Madrid, Espana

HOLA everyone!!
About ten days ago I arrived here in Madrid and I have to say I can't believe how breathtaking this past week has been. This city is everything people say it is. It is so hard to understand how every building can be so amazing until you see it. We had a few days of USAC (the program Im using) orientation and things, so it was like meeting people in the program and then exploring the city a little and that was a lot of fun, there are some great people in the program but now we are settled in to our places and going to school and stuff and its been an entirely different feeling.
I live in a cute apartment, for Spanish living- I live in a GIANT apartment. :) It is awesome. My roommate's name is Paula and she is precious. She was a journalist for a few years and still does freelance. She used to do sports reporting and news and culture and everything and now she just writes sometimes, like right now she is writing an article for Rolling Stone- WOW. She is so sweet but she hasn't been here much, because she is in southern Spain on the set of a Spanish TV series. So I've only talked with her a little, but we email and Im looking forward to her returning. Soon, although I don't know exactly when, we will be getting another roommate - Javier. I don't know anything about him but it will be exciting to meet him. The apartment is great, there are two bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen with a little dinning room area and balconies where you can look out onto the street. I actually have my own little balcony in my room. From my room I can look down the street and see some of the Plaza de Espana. Obviously a very big beautiful and important plaza. The Royal Palace is a ten minute walk and everything I need is within five. However, because I am living right in the middle of the city, right off the Grand Via, I am a little ways from school. So it takes me about 35 minutes to get to school via Metro but its really not to bad, I can do homework or read or eat breakfast on there.
The metro system here is SO great! It is the easiest thing to hop on the metro and be exactly where you want to be so fast! and even if you don't know exactly where you are going, you can follow the stops and the signs so easily, I haven't been lost or even confused once! Plus I feel entirely safe, people at school and Paula do remind me to watch my things but I have yet to feel nervous or uncomfortable anywhere.
The places I go might be easier to see in picture because everything has so much detail that it is so hard to describe! But I have made some friends through the USAC program and I will meet an intercambio soon. Someone who is Spanish who you just talk to and hang out with to get a better understanding of the real Spain. And hopefully my roommate will come back soon as well. haha. School is going well more or less. The classes I am in I feel fine about, I'm excited for but there was a scheduling conflict for one of my classes - so that has been a bit of a nightmare to sort out but I think it is getting all settled.
But that is that and I am headed out to meet Candace, I will try to get on here and write a little once or twice a week- keep everyone up to date :)
Besitos
Lisa