First Impressions of Spain

                Well, here I am in Spain. Everything is very exciting, but also strange and sometimes a bit scary. I flew with a group of students who are attending the same program and the Resident Director from our school. Our flight left JFK in New York at 6:30 PM on the 6^th and we touched down in Madrid at 8:45 AM on the 7^th. From the airport, we loaded on to a bus and rode four hours to Zaragoza. When we arrived at the bus and train station in Zaragoza, our host families were waiting for us. There are 71 students total, so there were 71 families waiting for us. It was a little overwhelming. The Resident Director, Señor Morse, called our names one by one and we were introduced to our families. When it was my turn, I stepped off the bus and was greeted by my host mom, Rut, and my host father, Nacho. We got my suitcases and immediately got in a taxi and headed for their apartment. They made sure I understood that we live on the 5 floor and which door lead to our apartment and then they showed me around. I love our little apartment. My room is small, but I love it. We share a bathroom and I was told that if I wanted to shower, then I had to do it in the evening. This is fine with me, so no problems there. I began to unpack and Rut and Nacho went to the store. Nacho works at night, so at dinner time Rut and I had tortilla, jamón, and apples. It didn’t seem like much to me but I was full after. Rut laughed at me for not knowing how to peel the apple in a perfect spiral like she does, but she showed me how. The next morning we woke up and had breakfast around 11:30. We had a cake sort of like a Little Debbie, and hot milk with instant coffee. After breakfast, we walked to school so she could show me where it was. We met Rut’s mom, Fina, at school. Fina is hosting a girl who is in the program as well, her name is Gabby. After Rut and Fina told Gabby and me about the school and where the bus stops are, we walked to “El Centro” where we each bought our own Spanish “móvil” for 15 Euros. We also each put 20 Euros on our prepaid phone cards. After that, we had frozen yogurt and then we walked across the river to Fina’s house for lunch. Nacho met us there. For lunch, we had a salad type thing, which I’ve learned is very common. It had mayonnaise, olive oil, peas, carrots, potatoes, some sort of lettuce or cabbage, and canned tuna all mixed together. I didn’t think I would like it, but I tried it and to my surprise, I like it a lot. After the salad, we had meatballs with a sauce that is very much like American spaghetti sauce only orange. I’m assuming this is because the tomatoes were orange. For dessert we had fruit. After lunch, Gabby came back to our apartment with Rut, Nacho, and I because Fina doesn’t have internet. Gabby wrote her parents an email and then she and I went to the mall across the river near her apartment. We walked around and used the McDonald’s free wifi and around 8:30 we headed home. At 10:00 or maybe a little later, Rut and I had dinner: again tortilla, but this time with a salad and bread. This morning we woke up and ate the same breakfast as yesterday at about the same time, and then met Fina and Gabby and went to the market. It was very interesting to see the different things they were selling and I would like to go back next Sunday. After that, Fina and Gabby went to walk around Zaragoza some more before lunch, and Rut and I got on a bus to go to Nacho’s mom’s house for lunch. We got there early and visited, Antonio, one of the neighbors who is friends with Nacho and Rut. Nacho set up a computer for him while we waited. When Antonio realized I was American, he got very excited and ran to the kitchen to get me a coke. He was very happy when I said, “gracias” and drank it. At 2 we went across the hall to Nacho’s mom’s apartment and had lunch with his mom, his sister, and his brother-in-law. They were all very nice. For lunch we had the same thing as we did at Fina’s house. But for dessert, we had pineapple and a pudding type thing that was very good. Then we had coffee and some apple coffee cake. We stayed and talked and didn’t leave until 5:15 or so. When we got home, I took a nap.

                Over all, my experience in Spain so far has been exciting and fun. I have too much free time for my liking right now though and I’m excited for school to start tomorrow. In the morning, I’ll wake up at 7:00 or 7:15 and leave the house by 8 so that I can walk and get there by 8:30. My feet hurt from all the walking we’ve done, but I guess I’ll get used to it.

Ciao,

Sharron