My accommodations & my first night :)

Just for me :) Reina means Queen

Here in Madrid, I am renting a private bedroom with private bath in an apartment with the owner. For 14 days I paid $468. That includes all taxes and fees. I got my awesome deal through AirBnB. While staying in a hostel would have saved me even more money... I was not a fan of having to sleep in twin bunk beds with 5 other people in the room. Plus I wanted privacy, and to be able to leave my luggage, and not have to worry about someone going through my things. Having my private bathroom is awesome too.

My host Maribel is a sweetheart and with my flight being delayed, took a break from work to meet me. She gave me a quick tour, gave me the keys, wifi password and tips for getting around the neighborhood.

The bedroom is a decent size, and the bed super comfortable. This is my third time using airBnB and I'm glad I did. If you're going to book with airBnB or are on the fence, make sure you read reviews and look at the pictures. You can send hosts messages before even booking. I look for things like elevators (if on a high up floor), reviews, and the neighborhood. Sincevlistings always show the neighborhood, I do some quick research on the area too. Especially traveling solo, I want to make sure I'm in a safer neighborhood.

If you're new to AirBnB, make sure to use my referral code and save money on your first trip! https://www.airbnb.com/c/tianac439?currency=USD

My first night in Madrid, I spent most of my time sleeping thanks to good ol' jet lag! I took a nice warm shower, unpacked and immediately took a 3 hour, much needed nap. Woke up around 6:30pm, got dressed and decided to take a walk and go to a grocery store near by.

I'm pretty sure I was the only person walking around with my feet out in 50 degree weather but hey technically I'm a Floridian and we do that. The walk took me less than 15 minutes (550m or 1/3 a mile) each way. I used google maps to get me there, and was so proud that I didn't need to use it walking back. I bought sandwich food and a 6 pack of caramel flan. Spent $6.85 on everything.

I made sure to get local brands, to make sure I was out of my norm. Fresh baked bread is always the best too. The neighborhood is urban, quiet yet busy. I noticed almost everyone has a dog. Also, lots of smokers. I had a nice walk in the cold air and ended the night eating a delicious sandwich and watching Spanish-dubbed reruns of The Golden Girls until I passed out. I'd say my first night went well.

xoxo,

Tiana