Day #1 – My Welcome

On June 22nd of last year, I went skydiving. I am terribly scared of heights. When I went skydiving I knew I was scared. I knew it when we were driving to Connecticut, I knew it when we were putting on the jumpsuits, I knew it when we boarded the plane, and even when the first person jumped out and disappeared. At least I thought I knew I was scared. Turns out, I wasn’t scared until I was sitting at the very edge of the plane, facing the abyss and I have had been pushed off the plane into nothing. That’s when I was scared. I turned white, I was shaky, my stomach dropped and all I could think about is ‘who told you this was a good idea’. That was fear. Anything else beforehand I don’t have a name for. Coming to Spain I kept hearing myself think “I’m scared”…

Today, I arrived in Spain at 8 am. I had a 7-hour overnight flight that I didn’t sleep in. On the taxi driver to my homestay, my first impression was that there was no soul in sight. Today was a cold and rainy Saturday, the cab driver explained, and not many people live in Madrid, they only work there and therefore were home. He also said it was too early to be up and about for Madridians anyway.

I was welcomed by Sara and Raquel, the lovely couple that will be taking care of me for the next 3 months. They told me I could sleep, but I simply couldn’t. They fixed me up with breakfast, which I sadly did not picture, and we have talked all day enjoying a walk to the supermarket through our beautiful neighborhood. They told me usually the sun is usually out and the days are beautiful unlike the welcome I received for the weather. We talked all day as we went back and forth from the smallest topics to the most global and philosophical. That’s when I knew I was in the right family. By the way, they are also amazing cooks. It was an overwhelming day, as expected, but the little pauses here and there where I took the following pictures allowed me to take it all in.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Up until now, I haven’t had a ‘jumping out of the plane’ moment. After all, I must not be truly scared, but just going through the motions of the study abroad experience.