My oh-so-anticipated journey to Spain began with a phone call. A phone call telling me that my flight had been delayed and would arrive in Spain about an hour and twenty minutes after it was originally scheduled to land. My group of fellow students and resident professor had a set meeting time and place in the Madrid airport so that we could all hop on a bus to Salamanca together. If our flights got in late, we were on our own and had to get a ticket to Salamanca on the public bus. So after receiving this phone call, the panic begins to set it in. I'm going to be alone in a city I barely speak the language. I've never been to this airport. What if I get on the wrong bus and end up in the wrong city. My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusions.
So I scramble to email my profesora and tell her that my flight is delayed and asked if there was any way the group could wait for me. After receiving the "yes, we will wait for you" response, I began to let myself relax. I weighed my suitcases (barely scraping by the weight limit), headed off to the airport, cruised through security and was España bound! Until over the loud speaker I heard an announcement about the flight to Madrid. There was a maintenance issue and it would probably be another hour and a half before we would be ready to take off.
Fast forward about two hours.
Antsy in my seat on the airplane, hoping there's some sliver of hope we can take off and make up time in the air so I won't be left to fend for myself in a strange city, the captain comes over the loudspeaker with what I hope is good news. Wrong. "You may notice that the cabin is a little warm ladies and gentleman, the air conditioning has been turned down to try to cool a temperature censor that is preventing us from taking off." You can't be serious. Flight attendants start circulating with trays full of ice water. Sweat is beginning to form. And finally. Finally. The fasten seat belt sign clicks on and it's time for take off (only 3 hours late).
A little over nine hours later, we're touching down in Madrid. I take a deep breath and mentally run myself through where I am going when I got off the plane, where I am supposed to get my bags and how you ask for directions and order a bus ticket. As I step into the airport I hear, "Hi, are you Cameron?" In English. Hallelujah. Turns out there was another girl from my program also on my plane. Okay good, so I won't have to do this alone. We introduce ourselves and follow the crowds through customs, get our passport stamps (tried to play it cool, but was grinning like a little kid), and made our way out the terminal exit. Bam. Smack in the middle of the sea of people is a sign that says Wake Forest. Thank you, Jesus. In swoops Marta, an adorable Salamantina who proceeds to introduce herself, treat us to a little paella, and let us know she's helping us get back to Salamanca. Good news? We have bus tickets. Bad news? Bus doesn't come for another four hours. So after killing four hours in the terminal (with the scare of a lost backpack (not mine)...), we boarded the bus and strapped in for about a 3 hour ride to Salamanca.
So exhausted we were literally going cross-eyed, we hear someone on the bus say something about Salamanca and immediately perk up. We were finally here! We hop off the bus and grab our bags and there I am greeted by my host mom. A kiss on each cheek, as is customary, a quick introduction and she grabs my bag and whisks me away to her car. Five minutes later, she's whipping her car into a parallel parking spot and I find myself in a small elevator that deposits me at the front door of my home-to-be for the next three months. Greeted by dog, Chuli, and my host dad, I stumble over my Spanish a bit during the introductions but am swept with a sense of relief that I am finally here. A couple hours of conversation later, I'm already feeling a bit more confident with my Spanish and am sitting down for my first home-cooked Spanish meal (at 10:40 PM...). I unpack some of my things, climb in bed and here I am. Exhausted, caught a little between Spanish and English and beyond giddy at the fact that I'm finally here.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to meet up with my group for an orientation of the city but who knows what the day will truly hold.
"Respond to every call that excites your spirit."
-Rumi
