Real Madrid

My first weekend in Madrid consisted of tourism and exploration but under no circumstances could an American abroad absorb the full culture of another country without some help. Over the past 36 hours I was blessed with the opportunity to experience Madrid as the locals do.

Starting with my new job, i'm working in a large corporation in Spain specializing in food services. After some trouble with translation, we found someone who knew English well enough to brief us not only on our new jobs as retail analysts but also on life in Madrid. They told us where to eat, shop, and hang out. We came to understand that corporate Spain operates much like corporate America and that hard work is an integral part of the modern Spanish framework. That being said, Spaniards are particularly laid back and easy to deal with. They ameliorated any concerns over working in a foreign country and immediately made us feel part of their family. They say eastern civilization values collectivism and western " values individualism. I believe Spain is a crossroads of this theory. Their individualism shines through but is no less apparent to their high valuation of relationships. This model for civilization is enviable.

Moreover, you can't have business without pleasure. And after a long day of orientation at the office, I met up with a local Madridian whom speaks English very well. We met through a mutual friend who recently studied abroad and agreed to meet up with me; boy did he show me a good time.

He let me run with his mates and we toured Madrid like no tourist could and had a lively night of Tapas in City Centre. He answered all of my questions about Madrid such as what locals are like (Spaniards are very lively conversationists with a way making you feel just as excited as them)and what big differences Spain has with America  (they don't have peanut butter or walmart). I then answered his questions about America (Yes, we are very self-confident and borderline pompous, but we also dream big and shoot for the moon, literally).

I long to bring the hospitality of my new friend back to America with me and greet every foreigner with a smile (and a big mac and a gun). I wish I could dine by the gran via every night and watch the city come alive. I pine to have every American taste the splendor encapsulated within a fine carne empanada.

In the midst of this chronic longing, I am reminded of my future. Where will I go and what will I do after Madrid? And to answer these questions I will use the word serendipity or a fortunate happenstance. Such is my time in Madrid and such I believe will be my life. So many events that almost didn't happen yet led to immense happiness for me. I plan to continue trusting this process and sail with the winds of adventure from Waverly to Madrid and back again, stopping plenty of times along the way to find more Gran Vias, more friends like Alvaro, and more Carne Empanadas.

NO FOTOS!!!

I should not have even tried anyway to take a picture of Velasquez's Las Meninas, but I could not help myself. The beauty of the work jumped off the canvas and into my soul. Fortunately, the security guard let me off with a warning which I certainly took into consideration with every subsequent work I gazed upon. (P.S. He let me keep the photo) Such was the case, though, with nearly all of the paintings I saw today at Museo del Prado. Surreal beauty the likes of which I had never before taken the time to appreciate. The rich history of Art in general and Spanish Art in specific is astounding.

Every painting not only tells a story, whether it be religious, historical, or mythical, but it also lets you peek into the mind of the artist who made said story come to life. Today, I saw Saturn eating his kids to maintain his power. Undoubtedly a lesson in the extremes we would go to to secure our positions in the world. I saw the garden of earthly desire where all our vices are transient, ultimately meaning nothing in the afterlife. Life is fleeting do good while you can. I saw Jacob dreaming of God and Christ in all of his forms. Religion seems to be inexplicably tied to art. I saw a naked women who told me more about the beauty of the human form than I thought was possible from a simple painting. Side note, the women painted on the canvases were all said to be of exquisite beauty and they certainly were, however, their waistlines were large, their bodies had fat, and in the characterizations, they showed no shame over their appearance. Moreover, one of my last stops was at Goya's drowning dog, about to be enveloped in a monstrous wave. The painting was meant to demonstrate the fatality of life, but I took a different view. The way the art liberated me today made me feel as if I was that drowning dog, but I was saved by a life raft named the Prado.  

This trip to the museum enlightened me beyond belief. I stopped for lunch on the gran via on the way home and ate a filling meal of two carne empanadas withe cafe con leche. I watched the city come alive and received a smile from an older woman whom you could tell had so much love in her heart. The only fault I have found with Madrid is that I didn't find it sooner.

Suspended in Flight

The flight is long over and the veil of jetlag fallen, but my flight continues. I remain supensed fueled by rich history and culture. The streets of Madrid are simply intoxicating.

What does not seem real may just be a dream come true. One can only read of the wonders of visiting Europe's great cities but to be here conjures up feelings that words cannot express. Everywhere you turn a different fountain, statue, building, restaurant, each with their own story.

Today we hoofed it for 8 hours and got wrapped up in downtown madrid. We saw the Plaza de Espana complete with Don Quixote's statue, and we saw Plaza Mayor with it's street performers and lively crowds, we tried tapas and I enjoyed a bowl of cold tomato soup with parmesan ice cream as well as a potato egg and cheese tortilla, we saw the magnificence of the Golden Triangle of Madrid's museums including the Prado which we plan to visit tomorrow. We soaked it all in. Along the way we found the most affable of Spaniards to help guide us along and despite logistical travel issues, our first day was a resounding success.

As I lay in my bed tonight breathing in the warm spanish air I reflect on what made all this bliss possible and feel tremendously grateful for those that helped get me here. Their names too numerous to mention but all in my prayers as I wish for a litany of more incredible days of culture absorbtion. Despite the mental clarity attained from this day, I will expound on my experiences at a later date as I'm tired and unable to express my joy completely.

Until then let it be known that it is what they say it is. Travel is the most potent drug a human can take. It excites and relaxes simultaneously. It makes you feel small in a big world yet intimately connected to all of humanity. Hallelujah and Adios

Hola Madrid!!!

Months of anticipation culminated in our arrival at Madrid-Barajas airport. Though we nearly missed the flight, we arrived safely. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Julie from Puerto Rico on the plane. She taught me the ways of the Spanish people and upon arrival I fumbled through a conversation with our affable taxi driver, Luis, as we made our way to our new home.
Who knows the wonders that await upon the vast corridors of Madrid, but for now it's time for sleep. Travel can certainly drain you but the takeaway from this first day of travel is that, people are nice enough if you let them be. Smile, reach out, have no fear. Kind hearts can get you settled.

Tomorrow, it's only a day away....

Pre-trip jitters haunt my restless soul as I lie awake in my bed. This very day I will embark on a journey unlike any other in my life. I will fly to europe and soak in the sweet splendor of the world's greatest civilizations. I will run with the bulls, stand in the shadow of the collosseum, gaze upon David, drift down the Grand Canal, taste a Vienna sausage, enjoy the gardens of Germany, and see if I could get Mona Lisa to lighten up and crack a smile. Whilst on this trip, I hope to forget this bed I'm in and rest peacefully on the clouds of new experience.
And as I look on these three bags that contain a months worth of my life, I wonder what baggage I take with me that can't be packed and unpacked and what new baggage that I might bring back home....