HipstaMadrid

Even though I have a fabulous camera courtesy of my fabulous besties, I still find myself out and about with only my iPhone quite a bit. The one good thing about that is that I can take super artsy looking photos that make me look like a really great photographer :)

Tonight I'm packing my bags for a little trip. I'm headed to Barcelona, Paris, and Amsterdam. I'll be gone til next Thursday, so there will be some blog silence... sorry! The chilly weather in Paris and Amsterdam does not sound appealing, but I'm looking forward to seeing the sights and getting a little break from Madrid as I've been feeling really overwhelmed lately.

Enjoy these hipsta shots of beautiful Madrid:

Calle Gran Via 

I can't get enough of this place 

plaza near my flat

front door 

One Step at a Time

The other day I decided that I'd had a long enough break from intentional exercise. A few friends back home are training for marathons and half marathons and it made me feel quite lazy. I also packed gym shoes so I figured I should use them. I couldn't have picked a better day to get back on track; it was about 55 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky. I walked about 20 minutes over to Retiro Park and there were so many other runner, joggers, and walkers it was impossible not to be motivated. I did stop to take a few lot of photos, so I'm not sure if I was actually that productive. These photos were also taken with my iPhone, so I apologize for the less than stellar quality.

there are so many people playing music here

such a romantic place

i don't know this girl, she just wouldn't move

Retiro is a HUGE park. I ran for about 30 minutes in the park and I don't think I even covered half of it. Apparently there is an area with peacocks, that's on my list of things to find! I can't wait til the weather is even warmer and I can take a blanket and a bottle of wine and enjoy the sunshine.

Weekend snaps

It's been pretty cold since I got to Madrid, but this weekend was glorious. On Saturday night I had plans to celebrate a friend's birthday with dinner and drinks, and I spent Saturday afternoon napping on a park bench in the sun. It was finally a day where a t-shirt and jeans was sufficient.

view of the mountains from Parque del Oeste

the Palace and Catherdral

I was in Parque del Oeste, which is home to the Templo de Debod, a gift from Egypt. 

I also walked through the Plaza de España, which was full of people enjoying the sunshine.

This week and next weekend is also supposed to be warmer, so I foresee lots of afternoons in the park!

ps- I know my updates have been rather infrequent, but I don't have internet in my flat yet so it makes blogging difficult. I promise as soon as I'm re-connected on a regular basis I'll be better (although I'm quite enjoying being disconnected at times). 

proof that I'm alive. and check out that awesome wallpaper in my room. (sarcasm)

The day of L-O-V-E

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Here's a list of some of the things I love about living in Spain so far:

1. Walking everywhere and finding new things every day

2. El Mercado de San Miguel - this is an amazing market. It's a little pricey, but so fun to just wander around with a glass of wine and try things.

3. Kinder Happy Hippos - OMG. These are addicting

4. Parque del Buen Retiro - so pretty and peaceful

5. Vino vino vino - everywhere, with every meal, and it's cheap

6. Meeting so many new people from all over the world

watching the Super Bowl. at 3am

La Alberca

I hope everyone has a wonderful day full of love!!

besos!

Home Sweet Home!

I'm very happy to report that I'm no longer living in a hostel! I moved into an apartment this morning. It's a pretty small room, but there is a bed, wardrobe, and a desk and the location is amazing. I'm living in the barrio Malasaña, which is a trendy neighborhood about 10 minutes from the center of Madrid. Malasaña is known for lively nightlife, great restaurants, and music. My new flatmate doesn't speak much English, so this should be an adventure!

my new favorite cafe/bar

I'll post some pictures of my street soon and maybe my room if you all are lucky :)

besos!

Happy Birthday PT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet friend, Taryn!

I can't believe it's already been a whole year since this great day:

I know you're going to have a great time celebrating with everyone tonight and I'm very sad I can't be there. Love you Taryn, I'm so glad to have you in my life!!

 


























ps- I miss living with you and watching our stories
pps- Lucy Finkelstein and Albert E also wish you a happy birthday

Home Sweet Home?

I am probably the world's worst blogger, I apologize. The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy and I just can't seem to get on a schedule. Last week at Pueblo Ingles I had an amazing time (and will blog all about it later) and now I'm back in Madrid. I've made the decision to stay in Madrid and look for work. It was a hard decision to make because I really loved Malaga and the beach, but every single Spaniard I met last week told me I'd have the most luck finding work in Madrid. And to be fair, I do like Madrid. I feel like it's one of those cities a person could live in forever and find something new everyday. There's a sort of energy here that I really love and it has an appeal to me that I can't put into words. The biggest thing I can't accept is how big the city is. I'm not really a big city girl, so that's going to take some getting used to. The population of Madrid is about 3.3 million and there are only 1 million people in the whole state of Montana so this is definitely a change for me. Right now my priority is finding an apartment, which is not an easy task. It's really difficult looking for a place to live when I know nothing about the neighborhoods, but I've met some really helpful ex-pats who have been great with giving me advice. 

Here are some my favorite things about Madrid so far:

1. El Mercado de San Miguel (more to come later)

2. Walking everywhere

3. People who dress their dogs up in sweaters AND pants

I'm also happy to report that my Spanish is improving, slowly but surely!

Wish me luck with my apartment search!!