As you've probably heard from facebook, I've arrived in Madrid.
Contrary to popular belief (or maybe just my own), I managed to find my way around the Dallas airport, the biggest in the US, find my suitcases in Madrid, and successfully take a taxi to my hotel.  The fact that there was another girl from my program on my flight helped calm my "I have no sense of direction" nerves.  At the hotel, I was greeted by a sea of luggage and English.  After checking in with the hotel and meeting the program coordinator, I went to my room, relaxed for about 10 minutes, and then went with the rest of the group on a little walking tour and lunch.  We were going to walk around the city more but it was freezing and raining, so we decided against it.  Next up, our orientation.  Remember the sea of English I mentioned before?  Dried up.  The program coordinators explained some basic safety tips, emergency procedures, our schedule for orientation at school, local customs and etiquette, etc. all in Spanish.  By this time, I was having physical difficulty keeping my eyes open but I think I managed to grasp the important information.  After the orientation, I took a much needed nap.  I know, you're supposed to stay up until nighttime but that just wasn't feasible.  Surprisingly, I managed to wake up and join a group for dinner.  We walked through Plaza Mayor and found this mercado that had lots of different stands with tapas, pastries, and wine.  I tried paella de verduras (vegetables)...easing my way into just not asking what the meat is...  Then, after a little more walking, the exhausted group of American students went to bed.
Today has been great but overwhelming.  I met my host mom aka senora today.  She's really nice and speaks no English.  Trying to keep up with the Spanish is a bit challenging; feeling nostalgic for my Spanish teachers at Cal who always spoke so clearly.  I have no doubt that it'll get easier though.  The apartment is surrounded by markets, shops, and busy streets-a big city like I've always dreamed of.  The metro stop is 2 blocks away.  Everyone seems friendly.  It's just really amazing how quickly they all speak.  I find it hard to believe that we speak English at that speed, but I suppose it must be true to the foreign ear.  Now I'm just relaxing after eating lunch (at 3 PM...oh hey new food schedule).
Tomorrow, I have a tour/orientation at my school, Carlos III.  It's going to take about an hour to get there on public transportation.  The adventures continue on.