On Sunday, May 30th, I got the opportunity to meet a few more members of my host family. My host mother has a son whose name is Jaime (same as his father) but his nickname is Mani (I believe that’s how it’s spelled). Mani is married to Virginia and they have 2 sons: Jaime who is 5.5 going on 6 and Miguel who is 3. I got to see their house and play with the 2 boys and Sira (their cousin) in their backyard.
I was then invited to go out to lunch (the big meal of the day) with all of the grown children and their young children. There were 4 couples, me, and 4 young kids. The 4th kid was named Tony and he’s 2 years old and adorable. He is the nephew and godson of Tony (yeah the repeat names get a little bit confusing across the generations). We went to this nice restaurant that was right next to the beach and could smell the sea air. The little kids brought their bicycles and played with one another.
A little bit after I got back from lunch, it was time to go to my orientation with Arcadia University. Up until then, I hadn’t met any of the other students on the program, besides the few that I met in the airport. It was really nice to finally meet the people I had been emailing and Facebooking for the past month or so. And it was also really nice to speak in English again! Our orientation was held in the same building that we’ll be taking all of our classes. Our 2 program directors, Jaume and Alice, went over different things like our home stays, safety and health considerations, and perhaps most importantly: where the best beaches are! After orientation, all 15 of us students and our 2 directors went out to dinner. We had a nice meal and almost everyone had ice cream for dessert.
Afterward, Jaume took us for a walk near the port so he could show us where the bike/running path is. We got to see the Cathedral from the distance and saw many boats docked in the water. Since it was still pretty early, about 2/3 of the students decided to go out to an Irish Pub for a drink while some of the others headed home. I joined my new friends and spent my very first Euro on a glass of white wine. It was very exciting (at least for me) to not be carded since the drinking age in Spain is 18. Around midnight, everyone decided to head back to their houses. However, we didn’t really know where we were. I went with 4 other students who live near me and we used a map to help navigate our way back home. I was able to find my street ok, but some of the others got lost. It took us about 30 minutes to walk back and I got home a little bit before 1 AM. My host mother, Loli, was still awake and greeted me at the door (I was given my own set of keys). I told her about my day and then said goodnight to her.
Some fun facts I learned that day:
• Almost all of the music on the radio in Spain is in English! I’m not exactly sure why but the Spaniards seem to like American music, although they can’t understand the lyrics. I started talking with Eva and Tony while in the car and they started listing American music artists they know like Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Jackson. It was really funny to hear them pronounce the names with their Spanish accent.
• Every car that I have ridden in so far has been a stick shift! Apparently automatic cars cost more here so everyone learns to drive a stick shift when they first get their license.
• It took me a little while to realize that Spain uses the metric system. The first instance I realized this is when I was driving with Loli on the highway and suddenly noticed that the street limit signs (which just have a red number inside of a circle) said “100” and “120.” And I noticed that the speedometer read 100. I realized that no, we weren’t travelling 100 miles per hour but instead 100 kilometers per hour. I still don’t know how to convert Celsius and Fahrenheit though.
• Amongst the young kids, Disney, Hello Kitty, and Spiderman are all insanely popular! I watched Playhouse Disney in Spanish with Sira and it was an interesting experience to hear Mickey talk with a thick Spanish accent.
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The next day, Monday the 31st, I had to wake up early for my Spanish placement exam. We were told to meet at the University at 10 AM. The exam was based on grammar, listening, answering questions after reading a story, short answer questions, and an essay. It took about 2 hours to complete but I didn’t think it was so bad. The results of the exam will be posted tomorrow morning to decide which level (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) each student will be placed in. We also received our class schedule today. My Spanish Literature class is from 8:45 – 10:45 AM Monday – Thursday. Yeah, not a fan of how early it is but classes start at 8:45 or 9 AM for almost everyone. However, we then have a large gap of time because our Spanish language class isn’t until 4:30 – 6:30 PM. The program directors told us that students either go to the beach, explore the city, or go home to nap and eat during the break.
After everyone was finished taking the exam, we went to a Municipal building in order to get a bus ticket. You can pay 18 Euros and get unlimited bus transportation for the month. However, not everyone was able to get one, including me, because the place closed at 2 PM and they didn’t tell us that. We’ll probably go another day. Everyone was also told to bring and/or wear a bathing suit because Jaume, the director, was going to take us in his car in shifts to the beach! I was part of the 2nd shift and he dropped us off at this really nice beach that was in the German part of the city. The sand was very smooth and the water was pretty warm. Apparently the Mallorcians don’t swim unless the water is like bath water and they wait until July and August for it to warm up. But us East Coasters who are used to the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean in late May and early June headed straight on in. The first few times we went in to our waist and the final time we went in all the way and I got my hair wet.
It was really fun that all 15 of us were together at the beach. I went for a walk along the water’s edge with 2 other girls and we saw some people building professional sandcastles. There was also a nice mix of language that ranged from German to Spanish to English. Although we were warned beforehand, this was my very first time visiting a nude beach. Everyone seems ok with it and don’t even notice it, but the other students and I were very much aware of the many women (usually older) who were completely topless on the beach and in the water. It was a little awkward but we just didn’t look their way. And the European men very much love their Speedos.
After the beach, I got a ride home from the program director. I’ve been able to borrow someone else’s Wi-Fi connection in my house and realized today that it is strongest when I’m sitting outside on the patio in the back of the house. I was finally able to make my first Skype call and I talked to my parents for about an hour. I explained to my home stay parents what I was doing and they came outside to “meet” my parents. It was really cool to have all 4 parents talking with one another at the same time. My mom is able to speak a little bit of Spanish, but I served as the translator between everyone. My parents were glad to see that I was alive and well and that I had nice new parents taking care of me.
After dinner, I also learned that I’m able to Skype from a computer to a cell phone and was able to Skype call with Josh for a little bit. It was really great to finally hear his voice again after 4 days of not being able to speak to him. Hopefully tomorrow I will be purchasing a Spanish cell phone and will be able to make some phone calls and text people back home.
That’s all for now! Tomorrow is the first day of classes so I’ll be sure to let you all know how that goes! Talk to you later!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
May 29 – Mi Nueva Familia (My New Family)
So when last we left off, I had just gotten in the car with my new host mother. Her name is Loli Rodriguez. She lives with her husband, Jaime, and her mother-in-law. She has 3 grown kids who live nearby in Palma de Mallorca and 2 of the kids have kids of their own. So Loli is my host mother, but she’s also a grandmother to 3 young kids.
My Host Mother
We started making small talk in Spanish and she asked me how I was, how was my flight, and other basic questions that she read in the letter I had to write to her. I told her about my parents, my younger brother, where Pennsylvania is, etc. I then asked her if she speaks any English and she replied “No.” Neither she nor her husband speaks English, but her middle daughter does. I was really afraid that all of my Spanish knowledge would escape me since I haven’t had it in a full semester, but thankfully it all came back to me. We were able to keep a regular conversation going and she told me about where the University is, how far away the beach is, and things to do near her house.
My New House
She lives in an apartment complex and she parked the car in the garage. We took my first few bags upstairs (leaving my big suitcase in the car for the time being) and she showed me how you get to her apartment. You have to walk up a flight of stairs, take an elevator to the 1st floor, and then her front door is right there. I didn’t really know what to expect the house to look like and didn’t really have any expectations. When you first walk in, you’re standing in the foyer. On the left is a kitchen that has a patio area that leads to an outside area. If you got straight back when you first walk in, you’re in the family room where there are sofas and a TV. There are 2 bathrooms: 1 normal room with a toilet, sink, and shower that everyone uses and another one just for emergencies.
My bedroom is the first door on the left. (Quick story: as I was saying goodbye to my bedroom and my house my mom made some comment that my house might look huge when I return. I didn’t really understand until I walked in.) The room is pretty tiny but it’s definitely doable. My bed is a Murphy bed so it folds back up into the wall when it’s not being used. There’s a sofa and a TV in my room. There’s a small desk with a chair and a small circular table that moves. There are 2 sets of drawers that each has 4 shelves. Loli was very sweet and cleaned out some of her stuff so I could have more drawer space. I’m currently using 6 drawers. There’s a closet with hangers so I was able to hang everything up. She gave me a tour of the rest of the house which includes her and her husband’s bedroom, a bedroom for her mother-in-law, and a bedroom when her grandkids visit. The grandkid’s room has a little patio/terrace and there’s a chair out there so you can sit down and read in the sun.
First Meal in Spain = Success
By the time we got back to the house, it was about 2 PM and I was starving. She told me that she was going to start making lunch and told me that she was making steak and potatoes. I told her that those were pretty much 2 of my favorite foods and was VERY happy! She said I could relax in my room, watch TV, or start unpacking so I did a combo of the 3. For lunch she gave me steak, fried potatoes, fried egg, and a piece of bread. I’m sure that my parents and anyone else who knows how picky I am will be glad to hear that I ate everything on my plate…even the egg. And I learned that potatoes in Spain are called “patatas” not “papas.” After the meal, she was assembling a fruit bowl and told me to help myself. I figured I should be upfront and said “I don’t like fruit” in Spanish. She wasn’t upset or anything and told me that if I don’t like something, I don’t have to eat it. I was pretty relieved to hear that. We talked about what food she typically serves and at what times. Apparently Spaniards have a coffee break and snack around 5-6 PM and she asked me if I like “café,” I said not too much but would try it so she made me a cup and put in milk and sugar. It wasn’t too bad. She told me that she was going to go to the Supermarket later and that I could come and pick out food.
After lunch, I finished unpacking and managed to put everything that was in my suitcases away in the drawers or closet (which was no easy task, but I’m glad I won’t be living out of my suitcase). Then we walked to the Supermarket. My contributions included: Apple juice, Smooth peanut butter, something that looked like chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top, and a box of Frosties (which is the Spanish equivalent of Frosted Flakes). She picked up a few other things and then we headed back to the house.
When we got back, she gave me my own set of keys and taught me how to use them and how to lock and unlock the doors with which key. We watched Spanish TV together for a little bit and then her husband, Jaime, came home from work. (He’s the owner of a clothing store). He hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks and Loli told him how much Spanish I know, and I was flattered by her compliments. Around this time, the whole lack of a full night’s sleep starting kicking in so Loli helped me make my bed and told me to take a “siesta” for an hour. I laid down and fell right asleep.
Meeting Loli’s Daughter & Family
When I woke up, Loli’s daughter and her family were at the house. Her daughter’s name is Eva and she’s the middle child. She went to England for 3 months and is able to speak and understand English. Her husband’s name is Tony and they have a 3-year-old daughter named Sari. And yes, I was very, very excited that I had a new baby/toddler to play with in Spain! They were all very sweet and Sari is absolutely adorable. Eva and I talked in English for a little bit, but everyone else jokingly got upset because they couldn’t understand us. We decided Eva would be my translator if I ever needed help communicating with her parents.
Although I was hoping and praying that my home stay would be one of the ones with Internet, it unfortunately does not. However, there’s an Internet complex not too far from the house. Eva and I talked about it and were trying to figure out if it was free Wi-Fi or if you’d have to pay per use. However, the complex is not open on weekends, which really sucks. They decided to drive around and see if we could find a restaurant that has Wi-Fi and test out my laptop there. We found a small café and it worked! I was able to check my email, go on Facebook, leave a video message for some of my friends and family, and sign onto Skype. Unfortunately, both my parents and Josh were unable to Skype.
After my Internet session, we went to McDonald’s for dinner. It was very reassuring to see those Golden Arches on the island and know that there are American chain restaurants. In Spain, lunch is always the biggest meal of the day around 1:30 or 2 PM, while dinner is a very light meal eaten at 8 or 8:30 PM. While in the car, I got to bond with Sira, the 3-year-old. She speaks very little English so we conversed in Spanish. She was able to say my name and showed me that she knows the Happy Birthday song in English. She had some books in the back with her and I read her a Mickey Mouse pop-up book that was all in Spanish. She knew and identified all of the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy) and knew what time of animal they were. I was very impressed.
Playtime with Sira
Afterward, Eva and Tony, Sira’s parents, dropped her, me, and Loli off at Loli’s house because Sira was going to spend the time with her grandparents. She got changed into PJs and we played with a plastic Dora the Explorer ball in the family room. I taught her a few tricks and we bounced it and rolled it back and forth. I haven’t seen/met any students from my program yet, so I was glad I had someone to hang out with and keep entertained. After Sira went to bed, Jaime, my host father, started talking to me in Spanish and I asked him different questions about some vocab and grammar points. He got out the letter/email I had written to them in Spanish and showed me some of the grammatical errors that I had made. I also learned that some things I have been taught only apply to Mexico and the structure of Spanish in Spain has a few differences.
I wasn’t able to stay up too late and started getting really tired around 11:30 PM. I took a shower, dried my hair, and got ready for bed. And currently I am sitting on my bed typing these blog entries so that I can upload them to the Internet later today.
In Summary
So far I’ve had a very pleasant experience with everything and everyone. I was glad that I safely made it to Mallorca and that my luggage made it too. I was really excited to meet my host mother and get a tour of my home for the next 4 weeks. All of my host family members were extremely warm and friendly to me and were willing to repeat things if I didn’t pick up / understand them the first time. I’m supposed to be meeting Loli’s son, his wife, and their 2 sons tomorrow. And even though there are no kids living in the house, I’m really excited about spending time with the grandkids when they come to visit he house. If you’ve made it to the end, thank you for reading my entire blog entry. I’m going to make a promise that future entries will not be as long as this one! So now each of you can see exactly what I did today and share my experiences with me.
Feel free to leave me comments directly on my blog or send me a message on Facebook. I love seeing new messages when I get the opportunity to go online! ¡Hasta luego!
Con cariño, (With love,)
Lauren
My Host Mother
We started making small talk in Spanish and she asked me how I was, how was my flight, and other basic questions that she read in the letter I had to write to her. I told her about my parents, my younger brother, where Pennsylvania is, etc. I then asked her if she speaks any English and she replied “No.” Neither she nor her husband speaks English, but her middle daughter does. I was really afraid that all of my Spanish knowledge would escape me since I haven’t had it in a full semester, but thankfully it all came back to me. We were able to keep a regular conversation going and she told me about where the University is, how far away the beach is, and things to do near her house.
My New House
She lives in an apartment complex and she parked the car in the garage. We took my first few bags upstairs (leaving my big suitcase in the car for the time being) and she showed me how you get to her apartment. You have to walk up a flight of stairs, take an elevator to the 1st floor, and then her front door is right there. I didn’t really know what to expect the house to look like and didn’t really have any expectations. When you first walk in, you’re standing in the foyer. On the left is a kitchen that has a patio area that leads to an outside area. If you got straight back when you first walk in, you’re in the family room where there are sofas and a TV. There are 2 bathrooms: 1 normal room with a toilet, sink, and shower that everyone uses and another one just for emergencies.
My bedroom is the first door on the left. (Quick story: as I was saying goodbye to my bedroom and my house my mom made some comment that my house might look huge when I return. I didn’t really understand until I walked in.) The room is pretty tiny but it’s definitely doable. My bed is a Murphy bed so it folds back up into the wall when it’s not being used. There’s a sofa and a TV in my room. There’s a small desk with a chair and a small circular table that moves. There are 2 sets of drawers that each has 4 shelves. Loli was very sweet and cleaned out some of her stuff so I could have more drawer space. I’m currently using 6 drawers. There’s a closet with hangers so I was able to hang everything up. She gave me a tour of the rest of the house which includes her and her husband’s bedroom, a bedroom for her mother-in-law, and a bedroom when her grandkids visit. The grandkid’s room has a little patio/terrace and there’s a chair out there so you can sit down and read in the sun.
First Meal in Spain = Success
By the time we got back to the house, it was about 2 PM and I was starving. She told me that she was going to start making lunch and told me that she was making steak and potatoes. I told her that those were pretty much 2 of my favorite foods and was VERY happy! She said I could relax in my room, watch TV, or start unpacking so I did a combo of the 3. For lunch she gave me steak, fried potatoes, fried egg, and a piece of bread. I’m sure that my parents and anyone else who knows how picky I am will be glad to hear that I ate everything on my plate…even the egg. And I learned that potatoes in Spain are called “patatas” not “papas.” After the meal, she was assembling a fruit bowl and told me to help myself. I figured I should be upfront and said “I don’t like fruit” in Spanish. She wasn’t upset or anything and told me that if I don’t like something, I don’t have to eat it. I was pretty relieved to hear that. We talked about what food she typically serves and at what times. Apparently Spaniards have a coffee break and snack around 5-6 PM and she asked me if I like “café,” I said not too much but would try it so she made me a cup and put in milk and sugar. It wasn’t too bad. She told me that she was going to go to the Supermarket later and that I could come and pick out food.
After lunch, I finished unpacking and managed to put everything that was in my suitcases away in the drawers or closet (which was no easy task, but I’m glad I won’t be living out of my suitcase). Then we walked to the Supermarket. My contributions included: Apple juice, Smooth peanut butter, something that looked like chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top, and a box of Frosties (which is the Spanish equivalent of Frosted Flakes). She picked up a few other things and then we headed back to the house.
When we got back, she gave me my own set of keys and taught me how to use them and how to lock and unlock the doors with which key. We watched Spanish TV together for a little bit and then her husband, Jaime, came home from work. (He’s the owner of a clothing store). He hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks and Loli told him how much Spanish I know, and I was flattered by her compliments. Around this time, the whole lack of a full night’s sleep starting kicking in so Loli helped me make my bed and told me to take a “siesta” for an hour. I laid down and fell right asleep.
Meeting Loli’s Daughter & Family
When I woke up, Loli’s daughter and her family were at the house. Her daughter’s name is Eva and she’s the middle child. She went to England for 3 months and is able to speak and understand English. Her husband’s name is Tony and they have a 3-year-old daughter named Sari. And yes, I was very, very excited that I had a new baby/toddler to play with in Spain! They were all very sweet and Sari is absolutely adorable. Eva and I talked in English for a little bit, but everyone else jokingly got upset because they couldn’t understand us. We decided Eva would be my translator if I ever needed help communicating with her parents.
Although I was hoping and praying that my home stay would be one of the ones with Internet, it unfortunately does not. However, there’s an Internet complex not too far from the house. Eva and I talked about it and were trying to figure out if it was free Wi-Fi or if you’d have to pay per use. However, the complex is not open on weekends, which really sucks. They decided to drive around and see if we could find a restaurant that has Wi-Fi and test out my laptop there. We found a small café and it worked! I was able to check my email, go on Facebook, leave a video message for some of my friends and family, and sign onto Skype. Unfortunately, both my parents and Josh were unable to Skype.
After my Internet session, we went to McDonald’s for dinner. It was very reassuring to see those Golden Arches on the island and know that there are American chain restaurants. In Spain, lunch is always the biggest meal of the day around 1:30 or 2 PM, while dinner is a very light meal eaten at 8 or 8:30 PM. While in the car, I got to bond with Sira, the 3-year-old. She speaks very little English so we conversed in Spanish. She was able to say my name and showed me that she knows the Happy Birthday song in English. She had some books in the back with her and I read her a Mickey Mouse pop-up book that was all in Spanish. She knew and identified all of the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy) and knew what time of animal they were. I was very impressed.
Playtime with Sira
Afterward, Eva and Tony, Sira’s parents, dropped her, me, and Loli off at Loli’s house because Sira was going to spend the time with her grandparents. She got changed into PJs and we played with a plastic Dora the Explorer ball in the family room. I taught her a few tricks and we bounced it and rolled it back and forth. I haven’t seen/met any students from my program yet, so I was glad I had someone to hang out with and keep entertained. After Sira went to bed, Jaime, my host father, started talking to me in Spanish and I asked him different questions about some vocab and grammar points. He got out the letter/email I had written to them in Spanish and showed me some of the grammatical errors that I had made. I also learned that some things I have been taught only apply to Mexico and the structure of Spanish in Spain has a few differences.
I wasn’t able to stay up too late and started getting really tired around 11:30 PM. I took a shower, dried my hair, and got ready for bed. And currently I am sitting on my bed typing these blog entries so that I can upload them to the Internet later today.
In Summary
So far I’ve had a very pleasant experience with everything and everyone. I was glad that I safely made it to Mallorca and that my luggage made it too. I was really excited to meet my host mother and get a tour of my home for the next 4 weeks. All of my host family members were extremely warm and friendly to me and were willing to repeat things if I didn’t pick up / understand them the first time. I’m supposed to be meeting Loli’s son, his wife, and their 2 sons tomorrow. And even though there are no kids living in the house, I’m really excited about spending time with the grandkids when they come to visit he house. If you’ve made it to the end, thank you for reading my entire blog entry. I’m going to make a promise that future entries will not be as long as this one! So now each of you can see exactly what I did today and share my experiences with me.
Feel free to leave me comments directly on my blog or send me a message on Facebook. I love seeing new messages when I get the opportunity to go online! ¡Hasta luego!
Con cariño, (With love,)
Lauren
May 28-29 – Travelling to Mallorca!
Hola! Estoy en Mallorca, Spain! I figured my first blog entry should be about my flights and what my very first day was like. I’m going to apologize in advance for this (and most likely future entries) being long. But it’s really hard to not be able to talk to anyone and since I’m currently without Internet at the time that I’m writing this, I figured I’d share with you, my family and friends, reading this blog! Let’s begin!
First Flight
I left my house around 3 PM on Friday, May 28th and got to the Philadelphia International Airport around 4:15 PM (due to Memorial Day shore traffic). I went through security, kissed my parents goodbye, and was now completely on my own. My flight left promptly at 6:35 PM. The plane was really big: the left side had 2 seats, the middle section had 4 seats, and the right side had 2 seats. I had a window seat on the right.
After getting settled into my seat, I started talking to my seatmate. His name was Mario and he’s from Madrid. We talked in English and he answered a lot of my questions about life in Spain / Mallorca, such as the protocol for tipping waitresses and how late dinner begins. He then showed me how to work the individual TV’s that were placed on the back of the seat in front of us. We were able to watch movies, TV shows, and listen to music. I watched “What Happens in Vegas,” 2 episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” and listed to some music stations/CDs. It was pretty sweet! The only downside was that when you used iPod headphones, you could only hear out of 1 ear. But we made do. I slept for about 2-3 hours too, which was good. Our dinner was either pasta or chicken and I chose pasta.
Before we knew it, they turned on the cabin lights and said that we were about 1.5 hours away from Madrid and it was time for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a single pastry with some jelly filling. Mario, my seatmate, was pretty awesome and checked the status and gate of my connecting gate on his iPhone once we landed. My flight was supposed to land at 8:15 AM (Spain time) and my connection to Mallorca was going to leave at 9:15 AM so I was really afraid that I might not make it. Luckily for me, our flight got in early around 7:55 AM. Mario helped me navigate through customs and pointed me in the direction of where I needed to go. I thanked him and he left to go back to baggage claim.
Second Flight
I went through security in the Madrid airport, hopped on a shuttle bus, and then was at the terminal where my gate was going to be. It was a pretty surreal experience once I realized that everyone around me spoke Spanish and I was going to have to talk to the Information Desk in Spanish. I told him that he needed to print me a boarding pass and at first he got confused and was like “We’re sorry, there are no more seats. Would you like to buy one?” which definitely confused me too since he just contradicted himself. I patiently elaborated that I had already booked my seat and just needed my boarding pass. He finally understood and gave me the pass.
I was actually at the gate before our plane was. The plane was supposed to take off at 9:15 AM but we hadn’t even begun boarding at that time. They front desk where they check your boarding pass and passport was moving really slow and didn’t have everything set up. I finally boarded the plane and realized that it was really empty. The plane finally took off around 9:52 AM. I was pretty exhausted so I slept for almost the entire duration of the flight. The flight was only an hour long (very similar to flying from Pittsburgh to Philly), and we landed around 10:57 AM, although it was supposed to land at 10:30. It took a little while for them to connect the plane to the ramp but they finally did and we got off. (I was very lucky that I didn’t have a connecting flight after that or I would have been very late!)
My 2 Biggest Fears
I decided to follow the crowd of fast-walking Spaniards so that I could find the baggage claim. Now I had 2 big fears. Fear #1: My luggage wasn’t going to be there / got lost / went to Madrid / is missing. Fear #2: I wouldn’t be able to spot the Arcadia University people and find my group. Unfortunately for me, both fears ended up coming true, though they got worked out in the end.
I get to the baggage claim carousel and everyone around me finds their luggage right away and then walks away. Suddenly there’s only 3 pieces left and no more is being placed on. A married couple was standing nearby and they hadn’t gotten their suitcases yet either. I started slowly panicking and we walked over to the airline desk to ask them about it and show them our luggage receipt thing. The lady checked the info from the couple and told them that 1 of their bags was here and other was put on another flight and would be there soon. Then I gave her my tag and she said that my 1 suitcase was here. *Huge sigh of relief* Apparently because we had 1 connecting flight, it was placed on a different carousel…but no one told us that! Anyway, the woman and I walked over and found our suitcases. I nearly hugged mine as I lugged it off the conveyor belt.
So, while I was waiting at the wrong carousel for my bag, I saw 2 girls that were about my age and I asked them if they were with Arcadia. They said that they were and we introduced ourselves. They found their bags right away and went off to find our program director. I wish they had waited because I had no idea where they walked off to. So I get out of the baggage claim area and I see people with signs for tours and other things, but no Arcadia signs. Luckily, I had stored the phone number for the contact person in my phone and was able to call him, tell him where I was, and knew what color shirt to look for. Finally he found me and brought me over to the rest of the group.
There were about 6 girls sitting there when I got there. I met our housing coordinator, Alice, and was given a packet of info. We were told that we would have to wait there until they collected all of the students. A few more came after me and all of us students started chatting with each other. Alice called our home stay parents who were going to drive to the airport and pick us up. We were told that we would have orientation at 6 PM the next day and would be on our own until then. The first couple came to pick up 2 students and it was almost like watching an adoption take place. My host family was the second to arrive. Alice walked me outside to meet her in her car. She came out of the car, gave me a hug, and kissed me on both cheeks. We put all of my bags in the trunk and backseat and then drove off.
First Flight
I left my house around 3 PM on Friday, May 28th and got to the Philadelphia International Airport around 4:15 PM (due to Memorial Day shore traffic). I went through security, kissed my parents goodbye, and was now completely on my own. My flight left promptly at 6:35 PM. The plane was really big: the left side had 2 seats, the middle section had 4 seats, and the right side had 2 seats. I had a window seat on the right.
After getting settled into my seat, I started talking to my seatmate. His name was Mario and he’s from Madrid. We talked in English and he answered a lot of my questions about life in Spain / Mallorca, such as the protocol for tipping waitresses and how late dinner begins. He then showed me how to work the individual TV’s that were placed on the back of the seat in front of us. We were able to watch movies, TV shows, and listen to music. I watched “What Happens in Vegas,” 2 episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” and listed to some music stations/CDs. It was pretty sweet! The only downside was that when you used iPod headphones, you could only hear out of 1 ear. But we made do. I slept for about 2-3 hours too, which was good. Our dinner was either pasta or chicken and I chose pasta.
Before we knew it, they turned on the cabin lights and said that we were about 1.5 hours away from Madrid and it was time for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a single pastry with some jelly filling. Mario, my seatmate, was pretty awesome and checked the status and gate of my connecting gate on his iPhone once we landed. My flight was supposed to land at 8:15 AM (Spain time) and my connection to Mallorca was going to leave at 9:15 AM so I was really afraid that I might not make it. Luckily for me, our flight got in early around 7:55 AM. Mario helped me navigate through customs and pointed me in the direction of where I needed to go. I thanked him and he left to go back to baggage claim.
Second Flight
I went through security in the Madrid airport, hopped on a shuttle bus, and then was at the terminal where my gate was going to be. It was a pretty surreal experience once I realized that everyone around me spoke Spanish and I was going to have to talk to the Information Desk in Spanish. I told him that he needed to print me a boarding pass and at first he got confused and was like “We’re sorry, there are no more seats. Would you like to buy one?” which definitely confused me too since he just contradicted himself. I patiently elaborated that I had already booked my seat and just needed my boarding pass. He finally understood and gave me the pass.
I was actually at the gate before our plane was. The plane was supposed to take off at 9:15 AM but we hadn’t even begun boarding at that time. They front desk where they check your boarding pass and passport was moving really slow and didn’t have everything set up. I finally boarded the plane and realized that it was really empty. The plane finally took off around 9:52 AM. I was pretty exhausted so I slept for almost the entire duration of the flight. The flight was only an hour long (very similar to flying from Pittsburgh to Philly), and we landed around 10:57 AM, although it was supposed to land at 10:30. It took a little while for them to connect the plane to the ramp but they finally did and we got off. (I was very lucky that I didn’t have a connecting flight after that or I would have been very late!)
My 2 Biggest Fears
I decided to follow the crowd of fast-walking Spaniards so that I could find the baggage claim. Now I had 2 big fears. Fear #1: My luggage wasn’t going to be there / got lost / went to Madrid / is missing. Fear #2: I wouldn’t be able to spot the Arcadia University people and find my group. Unfortunately for me, both fears ended up coming true, though they got worked out in the end.
I get to the baggage claim carousel and everyone around me finds their luggage right away and then walks away. Suddenly there’s only 3 pieces left and no more is being placed on. A married couple was standing nearby and they hadn’t gotten their suitcases yet either. I started slowly panicking and we walked over to the airline desk to ask them about it and show them our luggage receipt thing. The lady checked the info from the couple and told them that 1 of their bags was here and other was put on another flight and would be there soon. Then I gave her my tag and she said that my 1 suitcase was here. *Huge sigh of relief* Apparently because we had 1 connecting flight, it was placed on a different carousel…but no one told us that! Anyway, the woman and I walked over and found our suitcases. I nearly hugged mine as I lugged it off the conveyor belt.
So, while I was waiting at the wrong carousel for my bag, I saw 2 girls that were about my age and I asked them if they were with Arcadia. They said that they were and we introduced ourselves. They found their bags right away and went off to find our program director. I wish they had waited because I had no idea where they walked off to. So I get out of the baggage claim area and I see people with signs for tours and other things, but no Arcadia signs. Luckily, I had stored the phone number for the contact person in my phone and was able to call him, tell him where I was, and knew what color shirt to look for. Finally he found me and brought me over to the rest of the group.
There were about 6 girls sitting there when I got there. I met our housing coordinator, Alice, and was given a packet of info. We were told that we would have to wait there until they collected all of the students. A few more came after me and all of us students started chatting with each other. Alice called our home stay parents who were going to drive to the airport and pick us up. We were told that we would have orientation at 6 PM the next day and would be on our own until then. The first couple came to pick up 2 students and it was almost like watching an adoption take place. My host family was the second to arrive. Alice walked me outside to meet her in her car. She came out of the car, gave me a hug, and kissed me on both cheeks. We put all of my bags in the trunk and backseat and then drove off.
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