Beginnings: El Autobús

¡Oh how I love public transportation!

Without the mountains along the Wasatch front I have been somewhat disoriented and inevitably Lauren and I have gotten ourselves confused and lost many times. Our host “mom,” Elena Perez, and her son, Carlos, tried to explain to us many times the routes to different places, but of course we just nod our head like we have understood and once again find ourselves on the wrong bus and end up walking. I think we have finally found some sort of routine to at least get to school. The 6 in the morning and the 5 in the afternoon. Most of the other students live very close to school, church, and the train station, compared to us and are able to walk most places. Lauren and I are planning on walking when the weather gets better.

Coming home from Madrid for the first time we rode the bus for almost an hour with no idea where we were. At every bus stop we would ask each other if we should get off or not. We rode the bus to the end of the route and had to ask the bus driver for help. Because we are both not fluent enough to even ask how to get home, talking to the bus driver included a lot of pointing on our already tattered map. We were so close to calling a taxi and spending a ridiculous amount of money when we could have been a few minutes from our house. It was a miracle that we even made it home!

I think most of the bus drivers in Alcalá have noticed that 22 crazy American students have invaded their city and that we will need a while to get adjusted. I really don’t mind riding the bus and train though. It is interesting to see all the different people and to listen to the other passengers and try to figure out what they are saying.

By the way, plan on walking when it snows in Spain. The whole bus and train system was delayed when it snowed and it was scary to watch the tiny European cars slip and slide and the streets.