Getting Situated.

When we finally arrived to Unamuno, my residence hall, I find out that I'm rooming with one of the girls who travelled with me on way to Bilbao. Her name's Jacklyn and I didn't know her before the trip but she is a fellow Mary Wash student- same grade and really nice. Even if rooming with Jacklyn was some sort of fluke, I'm glad it happened- so thanks, Dr. Sainz :)

This first week, I've mainly been hanging out with students from Mary Washington, but I say that because I didn't know them before (or in some cases had the wrong impression of them- cough, Michelle:) ) it's like making new friends, right? I'm excited for class to start on Monday, though, so I can make friends from different states. And who knows? Maybe I'll become friends with an estudiante española de la universidad. I feel like this would require me to invest in some boots. Or change my hairstyle to that of a mullet with dreads flowing out the back. Lovely, eh? But after these few alterations I should fit right in...

The first day was orientation, so we learned to take to BilboBus (yes, Bilbo) to school, though I hear that most students walk to class on the days that it isn't raining. Oh yeah, there is so much walking in this city- definitely different from UMW. The campus of Deusto is amazing- it's from the 1800's (no match for Salamanca, but hey), right on "La Ría" (Estuary), and directly across from the Guggenheim. 

At orientation, I didn't realize there would be so many students in the CIDE program, but there are about 90. After a lecture about things such as, "don't Skype too much" and "just because things are different here doesn't mean they are worse" (On this, I would have to disagree- mullets are always worse), we took a tour of the city. My favorite part of the tour was definitely visiting Casca Viejo- the original seven streets ("Siete Calles") and the older part of Bilbao- the streets are so neat to explore.

Lunch was definitely filling- a three course meal- and then we were sent off on our own to get back to the dorms or to do whatever. I stuck with the Mary Wash crowd- most of the people I suffered through the flight with (I definitely think we bonded over that... haha), and we went back to the dorms. The Spanish students in my dorm actually go to UPV (Universidad País Vasco- the public school), and seem friendly but I think it will take some warming up to if we're to become friends with any!

Unfortunately for us, the food at Unamuno has much to be desired, and it didn't take long for me to swallow a fish bone, or to realize that I will be losing weight...

Still no luggage!

Casca Viejo

Teatro Arriaga (A must see: Flamenco performance)