After some very long flights and a harrowing taxi ride, I have made it safely to Spain.
Yesterday, I met my host family, got introduced to a neighbor who is also housing a student from my program, and tasted my first — of what will be many — Spanish meal.
My host mom’s name is Carmen and I am living with both her and her son, José, as well as their two dogs: Nesca and Tori. Carmen is retired but still sews clothing for her friends. She seems to know everyone in the apartment complex.
The apartment complex itself is very nice. There are apartment buildings on three sides of the gated space and then a pool, plazas, and tennis courts in the middle. Underneath the tennis courts (which you can just see in the picture below), there is a place to play soccer (el fútbol) and a garage for cars.
For dinner, Carmen made me paella, one of the most famous dishes of Spain. It was very delicious! We also went over and visited one of Carmen’s neighbors who is hosting a student from my program, Matthew. He is from Kansas City, MO.
Today, I went with Carmen’s neighbor and Matthew to our program’s meeting point. On the way there, we learned where the closest TRAM stop is to us (TRAM is a cross between the subway and the lightrail) and how to get there. (I should mention that en route to the TRAM station we passed both a CrossFit gym and the train station — both of which I will be investigating more soon.)
Once with our group, we split into smaller groups and took brief walking tours around Alicante. It was short, so I didn’t get to explore very much, but it gave me a good sense of where everything is and how much there is to do here! Here are some of the highlights:
This is one of the beaches. The big thing in the water is an obstacle course. 
This is Castillo de Santa Bárbara (Santa Barbara Castle). I believe that our group is climbing it next week. 
The water is so clear and blue, you can see fish without even trying!
After the tour, we took the TRAM to the CIEE headquarters and listened to some info sessions. Then, our host families picked us up and showed us how to get home.
After that, I took a siesta and organized my room. Pictures below.
I’ve had a couple of very tiring days here, but I’m slowly getting settled in. I’m hoping that by tomorrow I’ll be able to make my own way through Alicante to the TRAM station. Prayers for new friends would be appreciated!
¡Hasta luego!
–Grace
Where in the World Is Grace Elizabeth? 