After arriving several days ago, I can almost say that I am adjusted to living in this city. Luckily all of my travel here was smooth and no flights were missed. Upon arrival I was surprised by the dry & sunny climate and the variety of architecture here. My taxi ride was a fun little introduction into the different parts of the city, ending at my apartment in the heart of the city. The time change was not too bad, with only a few random times waking up in the middle of the night and being hungry at the strangest times. My first few days were spent wandering around my neighborhood and getting a little lost (that good kind of travel being amazed by everything kind of lost)!
After that, it was time to start my internship at Aculco! So far my internship has been good, with very kind coworkers and an organization that does really interesting work. It seems like the majority of the work done there is social work, helping immigrants in Spain access resources and get back to their home countries if they are struggling. So far my work has been mainly getting acquainted with Aculco and their online resources, because my internship will supposedly be in communications, in some capacity. Everyone there is very kind and have been graciously showing me how a Spanish workplace flows. I am excited to potentially help with their interesting initiatives and projects soon!
Outside of work, I have been able to explore my neighborhood and all of the important sites (which are all within a 20 minute walk). I really like how everyone walks and uses the metro here, I definitely feel more active by the end of the day. Since arriving I have visited so many beautiful places including: Plaza Mayor, Puerto del Sol, Templo de Debod, Parque Retiro and Palacio Real. But, the food based destination have been my favorite, there are so many interesting and delicious foods to try here! El Mercado de San Miguel, was something that I actually stumbled on after getting lost but it is my favorite place so far! It is an indoor market with all of the most delicious foods to taste like: Paella, Tapas, Giant Mozzarella balls dressed in delicious toppings and some of the best sangria I have ever had!
After this, my other highlight this week was finally tasting those famous churros con chocolate at San Gines. WOW. This special treat is beyond hyped up in the tourist realm here in Spain, but I will say the hype is worth it! Dipping those perfectly sweet and crunchy churros into a thick warm chocolate is probably the best sweet food I will eat in my life. Beyond the euphoria in your taste buds, this chocolateria has the bustling ambiance of a historical landmark, with photos of all the famous people who have been there decorating the walls. I am one week in, but I am fully committed to those precious churros and definitely will be back very soon!
Curly Q Travels 