Madrid

Got into Madrid this morning about 10:00 local time, 3:00 a.m. Auburn time. Needless to say, I was SO tired. I spent the afternoon in my hotel room resting, fighting sleep, although it was the thing my body craved most!

At 6:00 p.m., we had a meeting as a group with our directors, Manuél, Sara, and Rosario, all of whom are very nice and helpful. We went over our itinerary for the next few days, what to expect while in Madrid and Valencia, and cell phones! I purchased a Piccell phone to use in Spain.

I've met some very nice people, but I don't feel like I've really connected with many. That is very discouraging to me, and so far I've had to constantly battle a nearly overwhelming feeling of loneliness. I did however make a sweet friend named Dottie. She's a bit older than the rest of us, but by far the friendliest I've encountered!

This evening we took a panoramic tour of Madrid por autobús. The city is absolutely gorgeous. We saw the Palacio Real (royal palace), Embajada de los EEUU (United States Embassy), El Museo de Prado, and El Museo de la Reina Sofía (both of which we are visiting tomorrow). We also saw El Parque del Retiro, which is like the central park of Madrid. They call it el pulmón of the city (which means lung) because it is the largest green area here. We drove past the wealthy district, where la princesa real lives. There are TONS of designer stores in that area. The gossip girl in me just LOVED that ;-)

I'm still nervous, as I expect I will be for a while. When I first got here, I immediately asked myself, "What in the WORLD have I gotten myself into?" But this is exactly where the Lord wants me, and I haven't even begun to experience what he has in store.

Until my next post,

All of my love,

Leigh