Everything I have experienced so far is just very fast. Starting with the way you are suctioned to your seat when the plane first gets going for take-off to the moment when you realize you're at yet another airport. Was I not just at the airport in Detroit saying farewell to my two best friends and my father? Nope, that was literally twelve hours ago. I keep getting and losing headaches and stomachaches every five minutes it seems but somehow I'm still feeling acutely aware and appreciative of all the different people around me and I'm actually enjoying myself.
I have just said my goodbyes to Germany and I am currently on the plane to Madrid!! The real journey begins here. All of the instructions on the intercom are way too fast and I can hardly understand the flight attendants. I meant to catch up on sleep here since I got absolutely no relaxation on the 8 hour flight to Germany due to the three year old restless girl who liked to put her feet on me, but I have found myself wide awake since we landed in Frankfurt.
In Chicago, I met a bunch of other YFU students. They are all so excited and scared just like me and it's so great to compare horror stories about the reactions we got from our friends and teachers when we told them we were leaving. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who got "um do you even speak Spanish?" "what's wrong with America?" and worst of all, the "uh why do you want to go to Spain for four months?". Why not people. Why not.
There were no members of the YFU staff to show us around Frankfurt so we all huddled into a group and tried out our rusty German asking for the time and asking where the heck the board is where we could find some gate numbers. The security guy was asking me 60 million questions about my guitar and I couldn't understand anything until he said "you play country music? Rap?".
Once we ran all over the airport looking at every information board, we finally found our gates and separated into two groups: Spain and Italy. I guess all of our German and Japanese exchange goers already left like a couple weeks ago. Anywho, my little Spain group consists of a bunch of girls who are ridiculously sweet and relatable. They are from Utah, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Alaska.....so cool. Why don't I live in Alaska?
I tried my Spanish here on the plane and in return I got a bunch of fast jabber that I'm still sitting here trying to translate through my jet lag. I am scrutinizing my little "Easy Spanish Phrases" book and praying this whole thing gets easier. This is going to be the most difficult month of my young life.
Speaking of difficulty, I am like totally emotionally unstable. I woke up from a small nap a few hours ago and could not stop crying. Everything is so unfamiliar and the flight attendants all have a thick accent and speak three different languages and I just want to shower and sleep off this awful cold. Everything is going too fast and I can hardly keep my mind up with everything that's going on. Hopefully when we arrive at the hotel in 45ish minutes, I will find some wifi and peace so I can post this and wash my face.
Oh! And to all of you reading this (considering you didn't get bored and made it all the way through) thank you so much for all the texts and tweets I received this morning! Quite a few of them made me tear up. So sorry if I didn't answer you, I still love you, I am just in such a frenzy today. I have never felt so numb and crazy and confused and sick. I just switched my phone to European mode, and I'll be able to text as soon as I find wifi!
Peace out, more to come soon.
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