La Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Today I slept ... until 1:00 pm! But I really needed it, having not slept much on the plane.Sleeping in was ok though because we did not have to meet anywhere until 3:30 in the afternoon. We met Isabel in Sol (the same metro stop as yesterday) and then she showed us how to get to the train that takes us to campus. The train ride to Carlos III is about 20 minutes south to Gefate - a suburb of Madrid. The campus is very pretty - I've noticed that Spain seems to highly value on aesthetics in the cleanliness of thecity and the campus is the same. UCM3 is a young school but it still has a good personality about the campus that I could sense despite the lack of students. The campus does not re-open for the year until Wednesday, Sept 1 - and even then it is only open for students to take examenes. Their term doesn't start until October!

After the walking tour of campus we went to get cell phones - a requirement of the program - and then returned home after that at about 10:00. For dinner tonight, Elena prepared a delicious Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Tortilla/Spanish Omelette). This is a sort of egg dish with potatoes and onions in it in a kind of cake - similar to quiche without the crust. Fue Deliciosa! Now to bed - porque manana, reuninimos a las 9:30 por la MANANA. Ciao

Estoy Aqui!

I made it to Spain! (In case you were worried). I have actually been here for just about 30 hours already (and I thought if I went any longer without writing Corley would pout at me or something - jk). So, vamanos!

After a long flight - 8 hrs 40 min - from Atlanta, I landed in Madrid at about 10 am Sunday morning (that would be 4 am Georgia/Florida time). The flight was good. I met one of the other Stetson students in the program, Olivia, at the gate. She flew from Orlando to Atlanta and then we were on the same flight to Madrid. My seat mate was a student at Duke who was also flying to Madrid to study for a semester. In fact, the flight was full of study abroad students which was cool. I didn't end up being able to sleep much on the plane - I had an aisle seat - but the hours passed relatively fast (quickened by Date Night, Kick Ass and an episode of 30 Rock).

Upon landing in Madrid, Olivia and I passed quickly through customs and baggage claim and then met our residence director, Isabel and the other Stetson students, John and Marie, who had arrived on an earlier flight. We all went by bus to another terminal to pick up the 10 students from Marist University who make up the rest of our program.

Isabel then proceeded immediately to drop us off at our hose families. We stopped one at a time on curbs near neighborhoods where cute, older Spanish ladies waited to pick up their charges. My stop was the second to last. My Senora, Elena, is much younger that most of the other host families but I think I really lucked out. She's in her mid-thirties and lives alone in the cutest apt in Madrid. I love her sense of style and decoration. I've put up pictures but they don't truly convey the fantastic compactness of this apartment. It is small but makes such a great use of space that there's plenty of space for Isabel and I to live quite comfortably. She even has a garden/patio in the back! This will be a wonderful place to study. Plus, I have a view of it from my room! My room is lovely by the way. It is decorated adorably and is plenty of space for me. Isabel has had one other host student stay here before - a younger girl (about 14)

named Grace stayed here last summer. I am going to love coming hometo this house. Also,

Elena is better than I could have hoped for.She is so friendly and easy to talk to. She is patient when I struggle for words and is really taking the time to get to know me. She is kinda more of a Spanish big sister than the usual grandmother-type Senora and I love it. She is so hospitable and I think that the experience of staying with her is going to be fantastic! I feel so lucky - especially because my host family was one of my biggest worries 48 hours ago. Yay!

Moving on, we had a couple of hours to meet our families and eat lunch. When I arrived at Elena's her aunt was also there. She is an older lady who was chatty and fun to talk to. The fixed me a lunch of arroz con pimientos, carne, una ensalada de tomates y cebollas y pan. Then the took me via metro to the central metro stop of Madrid - Sol. From there our senoras left us (after ensuring that we could make it to our stop) and we went on a whirlwind waking tour of the city. Basically everything we saw I want to return to ... so I'll tell you about the sights when I come back to them. The tour helped to orient us a little and was a nice walk around the town. I still need to lear my way around more - but I plan to explore the city thoroughly. We had "tapas" at El Museo de Jamon (famous for its Spanish ham) and then returned home. I made it to my home on my own and am very proud of myself ... ok more later. adios!

Suzanne vs the Suitcase

Innnnnnn this corner, weighing a hefty 50 lbs, the crusher of toes and the strainer of backs, Red "the Chubby" Suitcase! Annnnnnd innnnnnn this corner, the chaaaaaallenger - me.

With Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" playing for inspiration, I began the

arduous task of packing for the final time. Today alone, I've emptied and refilled my suitcase three times. It takes a lot of work to fit three months into a single suitcase. Then there's the weight. Every time I repack (removing the items deemed unnecessary and adding new necessities) it must be re-weighed. The airline has a strict 50 pound guideline for checked baggage - a guideline my suitcase persistently resists. However, though I've had reading of 51 and 50.5 ... I have also had a 49 and a even 46 at one weigh.

At this late hour, I am completing the "final" check of packing lists - hoping to ensure that no necessary item misses out on a trip to Spain. Hopefully the final weight will round out at an even 50 pounds or less ... otherwise I'll be making a scene pulling items at check-in tomorrow to avoid paying for extra poundage.

I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. The mix of emotions is kind of confusing right now ... I think excitement is at the top but I am also definitely nervous and sad about leaving people I love behind. I wish I could put you all in my suitcase ... but sadly that would probably put me over the 50 lbs ;)

I'll try to check in again from the airport tomorrow. Otherwise ... I'll write to you from Spain!

T-minus: 1 week and counting

One week. Seven days. 10,080 minutes. As unreal as it seems to me, in one week I will be going to bed after my first day in Spain. As I admit this, my chest tightens with an excitement tinged by nerves. There is still so much unknown. But in the unknown exists a sense of mystery and surprise. I cannot wait for Spain to surprise me. And though details are unknown, I know that this trip will be amazing: as learning opportunity to improve my language skills and widen my cultural perspective by leaving my familiar life back home.

Also, my nerves are calmed by the enormous amount of support I have behind me. To my family: thanks for your constant encouragement. From my first interests in study abroad, you have been there. You instilled a love of travel in me and now have blessed me with an opportunity to grow this love on my own. Thanks for making sure I didn't miss it :)

To my friends: you are wonderful. Thanks for reminding me that I won't be forgotten while I am gone. Have an awesome semester and shoot me an update when you can. Can't wait to swap stories and pictures when I get back.

To Patrick: a bushel and a peck,

baby. Thanks for knowing how much this opportunity means to me and pushing me to do it. Thanks for the mementos - they'll help. Know I'll miss you - but I promise to make it worth it (almost). When I get back I'll have so many stories that they'll take another three months to tell. Xoxo.

I have been planning to spend a semester abroad since I entered Stetson. Mentally, I have been preparing for this trip for past year. This summer has been filled with more immediate preparations: submitting applications, updating my passport, acquiring a visa. This week, I pack my suitcase for the final time. In some ways, this journey is a long time coming. At the same time, I cannot believe that my departure is so near. Admittedly, mixed feelings overwhelm me. I will miss everyone at home tremendously. But I promise that I will take full advantage of everything that this semester abroad offers me. And I promise to keep you all updated on my adventures via this site. I'll be posting at least once a week and plan to include stories and pictures. You can follow me here on my Spanish journey and it'll almost be like you're here with me. My flight is scheduled to leave the Atlanta airport Saturday evening and arrive in Madrid on the morning of August 29th. Voy a Madrid y lo voy a desfrutar!