La vida Madreleña

Hey guys! So long time no talk, eh? I know, I know, I should have updated you sooner - but moving country takes a lot of time and effort! I arrived in Madrid on the 2nd, but classes didn't start until the 17th, so I had a week or two to settle in, find my bearings and do a little sightseeing. Madrid is such a beautiful city, and I've done so much already - visiting el Museo del Prado, a tour of the Palacio Real and a shopping trip to Plaza Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía - to mention a few. However, I started classes on Monday so I'm getting a lot busier, and the touristy fun has come to an end. Oh well - it's not a holiday! Plus, I'm trying to plan exciting things for the weekends, so all is good. So without further ado, here are so photos from my first 2 weeks en España! 

Gran Vía (Main shopping street.. think Oxford Street)

Snow on my first day of Madrid - a rare sight indeed!

My new bedroom :)

A lovely cocktail at HRC on Plaza de Cólon, Madrid

So there's a bit of a taste of Madrid for you all! There will be a new post up ASAP showing you a bit about the university I'm studying at here - Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Hasta la vista,

Isobel xx

El viaje.

So tomorrow's the big day - I'm all packed and ready to go, and only one more sleep separates me from the big move to España. All has gone smoothly so far, although I did have a bit of a scare earlier when I finally got around to weighing my suitcases (yes - plural!) and the scales read 50. 50kg? How could I have packed that much? Is that even possible? So I called my Mum up because I though I was going to have to unpack and down-scale, but luckily it turns out it was reading 50lb. Dear lord that gave me the fright of my life - I was stressed enough! Anyway - crisis averted and all is fine and dandy. I'm a bit nervous to leave - as I've been home for quite a while and have got used to home comforts - but at least I know that it should be a lot easier to settle in in Madrid compared to Russia. My Spanish is better, I've visited before, and it's just more international and therefore more familiar. They'll be Starbucks all around! Anyway, I'd better get back to triple checking the essentials. Hasta luego x

Aaaaaannnddddd I'm back.

Yes, I know, it's been a while. What can I say? I've been enjoying the comfort at being at home, in a country where people speak the same language as me and where the food is delicious. Actually, it's all been a bit of a whirlwind. I got back from Voronezh on the 14th, spent a rather dark Christmas in Kent (power cut!) and before I knew it, I was on a plane headed for Hong Kong on the 28th. I got to spend a week or two there, catching up and enjoying the (slightly) warmer weather before heading back to England, but this time getting off the plane and heading straight to Bath at 5am... fun times. Then, exactly 2 weeks later I was on my way back to Kent to take care of the final preparations before heading out to Madrid this Sunday. If I'm honest, I feel a bit like a gypsy - living out of a suitcase and not knowing where I am half of the time! Nah, it's been great - enjoying English food and relaxing, all ready for the big move. 

In all this excitement I forgot to upload a few photos that I meant to share from Russia - including our graduation party and our last few days there. I think that I've just been putting it off because I couldn't be bothered to write - so it might just be a photo diary with a few captions here and there. Anyway, it all feels a bit like deja vu in my bedroom - a complete shamble of packing and unpacking - I've basically just accepted that my room will be a complete mess until I leave on Sunday. I'm trying to do the same thing I did before going to Voronezh - packing early, leaving it a few days, taking it all out and going through it again and repacking it. It really is the best way to filter down your luggage and only take what you need. Anyway, I'd better get back to packing and sorting, and sorting and packing. Hopefully I'll update you before I leave the UK, but if not, te veré en Madrid!

Isobel

xx