When You Blink and the First Week is Over

Photo: Kavya Gopal

I don't know where to start. It's been a week since I've touched Spanish soil and I've already experienced so much! Here's a few highlights of my week:

When nap-time is a grownup thing.

Did you know that it's a cultural norm to take siestas (naps) everyday here in Spain? After "la hora de comida" (lunch), stores typically close for an hour or so to take a nap! Um, can we integrate that into American culture, please?! This whole week I have not gone a day without saying, "Ay, necesito una siesta." After a tiring and hectic semester, or rather year, it feels good to be placed in a city that values rest!

When you walk into a place and literally "can't even." 

So as I mentioned in my first post, I'm studying with a group of students from around the U.S. The program took all of us to Toledo for the day! Highlight of the trip was the jaw-dropping, chill-inducing Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo. Our guide told us that it took generations for this grand cathedral to be completed and that the labor was passed down from grandfather to father to son and so on, until the cathedral was complete. To give you a little perspective, construction began in 1226, which was still considered the Middle Ages (WOW)! I don't think I've ever been anywhere as grand as this! Each carving, tile and column was HANDMADE (DIY times one million) by ordinary people, that just boggles my mind! After shutting my mouth from being in such a masterpiece of a place, we continued our tour around the ancient city and eventually had lunch over-looking Toledo! Only words to sum up this trip: I can't even.

When you run into someone from your hometown.

There's no shame in saying this: Madison (my roommate) and I were total grandma's our first week in Spain! While everyone else was out enjoying the nightlife, we were enjoying sweet slumber. We finally decided to go out Friday night and met up with a handful of other classmates. Want to read something crazy? I ran into a friend from Laredo in a little hole in the wall bar we were at! WHAT ARE THE ODDS, RIGHT? I guess it's not as crazy as running into someone from Laredo in the Puerto Rican rainforest like I did four years ago! Sidenote: Laredoans are everywhere. Anyways, we had such a fun night dancing and laughing at how hard it is to communicate with Spaniards, especially in a loud discotheque.   

When you're watching ants play soccer.

A group of about 30 of us bought tickets to a Real Madrid game. I'm not going to say I'm much of a sports fanatic but I definitely enjoyed watching the game from this crazy cool stadium! We were so high up, it looked like the fire-ants I see at the ranch running back and fourth (yeah, I know weird comparison but I promise you it's the perfect simile)! It was such a cool and surreal experience!

When you complain about something but do it anyway.

If you ask me, the most important food group in Spain would be grain. I don't think I've ever consumed as much bread in my life until I got here! Pan tostado para desayuno (breakfast), pan para comida (lunch), pan para cena (dinner); you get the picture! I've been complaining about the amount of bread I've had here but do you see me doing something about it? Nope, it's too good to turn away! Maybe it's a good thing I'm only here for six weeks. 

Well there you have it, my first week in Madrid! Continually thanking God for these experiences, safety and friendships he's provided me during this past week! I uploaded some photos from the first half of my week on the Gallery tab, so take a look! I'll work on uploading photos of Toledo and the soccer game later this week! Subscribe to get email updates when I post new stuff! Up next: Valencia, Spain! Hope you all are having a wonderful week, God bless! 

Hasta luego,

Amanda