January 24

Hi from Madrid!
My flight was yesterday. I got to Chicago around 10:30 and found the terminal with only a little difficulty. We checked in and got my baggage checked and then hung out in the attached hotel’s restaurant until time to go through security. I said my goodbyes to mom and dad with only a few tears (although they’re slightly resurfacing now for no good reason) and met my friend Katie at the gate. The first flight was only an hour and fifteen minutes, which hardly seems worth it after how many hours of waiting beforehand! I saw one of those jets that leaves the white streaks behind it from above, which I thought was pretty cool. We had a five hour layover in Philadelphia during which I sat at the gate and read. It is very difficult to concentrate on a book in a busy airport, let me tell you! Our flight to Madrid actually left about 15 minutes early. They served dinner, this “chicken” entrée that was like four tiny chunks of chicken amidst rice and beans and corn. Real healthy low carb there. . . . There was also a side salad that was more carrots than lettuce, I think. Anyway, I actually fell asleep for a while, a couple of times. About an hour and a half before we landed, when I was asleep, they turned all the lights on and came around asking “Do you want a pastry?” No, I do not want a pastry!! I want to sleep! It’s like 2 in the morning! Shut off the lights! Grr. . . .
Anyway, we arrived in Madrid about 30 minutes early and got our luggage with no problem. We were supposed to meet the directora of the program by the American Express office, so we waited there for like an hour and a half, getting more and more anxious. Finally, Katie called her; apparently there was an American Express office outside the gate and customs where they were all waiting. It makes total sense that that’s where they would be since they couldn’t come in that far, but we were at the American Express office, and we didn’t want to go leave and look, because we thought that would be when she would come looking for us. So we got in this huge van to go to the hotel around 12:30. Oh my gosh! I couldn’t pay attention to what the driver was doing or I would have freaked out. The streets are so narrow and cars were passing just inches away! Our driver stopped and changed lanes in the middle of a roundabout, two things which I know are illegal, at least in the US, and then he stopped in the middle of the street to greet a friend he hadn’t seen in six years and exchange phone numbers. He also went down this tiny alley where cars were parked along one side. I swear we were going to hit the cars or the wall, but we didn’t. We got honked at a lot.
What I could see of the city was cool. Of course we could only see like the bottom two or three floors because of the van windows, but there were a lot of buildings with cool balconies and facades, and we passed a statue of someone I can’t remember anymore. There’s a lot, too, that just looks like any bit city. There’s graffiti everywhere, on signs, on cement road barriers, on buildings, much more than I’ve ever seen in the US. It’s really a shame. We got to the hotel and I crashed for about 3 hours. I’m still pretty tired, but I can stay awake until time to go to bed, I think. Then I woke up and took a shower. The shower’s weird! It’s one of those that stand up on its own, and it has a curtain that turns the corner to meet the wall on 2 sides. The showerhead is on the sideways wall, spraying the short way instead of the long way! There’s also one of those extra toilet things that spray water on your butt and always make me think of Crocodile Dundee. At least, I assume that’s what it’s for. I didn’t try it out.
It’s 4:45 now. We’re meeting the whole group at 7:30 for tapas. I’m kind of nervous for the food. I don’t know what kind of stuff they eat here. I just realized I haven’t eaten all day, but I’m not hungry. One of the girls in my room is feeling sick and she thinks it’s because of something she ate. Oh well, I’m sure it will be fine.
I’m looking forward to getting to my house tomorrow so I can unpack and get all settled in. I still don’t know where or with whom I will be staying. I emailed them a few days ago asking about it and they told me that we didn’t get assigned until we got to Madrid. But Katie got hers and her host mother was told to email her before she left. I don’t know what’s up with that. I just wish I knew what I was getting into.
I’m feeling a little lost right now. I don’t know if it’s because I’m still tired. I think it’ll get better once I have something specific to do and a set schedule. Right now we’ve had the whole afternoon off, which just feels weird to be left on our own the first day in a foreign country. I’m not so sure about the whole big city thing. I hope my house is a bit outside the city. It’s a little daunting with all the big buildings and crazy traffic. I like my small towns where I’m not afraid of getting mugged at every minute. But I suppose I’ll find that out tonight or tomorrow.
I’m writing this at the hotel on Microsoft Word, but it’s not letting me connect to the hotel’s wireless internet without a username and password and I don’t want to have to figure it out right now. I’ll post this as soon as I can. (I really hope my house has internet.)
Love to all,
Bethany