Living in a new country {especially for a long time} may be scary, and so far it has been an AMAZING experience with even more // better experiences to come. Just after two days of living here, I have been able to come up with a list of a few things that may help people in the future {or if you're just interested in reading about some things feel free to continue reading}...
The customs line isn't as bad as you would expect it to be... Honestly, I was probably in line for a maximum of four minutes and the guy knew I couldn't speak spanish so he started rambling as fast as he could {saying who knows what} and then ended it be saying "Haha I'm sorry. You'll eventually pick it up"
Hulu doesn't work!! aka if you’re a bachelor fanatic like me, you have to learn to live without or just hope somebody from america live streams it via insta g. To be truthful, a BUNCH of websites that work in America do NOT work here due to “private proxy” issues…
The nights REALLY don't begin until late... First night here and our heater {and water heater} were broken and we all wanted to shower cause of our long day{s} of traveling so we called a handyman but he said he would only arrive around 9pm. Also we went to get dinner around 6:30 PM; however, a bunch of places don't open until 8 PM… The time we went is more normal for chatting over a cup of coffee // tea.
Do NOT plan for a comfy bed if you are getting an apartment. My bed at school {in Texas} seems WAY more lavish than compared to mine here… Here is a twin size bed that is about four inches thick and is super hard and springy. Our first day here was spent strolling around the city trying to find home stores {I recommend Primark cause it’s cheap, and I have yet to go to El Corte Ingles but I heard it’s similar}, and we bought some pillows, blankets, candles, floor mats, etc… Anything to make our apartment more homey and our beds more comfy.
Not a TON of people speak English here: I have already been laughed at for attempting to speak Spanish while trying to locate a store {long story short we never made it there cause none of us could understand the man's response}.
If you are to pay with a credit card {or any other source of payment that requires a signature}, identification is ALWAYS required.
It is NOT NORMAL to tip: whether it is a taxi ride, a barista, or a restaurant… tipping is not a thing here.
If you like naps {but also going out} then Spain is for you!! There is a designated time of day between 2 PM and 6 PM, which is primarily for lunch and a nap. Granted, lunch is the biggest meal of the day {and I have yet to have a good meal here}, my lunch today took about three hours. A typical meal is about €14 to €20; however, it is a three course meal: appetizer, main plate, and dessert. Although lunch may take a while, you have all the time after that is “quiet hour,” in which you are meant to sleep in order to prepare for a night out… Dinner between 10 PM and 11 PM, going to bars around 12:30 AM to begin drinking, and then clubs starting at 2 AM.
Internet can be found ALMOST everywhere… A bunch of cafés have internet {some require you to sign in via Facebook} and I have been told that EVERY bus stop has internet as well.
Jet lag is SOOO real… It is my second day here and I felt like I started dozing off at my lunch, so if you are traveling here for your first time, be sure to come well rested and ready for a full day of festivities.
The Metro can get you {basically} anywhere in Madrid; however it really helps if you know which station to use cause there are stations with the same names BUT are located in different areas and are labeled by different colors. On the plus side, it only costs €20 for a Metro card if you are twenty-six years old or younger, and you have unlimited swipes for the Metro and city bus for a whole month.
As I continue to think // experience new things, I promise to keep y'all updated the best I can… I am hoping to get myself to post every day; however, I’m going to be signing up for classes in a week, SO once school begins that may be hard. I know some may be interested in what my apartment looks like {especially my family}, so once we are officially all settled in {hopefully within the next week or so}, I promise to post pictures of that. Also, I promise to become a more avid poster when it comes to pictures… I have attempted to post some pics of my excursions thus far to my snapchat {@victoriadoder}, BUT my data is turned off here so they never post immediately… Thanks for checkin in on me!!
xoxo v
