Hola! I have now been in Madrid for a week. Every moment of it has been amazing. Every day feels like a month but at the same time it feels like I got here yesterday. This week has been filled with so many new experiences, new people, but also sad moments due to events at home.

This week has been a little gloomy because of the devastating hurricane, Harvey, ruining my family's house, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the anniversary of my great grandmother's death. I also missed my older sister's, Jessica, birthday. While these events were very hard to be across the world for, I focused on the positive that was around me including the amazing new city and people.

As I stepped off my 7-hour flight into Madrid at 6:30 am with my friend Shayna, I met my first set of new people. Irene, Tovah's exchange student, and her parents were there waiting to greet Shayna and me. They were so lovely; immediately they felt like family. The three of them drove Shayna and I to our apartment, showed us around the area, took us to breakfast and gave us advice for different aspects of what was to come. The following night they had Shayna and I over to meet their extended family and have a Spanish meal with them. I am so lucky to have a family here who already cares so much for me.

Once I got situated into my apartment, I realized how great I have it here. My landlord turned out to be a very caring and hilarious woman named Marli. She treats the people that live in her apartments like children. Every night she prepares dinner for everyone in my apartment. She also has a team of people who help us and care for our every need. Carla, the housekeeper for my apartment, has also been overly kind and has become like another host mother. She has asked us about our lives and checks in on us every day. She does not speak any English, so speaking to her allows me to expand my Spanish knowledge.

Another large part of my week has been my new friend, Perry. Even though she goes to Tulane, I did not really get to know her until coming to Spain. On Saturday, Perry, Shayna and I went to Toledo, Spain. After the short 30 min train ride, we walked around the small city, saw various churches, art museums and a huge stone hostel. This trip helped establish my friendship with Perry. Shayna, Perry, and I have now begun planning trips to over 5 different countries for the next few weeks (updates to comeJ).

Staying busy and meeting all of these amazing new people has helped keep my mind off of the horrible hurricane and other events that have occurred this week. I am so excited to continue exploring new places and meeting new people!