Hola again from Madrid! Let me start this off by talking about the double edged sword that is known as Instagram. Today it feels as though this incredible popular social media platform has reached its limit; everyone posting pictures about all of the fabulous events and details going on in their life, from pictures of good looking food to scenic views to fashion to inspirational quotes, etc. A double standard, I guess, because I am a frequent user of the application. Throughout the year I would see all of my friends post pictures of their fantastic lives abroad: cool places, artsy food, and all the like. It seemed like the abroad life was perfect. Don't get me wrong, I love being abroad. It's given me a completely different perspective on the world while at the same time made me feel like a tiny human on a giant planet. Sometimes it's incredibly overwhelming. And while I have seen some beautiful places and eaten some really good looking food, I have to go out there and declare: NOT EVERYTHING IS INSTA-WORTHY. Being abroad-more importantly, studying abroad-has given me the same insight that I have both at home and school. While my weekends and afternoon and free time are filled with significantly more interesting activities than they would be at school, I hate to break it to you that living abroad is much different than traveling abroad and not everything is worth putting on social media.
All of that aside, today was a rather lax day in my book. My roommate and I slept in again, got dressed and headed to a normally instagram-mable activity: brunch. Yes, we have been talking this entire trip about going out for brunch. So, hungry and eager, we set out on a venture to find the next best brunch place in Madrid. And ding ding ding we have a winner. We saw a little side street down a hill that was covered in shade and had a ton of people (first good sign) and walked a little further to find this place called La Rollerie with a subheading that read Coffee - Bread - Food (second good sign). Walking in, I immediately fell in love because it felt like one of those places you go to when you need something out of the ordinary. Something cute and cozy, with a friendly atmosphere. And to top it all off (third good sign), the majority of the people in the restaurant were speaking Spanish. Which meant that not only was it a good place but it was out of the tourist trap in central Madrid. Score! We walked in and were taken to the upstairs terrace where our waiter gave us a menu. Breakfast, brunch and lunch. I was in heaven. Craving caffeine after a long day yesterday I ordered a cappuccino, which was good choice #1 of the day. It was delicious. And decorated, like my favorite coffee shop back at school. Yet, craving something with substance I ordered a Chicken Burger. We ended up arriving too late for breakfast and none of the brunches really appealed to me, so I went with a lunch option. But it was soooooo good. A chicken burger that tasted like a hamburger, complete with some white cheese and a really, really good bun (good choice #2). Then, still hungry after my lunch with a little time left before my roommate had to go home for some work, I looked at their dessert menu. With so many choices, I asked the waiter what his personal favorite was and he told me to get the Oreo cake. Good choice #3 of the day: the cake actually tasted like oreo and the icing in between the layers actually tasted like the sandwich creme. It was actually heaven. And, as a reasonably priced restaurant located in our neighborhood with wi-fi, we have decided to go back as much as we can. Maybe making it for breakfast next time. I plan to sample as many of their cakes as possible (red velvet, chocolate, cheesecake, etc.)-don't worry the slices aren't too big. And we have also agreed that it will be the perfect cafe to do homework and/or work on our final papers. La Rollerie, you are a hit!
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| PSA I actually do more here than just drink cappuccino and eat cake... |
So, back to square one. We decided to go back to the apartment because by 2pm it was already 100 degrees. Much to our surprise, there was a cleaning crew there so within a couple of hours the apartment was not only clean but we were happily unpacked and settled in. And I officially mastered the art of the Spanish washing machine. The only challenge is that it is in our tiny cramped kitchen, so you have to squat really low in order to get your stuff in and out. Now that I'm finally unpacked and have a room to myself again (we both do, with our own bathrooms too!), I feel ready to take on the next two weeks with ease. Plus, having clean clothes is a bonus too. So, while my instagram and facebook photos may show that I am having endless amounts of fun (and it is true-I totally am), what you don't see is what happens before and after. The real life stuff. The 2 hours it took me to unpack and get settled in my new room. The constant struggle of the sun going down so late and rising so early every morning. Waking up in the morning (yes, this is a real thing). Learning how to adjust the shower nozzle so water doesn't go everywhere. Sitting at my desk doing the homework that I have tomorrow. The never-ending-106 degrees-but-feels-like-110-temperatures. Sitting in bed watching Netflix because we've seen every museum and monument and just need some alone time. But, if that's the tradeoff for getting to spend the summer living in three really cool yet very different places, then I'll take it. They say you learn a lot during study abroad that doesn't have to do with the classes you take. It's the learning to adjust to a culture where you kind of but don't really know the language, living with people you may not have known if you went to the same school, learning to be independent, realizing that it's better to get lost than use google maps, not always taking pictures of every monument or piece of art that you see, and creating your own memories. It's an experience I know I would not trade for the world. After all, "the world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page." I plan to fill my book up with endless pictures and memories that will last a lifetime.
In a little bit my roommate and I are planning to do the whole Spanish thing and get drinks and tapas before calling it a night and going to sleep early for our first morning of classes tomorrow. It's a big week, and I am excited to get started!
Hasta luego!
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