Vale!!!!

Bueno, time for my first blog from Spain. I’ll try to cover pithily all I need to say about all the different things; the trip and my arrival, the city, new friends, living situation, and the uni.

Madrid Airport-sweet architecture

So, I left on Monday, getting to the Charlotte airport for a 2:30 departure. It was hard saying bye to Mom and Dad (“Don’t hug me so hard, Mom; you’re squeezing the tears out”—cheesy, I know, but true…), and if I hadn’t had so much to think about I think I’d have cried. I’m sure they did.

The whole airport/flying thing was big and intimidating, but I got through the hard parts. Thank you to all who prayed; I wanted to share how God used that a little. There were a bunch of encouragements. First, I went into a bathroom in Charlotte, and ended up talking to the janitor, a sweet lady named Morgan, who was really encouraging, and what I needed, since I had just said bye to the ‘rents and felt fairly emotional. Then, in Philadelphia, I met a couple of girls heading to Granada, and so we talked a bit there and in the Madrid airport. Madrid was the toughest, because I had to take a bus to a different terminal, which was a bit far, and I wasn’t sure if I’d done the proper thing. But everything worked out. Then, in Pamplona, I quickly found a taxi, and got to the apartment where 4 nights with a family were provided (in other words, four nights, and days, to look for an apartment). The lady, Merche, is super nice and helpful. And a good cook. There are seven of us here, two of which are going to live with Merche, and the rest of us found apartments near each other (more on that soon).

5/7 of the girls from Merche's

In Merche’s, there are two girls from Guadalajara, Mexico (not pictured; I don’t yet have a picture of all, or of Merche) who are going to stay with Merche. In the picture, left to right; French, Austrian, Canadian, Canadian, me. The Austrian girl and I looked together for apartments (she doesn’t yet speak much Spanish), and will be living with a couple of different ladies. Her piso (apartment), with a lady named Salome, and another girl, and American (who wasn’t there when we saw the room) from Philly, is really pretty. It reminds me of the type of place that a Wussow would stay (: Mine is with a lady that Salome knows, Iratxe (which is Basque, and pronounced like ir-atch-eh), and I’m in the only room for rent there. The Canadian girls and the French girl found an apartment together, which is on the same street as mine (I haven’t seen it yet, though). I’m hoping to learn some Euskera (Basque, for those unfamiliar with the term), and Iratxe apparently doesn’t just speak it, but teaches it. As well as Spanish, of course.

Aurelie and Martina

I’m so thankful to have some friends, and it will be good as we also get to know Spaniards, but continue to be friends. I've really connected with the people I've met.

Martina, Benedict (from Austria as well), Aurelie…

...this picture was from when we started calling people on a list of apartments. That first day was a lot of walking, and quite exhausting. Martina and I found the apartments on the second day.

Part of Pamplona

I don’t yet have a picture of where I’ll be, so I’ll just use this one of a different part of town. If you know Pamplona, you probably just think of the Running of the Bulls, and may possibly know that it occurs during the Festival of San Fermin. So, that takes place in the Casco Viejo (old helmet), which is an older part of town. The buildings are closer together, and it is definitely the prettiest. There’s a big, beautiful plaza there, Plaza del Castillo. It is also the part of town that seems to have more restaurants, bars, and such things to do in the evenings/nights. My apartment is in the Casco Viejo. Benedict, the Austrian boy in the previous picture, and some other guys have an apartment also in the Casco Viejo, so we’re all close, and if we are out on the weekends, then we will have plenty to do near home so we don’t have to walk home late.

Also, from what I understand, all of Pamplona is pretty safe; there’s no neighborhood that is dodgier than another, and everything is pretty good. Which is nice to know.

With Martina, working on finding an apartment; probably a couple or three hours before we found ours.

So, there’s maybe not much more to say about basic info….let’s see….we had orientation today, walked around the uni, it seems nice, not too huge…..there’s quite a few internationals, and we’re just the ones that are here early for the intensive Spanish course (though there are some Latin Americans that I guess just wanted to go ahead and come, like the Guadalajarian girls here at Merche’s).

So, now just a little about how I feel. I guess I was so apprehensive about traveling, then a bit stressed while traveling, then relieved and tired when I got to Merche’s, then excited at the novelty of Spain/Europe/new friends, then busy with finding an apartment, and now…. Well, now I think I’m still a bit feeling the novelty, but I’m also starting to think about how darn long nine months are. I guess it’s that now I can kind of see how things will be more, now that I know where I’ll be living, and some of who my friends will be. I’ve also come to reconcile myself with the fact that I’m an international student, and people are going to know that, and it’s ok. I think I’ve been afraid that maybe people won’t like an American, but I guess most people probably realize that we’re not all George Bush.

So. Things are going well, I like it here, and am happy. Estoy contenta. Thanks for reading, hope I didn’t write too much and be boring.

Cheers!

(Just a little humour...took this on the bus.... "Asiento Reservado" means seat reserved. Of course, we all know what this means. Seats reserved for old people, people with childrens, and large women. (: )