Flew from Seattle-Frankfurt and Frankfurt to Madrid. In Frankfurt I feel a distinct happiness as I walk through the airport even though I understand no one, I enjoy the sense of adventure. I get my passport stamped, but don't fill out any paperwork nor have my bag go through customs as I have always done before, I ask someone, but they say the bag is going straight through to Madrid. Curious. Also, I almost miss my flight, because the gate has been changed.
Catch bus from Barajas to Avenida de Americas, and subway to my stop near the hostel (Cat's Hostel.) Emerge out of the tunnel, to hot and empty streets, siesta on a warm winter day. Finally find hostel after initially walking in wrong direction, realize that I've stayed on this street before, during my first trip to Madrid. Check into hostel. Take shower, wash clothes, and get ready to go to cash machine and to find a phone I can use in Spain. Check my money belt. Check my pants' pockets. Check my two jackets. Look through my bag. Dump bag out and dig through everything. I no longer have a credit card nor a debit card, and less than 300 euros in cash. I start to panic. Woman in my room, says to me that when she saw me dump out my bag she got a bad feeling about it. Trying very hard not to cry. And my brain has stopped providing me with real practical information. I'm about to become destitute in a country where I can marginally speak the language, and I can't change my plane ticket without a credit card, and I'm here for 7 weeks. This is day one. What had started out with so much promise, is descending now into a nightmare...and also, I don't want to go home.
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