Dia 3

Unfortunately, our hotel does not have free wireless internet, so my roommate, Kelsey, and I walked a couple of blocks down the street to a Starbuck's. Yes, Starbuck's, McDonald's, and Burger King are still all over the place here.

This morning I woke up at 7:45AM (12:45AM in Minnesota) and met Mitch at the train station. He brought his suitcase for Amanda because she has somehow accumulated an extra suitcase worth of stuff. Mitch and I went for a run in el Parque de Retiro, Madrid's version of Central Park, then ate breakfast at a corner cafeteria. I got a piece of toast, coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice for about 3 euro. At 11AM, Amanda and I checked out of our hostel and took the Metro to el Hotel Husa Moncloa, where our program is staying for the next two nights. I also, met my roommate Kelsey, who I will be living with in Sevilla. We spent the afternoon exploring local shops and I bought a cell phone which was only 24 euro! At 7PM, we met with our study abroad group and received information and calendars regarding our next four months in Spain. There are about seventy of us studying at three universities in Sevilla-about sixty girls and ten boys. We take a placement exam on Monday morning which will determine what classes we can take in Sevilla. I hope to pass into at least the advanced level classes so I can take a larger variety of classes. At 8PM, our group went on a short guided bus tour of Madrid which was interesting, and I hope to get back to all of those places sometime during my stay in Spain. Our tour guide spoke entirely in Spanish and I was able to understand everything that she said. Now I just need to focus on my Spanish speaking skills . . .

Tomorrow we are visiting el Museo de Prado (El Greco, Velasquez, Goya) and el Palacio Real in the morning, and we have the afternoon and evening free. Oh, I've been trying to avoid looking like an American tourist but have taken a few pictures which I hope to post sometime this week.

He llegado finalmente . . .

After a combined 17 hours in the airport and on the plane, I finally arrived in Madrid without too much trouble. After splitting with Mitch at the airport I took a taxi to the hostel where I am staying for the next two nights until my program officially begins. The taxi ride was interesting to say the least, considering that I have never ridden in a taxi before. The driver didn't have much to say but did ask where I was from. I told him that I was from the United States and he immediately asked whether I supported "McCain o Obama." I'm not sure if I gave the wrong response because he didn't say much after that. He dropped me off in front of the hostel, but the facade of the hostel is currently being remodeled so I walked up and down the street a few times before I found the correct address. Then I couldn't figure out how to use the elevator so I lugged my 58.5 pound suitcase up four flights of stairs before finally settling in my room. I've also noticed that people have a bit of difficulty understanding me and have been giving me dumbfounded looks when I speak, which was a little disconcerting at first especially because my Spanish is a little rusty, but I was told it is because I have a heavy American accent. I really hope that is the case. Later this evening Amanda and I are going to navigate La Plaza del Sol, one of Madrid's most famous areas, which is two blocks from our hostel.

More from Madrid later . . .
Jen

Tengo una familia nueva!

I finally received my host family information yesterday! I have a host mother and two older brothers, Alejandro and Javier. This is a complete role reversal for me and it will be interesting to live with boys. Javier is 22 years old and is also a student, so hopefully he'll be able to show me around! The family also has two pets (hopefully dogs) because I told them I was allergic to cats ;)

The description of the house sounds nice; it's brand new, really close to downtown Sevilla, and a short bus ride from the university.

I also received my itinerary for my first week in Spain. Mitch and I leave Minnesota the afternoon of August 30 and after a short stop in Amsterdam, we arrive in Madrid on the afternoon of August 31. His program starts that day, so I am meeting up with one of my friends and we plan on exploring the city for a few days before our program officially starts. My tentative first week itinerary is:
September 2-Meet group at hotel, panoramic city visit by bus in the evening
September 3-Visit el Museo del Prado and el Palacio Real
September 4-Visit el Valle de los Caidos, travel to Toledo in the evening
September 5-Tour of Toledo
September 6-Travel to Sevilla, meet my host family in the evening!

A couple of my friends are in Spain already and they say it is absolutely gorgeous so I am anxious to leave! More posts to come . . .

Jen

Welcome!

I will be studying at the Universidad de Pablo de Olavide in Sevilla, Spain, from August 30 to December 20, and I've created this blog to keep you all updated on my adventures! I hope to post at least once or twice a week in addition to posting all of the pictures I've taken. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences and please keep in touch!

Hasta luego,

Jen