What were you grateful for this week?I was grateful for the opportunity to visit a new city and explore Madrid.

What was the most challenging part of this week?This weekend was challenging for me because I was staying in a very small apartment with the family. The youngest girl cried a lot throughout the night so I didn’t sleep as well as I do when we are back in Logroño.

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week.This weekend it was just my host mom, the girls, and myself. So, traveling around Madrid was tough at times. I made sure to always help carry things and push one of the girls in the strollers. I also did the dishes for the apartment so my host mom could help the girls shower.

Tell us about your week! This week was very long and fun. On Friday and Saturday the town had a festival de San Mateo. This was just a big party with a lot of people. We went out to eat and spent time with my host families’ friends. On Sunday, my host mom and the two daughters drove to Madrid. My host mom’s sister lives here. We had lunch with her sister and my host mom’s parents. It was nice to meet some more of their family.

Then, from Monday-Wednesday we explored Madrid. It was so fun! I got to see all the most famous and popular sites in Madrid and try the typical food in Madrid. My favorite food was churros with chocolate sauce. We had that for breakfast which was funny because I thought it was a dessert! But, here they have churros and chocolate for breakfast and yogurt for dessert.

My favorite thing in Madrid was the Palace Real. It was HUGE and so beautiful. This city is really clean and I am enjoying comparing the cultures and finding the differences. I had a really great week and going to Madrid has just made me want to explore Spain even more. My host mom was very generous and kind this weekend and I really appreciated all her kindness.