To Begin…
Hey everyone! Here’s my blog FINALLY! I just wanted to let everyone know that getting on the internet here is REALLY HARD. I don’t have a lot of options and so you’ll just have to be patient and not get offended if I don’t write you for a while :)
Also, until (and if) we figure out our home internet situation, I’ll be writing on a word document until I can copy and paste onto my blog—kind of and FYI.
Flight…
I left the house around 7:30 to catch my 9:50 flight to JFK airport. I shuffled around with my Dad until I reached my terminal of separation. Of course, he made me cry though, so it took a while before I could get through… :)


On the upside however, my very first plane ride in memory was greeted with a full body pat down by a nice security guard lady when I didn’t make it through the metal detectors.

As a nice surprise, dear ol’ dad was there to greet me at the gate—the lady at the security desk gave him a pass because he “looked nervous as he watched me go”. Coltan was also there which also made me feel better—even though we’d never actually met before…yay for facebook friends!!! (he’s also in the program, but he goes to BYU-I).

I sat by a very nice couple who were vacationing in Utah and were going back home to NY. They offered me some of their peanut m&m’s while I offered them some dried apples. We are now, needless to say, bosom friends.

At JFK, Coltan introduced me to his friend that he met on the plane ride (I really can’t pronounce her name—but it’s something to the effect of Chalupa). Picture



Anyways, she was wonderful! Originally from Spain, living in the UK, coming back from vacation in Honolulu. She stayed with us (since she’s flying on the same Spain flight as us) and we all had a very belated lunch together. Between the three of us, there was lots of laughing! It took me two hours to finish my sandwich because we were all talking so much!

So, while waiting for the plane in JFK, I decided to run to the bathroom really quickly and left my stuff with Coltan and Chalupa. As I was walking, all of a sudden, there was this whoosh of air behind me and I felt something hit my head—what do you think it was? Well a pigeon of course! I mean, what else would hit me in the head inside of an airport?!? I’m not gonna lie—it scared the crap out of me. And everyone just pointed and stared…I daresay I will be scarred for life…

HOWEVER, I’m pretty sure this horrifying lack of security was caught on camera, and traced back to MY poor head. The airport undoubtedly contacted Delta and had them upgrade me to business class free of charge. Well JFK, I am much obliged—the Grilled Chicken Ras el Hanout was delicious, I’m not sure why you heated the peanuts; but cool, I love my complimentary leather bag, and why, no thank you—I don’t drink champagne. I’d continue this blog entry but my reclining leather lazy boy type seat and down pillow are calling. The man sitting next to me is very nice and is showing me how things work in “first-class” but I’m thinking after a few more sips of that Greek wine, I’ll be showing him how to work the recliner.




First Day!
The house we're staying at is soooo cute! The three of us live in the attic room of the house--It’s as big as the living room and kitchen put together! we have a desk and and exercise thing--not that we need it since we walk like 20 miles a day--NO JOKE. My feet look like big red tomatoes :) Yesterday when we were coming back from getting lost in the city, we realized that we took the right bus and got off at the wrong stop. All of the houses look EXACTLY the same around here, so we walked around for 2 hours until we found it--it had only been raining and lightning for about 10 minutes, and we got home before 9:30......

The Family is wonderful, but the senora makes us all of our meals and washes our clothes--it drives us kind of nuts because she ABSOLUTLY won’t let us do anything--not even take the plates from the table; she has a fit! The senora talks about 100 miles an hour and my other two roommates just stare at her when she talks, and I’m the only one who understands enough to answer. I swear, half of my energy is spent focusing on what she is saying--her poor husband can only get like one or two words in :)
Today, we went to Madrid and walked and walked and walked........
We went to the archeological museum and then walked and walked and walked..........
Many pictures…but less than I could show you…











(Me and my buddy Cervantes…)




Our group decided to come back to Alcalá a little early because they're having a fair all week, and we didn’t want to miss anything--Madrid is always there, and we can go whenever we want. The big city though is HUGE and we were a little overwhelmed and kept getting stuck in tourist traps! I LOVE Alcala! It’s so quaint--all the little shops and the people are wonderful! Yesterday we found a little sweet shop where they have zumo, which is like jugo (juice), except this shop made them right in front of you with fresh fruit--they basically throw piña and fresa with some ice and sugar in a blender and charge you 2 euros!!! I LOVE zumo!!! Oh, but ya, we found this shop yesterday, and wanted to find it again today, but of course we got lost and walked around for a few hours until we found it 2 minutes from the place we started....gaaaaaa!!!! mis pobres pies......

Segovia & La Granja

Okay, so we went to Segovia last weekend—and if you are unfamiliar with Segovia, it’s the one with the castle and Roman aqueduct





The town was gorgeous! It would have been even better though if there were not so many tourists—but I guess we didn’t really help the problem…

My best story yet though, takes place at La Granja
In La Granja, there is a place where they have gardens full of these huge/ancient fountains.




Well anyways, we were waiting there with I promise, thousands of Spaniards, for the fountains to turn on (since they do it one at a time) when all of a sudden, people started jumping in! We watched to police thinking they’d stop them, but more and more people started jumping, and they didn’t do anything! Well, when in Spain……we had to do it too. here’s a fun video


Yep. Pretty much one of the best moments of my life 


Dogs in Spain

Everybody in Spain has a dog. Our family has one, and the majority of the neighbors have one.

What’s really cool though is that people are sincerely interested in training their dogs too—there’s a park just a minute away from where we live dedicated to dog training with hoops and everything! It’s crazy! The only thing that is a little weird is that people here let their dogs go to the bathroom wherever they want, usually right on the sidewalk…however, if you think that’s weird, people also let their kids go wherever they want. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen parents helping their kids take a number one in a tree in the middle of the plaza! But that’s not it—yesterday, some little kid was taking a number 2! Ya, so now we cant help but wonder what species that little plop of poop on the sidewalk came from…..


Alcalá Fair

So when we first arrived here, the fair was going on—like art city days, only I think much better Instead of scones, there are churros the size of your head bathed in chocolate and filled with sweet cream. Instead of selling birdhouses and “made in china” Native American wear, they sell sweet Spanish jewelry, clothes, and bags. I bought the coolest pair of Jeanie pants—and no, it wasn’t a waste of money because everyone and their dog wears them here in Spain. They’re the BOMB!

Along with all of this cool stuff, they have roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and spend your money archery games.


There is a constant parade going on too. At first I was way bummed that I’d missed the parade one day, until I saw it again 3 hours later. It never stops, it just winds its way through every street in Alcalá.