Ah, yes ... Madrid. I love you. I think this city is characterized by the cosmopolitan nature of its people, who are from any and every part of the world. But also, they share a sense of pride to be Castilian and to be citizens of the most interesting city I've seen in my life. The Puerta del Sol is my favorite neighborhood at this point, but obviously I have a lot more exploring to do. This barrio is where everything goes down; the restaurants with cuisine from all over the world, the bars that boast menus with all types of alcohol (tip: Do not take two shots of Absynth in a row), and girls ... GIRLS ........ Ah, but the girls can be a topic for another time. At the beginning of this experience I was a little discouraged to know that I wasn't going to be spending the summer in Barcelona. (Because, let's be honest, I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who has something bad to say about the city). But my feelings changed a lot when I first saw the rolling terrain, peppered with mountain peaks and unexpectedly amazing views, that borders Madrid. I heard that Madrid was a 'truly Spanish city,' in that pretty much everybody speaks Spanish, whereas Barcelona is really more of an international city where English is more prevalent. I have a roommate here who doesn't speak any Spanish, and without us as translators, would have no chance to live in a city like this. And I like that. I like the feeling of actually being a member of the culture, an experience of absolute immersion. From time to time, for no particular reason, I come to and realize that "I am in Madrid." It'd be hard to put in words what that feeling is like but it's....well, it's just cool. I am blessed beyond belief to have the opportunity to be living an experience like this... and you can bet I'm going to make everything I can of it.
Chau chau
Chau chau
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