My new roommates and my school

These are my new roommates, Noemi, Kylah, and Madeleine. The first two are from the US, Vermont and Florida, and Madu is from France.

My beautiful running trail!

Felicidad

Pues, I'm all set here in my new apartment. I feel so fortunate to have found it and have the great roommates that I do. There's Noemi, from Vermont, Kylah, from Florida, and Madeleine, from France. We speak a lot in Spanish so that is good. When we are all around its always Spanish. Madeleine is learning English, and as I want to learn French, I told her she should help me :) My apartment is nice and it has everything I need. I went grocery shopping and for a run...but I really need to get two important things still, a towel and a pillow. I don't really know where to find them either. Hmm. Good thing I am meeting up with Rosa later and hopefully she can help me find them.

So I am obsessed with this running trail I found in the country. It has the prettiest views and is just wide wide open space with no other people around. Its just flat land with a gravel path running through it, and my roommate Kylah tells me there are even more outside the city.

I'm happy, things are going well. I go to my school for the first time tomorrow. I'm so thankful to be here, to be healthy (despite minor digestion issues, what? my diet is changing) and be able to run and meet good people. I am very fortunate to be here, and I couldn't thank everyone who made that possible enough.

Primer Día en Ciudad Real

My first day in Ciudad Real has gone pretty well, besides getting very lost a few times. The city is really small (wonderfully accessible) but with skinny streets that run in no grid fashion...they are diagonal, sideways, straight, and curvy. They make no sense. I finally got my hands on a good map thanks to my new friend Paige and it helps..mucho. So tonight I went exploring the city a bit more after going to see 2 apartments to maybe rent today. They were both very nice. I'll tell you more about my decisions about flats when I make them (probably tomorrow). I explored a bit then met up with 2 girls and one guy from America. Paige and Janna are both doing the same program I am, and Paige's boyfriend came along for the ride. So we got together in the Plaza Mayor, which was really neat. I passed by a park on my way there where they were having a concert, and 3 hours later, when I left, it was still going on. We sat and talked for awhile (nice to speak English) and then went and got some tapas. We had 2 cañas each (little beers from tap) and they gave us a tapa with each without ordering. With the first round we got calamares, but like full little squids. Delish. Then with the second we got this vegetable/sausage casserole thing. Then we ordered tapas on top of that, and I got the grilled vegetables, which was good. I figured I needed some vegetables--I havent really had a full hot meal in a few days. Tomorrow I get to try out the breakfast here at the hotel, its really nice and I like having the space to myself. I also talked to Aurora today on the phone and it was so great to hear her voice. I also talked to my friend Julio from Alicante. Aurora asked when I was coming and tried to arrange a visit for this coming weekend, but (for the first time ever haha) I told her better to make it the weekend after that so I can get used to this city. Of course then she said "Como te viene mejor, Bryn." Which means whatever works best for you, BRYN. haha. So looks like I'll be making it to Alicante sooner rather than later. CANNOT WAIT. I love Spain so far. Its just as I left it. Just hoping to get settled in rather quickly and work things out. And get started--OH yeah, work! I forgot I came here to work. its easy after sitting for 4 hours at a table eating tapas and beer that I came here to work. Plaza Mayor was bustling with hundreds of people from age 1-101 today from 7-9. I love how that is the Spaniards "out and about" time. its my favorite time of day to be outside. Right when its getting dark.. Its the most crowded time for all the stores and everything. I found a street right off of Plaza Mayor that has all the shops owned by Inditex. Like (avenina maissonave in Alicante) and its amazing..Stradavarius, Bershka, Zara, H&M, Springfield, Pimkie, and Sfera all in the same row. Wish I hadnt discovered it. Might have saved me a lot of money :)

Enough rambling, must hit the hay. Slowly adapting to this Spanish schedule. Its 12:33 am here. Muy buenas.

ESTOY AQUI!

Hi all! I made it to Spain! First off, I was worried I would not make it because the baby behind me on the long flight was crying the whole time. Don't worry though, I got her entire life (6 months) story from her parents. They were going to Valladolid because she is named Alejandra and her great grandmother who is 101 is named Alejandra too so they have to meet. The flight ended up being fine, but I didnt sleep. I sat next to a young Spanish couple who reminded me with their flirtiness and public displays of affection that I was, in fact, returning to Spain. Their thick thick Spanish accents threw me for a loop. I forgot how strong the lisp is here, just a whole different type of Spanish. Upon being jolted awake (ok, I dozed) by the pilots, "Alright, folks, we will be landing in about an hour and we'll be serving you a warm pastry in the meantime" speech, I looked out the far window (i was in the middle section) and saw a fantastic rainbow sunrise. In three perfect lines along the horizon, red, yellow, blue. Ravi had followed me to Spain. Happy as a clam, I prepared for landing.
Then I got to my friend Drew's house in Madrid after a 30 euro cab ride (!) and FINALLY he woke up to let me in after I knocked and waited for 30 min. Whatever. My taxista was from Bulgaria, so his Spanish was worse than mine, so that was interesting, but it was the only language we had in common. He thought I was Spanish until we started talking and I told him I was American. You can fool anybody here, I'm telling you. Spanish? Me?

Then Drew and I went walking around Madrid, we ate a bocadillo with calamari on it. A bocadillo is simply anything on 2 pieces of french-ish bread cut in half longways. Then after a lot more walking, we got a kebab, another of my Spanish favorites. I also had a cafe con leche and tortilla española, rounding out just about all the things I was waiting to eat again in Spain.
So far, so good. A little nervous about finding an apartment. Gonna go get a phone now at this place called Yoigo and set up my plan...esh. But I have to wait til 5:00 when they re-open because OBVIOUSLY, its siesta timeeeee! And everything is closed. Oh to be a Spaniard. Its a good life.
I'll be spending tonight probably practicing up on my "hasta luego"s which really sound like, "a-alego." and my "grapftias".
Hasta pronto.. aalegoooo

Andddd....I'm off! Miss you all already. A new adventure awaits. So excited to be a part of it.