No Pasa Nada

I'm in Madrid!! Ahh it's still hitting me that I'm actually here. From the moment I stepped off the plane I was immediately hit by the Spanish language (and contrary to popular belief, most people in Spain do not speak much English). The group of students I'm with refers to it as a "violent transition" lol and that is actually the perfect way to describe the feeling of being in a country where you are not fluent in the language (yet ;) ). Not fully understanding the language just makes me feel slow and disconnected. It takes me two minutes just to figure out what to say and by the time I get it the conversation has passed. Like today after orientation when we all went out to eat for lunch. I wanted to ask the waiter for more chips. I practiced it out loud with my friends at the table (who are all mostly fluent already) but when the waiter finally came over I completely blanked. Frustrating isn't even the word, but I am determined to come back fluent or at the very least highly proficient. It is definitely sink or swim when it comes to learning Spanish here and I'm so glad because I'm already learning so much. The first night here my group stayed in a hotel and just relaxed until everyone arrived. Our course I took this time to explore the area which was right around the corner from El Palacio Real, the Spanish Royal Palace. It was so beautiful especially since there were so many gardens in the area with amazing views of the city. Walking around definitely got me so excited (and Mom before you start to worry no I was not walking around by myself I was with my friends).

But the real excitement came today when we finally got to meet our homestay families following lunch. I personally think it is terrifying having to get on a plane and go to a foreign country and not know the people or the place where you will be staying. But that's what I did and today I finally got to meet my Señora, the women I will be living with for the rest of the program. I was so nervous but she is absolutely amazing. Her apartment is so beautiful and only two blocks from the metro. When we first met she asked me how good my Spanish was (in Spanish in case you were wondering). I told her my Spanish was not the best and that I really wanted to be fluent. So, she said for the rest of the semester we are only going to speak to each other in Spanish, which will force me to practice. Her goal is for me to completely understand the Spanish news by the time my program ends in May. I am so excited to see how my language skills progress as time goes on. 

Madrid is such a beautiful and interesting city. There's this Spanish saying that goes no pasa nada, which to me perfectly describes the Spanish culture and Madrid. Translated the term basically means don't worry about it. There is such a laid back atmosphere in Spain, no one is worried about time, sticking to schedules, deadlines....no pasa nada (aka I ain't got no worries). And as someone who is typically worried about everything I think this is going to be an extremely positive experience. So here's to a great semester and becoming fluent in Spanish. But there's no rush, I'm taking it one day at a time and enjoying every moment of it...no pasa nada :).

xo

My very first Spanish meal :)