Me Encanta Mi Familia!!

Everyone I've talked to who's studied in Spain has said that the home stay can make or break the experience...I DEFINITELY have it made =) My Senora Maria Rosa is the nicest woman you will ever meet. She loves entertaining and doesn't mind at all if I have friends over which is great. She basically lives to ensure that everyone around her is happy, and I adore her =) But that's not all...

She has a son...his name is Miguel, he's 32, and he's awesome. I've never had an older brother so it's really fun (he totally acts like a legit big brother...really protective about me going out or meeting guys). Sometimes he makes me Jello (which I call "hello" to sound more Spanish) because he knows I love it, so that has won him some major points. His girlfriend Maggie lives in the house too. She's from LA and is hilarious. I don't think she has a censor in her brain, so she says exactly what she's thinking when it pops into her head..it get's a little inappropriate sometimes, good thing no once else in the house can understand English lol. Still not finished...

Abuelita lives here too! She is 94, doesn't speak, and i'm pretty sure she can't really hear or see either. She just makes crazy noises and coughs all the time...as bad as it sounds, it's actually kind of entertaining, and she is totally a trooper for still being alive! Our dog Blackie (a cocker spaniel, or cocker spainiard if you think like i do) guards Abuelita like it's his job. She's a very well-protected lil ol lady =) And last but absolutely not least...

I have two American hermanas!! Amanda is from my program and Jess is from another and they are both amaaaaazing. It's so nice to eat meals together, exchange glances when Abuelita sounds like she's dying, and laugh constantly about all of the hilarious things that are inevitably occurring in the house. I am soooo lucky to live with them, they've made being here so much fun Watchin a Real Madrid soccer game with las hermanas...we're hardcore fans

My neighborhood is awesome. I'm on a great family-oriented street. I live right above a Zara (a great clothing store) and down the street from other shops, movie theaters, cafes, etc. I'm a short metro ride away from all of the best areas, and can walk to school in 15 minutes...so convenient! That's the basic overview of my casa, I promise there will be many fun tales to come!

Beginnings

Hola everyone! I've almost been here three weeks, but I was a little slow with the whole blog-making thing so I'll just do a little re-cap....Vera and I met in NY and stayed with my grandparents the night before leaving for Madrid. It was great to see them, and we arrived (4 hours early) to JFK well-fed and even more well-rested =) The flight was easy and actually felt pretty short, everything at the airport went smoothly, and before I knew it I was there! I fell in love with Madrid on the bus ride from the airport to our hotel. I was sleepy and jetlagged, leaning against the window checking out all the surroundings. The song "I will always love you" by Whitney Houston came on my Ipod right as we drove past one of the many gorgeous fountains in the city...totally cheesy but I loved it =) I somehow managed to drag my ridiculous amount of luggage into the hotel and thus began my four-month stay in Espana! We stayed in a hotel right near Plaza del Sol for the first 3 days, going to orientation sessions and meeting lots of great new people. We learned how to take the metro (so easy even I, who can hardly read a map, can do it without problema!), and started to get to know the city. Living in another country definitely takes some adjustment, but I'm used to living away from home, and having Vera there helped me feel much more comfortable with everything. Staying at the hotel was muyyyy divertido, but those stories will have to wait until a different post...I will try to keep my blog updated and fun, and I hope you all enjoy readin about my Madrid adventures. I miss you all like craaaaazy, and look forward to updates on your lives too, so no slackin on me. Muchas Smoochas!