I'm Back!

Well, getting here wasn't nearly as awful as it was two years ago. (If you don't know that story, look up my very first post in my other blog - sheainspain.blogspot.com) But let me tell you a little bit about this trip...

After packing up my apartment in just three days, I drove home two days before my flight so I could say goodbye to my family, take some engagement photos, and drop off my car. On Sunday, the day of my flight, the weather was supposed to be "sunny". We woke up with about two inches of snow on the ground and lots of wind so the visibility conditions weren't that great. Our plan was to first go to Ames to pick up my couch, then drive to Des Moines. As we started on our way, the road conditions weren't terrible, especially once we got on the highway. Unfortunately, things changed.... and fast. Once the four-lane highway was over, we began driving anywhere from 25 mph to 50 mph the rest of the way to Ames. The entire time, my little brother was playing on the iPad in the back seat. Once we stopped for a driving break in Carroll (three hours later), he said, "Whoa, it's like a blizzard out here!" You should have seen the look on my mom's face.

 At the airport!

We made it to Ames, packed up a few things that didn't fit into my little Rav4 the first time, but didn't get my couch. On our way to Des Moines, I found out that my flight was delayed which would have caused me to miss my connection in Chicago. So my choice was to stay the night in Des Moines or stay the night in Chicago. So I called my friend Sarah, who lives in Des Moines, and stayed the night at her house. She cooked me my favorite food for dinner, we watched a movie, and then I slept for 12 hours. In the morning, she cooked me breakfast and then took me to the airport. I'm so grateful for such a good friend!

Look at all that leg room!

Once I got to the Des Moines airport, it was smooth sailing from there. I flew from DSM to Dallas, then from Dallas to Madrid. On my flight from Dallas to Madrid, there were two high school girls that wanted to sit next to each other so they asked either me or the older lady in the row in front of me to move. The older lady didn't say anything so I said I would move up by her. Moving up one seat meant that I got more leg room and I was completely okay with that. When the flight attendants came to give drinks/dinner, I found out why the older lady never said anything to those girls... she didn't know any English! So I helped her order her drinks/food since the flight attendant didn't know Spanish. Then we started talking a little... I found out that she was visiting her daughter in the U.S. and then I asked where she lived in Spain.... and she said Caceres! I think I got too excited and may have even scared her a little bit because my voice got all high-pitched and I was yelling, "Oooh! Caceres! Me voy a Caceres!!!!" After that, she went to sleep (or at least pretended to because she didn't want to talk to the crazy American girl next to her.)

Adios Estadios Unidos!

When I got off the plane, I went through customs and then went to wait for the shuttle. As I was waiting there, two other women were speaking in Spanish and I felt so good because I could understand everything that they were saying! Then my confidence went back down because when I got on the shuttle, the man sitting next to me looked me up and down and said, "Are you lost?" So I went straight to the handicapped bathroom, washed up a little, changed my clothes, and fixed my hair. I also put on my Spanish boots so I wouldn't look so "lost". I took a taxi to the bus station and waited around for three hours until my bus came. While I waited, I ate some of my favorite sandwiches from El Rodillo.

Since I didn't sleep on the plane, I was able to sleep a little on the bus ride to Caceres. After five hours, I was greeted in Caceres by the best host mom en todo el mundo. It was so great to see her! We came back to the piso and I unpacked. Then Susanna (Lola's friend), Lola, and I ate a little dinner while cheering on Barcelona during the soccer game. I took a shower and went to bed around 10pm... then I woke up 17 hours later. Sleep never felt so good. So I woke up today just in time for lunch at 3pm and now I am writing all of you! What a productive day. Tonight I'm going to go find my school and get ready for tomorrow... it will be my first day student teaching 4th graders in Spain!

Also, here is my address in Spain... I love letters!

C/ Reyes Huertas nº 5 - 1º -izq
10002 Caceres Spain

Hasta luego :)