Orientation

Today has literally been one of the longest of my life. Since I didn't sleep on the plane (very much, at least), all I wanted to do yesterday when I got here was take a shower, and then a nap. So I did! Later, around 7pm, which they call afternoon here because the sun doesn't go down until 9:30pm, our Senora, Ana, took me and my roommate Vivian to meet other people who live in our barrio (our neighborhood). Everyone is really nice, and really exhausted. We only have one guy in the group, but he seems to be ok with that haha We walked around for a while, and then found a Starbucks!! I didn't get anything though, because it was all so expensive! It was 5 euros for one coffee, which is about $7! Vivian and I eventually found our way back to the apartment and then spent the rest of the day relaxing and went to bed early. Not that I slept or anything...

When I woke up today, I felt really disoriented. I hadn't been in a deep sleep or anything, so it was pretty easy to get up and get ready. Ana walked us over the the Hotel Princesa, which was where we had our orientation meetings. It was SO BORING and all of us were so tired and thirsty that I doubt we heard much of what they were telling us. They basically talked about what to expect living in homestays, and gave us all these rules we are expected to live by (which Ana told us to ignore because she thinks they're silly haha). They described classes and trips, etc. and then finally we got to have lunch, which they call la Comida. La Comida does not happen until 2:30-3pm!! I have to make it from breakfast until then! That's going to take some getting used to...all of us were starving! The food was ok...my friend Matt, a self-proclaimed non-picky eater, hated all of it. Next we walked over to the IES Center. I can tell that I'm going to be doing a lot of walking while I'm here! After feeding us a bunch and supplying us with wine, they gave us a Spanish placement exam! I was seriously falling asleep trying to take this test.

After the test, I walked to El Corte Ingles with a couple friends. It' basically a massive department store, or a walmart, but better! We bought some Spanish cell phones so that our US bills won't go up as much. They stopped at their apartment, and I somehow made it back to mine by myself. Vivian had decided to go straight home after the test. By then it was evening (or afternoon by Spanish standards) and all we had energy left for was dinner. I'm still settling in some. When I get tired, I get homesick :( but I know I'm going to have a great time! I talked to my family on Skype a little bit, so that was nice :) tomorrow we have to be at the IES center at 9, so I have to go shower and go to bed!!