Within the first five minutes of exiting the plane and entering the Barajas airport in Madrid, Spain, I knew I had chosen the right place to study abroad. I’ve seen many pictures of the beautiful architecture of the city, and the airport presented me with a tease of just how beautiful the city really would be.
Our group loaded our luggage underneath the bus and anticipated what
was to come. Our first stop was to meet our host family who would be our
home away from home for the next month.
My two roommates and I are greeted by Delores, who goes by Lola. She is fluent in Spanish, which intimidates me so I smile and nod but luckily my roommates can translate for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better host mom who has already made this experience more than enjoyable.
We load our taxi, and we’re off to our new home. The city is just as
beautiful and lively as I pictured. The apartment is in a fun part of
the city and has beautiful windows with the best views. It won’t be a
problem to adapt to one bit! But for the metros, that’s a different
story. A nightmare actually. Here the city is known for notorious
pick-pocketers, and in the 5 days that I’ve been here, I already have a
story to share (in later post). Navigation isn’t my strong suit, so I’m a
bit overwhelmed so the bus might just be my best friend instead.The food? Couldn’t be better. Restaurants can be spotted everywhere included with beautiful set up and outdoor seating. I wouldn’t mind continuing to eat this food when I return to the states. Tapas are the norm here, which includes rice dishes or bread topped with various things.
There is a time difference of seven hours, so I am currently still trying to learn an appropriate sleeping pattern and normal eating times.
I will be updating you guys on activities and pictures of the beautiful city!
Thanks for reading,
Rachel
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Read more from Rachel at http://www.arrowandangelrachel.com/category/travels/
For more information about the U of A Faculty Led: Spanish in Madrid program, check out http://studyabroad.uark.edu/madrid