Mi piso!!!

Just as I was getting familiar with the Alcala area, and getting comfortable with walking around without getting lost, Marta and I made our way to the center of Madrid to our new home in “La Latina.” The Journey consisted of leaving by train from Alcala and then switching to the Metro once closer to the center. After telling Teresa and Abuela that I was planning on taking both of my suitcases at one time, they warned me of all the switches I was going to have to make and that it would not be wise to travel with both at the same time. Agreeing with them and deciding to take only my bigger one for the first trip, I was expecting an easy voyage to my apartment. Little did I know that my suitcase, stuffed to the brim, was going to EXPLODE open –zippers breaking, ripping open—IN THE METRO. Let’s just say it is quite difficult to climb ALL the stairs of the Madrid Metro with my 60lbs. broken suitcase, in the heat, with my weakling arms… all I have to say is thank you to all the Spaniards who helped me lift my suitcase up the stairs, the taxi cab driver who shuttled Marta and I from the “La Latina” Metro stop, two blocks to our home, and our kind neighbor who carried my broken suitcase up our 6 flights of stairs to our front door.

Here are the battle wounds I endured from this adventure:

On the upside of it all, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, our apartment!!! My room might be the size of a small cube but I don’t care. We have two beautiful terraces over looking our gorgeous and hip neighborhood, everything is furnished and well, it’s just perfect. Near the metro, around a ton of plazas with bars and cafes, shopping, theater… EVERYTHING.

The past few days have been full of lugging suitcases up our many stairs, unpacking, assembling ikea furniture, drinking canas, eating tapas, exploring, and getting to know my roommates. I think I really lucked out with everything. Having one roommate who is half Spanish and knows the area and language, and one roommate who completed my program the previous year and knows the courses and alum = help and support for the new girl who clearly is bad-luck stricken and lacks any sense of direction.

I also got to see some familiar faces yesterday when we had to pick up some of Jessica’s stored stuff from Abby’s apartment in Pacifico and then later met up with her and Emily from CMU as well as Abby and Jess’s friends from the program last year for our first night out in Madrid! Things seem to be falling into place, slowly but surely. Unfortunately… we won’t have internet in our apartment for most likely the next couple of weeks L. There is though, and awesome vegan restaurant around the corner with wifi, which is hard to come by around here, that is most likely going to become my hotspot for studying and hw for the year. I’m excited to get in a routine and not feel like such a foreigner. All in due time, all in due time. Once I have my bearings and our apartment is finally set up the way we want it, I will post pictures galore!

Love and miss all my family and friends and can’t wait to get Internet so it’ll be easier to keep in touch with everyone. For now keep tuned in here!

Xoxo,

Lilita