Marisa’s abroad in Madrid, Spain, until Dec. 19.

I’ve been here for nearly two weeks now, and I’m beginning to settle into the swing of things. You know, school, homework, working out… We still have to do normal things like that, just in a more exotic locale. On Thursday, our señora is taking Ally and me to Pilates, where we’ll see if we want to join a gym. Running in the streets here is a big no-no, which was made apparent last week when we got endless stares as we circled the Plaza de Toros.

I’ve been adjusting to the meal schedule and types of food eaten here as well. Let’s just say I don’t get my normal breakfast of yogurt and granola. Instead, it’s toast and cookies every morning. Our señora packs us two (sometimes three!) sandwiches, which usually consist of a massive baguette and one slice of meat or cheese. Lunches and dinners at home usually include salad or fruit, and something really fattening and delicious like paella, Cuban rice with platanos and eggs or pizza.

Everything here is cooked in olive oil. Everything. Even the almonds are “fritos” (fried) instead of toasted. There is literally a pan with olive oil sitting on the stove, and she just tosses in chicken, salmon, whatever. So far, the food is neither fabulous nor horrible… just different. Personally, I think it’s part of the immersion experience and adopting the ways of a different culture, so I’m sort of going with the flow. But I can tell I’m really going to miss Trader Joe’s by the end of this semester.

Speaking of going with the flow (sorry, had to do it), all the white bread we’ve been eating (and all the raw veggies we haven’t been eating) prompted us to explore the supermarket a bit in search of some fiber. We found our saving grace in the form of delicious high-fiber cookies called “Digestive.” I can’t stop eating them, which is a bit of a problem considering their purpose. There are all sorts of exciting flavors, too! In fact, there is an entire aisle for high-fiber products and fiber supplements in the grocery store. You’d think they would just bag the baguettes and learn to eat some wheat bread, if it’s such a problem.

Anyway, now that I’ve divulged my digestive issues to the entire readership of this blog, I think I’ll go get ready for dinner. Today is my friend Rachel’s birthday, and all of the girls are getting together for dinner at Javier Bardem’s restaurant. Now if only he was for dinner…