Why I Love Madrid

The Metro-North train to Poughkeepsie rocks along the tracks that follow the Hudson River, the world flashing by in reverse, as if it were rewinding history to bring me back to school for one last year. The sun hangs in the cloud-adorned sky, a gigantic glowing red and orange snitch, casting a river of fire across the misty blue river that once promised a passageway into a new world beyond – well – the new world.
As I glide along in the train with other weary passengers disillusioned with the end of summer vacation or stumbling home after yet another day of work in the city, listening to “Return to Innocence” by Enigma (ironically, my inspirational song at the beginning of all my study abroad adventures) I am filled again with love for this place that I never imagined I would end up. And yet here I am – again. And I began to wonder, what is it that allows me to love so many places as if I was born to live out the rest of my days in each of them? And I realized the deep connection that every corner of the earth has with every depth of the sea, that every mountain summit has with the deepest canyons – it all came from the same Creator.
And with that, what better time, I thought, than to write the “5” reasons I love Madrid.

- 1) Somewhere in between the words “I am not” and “a city person” slipped an unexpected love for Madrid . . . and as I flew in and saw the NY skyline, I realized suddenly I loved NYC as well. It seemed to me that the city somehow was no longer an oppressive, deflating place, but a vibrant hub of life. I thought it was easiest to find God on the summit of Half Dome . . . but then I realized what the city is. It is all sorts of different people, strangers, family, friends, natives and foreigners – thrown together in one small space – all of us trying to make sense of ourselves, of the world, and of our place in the world. And what better place for God to be than where the people He loves so dearly are?
- 2) Public transportation. I lived in San Luis Obispo for 18 years. And I still don’t know the bus system. It’s not like I didn’t try – when I was in 5th grade I demanded my mom allow me start taking the public bus to school – I was late several times, or went in the opposite direction, but soon got the hang of it. I still think its way too confusing, though. But I know Metro Madrid, “abonos” and “Zona A” like the back of my hand. And I have a cool new little plastic red wallet with my picture on it.
- 3) The sunsets in Madrid – the way the light sets the buildings aglow and then slowly creeps away and disappears beneath the Parque del Oeste behind an out-of-place ancient Egyptian temple (but aren’t we all a little out-of-place?).
- 4) Oasis Madrid. You guys rock. Period. With a capital. . .um. . .punto.
- 5) The impossibility of getting lost. Okay, okay, there was the one day I walked from Gran Via, all the way to some metro stop on the yellow line, then back down to the Parque del Oeste then back up past Plaza de España, then finally found Bilbao and gave up and took the metro to Kelly and April’s. And that was like, 2 weeks ago. After I’d already been there several times. BUT. . .my point is. . .you can walk forever and still convince yourself you basically live NEXT door to Palacio Real, and if you are trying to find your way somewhere, you either 1) know exactly where you’re going, 2) can keep walking until you do know where you are, and the buildings are so nice you don’t mind the extra few-several-thousands of feet, or 3) you’re bound to find a metro sooner or later and, referring back to Public Transportation – at that point, you’re saved.
- 6) And reason 6 – a little something extra – I love Madrid because God told me to. And somehow, without me realizing it, I fell head-over-heels.