I feel like I have deceived you somewhat. This trip really is the most incredible experience of my life, and overall I'm having an amazing time, but not everything has been perfect. I guess that's impossible, honestly. There have been times where it's been really difficult for me to keep it together. So I'll fill you in on the times where Spain hasn't been everything I hoped it would.
1.) Getting internet. I think this has been the most frustrating thing I've had to deal with. I've mentioned it before, but now you get the whole story!
When Jeff and I moved into the apartment, we weren't there long before we realized that we didn't know how to access the internet. So I called the landlord, thinking there would be a wireless network or something... Nope. He told us to go to the phone company and get it there. So we went. And they told us that the only way we could do a contract (and it had to be a five month contract, mind you) was to use a Spanish bank account. So, we went a few other places and got the same result. So we called our landlord up again. We had decided that the internet could just be charged to his account, and we could add the charges onto our rent to square it away. Everybody's happy. Except no. When we went to the phone company to set it up, he apparently didn't understand the phrase "sin permanencia" (aka "without permanency"). So he refused, thinking he would have to pay for 12 months, when we are only living here for five. So we set up our bank account, thinking it would solve all our problems. It didn't -- we were told that we had to have a few documents from the police station in Madrid. So we thought about it, and went BACK to the original company we started with. They were very helpful and we had our internet within 2 days of contracting. But man, it was a hassle.
When Jeff and I moved into the apartment, we weren't there long before we realized that we didn't know how to access the internet. So I called the landlord, thinking there would be a wireless network or something... Nope. He told us to go to the phone company and get it there. So we went. And they told us that the only way we could do a contract (and it had to be a five month contract, mind you) was to use a Spanish bank account. So, we went a few other places and got the same result. So we called our landlord up again. We had decided that the internet could just be charged to his account, and we could add the charges onto our rent to square it away. Everybody's happy. Except no. When we went to the phone company to set it up, he apparently didn't understand the phrase "sin permanencia" (aka "without permanency"). So he refused, thinking he would have to pay for 12 months, when we are only living here for five. So we set up our bank account, thinking it would solve all our problems. It didn't -- we were told that we had to have a few documents from the police station in Madrid. So we thought about it, and went BACK to the original company we started with. They were very helpful and we had our internet within 2 days of contracting. But man, it was a hassle.
2.) Being homesick. I'm really close to my family, and seven hours of time difference makes it really hard to stay in touch. Especially when your apartment doesn't have internet (which lasted for a little over 2 weeks). The first night after we moved in, I really started to wonder if I could do this. What did I get myself into? And every once in a while, I still get that feeling; it's a lot easier now that I've been here and started to accept this as my home.
3.) A crappy apartment. With a 20-litre (yeah. Just ten 2-liter Coke bottles-worth) hot water tank, I consider any shower that I don't run out of hot water a success. Five minute showers aren't great. Also, our oven doesn't work, one of our burners doesn't work, and there's only one fuse for the entire apartment (that regularly overloads, plunging the whole apartment into pitch blackness). But it serves its purpose, and that's how I think of it. I'm still not at the point where I can consider it "home."
4.) Spanish class. I'm taking "Contemporary History of Spain" in Spanish, not English. Right now it's my only class that's not in English (ultimately, I'll have 3 in Spanish by the time I'm done), and it is kicking my butt. I've been to class 3 times, and each time I leave wondering, "WHAT did I get myself into?!" And the readings are all in Spanish, so that makes it MORE difficult. I'm going to have to put a lot of work into this class, but I know that in the end it will be worth it because I'll learn a lot of Spanish in the process. Right now it's just a little over my head.
5.) China? Yeah, I know, China isn't part of Spain. But it's something that I'm having to struggle with, just the same. A few days ago I was nominated to attend a 10-day conference on international relations and diplomacy in Beijing. It's an incredible opportunity, but it starts just as my study abroad comes to a close. So I'm a little torn-- go home and reunite with family, or go to China and see that too? I know it would be amazing, but I don't know if I could do it. (I guess I said the same thing about spending five months in Spain. And this is only ten days.) But it's a difficult (and ultimately expensive) decision, so I will have to think about it a lot more in the days to come.
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