As I hope you know (seeing as this is for my friends and family) I am studying in Madrid, Spain for the next 5 and a half months. I arrived on Thursday and each day has been such a packed haze of motion. I’m starting up this blog so that I can keep all of my loved ones at home informed of what’s going on here in Spain without forgetting things. Also, I suck at keeping in touch with people and this helps : )

The last couple of days in Milwaukee were stressful to say the least. Waves of panic and anxiety swept over me as the 19^th of January crept nearer. Dread would be a sad, yet accurate, word to describe how I felt in those last two days. I had everything ready for me- packed, an apartment, classes figured out, everything. I just couldn’t set in stone how I was going to live and meet people, thus the fear. As meeting people is one of my greatest fears, I was terrified of doing this in another language. Just another barrier to overcome.

I left Milwaukee for Newark, meeting Tim at the gate for Madrid. We boarded and the flight was packed with Spanish people; I sat directly behind a group of students (naturally all wearing black and various shades of grey). The flight attendants were fluent in both Spanish and English (if not more), and I had the opportunity to practice just a little. The flight was 6 hours and I couldn’t sleep at all. I had prepped for this flight by not sleeping much the past two days and yet was completely awake. We arrived in Madrid at 10 in the morning their time (3 am Milwaukee time). We left the plane and went through passport checking. There was no customs to go through, so we just picked up our bags and left. Arielle met us at the gate and we headed for the metro. Without her I don’t know how I would have been able to carry all of my bags as I had packed so much.

The metro system in Spain is fantastic. You can go all over Madrid for only one euro as there are metro stops littered throughout the city and lines intersect at various points. We took ours to my new apartment and buzzed in. Arielle headed out right away to go to class while one of my new roommates welcomed us and showed me around the apartment. I have my own room with a giant armoire and two beds. We sat around resting for a while and then Tim and I walked around Madrid. The details escape me, but I know we went to Arielle’s school, had a late lunch, walked to an Orange store to get cell phones, and were disappointed to know we had to have our passports with us. We then checked out Tim’s apartment and went back to mine. Tim left for his own place with his bags and I hung out with my roommate and one of his friends. We then went out and I didn’t get to bed until four. Thus: 36 hours without sleep.

I realized how cold it gets at night here and how the building manager shuts off the heat at night. I couldn’t sleep well all night I was so cold. My roommate had washed the extra sheets for me, but I really wasn’t wearing enough pajamas. I was in bed till 1 pm Madrid time, got up for a bit, then went back to bed until 3. I then went to the cell phone store exhausted and hungry, and I struggled to communicate. After getting my cute little phone that’s going to cost me big time, I got some bread and groceries. However, I accidentally went to the store where they only sell frozen foods- albeit good ones. I dropped off my groceries and went out with my roommate to make myself some keys for the apartment, one of which had to be remade. I was supposed to meet Tim and Maggie (another person in my ICADE program) but it had gotten too late. I was going out to dinner with Arielle and the Spanish girls from her floor at her dorm, or colegio mayor. I was too tired to understand much of anything that was being said and so went back to my apartment relatively soon after dinner. We were in Chueca for dinner at a restaurant called Wagaboo where I had my first glass of clara, beer mixed with very sweet lemonade. Dinner was nice and I wish I could have had more energy to try to participate in the fast-paced Spanish conversation that was going on.

When I got home I skyped with my family and my dad could tell that things weren’t going so well. It’s not that I don’t like it here, I’m just having a difficult time with the lack of personal interactions. I see one of my roommates all the time and I like both of them very much, but they have lives and friends already. Arielle also has classes and a life of her own, although she’s been spending a great deal of time helping me find where to go and how to do things. Each day is a little better, but combined with jet lag, it’s all so difficult.

Saturday I woke up late feeling a little better, even though I still hadn’t slept very well. I met up with Arielle and her friend to go shopping. There’s a season in Spain after Christmas called rebajas; in this magical time, everything is on sale. We looked at shoes (still too expensive) and got some coffee for a pickup. I tried to use the card my mom had given me, telling the barista “creo que es una tarjeta internacional” or “I think this is an international card”. It didn’t work, but the barista was so nice, he didn’t make me pay. Later we went to H&M where the sales were suffocating. I bought some new clothes as I was quickly realizing that my style is still distinctly American. I’m trying to stand out as little as possible and these new things would help.

From there we went to El CorteIngles where I bought a pillowcase, towels, and a blanket, all about 25-50% off, and yet still expensive. I had to buy a blanket from the kids department because everything else was about 60 euro or above; so now I sleep with a manga black, white, and red blanket that says, “Who are you? You’re my hero!”

I ate dinner at my apartment while skyping with Bridget and waiting for Arielle to come back. She and I went to a local bar and had sangria, tortilla, and potato chips. Tortillas here are very different- sort of like scalloped potatoes in a quiche crust. They are different everywhere you go, but always potatoes. Food here is very simple, sometimes bland. Rarely any spice except the occasional paprika or some salt. Otherwise it’s meat, olive oil, cheese, and carbs. I took some Melatonin from Arielle and had an actual night’s sleep for the first time in a while.

I got up on Sunday ready to meet with Maggie and Tim. We went to Retiro Park, a gigantic, beautiful, old park that stretches on and on. We walked about talking for a while, and when they left I went to Café del Arte. Finally some coffee and a Panini-- even though I accidentally was given the wrong one—and an opportunity to practice my Spanish. My roommates speak French and English mostly in the house, so I’m not totally immersed.

I then met with Arielle and she took me to a Chino, or a small store run by Chinese-Spaniards that have everything for an extremely low price. I bought many necessities for my room for about 10 e. She helped me figure out some of the streets close to my apartment. We dropped off my purchases, and I left to go to Dubliners, an American/Irish bar in Puerto del Sol to watch the Bears vs. Packers game. I met some kids from the Marquette en Madrid program and obviously bonded with the Bears fans. I refuse to talk about the game, but I had loads of fun regardless.

I went back and slept nicely. It’s now Monday afternoon and I am working out a banking issue. M&I bank says I withdrew $400 when I received no money at all. Thankfully Arielle is going to help me talk to the bank in Madrid first thing tomorrow morning. On the plus side, I bought a new transformer from the Chinos and now have clean, straight hair. Hairdryer: intact, expensive transformer from REI: demolished.

Things I’ve learned so far:

1. the food is very simple

2. only tip a very good server, and then it’s less than a euro

3. sometimes expensive transformers still explode

4. it’s about 45 degrees F here, but it’s extremely cold at night

5. general groceries can be less expensive

6. liquor is very cheap and people drink at all times of the day

7. many people smoke; its common to smell weed on the streets

8. swearing is extremely normal; even the worst things to say are common.

9. When I say I’m going to ICADE, people groan; apparently my school is impossible. Great.

10. I’m wearing gloves in my apartment to write this. Brrrr.

11. Still adjusting to the cheek kiss thing. There are all these intricacies—even to handshakes. My roommates and I haven’t found a good system yet as we live together and there are many hellos and goodbyes. Or maybe I just don’t get it yet. It’s always a little awkward when I meet someone for the first time; American students don’t really greet that way.

12. I’ve seen so many people pick their noses

13. Personal space is different. I can’t tell if I should grab food we are sharing or ask or wait to be offered or what. Manners are so different, but in this way they seem more sincere as they’re used when truly grateful or sorry.

14. On that note, not saying “excuse me” when you nudge someone is also uncomfortable to me. Only once has someone said “Perdon” and that’s because she almost knocked out my coffee.

15. Faked warmth from people isn’t seen. I feel as if I’m disliked, but I think it’s really just customary not to be as overly polite as some people are in the States- especially those in jobs of service.

16. I’m spending a lot of money already. Even on just food and necessities.

17. Guys stare. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m American or have light hair or have light eyes or what. But boy do they stare.

18. I think I know why time isn’t that big of a deal here—it takes forever to get places. I feel like I’ve done so little but it takes so much time. Speed and checklists and agendas aren’t priorities.

19. We give each other missed calls to say things like “i’m outside waiting” or “get on skype” or things like that to save money

20. Many of the people I’ve met from Europe have lived in many countries and speak many languages. It’s true that American students are behind in this tool

21. Jet lag sucks.