I need a nap.

After the BEST going away happy hour I could have ever asked for (thanks again guys, that totally rocked:), a night of subpar sleep, a 12 hour layover in Newark, and the 7 hour red eye flight to Madrid, I think I may have finally kicked my insomnia problem that has been plaguing me for the last two weeks. I have been here for 3 hours. While there is clearly some exploring to be done, here are my initial impressions:

The mullet is alive and well in Europe.

So is the skinny pant. On everyone. Even small Spanish boys.

I forgot how incredibly gorgeous small Spanish side streets are. I went straight from the airport down into the metro, and didn't come out again until I got to the stop for the hostel where I'm staying. When I came up to the street level and rounded the corner from the plaza into the actual neighborhood, I was totally floored. The streets are so small, and the courtyards hidden behind wrought iron fences are so beautiful.

Street urchins still live here, and they still want to take my stuff. The second thing I did after clearing security was hit up an ATM for crispy new euros. Then I got on the metro. I'm sort of a walking target. I recognize that. My backpack does in fact scream "Please stick your hand in my bag and take my wallet." Which someone chose to do. Fortuantely, a girl tapped me on the arm right after it happened and pointed at the shameless heathen holding my brand new Fossil wristlet. I got a little mad and attempted to chase after him, which I soon realized was going to be difficult if I planned to take my backpack and duffel bag with me. I must have looked like quite the sight, especially since I was screaming every expletive I could think of in both English and Spanish. Fortunately, he dropped my wallet and kept running. He only had time to take my cash, so I still have my bank card and ID and everything else. Here's to me paying more attention to who is standing behind me.