Love/Hate Relationship

Spain has been a love/hate relationship. I love some things, but I hate some things too.

Things I Hate About Madrid:

1. The noise. I live one block off of the "Broadway/5th Ave" of Madrid. Cool, right? Until it's 12:42 am and I have to get up in six hours for school but I can't sleep because I happen to live above a bar. A bar where people really enjoy standing outside and being loud and making it impossible for me to sleep.

2. The coffee. It's good coffee, for what it is. But it's espresso. And no other options exist. I like espresso, don't get me wrong. But I also enjoy holding the cup of coffee in my hands and walking around with it and sipping on it all day. I don't want a shot of coffee, I want a cup.

3. The coffee shops. They are almost all the same: cold. Not literally, of course. But there is nothing warm and cozy about them. They don't make you want to bring your bible and sit and sip coffee and work on homework. I miss the warm, comfy coffee shops I tend to spend all my time in back home.

4. The weather. I might be the only person in the world who hates the weather here. It is sunny and cloud-less and hot. ALL the TIME. I am a cool-weather, rainy, cloudy kind of girl. It's October. I need it to be cold. Now.

5. How this culture raises women who don't believe they deserve better than cat-calls and stares and being lusted after like trophies.


Things I Love About Madrid:

1. Siestas! They are the best thing ever. Naps, every day. Not that I actually nap, but it's still nice :)

2. Stores being open late. Doesn't really matter what time it is... the store is open and people are around.

3. Parque del Oeste. It is right across the street from my house and beautiful and I take my hammock there a lot to do homework and read. I love it. I spend a pretty large part of my life there.

4. My church. It has brought me some amazing friends, challenges me, stretches me and generally is pretty wonderful. So grateful for it.

5. The language. Even though it does frustrate me sometimes and I hate the vosotros form and the lisp and how fast they all talk, I do love Spanish.