And So it Begins!

As of now, I’ve spent two days in Madrid. A lot’s been going on, but I’ll try to relay it all.
Alright. Here goes.

So I made it to Madrid (hallelujah). Getting here was quite the emotional struggle; the day of my flight, I couldn’t get over the sensation of leaving to appreciate all that I was about to encounter. Because the next five months was a huge, gaping black hole of not-knowing, it was still difficult to adopt a sense of adventure. But I made it through the flight, got out of the airport alive, and even managed to take a taxi to my new home without much trouble. And all of this with my 75 pound suitcase, mind you.

Upon entering the apartment, my host Mom, Paloma Herranz, greeted me with a peck on each cheek. She then showed me the apartment in a flurry of Spanish, graciously rephrasing and repeating herself whenever I looked confused. I’m the 15th exchange student that she’s hosted, so she’s a bit of a pro at communicating through gestures and basic Spanish. When I told her I wanted to see the city, she played the part of my Mom well, refusing to take me out until after I had some sleep. After a couple hours of unpacking and taking una siesta the two of us set off on the streets of Madrid.

The city is very different from how I had imagined it to be. While there are old, esteemed parts of town, most of the city is very modern, with streets covered in concrete and facades covered in advertisements. It is very much llike any metropolitan city in the US in that sense. Just as I was beginning to feel back in the states, however, I’d come across a medieval relief on the side of a building, or a obelisk with a giant, Romantic statue on top, or a fountain and be shocked back into awareness. In the three hour walk I took that first day, I saw most of the highlights of Madrid, including la Plaza del Sol, La Gran Villa (the Times Square of Madrid), and el Mercado de San Miguel (where I sampled an excellent… tapa-like thing). All the while, Paloma spoke Spanish, telling me which stores to go to, which cervecias have the cheapest beer, which buildings were the most famous in Madrid. While I really wanted to take some pictures for this blog, to document the experience, I did NOT want to look like a tourist. Pictures to come when I can get around without a map!

After we had worn ourselves out, we stopped by a Churreria y Chocolateria where we had (if you hadn’t already guessed it) freshly made churros and cups of liquid chocolate. Not a joke: this was THE BEST thing ever.

The rest of my evening was pretty dull, spent only watching Spanish television and trying to sleep off my jetlag. But yesterday morning, when I finally woke up, I decided that it was the day that I would buy a cell phone. Because there are different cellular frequencies used in the United States and Europe, my American phone has been of little more use than a paperweight since I arrived. But let me tell you, going to the phone store was quite the ordeal. Although I had researched my various options, hoping to get both a local and international calling plan, I could not understand a word that the sales person said to me. Speaking to Paloma the previous day hadn’t done much to prepare me for the rapid-fire Spanish spoken on the street. But I was able to communicate that I wanted something cheap and without a contract, so the Orange representative hooked me up with this tiny, blue flip-phone (remember flip-phones? So jank). I’m still trying to figure out what I can do with it, but if I can text internationally I’ll let you know.

After I spent a few hours fiddling with this new technology, I actually set out for a church service. It’s common knowledge that Spain is overrun with Roman-Catholics and atheists; worship, particularly non-Catholic worship is hard to come by. So when a friend of a friend, whom I had been wanting to meet, offered to get together at Oasis Madrid Community Church, I jumped at the opportunity. The church turned out to be adjacent from La Plaza del Sol, in a tiny room over a McDonalds. Only around 40 Americans, Brits, and English-speaking Madrilène showed up, but it was a delightfully intimate experience. I felt incredibly at home and at peace. During the message, the leader opened the windows, and through them I could hear the songs of street musicians. And after the service, I talked to and made friends with another girl from Texas, one from South England, and one from Madrid itself. Having met a few people in the city was such a blessing.

Afterwards, I left and walked back to my apartment through the overwhelmingly large throngs of people, getting incredibly lost in the process. Even so, I made it back in time to share dinner with Paloma. My evening was tame, spent conversing with her, skyping, and researching my travel destinations.

I’ll admit, it hasn’t been the craziest couple of days. But it’s been enjoyable, and far more comforting than I was expecting. On Monday, I will be attending numerous info sessions and training seminars for all of the international students at Comillas, and that’s when I’m hoping things will pick up, when I’ll be able to meet dozens of peers. But as for today, I’ll continue to take it easy, experiencing Madrid poco a poco. I’ll continue to lay a foundation for myself in this new city. I’ll continue to practice Spanish with Paloma, learning and absorbing as much as I can. And I’ll continue to explore.

With my love from Spain,
Krista