Days Like This

I hope you will all excuse the lapse in posting, there has been a lot going on over here. With classes in full swing, the chores of everyday life, and missing both St. Louis and Madison, I pushed the blog aside. About 12 days ago, I started recognizing in myself symptoms of culture shock and that fact made me feel even worse. I was tired all the time, weepy, and couldn't concentrate worth anything. But, as usual, talking with my mom and friends back home and here helped me get through those feelings. As of right now, I'm feeling much better. And, its days like today that make me remember why I came here. I woke up really early in attempt to be one of the first people from our program in line at the office where we were going to sign some papers and give a fingerprint so that we can get our residency cards. We won't get them for a month, but now we have a receipt that means the same thing, it feels so official! And as hard as it cam be, I end up enjoying being awake early; it feels nice to be leaving my building with the sun beginning to rise to my right. After that, I went with Lindsay to have café with Reyes, our program director. She is having coffee dates with all the group leaders of our security/emergency phone network. It was nice to be able to talk openly about my classes and get advice from someone that knows so much. I did have class, but it was per usual. On my way home, I stopped off in a librería (bookstore-not library) on my street that I have walked by many times. To my delight, it was a second-hand bookstore! I looked around for quite some time and came out with a play I needed to buy for one of my classes, a possible book for the essay for my sintaxis comparada class, a Spanish language textbook that has EVERYTHING and it was only 10 euro, and an "Elige tu propia adventura" book. Thats right. Choose you're own adventure. In Spanish. Later, when I was at the supermercado getting a few things to hold me over until Friday, an old man behind me in line started talking to me and asked if I was from Madrid. When I told him I was from Los Estados Unidos, he started going on about how its such a big country and he even told me the area. He then proceded to tell me the areas of Russia, Australia, Canada, Greenland, and Argentina; it made me wonder what he used to do...a curious fellow, but also very kind. Contrary to popular belief, and my belief when I forst arrived, in the majority of encounters that require social interaction, Madrileños are very kind and helpful. I came here because I want to have an experience that is completely different from what I've known before, and here it is. For those of you who don't knoq yet, the upcoming weekend is 5 days, and some friends and I are going to Norway! Thats right. It seems so crazy still...can't wait to tell all about it!