Finally Here!

When I arrived at the Madrid airport, it was just a relief. I couldn’t get comfortable on the plane, so I didn’t sleep. The food was horrible, so I didn’t eat. I was just happy I made it safely. When I got off the plane, I remember walking through the terminal and looking through the glass and thinking to myself…”I’m finally here, I’m finally in Spain.” To my surprise, going through the Police checkpoint (customs) was a breeze. We were only required to show our passport and hand in a form explaining our nationality, arrival and departure (which we completed on the flight). It took forever for my luggage to come out on the conveyer belt, and during the wait, I had my first chance to communicate with a Spaniard. I stood waiting at the luggage conveyer belt with my buggy cart, when a woman came and politely leaned her luggage against my buggy … without asking! She walked over to get her own, and then retrieved her luggage from my buggy without a simple “Oh, I’m sorry”, “Excuse me” or even a “Thank you”. For some reason, I wasn’t the least bit offended, just amused. It was odd seeing how their mannerisms were. Some of the women stared; the men (mostly the police) had a stern look, but eventually would smile as I passed by them.

The Dad from my host family was finishing up a business call and recognized me as soon as I came through the exit entrance. He greeted me with “Dos Besos” or two kisses (cheek to cheek). As we left, I did look up at the sky (Mrs. Merkel J) but it was overcast and a chance of rain which somewhat related to my mood. I was excited but extremely tired.

The houses here (flats) would be considered more like an apartment in America only with the layout of a single story house. It was nice and neat with shiny hardwood floors and long hallways. The light switches were more of a push/click type gadget, and the light for the bathroom was on the outside of the door. Another feature I will have to get used to will be the showers/bathtubs! Normally it would take me around 15-20 minutes to shower, but seeing as how the shower head is used manually, it took more than double the time! There has to be a more efficient way of taking a shower In Spain, if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post!
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