Bienvenidos a Madrid!

So I am safe and sound in my hostel in Madrid. That´s not saying that it wasn´t a tough journey, but at least I´m finally here and I´m getting a chance to rest.
My journey started out at our apartment in Barcelona. I was the last one to leave, so naturally I was left with most of the cleaning. I also had to somehow figure out a way to get exactly 9 kilos in my carryon suitcase without leaving too much bulk for the other one so that I wouldn´t get as hefty as a fine this time around. I even pulled out our bathroom scale to get it justtt right.
After getting bored of watching the Flintstones in Spanish, I decided to head out around noon. I took both of my huge, heavy suitcases onto the metro and then to the bus stop for the Aerobus to pick me up to the airport. After 3 Aerobusses past by me without stopping, I overheard another man asking where to pick it up. I had been standing in the wrong place for about 30 minutes. Sooo glad I decided to give up those last 15 minutes of the Flintstones.
After walking with my 2 suitcases in tow to the next plaza, I waited for the bus. I was so excited to be first in line, until the bus door hit me when it opened. I can´t imagine anything more embarassing and dumb American-like than getting hit by a slowly moving autobus door.
I finally got to my terminal and waited in a looong line. When I got up to the front, the desk man informed me that not only is my bag 6 pounds heavier than I weighed, but my carryon was too large to be a carryon. I argued the point for a little while since I had taken that bag on as a carryon before, and I KNOW it fits. Nonetheless, I lost the fight and had to pay for 16 kilos of extra baggage. Luckily, Air Europa is 100000x better than ClickAir and doesn´t chare 10 euros per kilo. I was extremely relieved to hear 41 euros instead of 160.
The flight was probably the most pleasant part of my entire trip. Even though we took off about 45 minutes late, and my iPod died before it even lived, the whole flight itself was about 50 minutes so I could bare it.
I got off and decided to take the metro to my hostel. After 2 transfers, 3 elevators, 4 escalators, and about 5 flights of stares (just try to imagine me heaving my bags up a flight of stairs), I finally got to my stop. I swear if it wasn´t for a nice man at the top flight that offered to carry my bags, I swear I would have just given up and left them behind.
Of course, once I emerged, there was the ritual of walking in the wrong direction and turning around to get onto the right street. Then I walked a block past my hostel and had to go into a hotel and ask for directions. FINALLY I made it here. I love my hostel!! There are tonnsss of people all hanging out, watching TV, and cooking together. And a majority of them are American, so it´s nice to meet people from all over. Tonight I went to my fave restaurant MAOZ and lounged around watching TV with a bag of gummy bears. Soo relaxing.
Tomorrow I´m going to try to keep myself busy. I´m probably just gonna sleep in, walk around town, and maybe go back to the Reina Sofia Museum to see Picasso´s Guernica again. Ohhhh and tomorrow night my friend Kevin and I are going to a Real Madrid soccer game!!! It was the last thing on my list that I really wanted to do, and I´m stoked I get to fit it in!!
So I´m thinking I´ve definitely surpassed my 15 minute limit on the computers. Thus, I better get going (i.e. get going to sleep).
3 days until I´m home!!

Hasta pronto!!