...may the odds be ever in your favor

Apartment searching in Madrid..

Well a 10 hour day of searching and riding the metro all over Madrid yesterday was exhausting. Listening to me attempt to ask for rent prices and permission to see apartments in spanish...probably the most comical slash pathetic thing since... miracle whip. Wow my spanish is rusty but eventually I would get the point across. 

Saw 3 places yesterday, scored a killer deal on a bedspread and got a tutoring job!

Success!

Spent my entire day running from one metro to the next wandering the city by foot and attached to my cheep Hauwei Spain phone but made it out alive. One of the hottest days here so far (91+ Fahrenheit) and easily 10 degrees more in the metro.

P.S they have no concept of personal space so I was definitely sweaty friends with many a person....:)

Luckily today I had some help! A friend in my CIEE program has a friend that lives here in Madrid, and happens to be the nicest human being on earth. He is an angel and researched, then literally called over 30 different apartments for me.(The first list he made was only based on what I was looking for-me a stranger to him) What a guy! He then preceded to drive me to the appointments today on his motorcycle!! Talk about epitome of traveling in Europe. I felt like I was in a movie!

I looked scared but also my cheeks were quite crammed in that helmet

Such a blast!!!!

One of three apartment listings Alex wrote out!

We only ended up meeting with one place...and it was really weird. Most of the places were taken or didn't answer the phone. With all of the places Alex called and I contacted together it was easily over 45 different listings or "Se Alquila", "For Rent" ads over the city. 

Feeling a bit defeated I started out today with a positive outlook because today at least Alex was going to help! We drove out to an area called Nuevos Ministerios on his bike and saw a riot or strike going on. Alex said Spanish people love to complain about everything..haha.

Long story short none of the places were promising. I was planning on seeing one this afternoon from the list and another from a facebook post in our Spain CIEE group. 

I walked into the apartment from the CIEE posting and it was heavenly! Beautiful dark wood and a cute teal love seat type couch. It felt so homey with 2 really sweet girls in my same program. Not to mention that it is right in the perfect location for my hour commute by train to the school I work at!!

Perfecto!

Going back and forth between this place and another place (that was a little less expensive) I decided the pro's to the cute place by the train stop was the place for me!

YAY!!! I officially have a place to live!:)

Left the States exactly 2 weeks ago! We had orientation which included our hotel stay until 2 days ago and I had booked my stay at this cute airBnB for this week which gives me 2 days- perfect time to move in to the next place!

Looking at it now it seems like everything was just right, but these couple days trying to find a place were overwhelming. I saw my share of repulsive living conditions with much too small accommodations for any two plus people to cohabitate (not in the sexual way).

haha

Anywho the school I am working at starts next week and I am petritified! Our program had a seminar on the behavior of spanish children and their lack of respect for authority, their inability to raise hands when speaking and general defiant nature...great.

So I'm a prayin that my kids will be ok!

Right now I'm on the top balcony of the airBnB-(renting a room from a couple in the city) that overlooks a little rooftops. The air is probably 70 degrees and beautiful the moon and stars are visible!:)

A lot of being here is overwhelming and daunting but the little things make up for it. I've made some really good friends already and we have a great year to look forward to!:))

LOVE LOVE LOVE