Tag Archives: Spanish

Why Yes I Do Go to School

¡Hola Amigos!

I hope your day is going as awesome as mine. I’m currently finishing up my last class of the day, Blogging Spain. Yes, I know that it does not sound like a real class, but I promise you that it’s actually pretty hard and not just about blogging about my experience in Spain (though that’d be a pretty awesome class). I’ve received a lot of feedback and questions (mostly from my parents and their friends) about going to school, so I felt it was appropriate to finally describe a normal day in the life of Meg in Madrid.

Our cute little yellow school house

Our cute little yellow school house

Mondays and Wednesdays I usually wake up around 9:30 and am out the door by 10 to get to my 11AM class. On Tuesday and Thursdays I’m up around 7:45 for my 9:30 class – honestly it’s nothing compared to my NY sleeping schedule. My only complaint thus far about living in Sol would have to be the long commute to school – 10 minute walk to the Sol Metro, 2 trains, and a 10-15 minute walk from Santiago Bernabeu to our Calle Segre campus takes about an hour total depending on if the trains are on time or not.

I was incredibly lucky that I got my first pick with classes and scheduled everything back to back so I wouldn’t have to wait around campus for awkward periods of time. On M/W I have ‘Cultural History of Spain’ and ‘Blogging Spain’ and on T/TH I am enrolled in ‘Critical Approaches’ and ‘Spanish for Commerce’. Though I cannot say I’m completely infatuated with my classes as I was with my Sports Management classes in NY, I am enjoying the selection (even if they are completely in Spanish and I’m lost in translation about 70% of the time).

Check Out the beautiful moon

Check Out the beautiful moon

After class for two and a half hours a day, I head back to our apartment in Sol, grab some food, sit down on our lovely couches (pictures coming soon) and pretend to do homework. I usually proceed to get cabin fever and head out for a run.

Sidetracking a bit, but tonight I went for one of the most amazing runs of my life – though it was a brisk 42 degrees, it felt like it was a cool and comfortable 65. I found my heart rate monitor and watch, ran for a good 45 minutes down around Puerta del Sol, up Gran Vía towards school. I began around 9 PM, just when the moon balanced perfectly between the buildings and sat in the mystic midnight black sky. I desperately wish I had ran back and grabbed my camera but my legs and body were exhausted from a long day and I plopped back down on the couch – I know my iPhone won’t do any justice to the beauty in the Madrid sky.

Another beautiful run

Another beautiful run

Since settling into our apartment, the four of us have been trying to cook more at home, so around 8-9 we usually grab dinner and try and start back on our homework. This past week our meals consisted of a lot of pasta, bread and cheese (channeling our inner European goddesses) but today we swore to go the grocery store and get some chicken and healthier food for this upcoming week.

The End of Gran Vía

The End of Gran Vía

After a few hours comprised of a healthy dose of Facebook and homework, I jump into the shower and try to get to bed by a reasonable hour.

Hope that provided a comprehensive overview of a day in the life, until next time!IMG_7223

 

Running Through Life, Running Through Madrid

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, a rather warm 50 something degrees compared to the frigid temperatures we’ve embraced the past two weeks – and quite honestly the perfect time for a run. I’m not a “runner” by any means – after my knee surgeries running became more of a punishment than a pleasurable thing to do, but I’m a “runner” by pure definition of the word. Since being in Madrid, however, I’ve rekindled my love with the blisters under my toenails, the cold air piercing my lungs, and the striking of my feet on the pavement ehhh I mean cobblestones. When you’re not in the mood to run it’s absolutely awful, but when the itch to lace up your shoes hits you, it’s one of the best feelings in the world, and that’s what’s happened since being here. I’m a competitor and running has provided me the opportunity to take out my most competitive feelings out on myself. It’s not that I love winning, I just hate to lose, so what better way to fuel my fire than with some self competition, right?

All smiles during my runs

All smiles during my runs

I feel this post veering in the wrong direction, but running has become my sanctuary since coming here and feel it was of the utmost importance to share it with all of you. With the lack of female soccer teams here (if anybody knows of one, lemme know!), I really needed something here to keep my fitness up for the 2013 season and running has done just that. There are numerous routes, the parks are plentiful and best of all, it’s a perfect outlet for my stress. Running has once again become my friend. All it took was one beautiful long run from our cute apartment down Gran Vía, around the city center and back again to make me fall in love.

Running through  any city provides an entirely new perspective on the surroundings, the people, and the way of life. I love walking around with los chupitos, don’t get me wrong, but running Madrid has just made me love it here even more. I might never want to leave!

Maybe it’s just me, but the blaring of my “Danza Kuduro” into headphones as I sprint up the hill (hill might be an understatement) leading to our apartment just soothes my soul and allows me to take in everything around me (I mostly just take in the burning in my hamstrings, but you get the point). The sights, the sounds, and the oh so delicious smells invade my senses as I run up Calle Mayor, through la plaza más antigua de Madrid (the oldest plaza in Madrid), and around the corner into el barrio La Latina. The extravagant street performers, the adorably dressed señoras, and tourists in Puerta del Sol stare me and my sweat stained NYU soccer tee down, as if I’m a more unusual sight than the headless business man.

Madrid I’m already in love with you enough as it is, but thank you for making me lace up my shoes again, letting me fall back in love with running, and allowing me to explore your beautiful city.



¡sta luego!

Quote of the day: “Traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking” ~ Spanish Proverb

One Hot Mes!

So for those of you who don’t get the title, please ignore my crude Spanish humor. It’s a play on words  – I’m currently a hot mess with finals and there’s one month (un mes) left until I leave for Spain. Get it? Okay, probably not but anyways, as I was saying…

ONE MONTH. 31 DAYS. 744 HOURS. 44,640 MINUTES. 2,678,400 SECONDS.

I honestly cannot wait to be Madrid bound in one short month. Although my time spent in San Diego will be very limited, my time in Madrid spent away from the city, friends and family will be worth it (or at least I hope so). I have my Visa appointment tomorrow morning (yikes!), and just finished securing an apartment – everything is happening so fast! The one thing however, that I am not looking forward to is packing everything up. I have a tendency to overpack (to say the least) and stuffing five months worth of clothes and belongings into two suitcases (with room for goodies) will be a challenge – but a challenge I’m up to nonetheless. Let’s rewind to last Christmas Eve – one of my bags was 30 pounds over and the other one was 15 pounds over so Twist and Sam had to wear some of my coats on the plane and we had to completely repack my bags – it was a sight to see (and I’m sure the staff at American Airlines had a good laugh). I’m home in a week, and in Spain in a month. Phew! Time really does fly when you’re having fun!

A box of cupcakes, 2 suitcases, a duffle bag and one backpack later...

A box of cupcakes, 2 suitcases, a duffle bag and one backpack later…

In other news, I’m going to Wicked tonight. I’m sort of nervous but very excited because a) I already know all the words to the soundtrack (Popular! I’ll help you be Pop-uuuu-larrr) and b) it means I get to cross another thing off my “list“. Anyways, I gotta go – I’ll upload some pics later tonight with a full critique of the play.