Buenos dias, Madrid

After a five hour bus ride from 1:30 am, ten of us arrived in the Madrid bus station at 6:30 am, cold, hungry, EXHAUSTED, and lost. Somehow we (as in one of those savvy boys I was with. Not me, I can barely touch a map without getting lost) managed to find the metro, get on, and walk about 10 minutes to the hostel without getting lost. However, we couldn´t check in yet because people were still sleeping in our room, so we went next door and had some toast and assorted hot beverages at the little cafe. Then we somehow thought it was a good idea to take the train to Toledo without taking a nap. Bad plan. I was so tired I wasn´t even hungry. I know, incredible. We did get to see one of the most picturesque little towns in central Spain though, the first capital in Spanish history I believe. With sloping cobbled streets and steep stairs leading to churches and cathedrals, stone walls overlooking the rolling hills of the city below, and tons of souvenoir weapon shops, it was time to go by 4:00. Once we boarded the train at 9:30-it was a long 5 hours before this departure-I conked out like a boiled lobster, dead to the world. We got to Madrid and our hostel, and I was asleep by 10:30, safe in my top bunk, overlooking the hundreds of exciting Madridians going out for tapas. Sleep.

I need to stop eating bread

I need to stop eating bread. During the past two weeks I have munched, bitten, savored, scarfed, dipped, chewed, and swallowed a lot of bread. Today I had corn flakes for breakfast, a hunk of bread during the bus ride up the Sierra Navadas, ate one and a half bocadillos, which was a half loaf of bread with pepperoni inside, had part of a croissant, and just polished off two rolls from my host family's cafe.

If I could, I would eat more, but I don't want to seem too hungry. Though I do really like bread...especially when dipped in chocolate.

Ok, so it's been a few days, let's see. On Saturday I finally met my host family, Conchi (my Señora), Pepe (the dad), Pablo, Ana, José (the 30 year old kids), Angela (the granddaughter), and Duké (Pablo's ugly dog). Conchi picked me up from the hostel that morning and I nervously kissed her on both cheeks and tried to make conversation with my horrible Spanish. She was very understanding. Then I had lunch with the family (paella) and tried to follow the conversations they were having with each other while not seeming nosy, I was very awkward I can assure you. I spent the rest of the day in their apartment, which overlooks one of the main streets in Granada as well as the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Very picturesque.

On Sunday I was eager to leave the apartment to not only get away from my new family asking me if I understand them after every sentence (which I most definitely do not), but to see La Alhambra, Granada's gem. La Alhambra is, of course, absolutely beautiful. Once a fortress and palace for the Moorish rulers of Granada, it now serves to aesthetically please tourists and residents alike; with its intricately decorated rooms, verandas, and bathrooms, its views of the city below and the mountains above, and its fountain-filled gardens, I could have spent all day there with a book and a camera.

Now that I'm beginning "real" life here, with classes and a schedule, I am starting to see the inners of this city and the people, if only the inners just beneath the surface...we'll see what happens here

The View from La Alhambra

Eating Chocolate con Churros at a Café

On the Balcony of Hostel Atenas, First Day

The first three days and my eating adventures

I've officially been in Spain for 3 days, though it really feels like a lot longer since we've had so much time to explore the city and its parts without any responsibility. Ay! It's been great! Naturally, most of my excitement from the past few days has been food inspired: going to tapas bars for four course meals, stopping by the bread lady who sells french loaves and sweetbread for almost nothing, and longingly staring into the pastelerías full of chocolate croissants and shelves of fruity pastries.

Though most of you readers (reader?) know, I have always had grande affection for food in general since the tender age of teething, however, I still have yet to dive into the ocean to spear some cod or wrangle up a few clams. But alas, to the great delight of my brother, living among fish-loving Andalusians has forced me to get over those little prawn eyes looking up at me from beneath a blanket of paella and the oily gumminess of cold, whole silvery fish that sit atop potato chips. I've gotten to practice my Anthony Bourdain-ness many a-time already. Besides those adventurous experiences, though, I have had the pleasure of chocolate con churros, an amazing fondue-like experience in which one dips fried dough (churros) into a hot-chocolate-fondue concoction. SO DELICIOUS. And so many more wonderful food (and other) experiences to go, even tonight, as I head off to the big group dinner. Who knows what (or who) with be staring up at me tonight?

More later, my friends, siempre más

Ah, Granada

After finally packing all my clothes and essentials for the next 5 months, I went out to one last big American breakfast with my family and was soon after dropped off at O'Hare. Complete with my huge backpacking backpack, school backpack, and other carry-on, I said good-bye to my brother, then mom, who stealthily stepped out as her eyes began to tear...and dad, who kept taking "candid" pictures of Theresa and me as we bounded off to security.

I know you all really want to hear about my travel day, so I will tell you. In 100 words or less:

Plane #1: From Chicago to Philly - uneventful + 2 hour stopover

Plane #2: From Philly to Madrid - long. Long and disorienting. I fell on the border of sleep at 12 central time and was woken up by the flight crew for breakfast at 2 am c, but 8 am Madrid time. I have been confused about what day it is since Monday, but I'm relatively sure it's Wednesday, 6 pm...landed then spent 8 hours at the Madrid airport, as Spaniards seem to have little sense of time management, but no worries, I somehow managed to sleep laying across several chairs under the amazing airport ceiling of curvy wood.

Plane #3: Madrid to Granada: I've never boarded three planes in a row, bonus! 2 hours of turbulence, wet luggage, taxi to hostel, out of euros.

sleepy

disoriented

hungry

moneyless

rain, rain, rain

FOOD! Went to a tapas restaurant with some other girls from my program and had paella deliciosa, jabón that tasted like pavo, and red wine. I felt very European, except that I was with 10 other Americans and smelled like airport. Then, sleep.

So I am here. In Hostel Atenas. In Granada, so ready to start this adventure. More later, but for now, hasta luego

One more day

I realized today that I am unprepared to not speak English for 5 months. I made Adam (my brother) have a practice conversation with me on our way back from picking up my fashionable passport necklace and couldn't figure out how to say "my flight was long and I can't wait to eat some food." Got it eventually, guys, don't worry, and I now know how to say "ok" and "it doesn't matter" in the Spanish way.

In other news, with only one more day before my flight (Monday), I feel the days slipping away and the nights becoming nonexistent. I find myself impatient to be there but already missing the indent I've made on the couch, the smell of my dog (he doesn't smell good, but every time I do dig my nose into his neckfluff I think of home), and the voices of my family members scattered around the house...but then I snap out of it and remember how awfully cold it is outside and how unappealing Champaign is in February

Well, I have a blog

As I am flying away to Granada, Spain on Monday, I thought I would create this little buddy to keep everyone at least slightly up-to-date on my travels. So instead of writing on everyone's facebook walls, skyping all the time, and writing letters, I will be updating on here. Excited? I thought so. So read if you want to, don't if you don't, but I can't wait to share this semester with you while oceans away.