[11:33 pm] The rest of the flight went well. I worked on the friendship bracelet & got about halfway through, then tried to sleep (mostly unsuccessfully). The landing was really smooth due to the ginormousness of the plane & the pilot's apparent skills. We didn't have to take our large suitcases (checked bags) anywhere within the Madrid airport, thank goodness (they transferred them for us), so we made our way to the correct terminal. We got our boarding passes & waited for about an hour before the plane loaded. No one from our group was next to each other, but we all had window seats. This plane was smaller... 5 seats x 25 rows? I slept the entire flight. Thank God that I didn't feel sick at all during the flights! Retrieving luggage was a pleasant surprise in that we all got our bags quickly & easily. We went through customs, etc. and easily found Mr. Costello, where we met our University contact & two student assistants: Gerardo & Robert. They're all really nice & helpful. I got some euros using my debit card at an ATM (3 euro commission charge - lame), then we headed off to Tarragona via greyhound-style bus. The views of terra cotta villages & the sea & pretty landscapes were beautiful, but I also couldn't help but to sleep a bit on & off... neither could anyone else.
Once in Tarragona, we stopped by the apartments to let those residents drop off their luggage, then we all continued on toward the dorm. Once here, we were assigned roommates (those who didn't request one already, that is), received our room keys, & headed toward our unique destinations. I am rooming with Katie Cummings who was not here at that point, but our room is smaller than others on the hall. It is still nice, though. Simple, but nice.
Lunch downstairs in the dorm consisted of: spaghetti, meat, french fries, watermelon, & flan from a pudding cup-esque container. Water was available in pitchers on the tables & from the water fountain.
The food was alright - pretty tasty but not spectacularly delicious. Gerardo & Robert said that it's like that pretty much all the time. I don't mind... we're spoiled by D-hall & all the options at JMU. I eventually unpacked my stuff into the shelves of my half of the closet, my desk in the drawers, & shelves of the makeshift wall between beds. Everything fits pretty nicely! I was able to talk with Andrew (using the Skype voice feature so it was like a phone call) for a few minutes, which was great. I felt bad, but I had to run pretty quickly since I had heard more girls get here... including my roommate Katie! Dinner followed around 9pm: salad + pineapple, chicken, & a slice of a baguette (also at lunch), and an apple for later. Many people went out after dinner, but I stayed home due to tiredness! I was also able to talk to Andrew via Skype instant message & sort through pictures to put up on Facebook from before the trip. Around 6pm today, all who were already in the dorm went through Las Ramblas - the main street between here & the beach - because there was a wine tasting festival. I didn't drink, but rather took pictures & played photographer. Perfecto!
That was 5 euros to taste 5 different wines, but I didn't crave trying it. People did generously offer me sips from theirs, however. So kind. I really enjoyed viewing all the interactions between people and the beautiful architecture of the buildings. Many photos were shot & hopefully be viewed in the near future by friends & family in the USA.
I am falling asleep as I write this, so I need to wrap it up... but it still doesn't feel like I am actually in Spain and will be for a month. I love it!
Once in Tarragona, we stopped by the apartments to let those residents drop off their luggage, then we all continued on toward the dorm. Once here, we were assigned roommates (those who didn't request one already, that is), received our room keys, & headed toward our unique destinations. I am rooming with Katie Cummings who was not here at that point, but our room is smaller than others on the hall. It is still nice, though. Simple, but nice. 
Lunch downstairs in the dorm consisted of: spaghetti, meat, french fries, watermelon, & flan from a pudding cup-esque container. Water was available in pitchers on the tables & from the water fountain. 
The food was alright - pretty tasty but not spectacularly delicious. Gerardo & Robert said that it's like that pretty much all the time. I don't mind... we're spoiled by D-hall & all the options at JMU. I eventually unpacked my stuff into the shelves of my half of the closet, my desk in the drawers, & shelves of the makeshift wall between beds. Everything fits pretty nicely! I was able to talk with Andrew (using the Skype voice feature so it was like a phone call) for a few minutes, which was great. I felt bad, but I had to run pretty quickly since I had heard more girls get here... including my roommate Katie! Dinner followed around 9pm: salad + pineapple, chicken, & a slice of a baguette (also at lunch), and an apple for later. Many people went out after dinner, but I stayed home due to tiredness! I was also able to talk to Andrew via Skype instant message & sort through pictures to put up on Facebook from before the trip. Around 6pm today, all who were already in the dorm went through Las Ramblas - the main street between here & the beach - because there was a wine tasting festival. I didn't drink, but rather took pictures & played photographer. Perfecto! 
That was 5 euros to taste 5 different wines, but I didn't crave trying it. People did generously offer me sips from theirs, however. So kind. I really enjoyed viewing all the interactions between people and the beautiful architecture of the buildings. Many photos were shot & hopefully be viewed in the near future by friends & family in the USA. 
I am falling asleep as I write this, so I need to wrap it up... but it still doesn't feel like I am actually in Spain and will be for a month. I love it!
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