A Bit of Background, A Bit of Backtracking

Hello fellow internet users! My name is Andrew P, I am Junior at University of Northern Colorado studying at the Monfort College of Business. I am currently majoring in Business and Spanish with an emphasis in Market with a Global Business Minor. I have always been a big fan of traveling and seeing new cultures so I thought to myself what better way to incorporate my love of travel and my current studies by getting out of the United States to see how business works on a global scale. I also thought what better way to learn Spanish then in Spain. So I decided to study at the Universidad de Carlos III de Madrid. This Univerisdad (now will be referred to as UC3M) also offers some great business classes in coordination with UNC and Monfort College of Business.

I arrived here in Madrid the 22nd of August with very little plans and high hopes for a new city. I was so excited the day before I couldn't even sleep. Mostly due to the fact I was still packing a little, as I like to do most things last minute. I've traveled about three or so months all together in South and Central America but this is my first time jumping across the pond to Europe. I had no idea what to expect or even what to pack. To say I was excited was an understatement. I gathered an eclectic collection of clothes as I didn't know what to expect. The majority of the clothes I packed were dress clothes as I am attending a business school. However, I was watching the weather the whole week before and weekly forecast consisted mostly of 100 degree weather. I was thinking to myself- How am I going to wear a button up shirt and long pants in that kind of heat!?

 After I arrived I quickly learned that the weather wasn't terribly hot as it sounded. There always seems to be a cool breeze and the metro is kept fairly cool. What makes everything so hot is the fast pace of the metro. I felt like it was a race to get off the metro, race to the next connecting line, and if you are in the way you will surely know with a slight tap on your body. When I landed in Madrid I had a piece of paper with directions to the hotel I would be staying at the next three nights until I found an apartment or flat to live in. I was fortunate enough to meet a Spaniard about my age in the Heathrow airport who ended up helping my buy my tickets to the metro in Madrid and well as briefly showing my how to use it as well. My first trip in the metro was sort of a shocking one as we do not have the kind of public transportation in Greeley like this. I followed the line of people like a sheep being herded from one place to the next. Upon transferring from one line to the next I walked up the stairs only to see a little kid peeing in the corner. That's interesting and not very conspicuous I thought as everyone could clearly see him.