Train Explosion - I'm OK!

Hola amigos,

I just wanted to let you all know that I am fine, just really shaken up. Thanks for all the e-mails and concern. The scary part is, I was at that exact train station last week, Madrid Atocha Station, but we decided to take the bus instead. I ALWAYS go there as a jumping point to travel around Spain, it´s only about 2 hours away.

You can never escape terrorism. It´s everywhere. Over 170 people killed and over 500 wounded, on Madrid´s train network by the ETA. ETA is this terrorist group in Spain that is constantly planting bombs everywhere because they want a region of Spain to be its own country (like a rogue state, as if Alaska wanted to be it´s own country). This is huge, Madrid is the CAPITAL OF SPAIN, and only 2 hours away from me!The ETA is happy, I´m sure; they have been trying to get Madrid for a long time. This is their 9-11. How sad! Why do people do the things they do? Pues, por supuesto, everyone is at the Plaza Mayor, and all university classes are cancelled for two days. The Plaza Mayor is filled with people mourning and outraged, demanding justice from those "cobardes asesinos" cowardly murderers. Some of the kids in this program are stuck in Madrid, there is no transportation anywhere, and thank God NONE of them took the train, only the bus!

You just never know in life, and this has taught me to be thankful for everything and always live as if it was my last day here. The Spaniards are more used to this kind of thing though, since ETA terrorist attacks have been happening here for over 30 years. Today are the Spanish elections, I hope nothing happens. Anyhow, here is my new cell phone number (since my other got lost in that 8-story club in Madrid):
011-34-675-367-329
Con carino,
Cassandra