Well I made it! Thank God. I was a bit worried about the trip over here. Especially making my connection in Paris. It's a good thing I didn't have to go through customs! I didn't get much sleep on the plane of course so I had a very hard time yesterday staying awake and making coherent decisions. I fell asleep at 9 p.m. here and didn't wake up until 8 a.m.! I really needed that.
It's definitely a culture shock to be here. My first reaction when I made it to my apartment was a bit of crying (not expected). It's just all so strange and new and when you're alone you are REALLY alone. I have some neat roommates, 3 Germans and 1 Irish girl. They are very nice and know English to an extent. They are all leaving though at the end of the week. They are just on "holiday." I told them in America, no one goes to take classes on their holiday and it was admirable that that is how they want to spend their free time.
I began my Spanish lessons today. I took an assessment test and made it to the intermediate level. I guess minoring in Spanish wasn't all for naught! I am in there with 2 German boys who are actually pretty good. I also met some students here that will be here about as long as me or longer. Two are from Norway and one from England. All very sweet. I look forward to getting to know them better. We are going for drinks tonight. There are bars everywhere!
I had my first taste of Spanish food for lunch today. It was a potato, ham and cheese sort of quiche looking thing. Very rich but very good. Oh, and the cafe con leche here is amazing! It's been raining off and on the past two days. I'm very happy I brought an umbrella along with my loads of things from Texas. Hopefully it clears up soon. The city is so neat and there are some really beautiful areas. I can't wait to explore more. I just have to be careful not to get lost! I am going to the Guggenheim tomorrow with some students. I'm very excited. It is the primary famous landmark of Bilbao.
I tried to post some photos of my apartment but it's not working so I might have to do the whole Shutterfly thing. I will let you all know. Hasta luego...
About Me
- Emily
- After taking a short stint out of the real world and living in Bilbao, Spain for 6 months I have returned and made a fresh start on my life in Houston, Texas. I have actively been filling my blank slate since my return and plan to use this blog as a daily account of my life, thoughts and interests. As a writer, it's always important to keep your creative juices flowing by writing as often as possible.