Hello, Spain. Nice to Meet You

Wow. The last two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind. I started out in Madrid, but my luggage was lost. Problem number one. I spent my whole first day sitting dumbly in my room with nothing to do and no one to do it with. Good thing I brought Twilight because if I hadn't, I don't know what I would have done all day. I got about two hours of sleep on the plane ride over since I sat next to this man who put his arms way too close to my seat for me to get comfortable. I had to wait until he was up buying duty free items until I could go to the bathroom, a good FOUR hours into the plane ride.

The luggage situation was a fiasco that I would rather not revisit. It ended up with me wearing the same clothes for longer than I would like to admit, borrowing clothes from other girls on the program, and finally getting my baggage in Granada. Needless to say, I wrote the airline a very nasty message.

I spent my time in Granada taking a language intensive class and learning all about the south of Spain, Andalucía. It was really interesting to me because the whole train ride there I felt like I was in a Hemingway novel, living this crazy life in Spain.

My favorite Spanish poet, Federico García Lorca, was from Andalucía, which only made things better for me. Basically the highlight of my life? Getting to go inside his family's summer home. Geek out moment./div>

I will be honest with you, I wasn't sure how I liked Spain for quite awhile. The food is different, the people are different, everything is completely foreign to me. The first day I was here I wanted to go home so badly that I honestly didn't think I would be able to make it through the whole week. But in Granada, one of my last days there, I realized just how beautiful Spain was. I was on a bus, just on my way to an excursion, and I saw the most beautiful mountains and valleys that I have ever seen in my life. I guess we Southern, below sea level girls, are amazed by moutains. Anyway, I encountered a Spain that seemed so rich and so alive. Having coffee over this view was the best experience that I have had in a very long time.

So I'm giving Spain a chance. I am putting my all into seeing what it has to offer. This will be a tough five months, I'm sure, but I'm actually really excited.

More to come!