Day 2 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and I already know I need more time than 27 days.
12 hours and 24 minutes. That was the calculated time of my flights and layovers from Mobile to Atlanta and finally to Madrid. Leaving at 3:00 pm and arriving at 3 am Alabama time (10 am Spain time) was a little rough. I thought sleeping on the plane would satisfy as my night’s sleep, but there was no sleep. Even with the talkative lady next to me traveling with her choir (easily distinguishable by their name tags and khaki capris) was sound asleep. When we flew into Spain I decided it was best to wake myself up as much as possible so I could enjoy the day. Flying into the outskirts of Madrid was beautiful, with a landscape covered in mountains, tall yellow grass and orange roofed houses. Pulling up to the school in San Lorenzo del Escorial was like pulling up to Genovia. It is crazy that I get to live next to the monastery, which is more like a castle, that the town was built around. ~Call me Mia Thermopolis~ It seems like a dream because everything is so pretty and different. With old streets and buildings made of stone it is like a whole new world. It’s the little things like toddlers speaking Spanish and the smell of fresh bread and churros throughout the streets that make me so excited to have this opportunity. There is so much to explore but unfortunately all I want to do is sleep. I can’t wait to adjust to the time change, which is a lot harder to do than I thought. Jet Lag is not something you can avoid, and I’m sure there are many other things that I’ll realize are just a part of traveling to a foreign country.
I’ll keep y’all updated on my explorations, and what I forgot to pack.
Hasta Luego
First day of class (Art & Museums).