DAY 1: VIAJAR A ESPAÑA.

El dia uno of this 90 something day experience went a little bit like this:

Wake up at four am, dress, close my suitcase, go upstairs, and head for the airport. Literally no one was awake at this hour...

= proof!

mom of course proceeded to take a few dozen photos in the airport...

i slept through the flight to dallas and then again to miami.  in miami i met up with another ISA student for a late lunch before our flight to madrid!!!

last photo taken in the US of A!

the flight was manageable--around seven hours.  we left miami about 6 pm and got into madrid about 7 am... surprisingly the airport was just about deserted.  we took a short train to pick up our luggage and then a bus to terminal one to meet with the rest of the group.  after about an hour i met up with about ten other ISA students.  our got to about thirty people by the time the staff came to pick us up around 11 am.  for those of you interested in studying abroad in granada through ISA, YES--the staff are absolutely wonderful.

Marisa and Titi both are pretty funny.  Marissa keeps us on our toes and isn't afraid to mother us with her list of no-nos.  Nacho is quiet and reserved.  We took a bus to the hotel, and Titi and Nacho helped myself and another girl as we crossed the street with our luggage.

Unfortunately, when we got to the hotel it took about two hours before I could get into my room.  A few of us headed off to grab a bite, and ended up going to (I'm assuming) a complete tourist trap where we paid way to much on stale chocolate con churros.  

When I finally got to my room, I immediately took a shower and napped for a bit. my roommate arrived during my time asleep and I woke up next to her (the rooms have two twin beds made separately but pushed together)--what a way to meet someone! haha

Bidet!

we met the group for a short meeting and then took a "panoramico" or bus tour of madrid.  Titi narrated the tour in spanglish but most of us were too tired to laugh at the appropriate parts.

Titi told there is a great drag queen show at the top of this Rolex building.  He said we could expect a good time, but don't go there for the food!

I love the numerous neon hotel signs throughout the city!  Usually the bus was going too fast to catch most of them but I caught the bright yellow of this hotel. 

In many ways Madrid is pretty americanized.  it seemed we were always seeing starbucks, kfc, and mcdonalds.  burger king was also pretty prevalent too.

Even the Lion King on Broadway has made it to Madrid! 

after our little bus tour, we had a meeting about cell phones in madrid. i ate dinner at a spanish diner of sorts.  although this didnt seem quite the tourist trap that the other place was, the food wasnt my favorite.

after i came back to the hotel with my roommate, took another long, hot shower (while i still can!) and slept till morning.