Spanish Life

Dear Family,

This is for you.

It's been strange, but fantastic. It's like going back in time, but I feel much older and wiser at this point. I have been counting down the months and days for so long, and now I feel like I haven't quite gotten there yet, because my masters program hasn't started. I am so ready to start my REAL life-meeting people, learning about non-profits and making connections, staying busy, studying...but for the last week (and the next TWO), that's not happening.

Here are a couple of pictures of my new piso/flat/shared apartment:

This is what I see from my window--the balcony stretches from the common room/living room to my room. I LOVE having a balcony!!

This is my unbelievably amazing bedroom--I keep my window open as much as possible!

Common room--I found a bunch of Friends DVDs in one of the drawers the other day, and it was a happy moment.

So here's the plan: art museums, reading, writing, music (I got a guitar last night for 35€, case included!), running in the park, tapas, free concerts....

I got to go on a Euro tour, visiting friends in Rome and the Netherlands, and it was so fun! Thank you thank you thank you, Mom and Dad, for a really, REALLY cool birthday present!!

This is Marc, my German-Peruvian friend I met in Madrid at my church, who I visited in Germany, who lives in The Hague, Netherlands, who speaks fluent German, English, Spanish, French, Dutch and Latin. Impressive! But more than that, he is a SUPER fun, cool guy!! We're at the beach in The Hague.

This may look disgusting, but it's unbelievably wonderful. Fries and peanut sauce...SOOOO good!

From inside the Colosseum, here I am with Rodrigo, my friend from ACU/Dallas.

Before I got to Madrid, I spent a couple of days in London with Andrea, which was really fun. We're always on opposite sides of the world, so it was fun to finally cross paths at least for a couple of days. I also got to see my friend Julissa from Honduras (Samaritan's Purse)! It was quite a random few days! I got an eye infection, so I bought medicine after having high tea at the Harrod's pharmacy.

Juli and me in front of the London Bridge!

Look! I bought something at Harrod's!

It's medicine.