And so it really begins...

So don't get me wrong, I love everything about Madrid and this is the best time of my life blah blah blah.  But the honeymoon phase is over, my bank account is hurting after only one week, and I miss home.  Well, more specifically the people that I love at American University (not naomi she's not pretty).  On the plus side, I'm finally settling into a schedule here, and friendships are less welcome week-y and more real.  Here's a brief synopsis of every day so far!

Day 4: Classes?
Orientation started, and I had to sit through excruciating spanish classes while extremely hung over after my birthday. I did get a super cool phone that looks like it's from the 90's!

Day 5: Small Attempt at Culture
We went to the Prado Museum, the most famous art museum in all of Spain.  I actually got to see the paintings that we studied in senior year Humanities, which was kinda cool.  My favorite was called Saturn by El Greco, which featured a naked god eating his child.  ART!

Day 6: FLAMENCO ARRIBA!!
More boring spanish classes, but in the afternoon we went to a flamenco class!! It was hilarious to see the guys attempt to do it, and everyone really gave it their all.  Especially Nate Bronstein, who was really upset when the girls got to do an ass shaking part.  Biddie.

Day 7: Bumper Boats/ NEVER AGAIN
More spanish, the we went to El Parque de Retiro, which is a giant and BEAUTIFUL park in the middle of the city with a lake in the center.  We drank boxed wine (not teacher approved, but it's Madrid, come on) and then went out in boats!  Of course, the more belligerent people in the group took this as an opportunity to race and crash into as many people as possible.  The locals seemed mildly annoyed, but fuck if we care!

That night was quite the experience.  Things get hazy pretty fast, since I didn't really go out all week so took friday night as an opportunity to get white girl wasted.  We went to a bar called the Barbarian and since we got there at 11, of course it was empty.  We took that as an opportunity to buy about 8 rounds of tequila shots, and me and Gaby shared a red bull and vodka drink where the glass was almost as long as my arm.  Needless to say I was BLACKOUT.

Somehow I left with a group of kids from the UK to go to a fancy club Capital, but they wouldn't let us in because one person in the group had a faux hawk and the bouncer said he looked stupid.  Seriously.  I don't even remember getting home, although I do vaguely recall a taxi and a bald guy.  People the next day said how lucky I was to be alive after venturing off with so many randos.  Whoops!

The worst part, however, was waking up in the morning, and looking at my room. VOMIT EVERYWHERE. I thought my senora was going to kill me.  So gross. Like, I'm thinking of vomming just by the thought of it.  So I quickly cleaned it up and showered, then went to my senora with the sheets and said "Ummmm, can you wash these? I had a bad night." And she just gives me the most judgmental glare and said "I saw.  You know, if you continue like this, you're going to be an alcoholic by December and probably die." THANKS SENORA.

Day 8: Day Trips Hung Over are the WORST
And of course, the next day we take a day trip to Toledo, one of the oldest cities in Spain.  I must say, it is absolutely GORGEOUS!

I was doing ok in the beginning, but once we were inside the city touring a mosque, I couldn't even stand the mosque was spinning so much.  fml.  Luckily, we toured a giant cathedral next, and I took a power nap and woke up feeling great!

So the rest of the day was spent sightseeing, eating paella, and making Rob take pictures of me and Gaby.  Thanks DILF!  And after a wayyy too eventful friday night, I responsibly stayed in and slept all night.

Day 9: Handball is more fun when Drunk

Sunday was pretty fantastic too! We went to the best paella place in Madrid for lunch, and I had a delicious chicken, prawn, and shrimp one.  Nomz.  Then we went to see the latest Pedro Almodovar film, which was 1) all in Spanish and 2) the most FUCKED UP film I've ever seen.  It's called "The Skin I Live In" and SPOILER ALERT essentially the plot is that a guy rapes Antonio Banderas' daugher, so Antonio kidnaps him, and performs gender changing surgery on him to make him into a super hot woman, and proceeds to have sex with him/her.  whatthefuck.  

The first game we went to.  this one was much more empty.

We also went to another handball game, which we got free tickets for.  The stadium was much more empty this time, and we were much more drunk this time.  That made us pretty unpopular with the fans surrounding us, since we had chants like "ONCE IS GAY" and "QUE PASA HOLMES??" All in all a great day.

Day 10: Fuck, Actual Classes?

And so began our regular lives.  I had a spanish class, which I since then have switched out of in favor of a high level yet much better class.  I can only learn ser vs. estar so many times.

Day 11: Roomies!

More classes, and I got to meet my roommates! They're two girls from Endicott College, and pretty good so far.  I took them out to an all you can drink for 10 euros bar with the rest of my program, and it was pretty nice.

Update!

So it turns out on my birthday that I hooked up with 7 guys, according to scoreboard Nate Bronstein.  I hear among them were a black guy and a few gay guys.  SUCCESSFUL NIGHT!