Our first update from España!

Today is our second full day in Madrid and we are loving it more every minute! We arrived safely yesterday morning around 7 am Madrid time after a longgg uncomfortable flight! We met our mini senora, Maria Carmen, at the airport and met our other two roomates Jess and Megan, who also happen to go to St. Joes (Jess: fellow laxer). It was a nice surprise to find out they would be living with us. Our new home is a mini little apartment on the 5th floor near Parque de Retiro in the southeast part of the city. We got settled and took a much needed 6 HOUR NAP in our mini beds before our senora showed us around our neighborhood. We saw our first (of many) Euro makeout sesh's on a sidewalk bench. Serious tounge. We ventured throughout the hood in and out of mini little stores to find things such as clean and clear facewash and oreos...whoever said Europe sets the trends? Much to our suprise, our shower was also a warm one, and they don't serve warm milk.

For dinner, Senora Carmen made her speciality soup and rice with green peppers and chicken. The mini portions were actually quite satisfying. For desert we had our first mini helado which satisfied our overwhelming chocolate craving. After dinner, all four of us got ready for a night on the town. Somehow we found our way to the metro and from there, around the city to finally land at La Plaza Del Sol. We met up with a few friends who we had met on the airplane. We walked around stopping in just about every bar possible and having a drink. Most bars had someone outside luring us in for a free shot...who would we be to turn it down? We also had our first cerveza which (shocking)...was mini. The bars didn't get crowded till around the time we had to leave.

This morning, we woke up VERY early for orientation. Got showered and rushed out the door to hop on the metro. Senora Carmen pretended she knew where she was going, but knew no more than us. After about an hour of searching and asking for directions (at one point we didn't believe there to be an actual St. Louis) we found our destination. On the way we saw more of the city and despite our tired eyes, appreciated it all. Orientation was pretty standard. Learned a few things and finally got our much needed mini cell phones. After a mini lunch of paella and salad, and of course, pan, we left our newly met friends and roomies to begin the trek home (oops, forgot to sign up for an orientation trip like the rest of them.) We got home saftely and took three hour siesta. Then we decided a nice jog would be dec as hell so we made our way to the most famous public park of Madrid (not so mini) which is only a five minute walk from the apartment. Retiro Park is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! We went for a nice run then walked into town to get some fruit and Chocolate Special K.

After showers and dinner (tortilla de patata, yumm) we sit here writing our first blog entry and stalking our only other friend who also forgot to sign up for an orientation trip. We talked to some local Spaniards for recommended hot spots, so we plan on taking the train to a place called Tribunal which is apparently like Sol, a fun and packed square with lots of people and lots of bars. Looks like we're in for another fun night out in Madrid...!!