May 17

My name is Brandon Lindsay and Welcome to my blog about my summer trip to Spain. I chose the Vanderbilt in Spain program because I am currently pursuing a Spanish minor which is why I decided to do this program. It was a clear opportunity for me to take classes and study as well as experience another culture. I was able to take some interesting classes which both brought me one step closer to getting my degree, and I was fortunate enough to make some good friends during the process. The experience has definitely helped be to become a more versatile person in terms of dealing with different cultures and living in a different place for an extended stay, which could lead to me not being afraid to go for opportunities in the future that are overseas in Spanish speaking countries. Here is the rest of my blog starting from day 1 complete with pictures and some commentary.

Enjoy!

Brandon

I have been here for a day now and everything has exceeded my expectations. I am staying with a woman named Luisa and her daughter Susana on the ighth floor of a comfortable apartmenet complex. It is located on La calle Pintor Rosales, which is across from "Parque del Oeste" which contains el "Teleférico" which is a tram that carries people to the amusement park a couple kilometers away. From my window there are excellent views of the park, New Madrid, and the Palacio Real.

I arrived the morning of the 16th at aproximately 8 o'clock, which was an hour ahead of time. I called Luisa, who apparently had been sleeping, like the rest of the city, because the night before was the Fiesta de San Isidro, the Patron of Madrid, and everyone had partied well into the early morning hours and was now sleeping it off. Driving to the apartment, all the streets that would usually be filled with people and cars were now vacant.

Upon entering the house, everyone was sleeping. I got a brief tour, we ate breakfast, and then Luisa, her friend Enrique, and I went to the store to get some bikes. At this time, there were many more people on the streets, and one could tell Madrid had finally recuperated from the night before.