El Escorial

As one of the last free days I have left before I start my job, I went to El Escorial.  It is a castle and monastery located close to Madrid.  We were originally trying to go to Sevilla, but we missed the train because the machines only took credit cards and the line to pay cash was pretty long.  Then when we finally got to the window, the next train was twice as expensive.  So we decided to go ahead and make a trip to el Escorial.  It is a World Heritage Site that was built by Phillip II.  It has several works of art, along with beautiful tapestries, and a library with many manuscripts and mathematical objects.  The castle itself offered spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and a faraway view of Madrid.  Within the castle are several crypts, so we got to see the burial places of some of the most famous royals in Spain.  Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take many pictures within the actual castle but I was finally able to use my new "fancy" camera.  Here are some of the photos.

Settling into Madrileña life

So for the first time ever I had to search for an apartment.  I feel this can be a daunting task no matter the circumstances, but since I was sans parents and in a foreign city I was pretty nervous and clueless.  However, I got extremely lucky because the first place I saw ended up being the place I chose.  I tried to see a few more, but one of the people didn't show up to our appointment and the other was definitely not the place for me.  The apartment I chose is owned by a mother who lives there with her son so it's almost like I have a host family again! The building is a block from a metro station which is convenient considering my school is in a suburb that is about an hour away from my place.  It's supposedly not too far from some of the best museums Madrid has to offer and one of the best parks in the city.  It felt so nice to finally be able to take my things out of my suitcase, but it almost made me realize how few things I really have.  Packing your life into one suitcase and a backpack doesn't leave you much space for anything.  But minimalism is the name of the game and I think I did quite a good job getting everything I need, but I guess we'll see how well I did as the time passes!
So far I've been walking around the city a lot, just taking in the sites.  I did visit el Prado, which is free for students! I also made the trip out to Aranjuez, the city I'll be teaching in, and it was quite beautiful.  Other than that, no crazy stories to tell yet.  We thought about trying to make it to Oktoberfest in Germany, but it is right as we start school and since it is so close the flights are kind of expensive.  Looks like I'll just have to come back to Europe in the future!
Here are some photos from my time so far!

The palace in the city where I teach

El Retiro, a royal garden that turned into a public park

Templo Debod, an Egyptian temple near the house I lived in for a week

Packing, Packing, Packing

I leave for Madrid tomorrow! It is crazy to believe after all the planning and preparing I have done that the date is finally here.  So far I have gotten almost everything divided into Yes, Maybe, and No piles (and by everything, I mean most of my clothes; my other things still need to be divided).  I do not think I could have procrastinated any more. I have about 24 hours before I head to the airport and there is nothing in either my suitcase, nor my carry-on bag.  But that is me and that is how I do things.  I hope to arrive safely with all of my things and do not forget too many things back at home.  I am also excited that I will have an hour layover in the country of my ancestors, Sweden.  So as I close my very first post on this new blog, I am preparing to say "goodbye America, hola España!"