Valencia

Nora Explora... Valencia!

In the four days that I've been here, I've walked around more of Valencia than I thought I would see in a week. However, it hasn't been quite as much fun as it sounds. Each Fulbright student must arrange her own housing, and considering that I've never done anything more difficult than sign up for a particular dorm room at college, this has been quite a challenge. I'm staying with three other girls in an apartment that we're renting until Monday, and after arriving late on Wednesday afternoon, this gives us only four full days and two partial days to figure out where we're living. We spent Wednesday evening walking around the university neighborhood and writing down phone numbers from posters on the streets that were advertising rooms. Not all of us had a cell phone at that point, so it was difficult and not particularly productive. On Thursday we walked around just about the entirety of the center of Valencia - probably a total of 10 miles. We found areas where we would like to live, but no apartments. The problem is that, in order to live in the city, the only real option is to go through an agency, which is expensive. So we called lots of phone numbers but ended up with nothing. On Friday we went back to look in the student neighborhood near the university. We found a newly redone apartment in a great area, right next to metro and bus stops, and the owner is a very nice gentleman who is used to renting to students. Compared to other apartments that I've seen, this one is probably the nicest building and has the best location. My only reservation is that I would love to live with university students. It would be great to get to know non-American students, but I tried looking into sharing an apartment, and it's so difficult to get in touch with people (and expensive, because of my cell phone plan) and find an apartment that's nice and make sure they're people I can live with. So I don't want to just "settle" for the easy option, but since we only have our rented apartment until Monday and I have to start teaching on Wednesday, I don't really have any other options at this point. And besides, it will just be a reason for me to get out and be involved in the community! I'm so excited to move into an apartment and finally start getting settled.

Once the apartment hunting is over, though, I know I'm going to love Valencia. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful, including every single stranger that we stop on the street to ask for directions or advice. The weather is gorgeous - warm, but not as humid as I'd expected, and it's perfect for sitting outside in the shade. Today we were completely burnt out after three intense days of apartment searching, so we just spent the day at the beach. It was beautiful (though very crowded). The university neighborhood where I plan to live is so much fun - there are tons of Spanish and ethnic restaurants, markets and fruit stands, and all kinds of stores. I've had some great food, too. I bought a nectarine for 0.17 euros, and every other type of fruit that I've tried has been d e l i c i o u s. I've also had several ham and cheese sandwiches... which is much more exciting than it sounds. The bread is crusty and amazing, the cheese is excellent, and the ham is Spain's famous jamón serrano. The most meaningful part, though, is that I wrote about exactly this kind of sandwich in the first line of my Fulbright application essay. How rewarding to know that, over a year after I wrote that essay, I'm actually getting to experience the things that I could only dream about :)