird by Stevie Nicks
-Man! I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain
-Walk in the Sun by Bruce Hornsby
-Could You Lie by Alison Krauss
Finally came my flight, the 7 hours and 45 minutes went by slow and pretty uncomfortably, with little to no sleep. I did get to watch a few movies I had not seen in theaters though. Two bigger guys were sitting next to me and had me pinned into the far right of my chair. First class people kept coming back to use the restroom and would look in economy class and laugh, I could see their seats from where I sat and it made me very jealous. We finally arrived in Madrid at 11:30 which was 4:30 at home. My luggage got here safely and I went through customs with no problem! Since ISA was not coming back to pick up another group till 1:00, a girl, going to Granada also, and I sat down in Sala 1 and got to know each other, and did a lot of people watching. We noticed a trend that we usually don't see in the United States, men wearing capris. Finally, we met up with a group of students and two coordinators for ISA. We loaded the bus and quickly found out that our spanish skills needed improving. The Spaniards talk so fast and we could get bits and pieces of what they were trying to say. We finally made it to the hotel which is a very nice one! I walked into my room and met my roommate and freshened up to go explore Madrid! Hotels in Spain are very different, you must put your room key in this black slip to get the lights to come on and the shower only has half of a door on it and the rest is opened up. They also have the twin beds pushed together. Very different from what we stay in while we travel. Finally a group of us went to explore, Madrid is so pretty! Posted below are pictures. Everything is just so different and it is hard to explain, everything is close together and beautiful old buildings with balconies and such. We decided we were hungry so we went into a restaurant to attempt to get Tapas. If you do not know what Tapas are here is the story: they use to have a bad fly problem so the restaurant would place a napkin on top of the glass and then place little appetizers of different kinds of foods and everyone shares. Although we could not find Tapas, we found a place that served paella. Paella is yellow rice with some peppers in it and then either like seafood or vegetables are mixed in also, shown below is a pictures of what 5 of us split, vegetable paella. It was very yummy and we sat at a white table cloth table. The reason for the white table cloth at lunch is because that is the Spanish main dish for the day usually eaten around 2:00 and then since they eat such a big lunch, their dinner is smaller and eaten between 9:00 and 11:30. Lunch was very yummy and a group of us all got to know one another pretty well!
After lunch we roamed around Madrid for a little bit longer, and eventually found our way back to the hotel. We freshened up again, since it is pretty hot outside, but just without the humidity like in Mississippi. The whole entire group that will be in Granada met downstairs at 5:00 to take a bus tour of Madrid. The city is so big, it is hard to cover the main areas on foot. My family is not about to be too thrilled with me, but my jet lag was kicking in from getting 2 hours of sleep the last 24 hours and I took a nice cat nap for about 15 minutes on the bus, whoops! I did listen to most of the tour though, our coordinators spoke mainly in spanish to make us continue to understand it more and use English less, I can get pretty good bits and pieces of everything they are saying and learning that is okay to at least try and talk in Spanish back to them. Now, I am sitting in my room taking a little quiet time with my roommate and going to get something fast and cheap to eat since lunch was so extravagant and get a good nights rest! We have to be in the lobby at 10:00 in the morning to start our day. We are taking a tour of El Museo del Prado and then eventually taking a tour of the Palacio Real which is the residence of the King and Queen but they don't actually live there, they hold state dinners and such there now and live in a low key home somewhere else in Madrid. Then Monday morning we leave for Toledo and finally on Tuesday we make our way to Granada to meet my family! I will try my best to get another blog out before I leave for Granada.
Finally came my flight, the 7 hours and 45 minutes went by slow and pretty uncomfortably, with little to no sleep. I did get to watch a few movies I had not seen in theaters though. Two bigger guys were sitting next to me and had me pinned into the far right of my chair. First class people kept coming back to use the restroom and would look in economy class and laugh, I could see their seats from where I sat and it made me very jealous. We finally arrived in Madrid at 11:30 which was 4:30 at home. My luggage got here safely and I went through customs with no problem! Since ISA was not coming back to pick up another group till 1:00, a girl, going to Granada also, and I sat down in Sala 1 and got to know each other, and did a lot of people watching. We noticed a trend that we usually don't see in the United States, men wearing capris. Finally, we met up with a group of students and two coordinators for ISA. We loaded the bus and quickly found out that our spanish skills needed improving. The Spaniards talk so fast and we could get bits and pieces of what they were trying to say. We finally made it to the hotel which is a very nice one! I walked into my room and met my roommate and freshened up to go explore Madrid! Hotels in Spain are very different, you must put your room key in this black slip to get the lights to come on and the shower only has half of a door on it and the rest is opened up. They also have the twin beds pushed together. Very different from what we stay in while we travel. Finally a group of us went to explore, Madrid is so pretty! Posted below are pictures. Everything is just so different and it is hard to explain, everything is close together and beautiful old buildings with balconies and such. We decided we were hungry so we went into a restaurant to attempt to get Tapas. If you do not know what Tapas are here is the story: they use to have a bad fly problem so the restaurant would place a napkin on top of the glass and then place little appetizers of different kinds of foods and everyone shares. Although we could not find Tapas, we found a place that served paella. Paella is yellow rice with some peppers in it and then either like seafood or vegetables are mixed in also, shown below is a pictures of what 5 of us split, vegetable paella. It was very yummy and we sat at a white table cloth table. The reason for the white table cloth at lunch is because that is the Spanish main dish for the day usually eaten around 2:00 and then since they eat such a big lunch, their dinner is smaller and eaten between 9:00 and 11:30. Lunch was very yummy and a group of us all got to know one another pretty well!
After lunch we roamed around Madrid for a little bit longer, and eventually found our way back to the hotel. We freshened up again, since it is pretty hot outside, but just without the humidity like in Mississippi. The whole entire group that will be in Granada met downstairs at 5:00 to take a bus tour of Madrid. The city is so big, it is hard to cover the main areas on foot. My family is not about to be too thrilled with me, but my jet lag was kicking in from getting 2 hours of sleep the last 24 hours and I took a nice cat nap for about 15 minutes on the bus, whoops! I did listen to most of the tour though, our coordinators spoke mainly in spanish to make us continue to understand it more and use English less, I can get pretty good bits and pieces of everything they are saying and learning that is okay to at least try and talk in Spanish back to them. Now, I am sitting in my room taking a little quiet time with my roommate and going to get something fast and cheap to eat since lunch was so extravagant and get a good nights rest! We have to be in the lobby at 10:00 in the morning to start our day. We are taking a tour of El Museo del Prado and then eventually taking a tour of the Palacio Real which is the residence of the King and Queen but they don't actually live there, they hold state dinners and such there now and live in a low key home somewhere else in Madrid. Then Monday morning we leave for Toledo and finally on Tuesday we make our way to Granada to meet my family! I will try my best to get another blog out before I leave for Granada.
Some of the girls in my group
vegetable paella
small streets in madrid
the girls again
the bus tour
and again
i think euros look pretty cool compared to a U.S. $20 bill
so much fun. y'all are precious. and I am so jealous of what all you get to see :) Miss you lots and lots!
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