The Spaniards & Their Sleep

I’m quickly beginning to understand the necessity of the afternoon nap in Spain. While I realize the whole siesta thing is probably more prevalent with my age group, the people here really enjoy their afternoons…

…but not as much as they love the night. I still am in disbelief over how many people are out and about at night. How many elderly people I have seen on the metro at 12 or 1. It’s also incredible that I can ride the metro alone at 1:30 in the morning and feel completely safe. The people here are friendly and the city is so clean. What’s even more of an adjustment for me is the tardiness of the parties here. They really do go until 6 am and I am even more surprised to discover that I can actually hang. It’s pretty cool to see all the other people who wait, like me, for the metro to open at 6 am before heading home. Also, all of us juxtaposed against people on their way to work is pretty comical.

Although I still feel like a major rookie, things are starting to become a lot easier. I can get to and from metro locations no problem now. My complete unnecessary anxieties over things like taking the bus for the first time, ordering a coffee, bumping into people, and more are beginning to relax a little. I still stress over every interaction I have with people but let’s be honest, that’s not *that* different from how I am at home.

I’m getting a little bit less interaction with my host family than I had originally hoped for and I’m beginning to consider switching. They are so kind and treat me really well, but my señora doesn’t eat meals with me, nor talk to me during my meals. Although I’ve gotten a lot of screen time with Spanish game shows, this is not the experience I was hoping for. I plan to see how things go this weekend and, if they don’t improve, I will talk to our program directors on Monday (first day of class :/) and see what we can do about switching my homes.

A lot of random thoughts going on here. Overall, my program is great. Madrid is great. I’m kind of overwhelmed by the amount of people I know here. Between USC kids, Hopkins kids, and friends of friends, I feel like I can run into someone I know anywhere. Kind of exciting. I’m looking forward to making some new friends in my class at UC3M next week, unless the Spaniards decide to shun us. Hasta luego!