Purple and Pearls : Travel Tuesdays: Week 3

This past week in Spain has been the best yet, and I can't believe that today starts my fourth week in Spain.

This past weekend we headed to Madrid and Toledo early Friday morning. In my program there are three groups, two with special programs not through their university and others that are directly enrolled. I'm in the group that is directly enrolled, and we had a great time together.

Everything we did this past weekend, I had already done four years ago. But I am excited because when I get home I'm going to be able to compare the two different sets of pictures. It was also exciting because I understand our guides about 80 percent more than I did four years ago.

Toledo is by far better than Madrid in my opinion. The center of Madrid is very regal, but Toledo is old and beautiful. It was the original capitol of Spain, and has a beautiful blend of Muslim, Jewish and Christian architecture. There are pictures at the end of this post. I have to say Bilbao and Segovia are still my favorite Spanish cities though.

Since the beginning of this trip I see human kindness and togetherness more and more everyday. Even though I don't know many of the people on this trip well, each of us looks out for the others. There are multiple examples of some guys walking me to the metro at night, or making sure that I have enough euros to get home. My girlfriends and I require that someone knows where we will be, and we never leave anyone behind. There is sometimes the simplest act of offering water, a pony tail or 10 cents that makes me realize that human kindness is everywhere. I've been able to find a topic of conversation with everyone I've met, no matter our backgrounds.

I'm slowly growing used to the eating schedule here, and even the sleeping schedule. My classes are picking up a bit but they're still pretty easy. This week is recruitment for my sorority and I'm definitely missing my sisters. I miss being able to pick up the phone at a normal hour for me and talk to my parents. I miss talking to MB every night before I fall asleep, but every day things get better. I've met a couple of women who I've really connected with and are making this experience even richer.

If you were to take anything out of this post it should be that friendship and kindness can make any situation better, and that each day I'm in a foreign country I feel more and more at home.