Day 0, Part II

To my relief, my train from Madrid to Pamplona was on time, as was my roommate Ana, who met me at the Pamplona station. Her novio (boyfriend) drove us the six or seven minutes to what I can now call "my" apartment. It's lovely! Hardwood floors, big windows, a huge comfy couch in the common room, a big dining table, all very clean — as well as lots of things some Americans might take for granted but I have at times lived without: solid wifi, an effective dishwasher, a washing machine, and (the novelty will never wear off) my own room. :)

Even though I've unpacked, the room looks pretty bare because I didn't bring anything for decoration. Ana was kind enough to loan me sheets and a blanket until I can buy my own. Today todo está cerrado, everything is closed, because it's a big national holiday: Día de Reyes, which is what we call Epiphany in the Episcopal church. My dad, who grew up in Puerto Rico, knows Jan. 6 as Three Kings Day. It's the day the three magi brought gifts to baby Jesus. Most Spanish-speaking Catholic countries celebrate it by staying home from work and exchanging gifts. So I'll have to start my errands tomorrow.

my bed (the walls aren't actually that intense of a yellow)

my desk

my vast closet space that I tried hard to fill

I really didn't get to talk much to Ana because she came to Pamplona only to give me the keys and show me the apartment. As soon as she had showed me around, she and her bf drove back to her hometown, which is an hour from here. But from our brief interactions she seems super nice — especially considering she drove an hour just to show me in!

She's coming back tomorrow, the second roommate will return on the day after, and I'm not sure when the third roommate will return.

dining area

the couch is way bigger than it looks in this picture