Por fin! August 24, 2007

I’m here! Yay! Of course, I had a pretty typically Crystal arrival. After hours and hours of traveling, I arrived in Barcelona–tired, sad, excited, and more than ready to check out my “piso.” (Okay, I’ll admit, I was definitely feeling somewhat apprehensive about the neighborhood–would it be sketchy? Would the shower suck, thus forcing another gym membership, so I’d have somewhere good to shower? Would it be clean?) Clearly, I was a bit of a mess when I arrived. It didn’t help that my taxi driver had absolutely no idea where my street was. Luckily, we found the street, but, ah!, couldn’t drive on it, as we arrived at the wrong end. So what does my taxi driver do? He helps me to unload my (three, heavy) bags at the end of the street, in the rain, and leaves. Fine, okay, this left me standing, in the rain, trying to figure out how to get my three heavy bags up the street another 50 or so yards. I managed to do it, somehow (didn’t help that there was a homeless man just chilling at the end of the street, spectating away as I wrangled my things up the wet, deserted street). So I get to #12, my house, and, what?, there’s no buzzer, no apparent handle on the door, and did I mention it was raining? Um, what? Not my favorite way to begin the adventure, obviously. Anyway, a nice woman on the street agreed to use her cell to call Raul, and he came down and let me in (after, though, much wandering in the rain, asking people if I had the right address, etc). Whew! So we got all of my very heavy (and now very wet) bags up to the apartment, and, hurray!, it’s a great apartment! I have a large room, with, typical of my roommate, a huge mural of a blue, semi-naked woman, smoking a cigarette. (As soon as I have a camera, I’ll post a picture, I promise!) His lovely French girlfriend, Mel, is staying with us through the end of the month, with her terrific dog, Mara. All in all, after the hassle of getting in to the apartment, not a bad beginning. (Well, except the part where I later left the apartment and then couldn’t get back in, because I couldn’t figure out how to work the huge, medieval key that opens the front door. Luckily, a kindly neighbor happened to come out, and gave me a ten minute lesson on how to open the damn thing.) Anyway, in the casa, so far, so good. The apartment is at the top of the building (seriously, like up a hundred stairs, ugh), and gets tons of light. The street is parallel with the Ramblas, but really quiet. The shower is fine! All very good things.

So, bueno, that’s the apartment. I’ve also been up to my school (and, unfortunately, the commute is about 40 minutes, which is really going to suck when I have to be at school at 8am, and don’t leave until almost midnight), and the people I’ve met in administration are fantastic, and the campus is really nice. Last night, we had our first student gathering, and I had a chance to begin to meet the people from my program. (Of course, it was one of these obvious mixers where I had the same conversation fifty times, which can be exhausting, but it’s pretty cool to begin to understand where everyone is coming from.) I’m still feeling really nervous about doing the Spanish section, but have been able to communicate pretty well over the course of the last couple of days, so am feeling generally heartened. Most of the people I met last night were Americans (seriously, there are like 20 of us, including a kid from Boston, with whom I already have plans to watch the Red Sox playoffs!), but I did get a chance to meet a few people who are doing the Spanish section. For the most part, people are super nice, and pretty cool, I think. We have another dinner tonight, so I’ll be able to continue the “getting to know you” process.

Okay, whew! I made it! I’ll update with photos as soon as I get myself a camera… The mission today is to get a suit, and Mel has agreed to come with me. Hurray, shopping!

Orientation starts Monday–eek!