Mi Llegada en España (My Arrival in Spain)

We arrived around 9 in the morning at the Madrid Airport. It was really simple getting out, more so than I thought it would be. We followed a hallway and the signs to the baggage claim (they are in both English and Spanish), where we had to give our passports to customs before entering the baggage area. We found our luggage area and everyone got their luggage with no problems. Inside there was a place to exchange you money if you wanted to although I ended up not doing that. We then headed out of the baggage area where we met out professors. They took us to a bus that was rented for the KIIS students and we drive for about an hour till we arrived near the aqueducto. 

After that our host families, who were waiting for us, took us back to their houses. Our host mother, Lola, had an apartment  that was extremely close to the aqueduct so it wasn't that long of a drive. Mary, my roommate, and I got there and unpacked and then she took us on a walk to the plaza mayor where our classes are. After that we had lunch with her and her husband, Alfonso. We had gazpacho (a cold tomato soup that originates from Andalucia) along with baked chicken, potatoes, and melon for desert (which was better than any melon I have ever had in the United States). We then took a little nap and rested a bit before heading over to the aqueduct to meet with our group for orientation.

Dr. Melissa Stewart showed us around Segovia and some of the famous landmarks before we went to the KIIS office, where she answered questions we had and discussed plans for the nextfew days as well as rules. We then continued walking and saw the Alcazar, an old palace in Segovia.

We circled back around to the aqueduct, where we then separated, with Mary and I heading back to our house to shower and have dinner.

We had Spanish rice and a tomato salad. I actually like the tomato salad even thou I usually have trouble eating tomatoes. I only ate one piece of tomato though. We then had cherries and a Spanish fruit called Paraguaya for desert. The Paraguaya is delicious and is like peach with more flavor. It is amazing (It's now my favorite fruit). We ate on the balcony for dinner and Lola, Mary, and I talked for a while. I really feel like we are much closer even though it has only been one day. Hasta mañana!

La Primera Semana (The First Week)

Segovia is maravillosa (wonderful). The buildings are really pretty and I feel really comfortable in our apartment. I really really like our host mom and can't wait to get to know her better. The class seems interesting so far and I'm not having too much trouble settling in. However, there are some things that I am struggling with as we'll as things that I love about Spain. I thought I would make a list of both. 

Problems/Desafìos para mi (Problems/challenges for me)

1. Time Change

          Especially yesterday, this was a problem. Spain is 6 hours ahead of where I live and so it's been a challenge adapting to being this far ahead. The first day we were eating lunch, which felt like dinner because of the large Spanish lunch but it was breakfast time at home. That confused me a bit. 

2. AC is non-existent. 

          None of the buildings I have in so far have felt like they have an AC unit. In Spain, windows are left open so that a breeze can come in. This was only really a challenge when I am sleeping because of the sheets but throughout the day it's usually fine. It was hot yesterday but there was no humidity, which was nice compared to Kentucky and usually there is always a breeze.

3. Eating schedule

          Spaniards eat later than people in the U.S. They usually eat lunch around 2-3 p.m. and dinner around 8-9 pm. They eat about an hour later on Sunday's. This hasn't exactly been hard for me except for the fact that we eat breakfast early because of class and then eat lunch around 2. Our Señora gives us a snack which does help a lot. 

4. The language

           I haven't had too much trouble with understanding and responding but having to communicate in another language, no matter how good you are, is always going to be challenging.

Things I Love

1. The Food (no explanation needed and I'll probably do a blog on it anyway)

2. Balconies

          It seems like every apartment in Segovia has at least one balcony. I believe ours has two but one is screened in and is used as a laundry room. The other one has a small table and we have eaten out there before.

3. Within walking distance

         Because Segovia is so small, everything is really easy to get to without taking much time. To get to el Centro KIIS, we just have to walk down a street near our house and we are there in about 5 minutes. I really like this aspect.

4. The fruit

          Fruit is eaten as desert and snacks in Spain, something that I love. I also feel like the fruit tastes better as well, but that just could be because they are different types than I am used to. I have also discovered this new fruit called the paraguaya which is amazing!!!!! It's basically a sweater peach. In English, they area called Saturn Peaches.

I'll do another one of these at the end of next week if I have time. Hasta Luego!