First week.....

Alas, it's nearing the end of my first week here in Spain. Everything is improving by the day, and I'm thankful for my family stay for that. I've talked to some of the students who are living in dorms or apartments and everyone says they haven't really spoken Spanish at all nor have they eaten anything besides chicken and french fries because that's all that the dorms like to serve for some reason. So, as rough as it is to just jump in with a random and unknown family and start living with them as if I have always done, I am very appreciative that I can easily practice my Spanish or eat REAL Spanish meals.

That said, things with the family are going much better. I didn't cry myself to sleep last night so I figured I'm doing better (just kidding, Mom), every night I eat dinner with Marta and Esti (the aunt) so I get to practice with them while we eat. It's great because Marta loves to explain things to me so I practice listening to the Castellan, but Esti loves asking me hard questions about things I do at home, here, things I like, etc., so I get to practice my conversation with her! She laughs at me a lot because I'm so slow but I understand what she's saying much more now so I think she's slowly getting prouder of me haha!

I do walk myself to school now, Marta showed me the way on Tuesday and then I got a map of the city so I found my way back that day alone, and now I just go by myself so she can get the kids to school or whatever. She doesn't mind at all, in fact I think she's glad I'm not attaching myself to her side and being needy or something, and I love being able to walk around to/from the university (called "la uni") and usually I'll take my time getting home and explore a little just so I can start getting a feel for the place. It's a big city in the sense that there are lots of different districts in it (most with confusing Euskara names), but for the most part I can walk everywhere I need to go or use the metro without having to go farther than around the corner! I'll get a camera soon and take some pics, since I realized today I should probably try and share with everyone what I get to see everyday!

Yesterday we had an excursion to the Bay of Biscay and it was great because I met even more people and got to see Portugalete and Getxo (like Getcho), the small cities by the beaches. We also got to see the transporter bridge (called Puente Colgante de Portugalete) that was built by a student of Mr. Eiffel, the tower guy. You can sort of see the way the car hangs below the bridge and is swung across like a zipline, and the clouds in this picture are pretty much what the weather looks like here, a bit gloomy.



Last night we all went to a bar near Getxo, where we were during the day, and although it was a tiny bar full of hardcore 80s hair-band-wannabees (no joke, there were several guys there with full Ozzy-esque hairstyles and leather jackets, one was even wearing eyeliner. Wow.), it was still pretty fun because everyone was meeting whoever they couldn't talk to that day and most people were exchanging phone numbers. It's really nice that the whole group is so friendly and eager to make the most out of this semester, now I'm really looking forward to the classes and outings every other week.

I did find a few pictures of Bilbao so you guys can all see what the city looks like, it's pretty surreal because we are literally surround by huge mountains and Bilbao is adorable, one of those quintessential European towns. Love it!

Check out the tallest building in Bilbao, near the center of the picture, and then go north about 4 blocks. That's mi casa! (Or at least the area of our apartment building)


Casco Viejo, the old part of Bilbao from the 14th century! Cool!


Adios muchachos, more fun information still to come!

P.S. My address here is:

Caitlin McGrath, c/o Marta Areizaga
C/ Manuel Allende, 3, 3 ext. izda.
48010 Bilbao

It's a little confusing to understand, but I pretty much live at 3 Manuel Allende St., on the 3rd floor, in Bilbao, 48010. Maybe I'll hear from some of you!