Today marks one month since I landed in Spain. As you can probably imagine, it feels like I just got here and time has flown by, and at the same time, I feel like I've been here forever. Well, regardless, a lot has happened, so Imma get to it...
We were put up in Madrid for 3 days for a very low-key and laid-back orientation. The picture at the left is the little room I got to myself. The room was fine and I had my own bathroom (AWESOME!) but all in all, yes, a bit cramped.
So, Madrid was fun while it lasted. Granted, I was jet-lagged and disoriented, but I knew after a very short time that I was generally unimpressed with the city. It just seemed too big, too busy, too dirty, and too American. I'll definitely go back again to give it a fair chance, but overall, I am very happy to not have to live there for a year. Getting to know the other students was awesome! I instantly connected with a few and have since grown surprisingly close with them. In Madrid, we went out for a couple nights to clubs and bars and had lots of fun. Here are Katy and I looking very tired and awkward on the metro heading somewhere fun. Wow! This seems sooo long ago! To the left are Jacob and Alessa, both of whom are also awesome friends of mine here in Granada.
So, hmmm... some more Madrid pictures... Well, here's a silly one at Joy nightclub, where the DJs are awesome, and a beer costs 11 euros. And a water costs 11 euros. Forget shots! (22 euros!!!). And, yes, someone did pay that much for a drink! Silly Americans!!!
So, these are all people who stayed in Madrid except for Libby (the one in blue). You probably can't tell from the picture, but Libby is a CHARACTER! I love this girl! She is hilarious!!! I miss the other kids who stayed in Madrid. They were pretty fun. Haven't heard from them though...
Ok, so I'm sure this a very important building and I should know what it is, but I'm just gonna go
ahead and be honest and tell you I have no idea what this is. I suppose its some kind of palace (I have an excuse! I was jetlagged!). Anyway, I decided this picture was proof that I was in Madrid. Katy, Jen, and I accompanied Paul on probably a 10K walk in the hot sun. When we arrived here, us girls took a rest under a tree and watched a man play the acordian while a boy did a dance on his bicycle to the music. Interesting stuff. And, well, that's all I have to share of Madrid so far. After 3 crazy days, 41 of us hopped on a bus for Granada and left behind about 60 who are staying in Madrid.
I don't know if the truth can be said in a less shallow way, but truly, one of the best things about Granada is the free tapas. Granada is the only city in Spain where virtually every bar will give you a free tapa (snack) with your drink. What's more, drinks here generally cost a euro or two, so if you have a couple drinks, you are fed for the night for less than 5 bucks (no tips nor tax!). Here are Jen, Katy, and me at one of the first bars we went to (which we now frequent). Its called Cafe Futbol. Hands down, this place is the best for churros and hot chocolate at any time of day or night. Jen and Katy were my roommates in Hotel Casablanca, where we were put up for 12 days while each of us looked for pisos (apartments). I love these girls to pieces and even though we've known eachother for only a month now, I can (and do) tell them everything! I love being here with very little responsibility and almost nothing hanging on my reputation. I feel a lot more free here to be who I really am, as do many of the people in the group. So, the fact that we've known eachother a short time doesn't isn't really a factor because we have no reason to hide. Its an awesome and liberating feeling (as well as uncomfortable at times). I'm sure I'll learn a lot about myself this year that I never would have expected.
This is my beautiful city: Granada. In Realejo (the barrio I live in) there is a terrace that I've been to a few times with friends to chill out. The entire time, we get to look at this amazing view. Want some more amazing views?








This is Granada from the Albycin (probably the most beautiful barrio in Granada. The pisos there have awesome views of the Alhambra and the mountains. This next picture is of the Alhambra. It is a huge, amazing, gorgeous palace/military zone/former city.
The outside of the Alhambra is pretty impressive, but you really have not seen anything until you've entered inside. I suppose this is where I could go on about the history and significance of the place (which is pretty significant and interesting), but I'm sure you could get more accurate information if you looked it up on your own. This was essentially a moorish castle (hence, the Arabic designs) that was later taken over by Christians. Some more pictures...
The place is covered from top to bottom in the most beautiful and detailed designs. It's pretty
incredible.









So, I've also seen the Mediterranean Sea. It was really nice to swim in. I also really liked how the beach was made out of pebbles instead of sand. You can lay on the shore without a towel if you want and when the pebbles stick to your skin it looks pretty cool in the sun. Good times were had here on the beach of Almunecar. A group of us took a bus down there and spent ALL DAY in the sun and water. I think we were all blown away by swimming in The Sea. When the weather gets nice again, I hope to spend lots of time in it.

This past weekend, my program had a camping trip to a place called Cazorla. It was AMAZING! If you know me, you know my favorite place to be is in nature. This little getaway site was in one of the most naturally beautiful places I've ever seen. We stayed in cabins (just for one night). I spent most of my time with a group that decided we were "too cool" for the guided hike. So, we invented our own hike and tried our darndest to get down to the river (and were successful after some time passed). I was a bit worried about bugs because we found an ENORMOUS spider in our cabin when we got there, but I survived without any bites, and I absolutely enjoyed being there and away from the city for a bit. On Saturday night, the staff put on a dance for everyone there. Thanks to my state of inebriation, it was a blast! I didn't stay too long though. I was pretty tired and wanted to make the most of the time I had
there on Sunday.
I almost forgot to mention that on the way to Cazorla, we stopped in a city called Baeza to get a little tour. Well, it was actually a very long tour, and I'm not too sure what I saw, but I took a lot of pictures of old things. Here is a picture of a candle I lit for my family.
I don't know what the deal is with graffiti in Spain, but I have seen some of the coolest art on walls here. Some samples:














I've been trying to do some art of my own while I'm here too. Finally, I'm starting to make time to let art be a hobby of mine. I hope to fill up my sketch book with images of Spain. So far I've completed... one. I'm kind of proud.
And, well, I guess that's about it then. I have tons more photos that you are welcome to look through at www.veronicamalki.shutterfly.com

Stay tuned! I'm about to go to Sevilla and Paris and I'm sure a whole bunch of unexpected adventures are coming my way :)