Madrid

Well, Madrid has been quite an experience! It started with another interesting luggage experience...except this time, I had all my luggage for a year to carry by myself since I wasn't with the girls...I had to take the metro (subway) to the hostel and wasn't quite sure how I was going to do it...looking back, I wish I would've just left my luggage at the airport store place, as some of my other friends told me they did...but oh well...next time I guess.. Thankfully, I found some nice guys to help me carry my luggage on the subway (actually they found me...I'm sure I was quite a sight with all my stuff!)...I know what you're probably thinking though...I was extra careful and nothing got stolen...I don't think they would've got very far if they tried to steal it anyway because it was all pretty heavy!

I met a lot of great people at the hostel...one girl in my room was from Brazil and we hit it off right away...she invited me to come with her to a Flamenco show that night so we went and saw live Flamenco at a restaraunt down the street...it is really amazing to watch! I also went with a group of people on an outing after that to some places near the hostel and got to experience some more of the Spanish culture....interestingly enough though, I heard more Portuguese than Spanish that day though because I was with a bunch of Brazilians!

Larissa and I were able to do a 2-day tour of Madrid on the Madrid Vision Buses (which I resisted a little bit because I hate looking like a tourist, but I only had a couple days to see the city and I stand out in Spain anyway, so I just gave in). We toured around the whole city and they give you a liittle bit of interesting historical facts about places you see along the way...My favorite places were the Prado Museum, where we got to see lots of famous paintings...and the Palacio Real....the Palace where the King and Queen used to live...

                                 Prado Museum            

The Palace was absolutely beautiful...they only let you tour one level of it, but just that one part in and of itself was huge! We went into about 15 rooms just on that level! My favorite things were the chandeliers made from real silver and crystals, the throne room, and a huge banquet hall with a table that had enough seating for about 100 people...it was probably the biggest table I had ever seen! It all made me think of heaven...I was so amazed at how beautiful all the paintings and chandeliers and decorations were....and was reminded of the verse that says "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived all that God has in store for those who love Him." It's awesome to see places like that and be left in total awe and wonder at the beauty and size of it all...and then be reminded that it's nothing compared to how amazing it will all be in heaven! I'd have to say that the Palace was my favorite stop of all the places we visited!

I had a really great time at the hostel getting to know different people from all over the world as well...I met people from Brazil, Portugal, Australia, England, Venezuela, China, Iceland and Switzerland! It was really cool hearing all the different languages and talking to everyone about their cultures and travel experiences....we all went out in groups and did things together...we even had a night where the Brazilians played a little concert for us and taught us how to dance Samba (a Latin dance that's popular in Brazil)...it was all really fun! 

                                      Parque de Madrid

So, in the midst of all the fun and excitement of traveling in Europe, it's hitting me again that I am actually going to Africa for a year! It's kind of crazy because I felt the reality of it all set in as I flew out from the US...but then once I got to London and Madrid, the excitement of all the sightseeing crowded out those feelings and it sort of just started to feel like I was on a vacation and was gonna be back home soon...I didn't feel like I left everything and everyone there behind and would have drastic changes in my life...But now, I'm sitting in the airport waiting to board my flight to Tenerife...and the reality of it all is coming back to me..It's so exciting, but a little nerve-racking at the same time...I'm not really sure what to expect...But I do know that whatever happens, God is with me now and will be there when I get to Tenerife...so I'm just trying to hang on for the ride :-)