Safe and Sound

I made it to San Lorenzo without any major issues.  My first flight was originally delayed, and then un-delayed, which was a bit startling when we returned to the airport to find my flight would be leaving in thirty minutes!  Of course, it was Scranton, so I had plenty of time to go through security and everything, it was just the shock of "What if?"  And as a very happy bonus, due to the initial huge delay, they didn´t charge me for my bags, thus saving me a cool 250.  I was giddy.

I sat on the plane from Newark next to another girl in my program, oddly enough.  It was nice.  Then Emily, the other girl who will be teaching at my school, was sweet enough to come to the airport and help me manage my bags on the metro and train out to San Lorenzo.

I cannot even believe how organized my school is.  There are stacks of curriculum books, neatly organized on labeled shelves.  We were immediately presented with our health insurance cards and information, a list of the meetings we need to attend next week, and last year´s yearbook so that we can get to know the school a bit better.  Kisses were promptly applied, the invitation to use the informal you the first sentence said, and the director ran all over the school with us talking a mile a minute and showing us things.

I´m spending tonight in a room in one of the towers of the monastery.  Towels were placed on my bed, as well as a big bottle of water.  I´m excited to spend the night here... I´m hoping for some royal ghosts (many, many old Spanish kings and queens are buried in the crypt).  I´m being fed dinner at nine.  I was also given a Spanish cell phone to use until I can get one of my own on Monday so that the director wouldn´t feel nervous about my innability to reach him and his to reach me.

I feel so good right now. I really do feel welcomed here.

Tomorrow I´ll move into my flat, which is breezy and light.  My new roomate and I talked for a long time, basically until I ran out of Spanish, and got along really well.  Then I went for a walk around town, soaking up the pink sunset light, and watching the Spanish shout at each other happily while out for their evening constitutionals.

I´m nervous about the school year, of course, to know exactly what classes I´ll have, to meet the kids, and to find my place in the school.  But really?  Right now I´m just glowing in the feeling of a well-made decision.  I feel good here already.