Home Again
Hola mis amore!!!
I am home. Back in good old Reading, PA, where I've been with my wonderful family for the past week. It's hard to believe that I've already been back for a week...it's hard to believe I'm back at all. Ever since I was little, I looked forward to studying abroad, to that time of your life when you would submerge in a completely new culture and remake yourself...I endlessly considered where I would go and what I would do, I considered Africa, France, Australia...I never really imagined Spain until my sophomore year of college. And now, that time that I so looked forward to is over. I have studied abroad, my time of freedom and fun in another country, without rules, without restrictions (except for the ones I made myself) is over. I can hardly believe that I am old enough to have already completed my time abroad, to be completely done with that experience. I always dreamed of how it would be, and yet while I was living it, many times I did not stop to remind myself, "This is it. This is your chance, your choice, your experience, your dream. Remember this moment." How many moments have I already forgotten? How many memories have already been lost to me?
The last week was absolutely amazing...my finals went surprisingly well, and I am proud to say that my GPA this semester was my highest ever at GW...a 3.89. My history professor told me that my paper was brillant and excellently written (no joke...I guess he couldn't tell that I didn't finish the book that I wrote it on), my Spanish lit professor, Carmela, told me that I was one of the best students in the class (means less in a class of 7 than in a class of 70, but oh well). On Friday, to celebrate the end of finals, I went out with Molly, Vanessa, and Alec to a crepe restaurant. We just made it - we were the last people they let in. We had cheap sangria and REALLY good dessert crepes...they had gone out for tapas before, but because my funds were...low (ok...non-existent), I chose to eat at home. But we had a great time, laughing as usual, and being silly. Alec and I started a dumb joke about how...well, about how we're dumb, haha. We had all gone out, almost the entire group, earlier in the day to try to get on the Christmas bus, which takes you all around Madrid to see the Christmas lights, but after waiting in line for 2 hours, my feet were cold and I gave up and went home. But it was fun to see the whole group. Before that, Vanessa, Molly, Alec and I had gone around Sol, where we found a Corte Ingles with a wonderful outside decoration, a huge "Zoo" outside on the building (kind of hard to describe). More on that later...
Saturday was spent walking around during the day...home for lunch and dinner of course, but then out to see a Fire Show at night. It was absolutely incredible!!! Near the Palacio Real, they had set up all these intricate sculptures that had fire pots that were somehow inflamed. It's hard to describe...basically it was a phyro-maniac's dream. They had big bonfires for you to stand by, music, and a huge Christmas tree by the Palacio. It was truly extraordinary, absolutely beautiful. We stayed until it was over, and then we went for one last chocolate con churros (probably one of the least healthy things we could do, but what the heck, time was winding down). We didn't stay out too late...finals really burned me out this semester, which is kind of pathetic, everyone seems to think that finals are easier when you study abroad, but mine really weren't (except for flamenco) and because my computer was broken, the only thing I did while I was at home was study and it really got to me. But I still got home after Babis and Emilio had gone to sleep so I still looked cool, haha.
Sunday was kind of a weird day...Emilio brought down my suitcases, so I began packing. I love packing when I'm going somewhere exotic and new...but packing up my whole life, packing up "me" or what was "me" throughout the past 4 months of my life, and knowing that I will never unpack there again made it very difficult. I tried to sleep late to avoid doing too much...Turu came over for lunch, and I was so glad to see her. It's funny how much I admired her, even though I didn't really know her that well. It was a nice break. And then after lunch, I met up with Diego for a final language exchange. We went to Starbucks (yeah yeah...I'm not afraid to admit it), and I found that my addiction has either gone away or they just don't make it the same in Europe - it really wasn't that good. It was fun to talk to him one more time...I wonder if I'll ever see him again? Kind of weird to wonder such things. Then I went home and got all dolled up for the final dinner. I wore my favorite black dress and my red heels. I got some gorgeous pictures with Emilio and Babis by their Christmas tree. I kind of wanted to cry...it was hard to take those photos, I knew that they were the last ones I would have with them. I went to the restaurant, which was at the Atocha Train Station. We had a room rented out for us, and I was immediately offered champagne (cava) upon my arrival. We had a very nice meal (although I was forced to choose between pheasant and duck as my entree...not really what I had in mind), followed by dancing. What was so wonderful is that we all love each other...we all got along so well that we could just have a dance with the group, that it was what we wanted and everyone had a wonderful time. We were all so sad when the music stopped. One girl started to cry and while I was hugging her, I almost started myself. It's not that I will never see these people again - they all go to GW. It's just that it will never be the same. It will never be "us" again, there will be other people, some people won't be there. My entire life for the past 4 months consisted of these people and only these people. We became a kind of family, we became one unit that supported each other and took care of each other. I really did have an amazing experience because of these people. We danced for a good 3 hours...I took very few breaks and declined the open bar and chose water so that I could keep dancing. For some reason when I'm getting down with my bad self, vodka just doesn't appeal to me. I guess I'm still immature like that, because quite a few people got...happy.
Vanessa and I took a taxi home because she wasn't feeling well (she treated, aww). Walking up the stairs to my house, I reminded myself that I would not do this very many more times.
Monday morning I pretty much managed to finish packing. I had lunch at home and then went out with Molly, Vanessa and Alec one more time. We started at the Retiro, where we played on the empty playground (school wasn't out yet). They have the best playgrounds there, except if I had played on it as a little kid, I would probably be dead, the rides (rides?!) are so complicated. Then we went around Sol again, we went back to the Corte Ingles to the zoo, where every hour, on the hour, they have a "show." The zoo comes to life, the animals and automated and they SING. It was probably one of the best things of the trip. They sing and dance for a good 15-20 minutes and I made Molly and Vanessa sway along with me. I think I enjoyed it more than a lot of the kids who had gathered around with their parents to see it. We stopped at a cafe for a hot chocolate...and then we went home. It was so weird, we said goodbye and everything and it was really hard. I had a quiet dinner at home and then I took and shower and went to bed. I couldn't really sleep...and was up at 8am the next morning.
I was completely ready by 9, but my flight wasn't scheduled until 2, so I didn't leave yet. Then I got a text from Mikey and then from Russell, telling me to go immediately to the airport because our flight was cancelled. Babis and Emilio drove me...riding in the car with them was so odd, partly because I hadn't ridden in a car for almost 4 months, and partly because I knew that this was the last moments we were sharing together. It made me sad, but I managed not to cry. They dropped me off at the airport...and I said goodbye and walked away from Madrid.
At the airport, I met up with Andrew, Mikey, Russell, and Josh. It was nice not to be alone. We were informed that our flight was cancelled due to bad weather, but they could move us to an "earlier" flight. This flight was then delayed 3 hours, meaning that I took off later than my earlier flight. Frustrated, we were determined to make our Philadelphia flight, but we were informed that we had to go through customs and get our luggage and recheck it. Defeated, Mikey and I still ran through Heathrow in a desperate attempt to make the flight...we failed. After going through customs and searching futilely for our luggage, we stopped at Customer Service, where we were informed that our luggage would not be there and that the flight for Philadelphia was currently taking off. The man told us to go upstairs to the counter, because he couldn't rebook us there. We thanked him and went upstairs.
Where we met chaos.
I have never been in such an insane airport, with so many people and so much insanity, at least not that I can remember, and certainly not when I was in charge of myself. Mikey and I looked at the line for BA, which was an insane mass of angry and tired people and knew immediately that we would never make it home within the next year if we waited in that line. So we did what any normal, smart person would do...we jipped.
We found a young couple and casually (quietly) asked if we could stand with them. They were pretty cold about it at first, not really wanting to, but unable to say no to our adorable faces. Then Mikey and I began chatting up the woman, and she ended up telling us all about them, including showing us pictures of her 2 year old daughter and her 2 chihuahuas. We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and no one called us out - a small miracle. When we got to the counter, the man informed us that there were no more flights to Philly and that he could put us on one for 6:15 the next morning. I almost started to cry, but Mikey kept his cool and explained how we had been inconvenienced this time and last time and asked the man if there was anything that he could possibly do. The man then mentioned that he could put us on a flight that night to Newark and we immediately took it. He also gave us each a 5 pound food voucher...we were very pleased with him. We had to go to Terminal 3 and check in with Virgin Atlantic, because that was our new airway. We stopped and got a sandwich and called our parents. My dad, being amazing, already knew our plans and consoled me and told me everything would be fine. I felt better after talking to him.
We boarded the flight and had a fairly nice and easy ride. No more delays...we were finally going home. I watched The Devil Wears Prada (for the 3rd time...shh) and then The Queen and parts of Pirates of the Caribbean (yeah...I was really bored). We ate some pretty bad risotto, and tried and failed to sleep. When we finally landed, it was 11:40pm. We didn't get through customs and immigration until well after midnight and then we went to baggage claim, where we were informed that our luggage was in London and they would send it to us as soon as possible. We went out to where our mommies were waiting!!!!!!!! My mom brought me a heart shaped balloon - so cute!!!! It was so amazing to see her and to be back, however strange it seemed. We drove home, not getting there until after 3am. I passed out around 4 (don't ask me what I was doing, I don't even remember) and then promptly woke up at 9am. Oh jet lag...
My baggage came two nights later, at 2am. Don't ask me why, I didn't ask for it that way.
So here I am...back at home. I'm sitting here in the room with the Christmas tree, with my new laptop that I got for Christmas. I miss Spain, I miss Madrid and everything that I had there. But I am so happy to be home. I have so much to look forward to, so many amazing things and people in my life. I feel truly blessed that I can go away, find a whole new world that I can call my own and still come home to a home, and to people who love me and who I love.
Out into this world, I am sending you love always.
Con mucho carino, muchos besos, un abrazo muy fuerte
y
Con amor
I am home. Back in good old Reading, PA, where I've been with my wonderful family for the past week. It's hard to believe that I've already been back for a week...it's hard to believe I'm back at all. Ever since I was little, I looked forward to studying abroad, to that time of your life when you would submerge in a completely new culture and remake yourself...I endlessly considered where I would go and what I would do, I considered Africa, France, Australia...I never really imagined Spain until my sophomore year of college. And now, that time that I so looked forward to is over. I have studied abroad, my time of freedom and fun in another country, without rules, without restrictions (except for the ones I made myself) is over. I can hardly believe that I am old enough to have already completed my time abroad, to be completely done with that experience. I always dreamed of how it would be, and yet while I was living it, many times I did not stop to remind myself, "This is it. This is your chance, your choice, your experience, your dream. Remember this moment." How many moments have I already forgotten? How many memories have already been lost to me?
The last week was absolutely amazing...my finals went surprisingly well, and I am proud to say that my GPA this semester was my highest ever at GW...a 3.89. My history professor told me that my paper was brillant and excellently written (no joke...I guess he couldn't tell that I didn't finish the book that I wrote it on), my Spanish lit professor, Carmela, told me that I was one of the best students in the class (means less in a class of 7 than in a class of 70, but oh well). On Friday, to celebrate the end of finals, I went out with Molly, Vanessa, and Alec to a crepe restaurant. We just made it - we were the last people they let in. We had cheap sangria and REALLY good dessert crepes...they had gone out for tapas before, but because my funds were...low (ok...non-existent), I chose to eat at home. But we had a great time, laughing as usual, and being silly. Alec and I started a dumb joke about how...well, about how we're dumb, haha. We had all gone out, almost the entire group, earlier in the day to try to get on the Christmas bus, which takes you all around Madrid to see the Christmas lights, but after waiting in line for 2 hours, my feet were cold and I gave up and went home. But it was fun to see the whole group. Before that, Vanessa, Molly, Alec and I had gone around Sol, where we found a Corte Ingles with a wonderful outside decoration, a huge "Zoo" outside on the building (kind of hard to describe). More on that later...
Saturday was spent walking around during the day...home for lunch and dinner of course, but then out to see a Fire Show at night. It was absolutely incredible!!! Near the Palacio Real, they had set up all these intricate sculptures that had fire pots that were somehow inflamed. It's hard to describe...basically it was a phyro-maniac's dream. They had big bonfires for you to stand by, music, and a huge Christmas tree by the Palacio. It was truly extraordinary, absolutely beautiful. We stayed until it was over, and then we went for one last chocolate con churros (probably one of the least healthy things we could do, but what the heck, time was winding down). We didn't stay out too late...finals really burned me out this semester, which is kind of pathetic, everyone seems to think that finals are easier when you study abroad, but mine really weren't (except for flamenco) and because my computer was broken, the only thing I did while I was at home was study and it really got to me. But I still got home after Babis and Emilio had gone to sleep so I still looked cool, haha.
Sunday was kind of a weird day...Emilio brought down my suitcases, so I began packing. I love packing when I'm going somewhere exotic and new...but packing up my whole life, packing up "me" or what was "me" throughout the past 4 months of my life, and knowing that I will never unpack there again made it very difficult. I tried to sleep late to avoid doing too much...Turu came over for lunch, and I was so glad to see her. It's funny how much I admired her, even though I didn't really know her that well. It was a nice break. And then after lunch, I met up with Diego for a final language exchange. We went to Starbucks (yeah yeah...I'm not afraid to admit it), and I found that my addiction has either gone away or they just don't make it the same in Europe - it really wasn't that good. It was fun to talk to him one more time...I wonder if I'll ever see him again? Kind of weird to wonder such things. Then I went home and got all dolled up for the final dinner. I wore my favorite black dress and my red heels. I got some gorgeous pictures with Emilio and Babis by their Christmas tree. I kind of wanted to cry...it was hard to take those photos, I knew that they were the last ones I would have with them. I went to the restaurant, which was at the Atocha Train Station. We had a room rented out for us, and I was immediately offered champagne (cava) upon my arrival. We had a very nice meal (although I was forced to choose between pheasant and duck as my entree...not really what I had in mind), followed by dancing. What was so wonderful is that we all love each other...we all got along so well that we could just have a dance with the group, that it was what we wanted and everyone had a wonderful time. We were all so sad when the music stopped. One girl started to cry and while I was hugging her, I almost started myself. It's not that I will never see these people again - they all go to GW. It's just that it will never be the same. It will never be "us" again, there will be other people, some people won't be there. My entire life for the past 4 months consisted of these people and only these people. We became a kind of family, we became one unit that supported each other and took care of each other. I really did have an amazing experience because of these people. We danced for a good 3 hours...I took very few breaks and declined the open bar and chose water so that I could keep dancing. For some reason when I'm getting down with my bad self, vodka just doesn't appeal to me. I guess I'm still immature like that, because quite a few people got...happy.
Vanessa and I took a taxi home because she wasn't feeling well (she treated, aww). Walking up the stairs to my house, I reminded myself that I would not do this very many more times.
Monday morning I pretty much managed to finish packing. I had lunch at home and then went out with Molly, Vanessa and Alec one more time. We started at the Retiro, where we played on the empty playground (school wasn't out yet). They have the best playgrounds there, except if I had played on it as a little kid, I would probably be dead, the rides (rides?!) are so complicated. Then we went around Sol again, we went back to the Corte Ingles to the zoo, where every hour, on the hour, they have a "show." The zoo comes to life, the animals and automated and they SING. It was probably one of the best things of the trip. They sing and dance for a good 15-20 minutes and I made Molly and Vanessa sway along with me. I think I enjoyed it more than a lot of the kids who had gathered around with their parents to see it. We stopped at a cafe for a hot chocolate...and then we went home. It was so weird, we said goodbye and everything and it was really hard. I had a quiet dinner at home and then I took and shower and went to bed. I couldn't really sleep...and was up at 8am the next morning.
I was completely ready by 9, but my flight wasn't scheduled until 2, so I didn't leave yet. Then I got a text from Mikey and then from Russell, telling me to go immediately to the airport because our flight was cancelled. Babis and Emilio drove me...riding in the car with them was so odd, partly because I hadn't ridden in a car for almost 4 months, and partly because I knew that this was the last moments we were sharing together. It made me sad, but I managed not to cry. They dropped me off at the airport...and I said goodbye and walked away from Madrid.
At the airport, I met up with Andrew, Mikey, Russell, and Josh. It was nice not to be alone. We were informed that our flight was cancelled due to bad weather, but they could move us to an "earlier" flight. This flight was then delayed 3 hours, meaning that I took off later than my earlier flight. Frustrated, we were determined to make our Philadelphia flight, but we were informed that we had to go through customs and get our luggage and recheck it. Defeated, Mikey and I still ran through Heathrow in a desperate attempt to make the flight...we failed. After going through customs and searching futilely for our luggage, we stopped at Customer Service, where we were informed that our luggage would not be there and that the flight for Philadelphia was currently taking off. The man told us to go upstairs to the counter, because he couldn't rebook us there. We thanked him and went upstairs.
Where we met chaos.
I have never been in such an insane airport, with so many people and so much insanity, at least not that I can remember, and certainly not when I was in charge of myself. Mikey and I looked at the line for BA, which was an insane mass of angry and tired people and knew immediately that we would never make it home within the next year if we waited in that line. So we did what any normal, smart person would do...we jipped.
We found a young couple and casually (quietly) asked if we could stand with them. They were pretty cold about it at first, not really wanting to, but unable to say no to our adorable faces. Then Mikey and I began chatting up the woman, and she ended up telling us all about them, including showing us pictures of her 2 year old daughter and her 2 chihuahuas. We only had to wait about 20 minutes, and no one called us out - a small miracle. When we got to the counter, the man informed us that there were no more flights to Philly and that he could put us on one for 6:15 the next morning. I almost started to cry, but Mikey kept his cool and explained how we had been inconvenienced this time and last time and asked the man if there was anything that he could possibly do. The man then mentioned that he could put us on a flight that night to Newark and we immediately took it. He also gave us each a 5 pound food voucher...we were very pleased with him. We had to go to Terminal 3 and check in with Virgin Atlantic, because that was our new airway. We stopped and got a sandwich and called our parents. My dad, being amazing, already knew our plans and consoled me and told me everything would be fine. I felt better after talking to him.
We boarded the flight and had a fairly nice and easy ride. No more delays...we were finally going home. I watched The Devil Wears Prada (for the 3rd time...shh) and then The Queen and parts of Pirates of the Caribbean (yeah...I was really bored). We ate some pretty bad risotto, and tried and failed to sleep. When we finally landed, it was 11:40pm. We didn't get through customs and immigration until well after midnight and then we went to baggage claim, where we were informed that our luggage was in London and they would send it to us as soon as possible. We went out to where our mommies were waiting!!!!!!!! My mom brought me a heart shaped balloon - so cute!!!! It was so amazing to see her and to be back, however strange it seemed. We drove home, not getting there until after 3am. I passed out around 4 (don't ask me what I was doing, I don't even remember) and then promptly woke up at 9am. Oh jet lag...
My baggage came two nights later, at 2am. Don't ask me why, I didn't ask for it that way.
So here I am...back at home. I'm sitting here in the room with the Christmas tree, with my new laptop that I got for Christmas. I miss Spain, I miss Madrid and everything that I had there. But I am so happy to be home. I have so much to look forward to, so many amazing things and people in my life. I feel truly blessed that I can go away, find a whole new world that I can call my own and still come home to a home, and to people who love me and who I love.
Out into this world, I am sending you love always.
Con mucho carino, muchos besos, un abrazo muy fuerte
y
Con amor
posted by Unknown @ 3:39 AM
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