Madrid the 2nd time around

I got into Madrid a little after noon and found my hostel quickly. It was nice enough, but they sure know how to stuff the bunkbeds in a room. I was in a 6-bed room and ended up on the bottom bunk. I went to sit on it and realized that this was the shortest bunkbed in existence...to the best of my knowledge. ;) I sat on the matress and the top bunk touched the top of my shoulders. I laid down in my cave/coffin and realized there was less than 3-feet of space between my bed and the bunk above. I know this because I stacked one foot on top of the other and almost touched the top bunk. Nothing like a funky finish! I spent the rest of the day walking the city, napping, and getting ready for my dinner with Pedro.
Dinner with Pedro was definitely a highlight for me. I got to try some tapas dishes I never would have ordered on my own, including oxtail, and got to enjoy a fun conversation over drinks and dinner. This was a stark contrast to dinner the night before. We ate dinner, then headed to a nearby bar that had a 3rd floor terrace that overlooked one of the plazas. At 12:30 I was a punk and chose bed over going to the next spot!! I really wanted to rally, but Madrid nights are still out of my league! When I told Pedro I was tired and couldn't hang, he laughed and said "And it's only a Wednesday!" Ill be ready for him next time!
Thursday was my last full day in Madrid, and really of my trip. I decided it was time to shop! I wouldn't have to lug my bag around any more so it was time to go souvenir crazy!! Shopping is hard work. Especially if you are looking for stuff that isn't too touristy but not in English. I found a lot of the same brands of clothing we have, which makes sense, but can be frustrating if you are looking for Spanish writing. I ended up finding everything on my list, but it literally took all day.
I was excited for my flight and decided it was a good idea to pack most of my stuff the night before so I started to put my souvenirs away. Then I saw one of those security tags that squirt ink all over if you tamper with it. Perfect! It was already after 7, so I walked as fast as I could without looking crazy to see if the store was still open. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to get it taken off and would have to start a new trend of wearing shirts with these tags. Luckily for you and everyone else who wouldve started to wear these tags, it was still open. They remove it and I headed back to pack.
My plan for the rest of the night: pack, skype, perubian food(suggested by Pedro), and finish with Harry Potter. Good plan, right?!? I was skyping when I said my plan out loud. My roommate, Simone, almost had a heart attack! Simone and I met the day before. She is from England and testing herself with a 6-week solo trip before "going off to Uni." (Please make sure all of her quotes are read with an English accent. Thanks) :) She just finished her first week and a half, and said she was getting homesick. We bonded over travelling alone and talked about where we had been so far. She just came back from the music festival that many of the people I came across in the hostels had just come from. It included four days of music, camping, and partying. There was also the added bonus of a storm in the area which resulted in some really strong wind. She said it made her nervous in her little tent as she realized "I'm quite light!" (Did you add the English accent??) I had invited her to dinner earlier in the day, but I think the mention of Harry Potter sealed the deal! We headed to the restaurant, which ended up being really close.
It was completely empty when we got there, which made me nervous. Why was it so empty?!? As it turned out the food was great!! We both really enjoyed our dishes. I even did the happy dance. :) We were on a tight timeline so we started to walk to the theater. We got there 10 minutes after the start time, so we missed a few minutes of the movie but dinner was completely worth it. As an added bonus the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles!! Yes!!!
We laughed, cried (ok, maybe not cried but close), and headed back to the hostel. We were the last to get back to the room so I had to sleep in what I had in again...plus, I already packed everything and it wasn't really worth the effort!
Sleep was a little elusive. I think it was a combination of the heat, squeaky bed, recalling what I experienced over the past three weeks, and the excitement of going home. I woke up before my alarm. Showered and grabbed some free breakfast. Then caught the metro to the airport.
I have a master plan for the day. I leave at 2am Pacific time and get in at 11pm. I am trying to keep from sleeping on the flights or during my 6 hour layover in Atlanta so I'll crash out when I get home, which will hopefully help put me back on Cali time. We'll see how it goes, but I think it's brilliant!! ;)