Welcome to Spain!

Hola Amigos,

Welcome to my blog, coming to you live from Spain, written by yours truly.

There's a silver lining to everything, right? So being sick on my 3rd day in Spain isn't totally a bad thing; it gives me this down time to write my blog entry. Now before you panic, I'm not very sick. I think I'm just worn down from all the excitement and need some rest. I will be back on my feet in no time!

So where do I begin? I guess I'll start when my parents and Julia left me at the airport. They watched me go all the way through security, and then I was alone. I was nervous, excited, and very very American. I realized all of this while sitting at my gate. I was surrounded by Spanish speakers headed to Spain with me, and I had absolutely NO idea what they were saying. If any of you don't know this already, I have never taken a Spanish class in my life. Hola, adios, me llamo Eleanor, uno dos tres... you get the picture. My Spanish is compiled of basic vocabulary I've picked up over the years and some grammar I taught myself this summer. Why did I choose to study abroad in Spain, you may ask? I've been wanting to learn Spanish for years, so I thought this would be a great way to get started. Overwhelming? Yes. But will it be worth it in the end, after 3 Spanish classes and 4 months in Spain? Absolutely.

I will be studying in Granada for the semester,  but we have orientation in Madrid, which is a lot of fun. Our hotel is right by the Puerta del Sol, the central plaza area in Madrid. It's very busy and tourist-y; it reminds me of Times Square (without the skyscrapers and blinding lights). So far, we've been on a few tours, had some meetings about Madrid and Granada, and had a lot of free time. The food is great here- so far it has been pretty similar to food at home. I've had some sandwiches, chicken, fish, salads, and TAPAS. As you can see, I am pretty excited about the tapas. They are delicious.

My roommate, Emily, and I went on a walk around Madrid on our first day and explored the city. We came upon a bookstore and were both intrigued, so we looked around. In the back we found the children's section (which, surprise surprise, I loved). I found the book "Guess How Much I Love You" in Spanish: "Adivina cuánto te quiero." It reminded me so much of home and my family, as this was one of my favorite books as a child. And here it was, in front of me on my first day of Spain. I was feeling both nostalgic and inspired. Kids all of the world, of every nationality, can relate to this book. Love is love, not matter what language speak.

Today I went to another restaurant with some friends. We ordered tapas, had a good time, and talked to several street vendors (who knew we spoke English by just looking at us). I've accepted that I'm a tourist and a foreigner here. It can be overwhelming at times, but I am here to learn and to experience a new culture. I actually like feeling a little out of place, but I know I will start to feel more and more comfortable as the semester progresses. 

Tomorrow we travel to Toledo and then to Granada. I simply cannot wait. I hope that you've enjoyed reading, and I will be sure to post more about Granada once I am settled. If you know me well, you know that I love quotes. So I will leave you with one of my favorites.

"Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good in everything."

Yours truly, 

Elle