I apparently left my white scarf at home. BOO.

So lunch today was definitely an experience.
I walked in to a little bar that is right down the street from my apartment and I sat at the bar. The bartender/owner dude was super cute and asked me where I was from "Ah, Michigan! It is a beautiful country. I've never been there, but it is very beautiful." Later he asked me how much I liked Obama, so I figure he knew it was in the U.S., but it still caught me funny at the time.

I asked for the menu, and it was a daily hand-written menu. I couldn't quite read his hand-writing, plus it was in Spanish, so I got what sounded familiar "Pallella Mixta." I had heard all about pallella in Spanish classes, so I thought, what the hey. I also ordered a Cruzcampo beer, which he told me was brewed in Sevilla, where he is from. And he gave me a few olives as a tapa! Yum.

I honestly don't know what I ate today. The pallella was mostly rice, and it had mixed meats in it, I'm guessing it was squid and clam and chicken and what? It was good though, I ate a good deal of it, but I was still confused. Also he gave me a piece of quiche, which he explained to me was like a French pizza (hmmm, I never thought of it that way) and I don't know what was in that, either. At one point it tasted like sausage, but I can't be sure.

After it was all over, I realized I had successfully gone to a hole-in-the-wall Spanish restaurant for lunch, with their multiple courses and whatnot, made friends with the owner, spoke some Spanish, some English, and asked the man next to me about the tipping policy. I was mildly proud of myself. I haven't seen my MSU crew since getting on my shuttle around 10am this morning (Spain time, 4am EST time) and I realize I am fairing quite well in a foreign city with a foreign language relatively on my own :) Who knew!?

Oh yes, the picture of my room!

I can almost touch both walls with my fingers outstretched, width wise. But it is a very comfortable room. I'm glad I brought family pictures with me from the wedding, and the one of me and Brandi and Mattie from Mattie's 80's birthday party. Good times.

I really was nervous earlier today, being so far from home without such a big saftey net, well as big as I'm used to. Plus the language thing is hard. In everyday conversation it's glaringly apparent that I don't know a lot of vocabulary, and that my grammar could use some work. But after a few hours or so, visiting the school, taking a nap in my bed, eating dinner with my host family, I feel so much more at ease, and I feel more connected to everybody (skyping with my mom and Dad probably helped).

I am FINALLY here in Madrid, after so much planning and waiting, and I can be sure that this summer will be awesome.