Hola amigos!
At this point, I've been up for about 31 of the past 33 hours, since departing for Barcelona. It's been crazy. I'm surprised I can still function, let alone blog, so if it's a little incoherent, blame it on the lack of sleep. :)
Here's a summary of what's been going on:
August 28th: Woke up at 5am, although I planned on sleeping in until 6:30. The anxiousness and excitement had got to me. Mom, dad and Tucker dropped me off at the airport, for a short and sweet send off. My excitement was overwhelming until about hour number 3 of what was supposed to be my 5 hour layover in JFK. This layover ended up turing into a little over 8 hours. One and a half of which, I spent stalled on the plane. I was hoping to sit by one of the many other exchange students, but got stuck beside an elderly lady. I wasn't to excited at first, but she ended up being quite humorous and also very knowledgeable. I didn't sleep much on the flight, not because I wasn't tired, but because it was a rather uncomfortable chair. Next time, I may just collect donations so I can afford business class, anyone down? hahah ;)
August 29th: Because of our flight delay, we arrived in the airport around 9. Honestly, I was thankful for the delay, it means I had less time to entertain myself in a big, unknown city all day. This wouldn't have normally been an issue, but I knew I had luggage to maneuver and I was already slightly fatigued. Once arriving to the airport, it took me about an hour to figure everything out. I couldn't find the ATM, and once I finally did, it was in Catalan (as was EVERYTHING else). I did eventually get it working, but not after a struggle. My phone was also not working, so I had to use a pay phone, which was quite unfamiliar to me. It was pretty easy to navigate my way out of the airport and the Plaça Catalunya.
_______________________This is where I got distracted and fell asleep________________________
To summarize the rest of the day, I explored some main parts of Barcelona. I saw Las Ramblas and followed it all the way to the harbor. It was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We don't really have places like this in North Carolina. I don't think on Wednesday I could aptly appreciate it's beauty though. I'm hoping to go back soon. It's not far, or hard to get to, I just have to muster up the courage to explore.
I haven't done much since Wednesday. Yesterday, Julian, one of my roommates took me to the market and I purchased some groceries. Cheese is so cheap here, it is AWESOME. Literally, I can get a good amount of Brie for 1.40 Euros. In America, that same amount would be at least $7.00. I guess that makes up for pretty much everything else being slightly more expensive. :)
I really like my flat. It's very spacious and is in a great part of town. There are three downfalls though:
1. No A/C. Which was only a problem on the first day, because it was like 88 degrees. Yesterday and today it's been in the 70's though, so not bad.
2. I live above a fish market (Pescadería). Fortunately, I'm on the fifth floor, so it's not something that I always smell, but for some reason, maybe the piping, my bathroom smells like fish about 40% of the time. Generally, in the morning. I guess this is just one of those experiences to have in Barcelona, seeing it's a huge place for seafood...
3. My shower is about 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet. If that. It is small. It's something I'll get used to, but showers will no longer be a time to relax. hah
Other thoughts:
1. I'm really struggling with Spanish. I think a lot of it is a fear barrier.
2. My roommates seem great. Julian has been beyond helpful and Henry seems really nice (although, I've only met him for a short time).
3. I have met no one except my roommates, so that's a little intimidating. I've been using some different websites to meet up with people, so hopefully, I'll make friends this weekend.
4. If nothing else, I've met this friend named Jill. She's from the US but lives outside of Barcelona. I haven't actually met her yet, but we have skyped and we will meet this next week. She's been a huge blessing so far! It's extremely comforting to meet other people living abroad that know English and are from where you are from. I'm excited about meeting up with her and her husband this next week!
Hopefully today, I'll journey to Parc Guell and post pictures later. I really need to venture out. it's just rather daunting to do in a city where you don't know anyone and they speak a different language. If you were to compare the size of Raleigh or Greensboro to Barcelona, it would probably be about 1/25th of it's size. This is a HUGE city, and there are so many things to do and see! I want to do it all, I just have to get up the courage to explore.
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