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Well friends, tomorrow is the big day.
Less than 24 hours from now I will be on my way, starting my Spain adventure! I have been home for almost two weeks now. Those weeks have been spent catching up with old friends, spending time with family, purchasing my first car (A 2005 Silver Nissan Sentra Special Edition...for those of you who are curious. Woo hoo!!) and of course...shopping my little heart out for Spain. My bags have been pretty much packed for a few days now, so I have been getting more and more ready to go with every day that passes. For those of you who know my packing style...you know I do NOT travel lightly. I am a "what if" packer to the max. So, I am proud to announce I have successfully fit everything into two suitcases (plus a carry-on). A small miracle.
Airlines just changed their baggage policy to only ONE checked piece of luggage per person when travelling within the continental U.S. This news nearly gave me a heart attack. I have to get from Indy to D.C. (obviously an inter-U.S. flight) so I was not sure how I was going to swing that. I called
Leaving
I've already got one foot out the door. Obviously a staged pic...since I don't leave until tomorrow. :) United Airways and they informed me that it would only cost $25 for a second bag--a SMALL price to pay in order to have a second bag (in my opinion). 😊 I figured it would cost me more than $25 to buy all the things I would leave behind if I did not take that second suitcase.
This past week, I visited AAA to get myself some Euros before I left the country. The people at USAC (the study abroad program I am travelling with) said it would be wise to get some of the currency of the country you are visiting before you arrive there. And let me tell you all, the American dollar is hurting right now. It's ugly. I spent $320 American dollars in order to get 200 Euros. Despite the stinky exchange rate, I keep telling myself this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so I intend to spend wisely but am not going to fear spending my money. So depending on how many comments you leave me and how nice to me you are while I am in Spain...I might bring you a Spanish regalo (present--for all you non-Spanish speakers) or send you a postcard. (Which reminds
USAC T-Shirt
Check out the jet-setter on the back of my Tee. That's me! me...please leave in comments your home mailing address!)
Today I went shopping for a gift to get my host family. Yes...I do get to live with a host family. For those of you who were unaware, this was not originally the case. At Xavier I had a sticky situation with my housing paperwork that kind of "jipped" me out of the chance to live with a host family. I had been told by USAC that they "ran out" of host families and that I would have to live in an apartment (my second choice for living situation in Spain). However, a few days after I got home to Indy I got an e-mail from USAC telling me they had found a host family for me to live with. I am truly excited about this. I think living with a family will give me a real "authentic" look at Spanish life. So...I am so excited to be living with a family, I felt I should buy a gift. I thought long and hard about what would be an appropriate and very "American" gift. I came up with no really good ideas. Nothing was inspiring me. However, when I went to T.J. Maxx's Home Goods store, they had plenty of "American" goodies. Since I don't know anything about my family (who is in it, how old they are, etc.), I settled on food as the best bet--because anyone regardless of gender, age, etc. can eat. 😊 So I ended up getting them Jelly Bellies (because those seem pretty American AND the CEO of the company is a Xavier alum!), a Rice Krispy treat topped with frosting to make it look like a baseball (an American pasttime for sure!), and some gummy sharks. Those were on sale and I figured since San Sebastian is a beach-side city that they would be fun.
Here is my flight schedule for tomorrow:
Depart Indy at 2:30 pm.
Arrive in Washington D.C.'s Dulles Airport at 4:30 pm.
Depart D.C. at 10 pm.
Arrive in London's Heathrow Airport at 10 am the next morning.
Depart London at 12 noon.
Arrive in Madrid's Barajas Airport at 3 pm.
I then have until 8 pm on Wednesday to get checked in to my hotel and maybe explore a little bit. At 8 pm we will meet in our hotel's dining room for a group dinner. From Wednesday night to Sunday afternoon I will be on my Madrid Field Study. I guess this means I will get to tour the city by day and enjoy the party scene by night. No worries...I will be careful. 😊 Someone recently told me that Madrid is like the NYC of Spain. Very hustly bustly, fast-paced, and maybe not always as friendly as other parts of Spain. Those big city people stop for no one.
Spain is 6 hours ahead of Indiana. I have never experienced jet-lag before, so this should be interesting. My neighbor told me that going over to Europe isn't usually bad, but coming back West is always harder. She said however many time zones you cross is how many days it may take to readjust. We'll see!
I am not all that nervous yet. I don't think it will officially hit me until I board my plane tomorrow. Right now my biggest worry is making friends. Alex yelled at me for this and said, "Meghan...you have never had problems making friends." I know she's right, but I am still kind of nervous none-the-less. I just have to remember everyone else is in the same boat. It will be a great adventure.
Well, that's all for now! Hope you all are having a wonderful summer. Keep in touch. Leave me comments...por favor!
Con Amor,
Meg
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Emily M
non-member comment
Meg!! I'm so excited for your adventure out of the states. i Got like goosbumps of excitedness while reading your blog. I cannot wait to keep up with your stories. Be safe lover face and I look forward to hearing from you soon! ps. congrats on the car:) pps. chose the address you choose 2860 Kimberly Dr. Maineville OH 45039 OR 1983 Cleneay Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45212