Spain: Last thoughts

Friday was my last day in Madrid. It was a city holiday commemorating the re-discovery of an icon of Mary, so we didn't have classes. I celebrated by sleeping in and watching the procession the icon and celebration of Mass on television. 

I wanted to record, for myself, my last thoughts about this trip.

1. I really like Madrid. It has a nice mix of art and history, and its population is made of people from all over Spain. They speak a dialect that was relatively easy to understand, and the inner city is very walkable.
2. I made two decision regarding travel that I want to repeat. This was the first trip following my new minimalist wardrobe, where every piece of clothing matches every other one. This, plus the availability of a washer on my apartment, made it easy to get by with just four outfits. Also, my jetlag-minimization technique of rising at 4am during the week preceding my departure worked brilliantly. I was able to get up at 6:30 a.m. for school every day without trouble.
3. Whenever I travel, strangers constantly ask me for directions. I speculate that this is a combination of appearing non-threatening and looking like I know where I'm going. Alas, my knowledge of Madrid geography was such that I could not actually give directions.
4. I would like to attend a language school on a future trip. It strengthened my confidence in the language I know, and gave me the right amount of people interaction each day. When I travel alone, I often end up talking to no one for days.
5. I adjusted pretty easily to the Spanish schedule of lunches at 2pm and dinner at 10pm. What I couldn't adjust to was parties or meetings that started at 10 p.m. or later. Siestas just aren't enough to cope with that if you have to wake up before dawn.