Mishaps and marvels

First of all, I'd like to make it clear that I am likely to be a highly sporadic updater. Already there's so much to tell, even though I've only been out of the country for three days (not counting flights), and I'll hardly be able to do it justice here. That being said, here goes!

Flights = not fun. Fortunately there were no major mishaps, but planes and I don't mix too well when sleep is involved. Apart from the 36-hour period without sleep, though, things went well, and I landed in Málaga with luggage completely intact! There were actually quite a few people from the IES program on the flight from Madrid to Málaga, and we all grouped together. That afternoon, we went to the beach for a while, then had a short meeting before taking a walking tour of the city. The highlight for me was an outdoor Roman theater in the midst of all these beautiful buildings. This is why I came back to Europe.

The next day, we had orientation meetings, mostly informational as well as a few get-to-know-you sessions. And the food! I'd forgotten what hotel breakfasts were like. It reminded me of choir tour last May, the cold cuts and the pastries and fruit, and then the lunch was a buffet. All delicious. Always delicious. I'm going to be waxing poetic about the food constantly. I absolutely love it. We boarded buses for Granada in the afternoon, and after a 2-hour ride were met by our señoras. Mine is named Marí Cármen, and she's wonderful. She's been doing this for years, and she's kept in touch with many of her past host students. She made me feel comfortable right away, and she's a wonderful cook. She's already given me so much advice about where to go to shop for clothes, or food, and where the best place for churros is. It's going to take me a while to get settled, certainly, but I already feel safe in my room.

Today was interesting, to say the least. Travel, jet lag, exhaustion, and the heat, among other things, caught up with me this morning in class, and I had to leave. After resting all day, though, I felt much better, and joined back up with the group to walk through the Albaicín. I haven't taken nearly as many pictures as before, but I will, I think. I'd just rather experience it than be so preoccupied with recording it every step of the way. That being said, some things were just too gorgeous to pass up.





Tonight was my first time in a tapas bar, and my first time finding my way home. I'm realizing just how much I'll need to break out of my shell. I'm good at smiling at people, but not at asking for directions or starting up conversations. Here, smiles aren't a habit so much as a particular indication, and people aren't as outgoing. Plus I need to not be on my own quite so much. But I think I'll get there; just give me time.