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Three words: CHOCOLATE DIPPED CHURROS. And obviously more fun nursing stuff, but let’s talk about the churros first. After experiencing some more trial and error with the public transportation system of Madrid (timetables are a tricky business), we decided it would be the perfect time to finally try that churraria y chocolateria right around the corner from our apartment. Think warm fudgey cup of chocolate perfection and churros that I can’t even describe because they were so good. Our time enjoying the churros was cut a little short when our fearless leader, Sheri (who is actually our teacher), informed us that we needed to get to the Universidad de Alcalah ASAP. There at the university 2 graduating nursing students were waiting for us to give us a WHOLE class on nursing vocabulary in Spanish. That may seem a little boring, but in reality it was the best ever. Now we can talk to other nurses in Spain without having to mime every little thing! (Because let’s be real: no one wants us to act out a urinary catheter.) Also, a note on those nursing students: they are straight up amazing. Nursing in Spain is a very difficult field to get into, and the nurses often don’t get paid much more than a cashier at a grocery store. These incredible people go into nursing with all its rigor and stress because they feel like they have a calling to do so. After our special nursing Spanish class, we came back to have lunch and siestas. (Loving the schedule here!!) Then we toured the house that Miguel Cervantes was born in. For those of you who don’t know (don’t worry; none of us knew before), Miguel Cervantes is the author of Don Quixote, which is basically the first modern novel to ever be written back in the 1600s. Then we toured the old hospital of Alcala, which is still a home for old people. Our guide was fantastic; he spoke slowly so that all of us still learning Spanish could understand better. The hospital was at first the home of some Spanish nobles back in the 16th century. The couple didn’t have any children so they donated their home and their possessions to become a hospital when they died. AKA, the real MVPs. That was our day! We are loving it and ready for more adventures tomorrow!

 -Lauren

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