Ah, how good it feels to have a home again. And a place for all of my things. And to sleep in my own room. And most of all, to SLEEP. When you're sharing a room with 9 other people, as was my situation in the hostel, it's not the easiest to sleep. People are coming and going and snoring and talking in unknown languages (they could be talking about how smelly my feet are and how weird I am for all I know!). For how light of a sleeper I am, especially, the whole hostel thing is something I'm just not used to.
So! I am soo incredibly happy to have a piso (flat/apartment/whatever you want to call it) and with such a sweet, cool, fun roommate. My new roommate's name is Jana (pronounced a lot like the American name Hanna/Hannah). She's an art student and the sweetest girl I could have imagined being able to live with. She totally understands my situation and how hard it is to move to a different place and has been very helpful. She's fed me (since I still haven't been able to get to a store), showed me around the neighborhood including where the beach is (it's just a few blocks away) and where I can go running, how to walk to the center where all the night life and bars and touristy things are (museums, shops, etc.), told me where to go to buy bread and fruit (there's a fruteria right down stairs!) and where the bigger supermarkets are, and seems like she will just in general be very helpful in dealing with all things foreign. For example, my adapter/converter for my camera's battery charger isn't working, so she and her boyfriend offered to help my find an adapter that will work. There is still one other bedroom open so I am happy that I can help choose a good compañera de piso (roommie). My final flatmate is Jana´s adorable dog, Blues. I am already in love with the handsome guy (pictures coming soon of course). He's obsessed with licking me and I am still getting used to the idea of talking to a dog in Spanish. How exactly should I tell the dog to stop licking me in Spanish? Kind of weird.
As for the apartment, it's adorable. (I promise to post pictures as soon as my camera is up and running again). It has a lot of character and is very cozy. Since it's on the 9th floor, it has incredible views of the city and of the mountains surrounding. I can even see a tiny sliver of the blue, blue Mediterranean sea if I peak outside the window of the utility/wash room. My room is tiny, but it's cute. And all of my things fit, minus the huge suitcases themselves (we'll find a space in a closet for them).
Before moving into my flat, I enjoyed some quality time wandering around the historic center nearby my hostel for another day. I met some really cool people from around Europe (interestingly, I didn't come across any other Americans). There were lots of Germans and also a really cool girl from Holland who I wandered around with and got lost with. I have never had so much fun getting lost. Every way I went, there was something interesting, whether it be some interesting art installation, funny graffiti, or a beautiful church or building.
I am quite happy to find that, unlike Peru, people here don't pester tourists or foreigners. And I'm happy to find that I don't stick out like a sore thumb like I did in Peru. Everyone here is very helpful and nice, very happy to give directions (although they may not be very accurate: "It's that way. No, wait, I think it's over there. No, you'd be better off asking that man over there, you see him? He knows where it is."). It was wonderful to have nothing to do but wander around and find a place to have lunch.
I made it my goal to find places to eat where I was the only non-Spaniard so as not to be spoken to in English. Plus, you know that if the locals go there, it must be good. I've had so much good food here already. My favorites so far have been paella (which I've already had twice) and salpicon de pulpo which is a delicious cold salad made with octopus (who knew a girl from small-town Wisconsin would love octopus so much?), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and lots of onions, served with fresh crusty bread. The olives they serve here are much different from what I've seen back home. They taste exactly like olive oil and look like they came straight off a tree, instead of being genetically modified into all being exactly the same size, shape, and color.
I love that the pace of life here is just so much more relaxed. It's not like in the U.S. where everyone's in a hurry and expects everything to be perfect and is working all the time. In the U.S. we want we want our food now and hot and with this or that on the side, but with the fat free dressing and our coffee to go. People here don't work as much. They take breaks and vacations, they're not as concerned with efficiency as we are back home, which I am finding is really OKAY. As far as food, people here can spend hours eating lunch. It's about enjoying life, looking at the view, seeing the beauty in every moment, enjoying the company of others, and savoring the flavors. This will definitely take some getting used to.
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