Hasta Luego, España

Well, I can't believe it but my journey is coming to an end here in lovely Spain. It feels like last month that I was writing to tell everyone I booked my flight to come here, and in exactly 6 days I will be flying back home to Houston. I am going through a huge range of emotions as I close up my life here. I am torn between not wanting to leave and being so excited to see my family, friends and pets that I left behind. My mom said it the best. I have created my own little family here in a country that I have come to love and have called home for the past half year. That it is never easy to build such strong bonds and connections and then just leave it...but just because I am physically leaving it I have these new and fabulous people in my life that I hope will remain life-long friends. We can visit each other in our respective countries as well as have reunions in new places none of us have ever been. And as for Spain, well, I have so many memories that will stay close in my heart for the rest of my life. I also plan to come back here at least a few more times in my life.

I'd like to send a few shot-outs to some people who have really made my experience here that much more enriching and made me feel a little less crazy! First of all...mom and dad-you supported me financially to come here and I would not be here if it weren't for your help with that. Your investment was so much more than money...it was your faith in me and your wanting me to experience the best that life has to offer. You didn't question me once when I randomly told you I want to live in Spain. I can't begin to tell you how much your love and support has helped me to bloom and grow in this process of soul-searching. You are my best friends and I love you so much.

All three of my brothers-I know we didn't talk too much while I was away but each time we did, you're pride in me definitely kept me going. In return, I was so proud to tell people about you and how I am so lucky to have such wonderful siblings. And Ari and Rachel-thanks for making me an auntie!! Getting the news through a transatlantic call will always stay in my memory. I can't wait to meet my new niece.

Grandpa-thanks for all your articles you found in the papers that had anything to do with Bilbao or Spain and sending them to me. It kind of amazed me how often this great country and city came up in the U.S. news. Your interest in my trip really made me appreciate that much more what a great place in which I was living. Of course all your emails made several of my days too!

Diana-thanks for all the awesome greeting cards you sent my way...you must have sent one like every 2 weeks...that takes a lot of thought and persistence and I loved getting so much snail mail. The people at the institute said I was the most popular student they had ever had when it came to getting mail...thanks to you!

Eva-we had our bumpy times especially when I first got out here but man how much we have grown...I don't know too many people that would take the time or effort to work on their relationship over an ocean mostly through email and a few phone calls just to try to make things right. Your sacrifice to come visit me...I can't even put in words how much that means. You completed what was already an awesome experience in Spain and now we have technically finally traveled together. I hope we have many more oppotunities to come.

And all my other family and friends....thank you for checking in on me, for supporting me and for making me so excited to come back and see your beautiful faces. I know it's hard to leave Spain but you all make it easier because I know I have some amazing people in my life to come back to.

Para todas mis amigas en España- madre mia, voy a echaros de menos. Estais en mi corazon para siempre. Gracias por todo y yo lo se que nos vemos pronto. Os amo!

With all that said...I thought I would list out some of the things I am going to miss and not so much miss about Spain:

I won't miss the noisey bar beneath my bedroom that kept me up or woke me up several nights. I also won't miss the never-ending construction above our flat that several times I believed the roof would come crashing down on me. Really...Spain is pretty noisey and I won't miss it at all! I won't miss having to always look down when I am walking outside in order to dodge the endless piles of dog poop or puddles of pee. The Arabs on Calle San Francisco whistling and saying nasty things as I walked by. Always smelling like smoke because everyone and their dog smokes here. I definitely won't miss my teaching job (although it was good experience). Always being cold in the flat. Fighting to use the washing machine and never having room on the drying rack. Not being able to watch TV when I wanted to. The 25 minute train ride to and from my job. Never having enough money! People (directors of schools in particular) being a bit on the flaky side. Beds breaking in the flat almost once a month. The sometimes very constant rain and my pants always getting soaked. Getting sick almost every other month. Having to pay for the internet and having to go to internet cafes to use it every time. The endless trips to the supermarket...I never seemed to have enough food! Being homesick at least a little bit the whole time I was here.

I will miss my friends first and foremost. I'll miss the amazing food, especially the tortilla! I'll miss Nikki's awesome selection of DVD's and Bristish chic lit novels. I'll miss my yoga classes where I continued to work on my Spanish and my emotional state...my instructor was awesome and I will truly miss his wisdom. I'll miss going out to all the bars and discos and dancing like there is no tomorrow. I'll miss kissing and dancing with random, beautiful Spanish men in the discos. I'll miss Casco Viejo, the Nervion River (and running along it), Zubiarte, menus del dia, chocolate con churros, pintxos y vino, short weekend trips to other cities. My friends...I'll miss speaking Spanish and learning Spanish. I'll miss the beautiful beaches where it's normal to go topless and fall asleep for hours. Dinners and lunches with my friends. The awesome fashion and shopping. The cheap chinese stores where you could find anything and everything. My friends.... My flat and all the flatmates I have had over the course of 6 months. Hilde's massages. The sunny, clear-blue days. The view of the beautiful moutains in every direction I walk. The Umbrella song (amigas- vosotras sabeis!) Kalimotxos, Sangria, Txakoli and all the lovely and cheap La Rioja wine. The alioli at Asia di Roma. Cafe con leche. Have I mentioned my friends? Catching up each evening with Nikki. Nikki and me swtiching off making dinner for each other. Nikki helping to undress me when I was too tired or drunk. My side trips to Paris and England. The fresh organic fruit store five feet away from my flat. The fresh bakery with awesome bread four steps away from my flat. The nice pharmacy lady across the street who always gave me the good drugs to make whatever illness I had go away. Most of all...I'll miss my friends.


I could go on forever but I will stop there. I truly did have the time of my life here and I am actually really proud of myself for making it more successful than I could ever hope for. I feel I have done enough soul-searching to really know myself again and that is priceless.

What's next you all ask? Well....as always, I don't have a definite answer. I have lots of ideas and promise to keep you posted. In the meantime I plan to see where life takes me next. It is after all, an adventure.