Tocando la Puerta de los Cielos

My roommate, Caitlin, used this phrase yesterday and I decided to steal it. We were talking about how lucky we are to be here and how incredible this place is - from the people to the food to the culture to the city - we are literally knocking on the door of the heavens.

First day of class: pop quiz! Downside: 100 questions plus a paragraph about my piso. Upside: my teacher is probably THE CUTEST Spanish lady I've EVER met!! Seriously, she's classically gorgeous. I feel like we're in a movie, in a high school class, she's the recent college grad who all the boys are falling over. She's probably late 20s, petite, lithe, and has a spunky personality. She's got classy taste and total command of the class. Haha  I love it :)

We got lost in the city. Actually, we ended up taking the scenic route home from the mall (Alcala Magna) which boosted my pedometer through the roof, with a total of 24,000 steps for the day. I wasn't complaining because I felt totally picturesque wandering through the streets and looking at all the buildings, people, and small-town bustle.

Siesta was great. Then Lexi, Caitlin, and I went for a 2 hour walk about town and visited some of the historic buildings in Alcalá, including the cathedral and a few convents-turned-university/office. We watched a Real Madrid fútbol game with the local YSA group.

Best of all, Roark fixed my ordenador! Well, kind of. The problem is: I have Windows Vista. Enough said, according to Roark. Apparently, Vista does not support Netgear wireless routers and guess what router Luisa has! So I'll have to do all my picture posting somewhere else - school probably. At least I know I'm not just being tech-challenged :) As soon as I can find some time, I'll put up a bunch of pictures. I'll probably put most of them on Facebook so don't forget to check there too. TTFN

This is the life

So my laptop doesn't work. Great. I used Catalína's yesterday but I can't do that forever. It just won't connect to the Internet! Her laptop and my iPod work great, but my ordenador is just not seeing the wireless! Any suggestions?

Recap of today: Catalína and I slept until 1:30pm when our host mom knocked on the door saying "Buenos días, buenos días! Pues....buenos tardes." We asked what time it was and were so surprised! Good ol' jet lag. We showered and got dressed, just in time for lunch -- yummy green beans with ham and egg in them and literally THE best fish sticks I have ever eaten! Seriously, what are those things that I buy back home, if not fish sticks?? After lunch, we met up with the whole group in La Plaza for our orientation. I was expecting something more class-related, but we walked by the AlcaLingua building (which our little group found yesterday) and then took a tour of the main building and its three patios. Apparently, Alcalá is the very first university laid out like a city. Or maybe she said it was the first city built for a university. Something like that :) The chapel-like building at the very end had a super gorgeous ceiling painted blue, red, and gold with a crazy carved pattern. I'm so dumb though! I haven't had my camera with me for anything these last 2 days! Luckily, Catalína's been taking pictures and it's already in my purse for tomorrow. After the tour, I pulled out some Euro and headed to the heladería (ice cream shop) for the second time in 2 days :) when we were there yesterday, Catalína told the scooper they were going to be great friends because she was planning to go there every day. I thought he'd love the joke and be all for seeing such a pretty girl cada día, but he straight up told her not to or she'd turn into 'Gordita' (complete with pot-belly motion). Oh boy, gotta love these Spaniards. But don't worry, I only got a scoop of limón and one of frambuesa (raspberry) sorbet. Eating my helado in La Plaza in the afternoon sun watching all the passersby - the children playing ball, the viejos taking their paseos, the teens hanging out - this is the life. To wrap up the day, we had FHE with the local YSA group and the kid who's leaving on his mission in 3 days taught us a few Latin dances. Good times! Unfortunately, I have class tomorrow at 9 in the morning. BUT Luisa is going to make us breakfast, so all is good in the world :) So here I sit, in bed, listening to Catalína gasp at the book she's reading on her nook, hoping I can find somebody to make my computer work tomorrow, reveling in the thought that I'm in Spain! Yeah, no big deal. Except it's a huge deal. Just sayin'. TTFN

I made it!

Wow! I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!! There's so much to talk about and not nearly enough time. I feel awful that I slept through la cena. My sweet host mom, Luisa, even tried to wake me up but I was out, dead -- stupid jetlag. I landed in Madrid about 9:30 this morning and the whole group was finally assembled about 11:30. We rode a charter bus 40 minutes to La Plaza de Cervantes in Alcalá de Henares (my home for the next 6 weeks) where our host families picked us up. I live about 3 minutes (maybe 4 blocks) from the Plaza, which is super lucky and convenient. I unpacked my stuff and then lunch was ready for us -- a delicious "tortilla espinaca"(omletish with spinach and cheese cooked in) and "pure de patatas" (mashed potatoes with onion and garlic seasoning). At the end of lunch, Luisa's youngest son, Javier, and his friend, Juan, stopped by to visit. Oh. my.Gosh. That is probably THE most beautiful man I have ever seen! I was literally speechless. I kept stumbling over my words and I felt like an idiot! I really hope he comes around often :) After lunch, my roommate, Catalína, and I met up with several other kids from the program at La Plaza y just walked around the city for a couple of square blocks. We found a great little park with a zipline and sweet jungle gym, delicious ice cream, kebob, and a Walmart-like store called Carrefour -- you can get everything there! Then, we walked home and I started to check my computer when I totally passed out! Now, it's past midnight and I'm wide awake. Tomorrow afternoon is our orientation at Alcalingua (the school I'll be attending). I hope by then my body will be on the right time. So I'd better try to go back to bed :) TTFN

On my way.

"Tell everybody I'm on my way
New friends and new places to see
With blue skies ahead yes

I'm on my way

And there's nowhere else

that I'd rather be


Tell everybody I'm on my way

And I'm loving every step I take

With the sun beating down yes

I'm on my way

And I can't keep this smile off my face"

"On My Way" Disney's Brother Bear

A cancelled flight out of Salt Lake City meant lots of things yesterday. (1) I missed my connecting flights to Philadelphia and then Madrid. (2) I went to Houston instead and (3) got to see Sam and the Twins before I left the country. Now I will (4) arrive in Madrid with the bulk of my group and we'll all take a bus to the Plaza where my host family and roommate will pick me up, meaning (5) I don't have to take a taxi!

So here I sit in the Philadelphia Marketplace in the Philadelphia International Airport, in a giant, white rocking chair, looking out the window at the pouring rain, thinking about what I'm going to order for dinner at Earl of Sandwich (a throw back to the one I frequented while at Disney), anticipating my second-ever transatlantic flight, wondering what my host family will be like and how much Spanish I'll be able to get out before my tongue gets tied and begs to speak English, grateful for the good fortune and generosity that has brought me to this moment, excited for the language barriers I'm about to demolish and the fluency I'm just 6 weeks away from claiming, nervous for the cultural leaps I'm making and the ignorance I'm leaving giving up. I pray for peace to calm my nerves and for the strength to speak and make mistakes and learn, to love and learn from all of Heavenly Father's children I meet, and to remember and enjoy every second of this experience for as long as I live.

I look forward to sharing the next 6 weeks with you :) It's going to be fun! Thanks for following. TTFN