Due to a lack of internet here's three days worth at once...

Jan. 21st
Before every major venture, going to college, moving for an internship, going on a big trip, I always get nervous. And it’s always for the same reasons, is security going to dig through my carry on? Am I going to make it to my flight on time? I know I’ve forgotten something, but is it important and is it replaceable? This time around I’m facing a new set of fears, will I be able to find my way around the airport? Will my bags be under the weight limit? Is everything I’m taking actually enough for four months abroad? Though I know that the answer is yes and that as intimidating things are right now I am sufficiently capable, I am still nervous. It seems to be my nature to try to be over prepared emotionally and mentally for experiences like this, but I’m finding that all I need is to sit, be calm and breathe deeply. I am as prepared as I will be and I will be fine. Even more than fine, and four months from now I know I will dread making the return trip and leaving a beautiful country, new friends and a second family. Oh dear. Here goes nothing.

Jan. 22nd
Eleven hours in a plane, 4 airports, one customs stop and three trips through security later I made it to Malaga with several others in my program. I think I only slept a few hours on the plane, partially due to badly timed caffeine and partially because of Jackie Chan, so I’ve been seriously dragging today. However, we had a lot to do today so there wasn’t much down time for a nap and even then I was too excited to sleep. After a wild cab ride we checked into the hotel, met the IES directors and got to know each other a bit. At two o’clock I went with a group for a nice long walk to see the beach here, afterwards a small group of us split off with Javier and had an interesting and very authentic lunch of lightly fried seafood (some of which I think make have been whole baby squid) and grilled fish. I broke off from the group and took a slow winding walk back so I could see a bit more of Malaga. Tonight we went to the Picasso museum, which we rushed through considered how tired we all were, and a few of us got sandwiches to go, which we ate on the walk back to the hotel. I’m exhausted so the plan was to go straight to bed, but there was a bugle and drum marching band playing outside the hotel so I went outside and listened for awhile instead. Apparently they are practicing for a procession during Holy Week mid March. It’s been a long, busy and amazing day.

Jan. 23rd
It would be difficult to explain the sorts of overwhelming emotions I feel after today. We had orientation this morning, but I’m still so exhausted that it was at times difficult to focus. In the different sessions we talked about life in a homestay, how to maintain health and well being in Spain and cultural differences. It was interesting listening to Javier talk about things like the concept of personal space in the EEUU versus Spain and to hear about his experiences as a Spaniard living in the states. It seems to be the American tendency to immediately view other cultures as rude, but in some senses it seems instead that we as a people are cold. We don’t hug and kiss as often as we should and we have a very definitive bubble of personal space.

We ate tapas for lunch as a group at a beautiful restaurant called El Pimpi (go ahead, laugh away). Because we were such a large group (82 students in the program) they ordered for us and the waiters brought out plate after plate after plate. I think two or three times I was certain that was it only to see armfuls of plates headed our way. In my intense desire to try everything I ate Spainish tortilla, jamon serrano y queso, little sandwiches with turkey or ham or ground pork, a salad with tuna, little slices of bread with tapenade and anchovies or other types of fish and I think a few others I’m forgetting and then little pastries for dessert with a glass of a vino dulce de Malaga. Though you only eat very small portions of each dish I left very full and even more tired. Then my group loaded the bus at 5:15 and made the roughly hour drive to Granada. We met our host families, Carlos the son of my host parents came to pick me up and walk me home, and a short walk and short taxi ride later we got to our apartment. It’s right in the middle of a busy section of town with a major mall across the street and little shops lining the streets under us. We are on the top floor and have a tremendous terreza that wraps around the corner of the building. After a short tour I got to pick, which of the two rooms I preferred, I of course chose the room with the better of the two views though it is significantly smaller. My host mom Araceli has a studio nearby where she instructs martial arts lessons and my host dad, whose name I embarrassingly enough cannot remember right now, is a painter. I have to walk through his studio to get to my room and so I’ve gotten to look at his work and talk to him about some of the pieces, which I love. He did a series of paintings of kings of Granada that were inspired by a time when he worked at the Alhambra. They also have two sons, Carlos y Ivan, Carlos is a design engineering student in Malaga and Ivan is 22 and has cerebral palsy and lives here in the apartment. Anyway, after the introductions, etc., we had a fabulous dinner together. Calabazita soup (I would translate, but all I understand is that calabazitas are essentially squash that look like cucumbers), tomates, lettuce with anchovies (I had no idea they ate so many anchovies in Spain), jamon serrano y queso, Spanish chorizo and queso and for dessert we had fruit salad with dates, pears, oranges and kiwi. I asked about the fruit because last time in Spain I hardly had any, apparently this region that is close to the Mediteranean has such tropical weather that they have kiwi, papaya and other tropical fruits. I had three very good and very big meals today, but today’s the only day, I have to begin to function on the Spanish schedule now. I just adore this family and they were all so thrilled to meet me. Ari asked for me to speak a little English to Ivan, she told me he loves to hear English, so I said a few things to him and even he was absolutely beaming. I really lucked out, again.

It’s kind of strange, this is the first moment I’ve really had to myself, I even had a roommate last night at the hotel, and the depth of my exhaustion and the noises of the city are beginning to make this all more real. Actually I might go to bed now, probably hours earlier than the average Spaniard.