One last Hurrah

Well here it is...my last night in Spain. I have been here for 144 days, and in a little less than 12 hours I will be heading home. Now, I could get sappy and tell you how these have been some of the most incredible days of my life, how I've made a great new group of friends, or how I think I may even be a little wiser than I was when it all started (if that is even possible). Because this semester honestly has been just that - incredible. But, I will spare you the sappy details, because you'll hear them all when I get back anyway. Plus the goodbye hugs I just gave to my friends were a little too much of a tearjerker anyway. So instead, I think I'm going to bring my study abroad blog to a close with a list of all of the things that I'm excited for in the good old USA. Get ready, this list is no joke. I have thought about this long and hard folks.  

1. Food: As delicious as Spanish food is, I am ready to dive back into my American staples. Let me at some Mexican restaurants, a BLT, salmon, and some grilled chicken. Really just anything that isn't gazpacho or ham.

2. Free refills...no explanation needed.

3. People who hold doors open for others

4. AIR CONDITIONING...I've been sweaty enough for one lifetime

5. English: I legitimately think I might be overwhelmed at first. I mean, obviously I speak a fair amount of English here, but to be able to speak it everywhere I go will be quite the novelty. Unfortunately, I'm also going to have to relearn that everyone around me will be able to understand what I say...

6. Driving a car

7. Dollars instead of euros...that conversion rate got old very quickly

8. Oh, and you know, family and friends. And of course, the infamous Starbucks Murphy

I can't even begin to list the things that I will miss about Spain. On the short list is obviously Cruzcampo, siestas, paella, fresh bread, cafe con leche, speaking Spanish, easy travelling through Europe, the ability to walk everywhere, and the beauty of this gorgeous city I live in. But most of all, I'm going to miss these people who have been my family for the past 5 months. Yes, even Carmen. It might be a little weird to not wake up to a half dressed 5 year old every morning.

So this is it...for real this time. The end of my travelling adventures and the end of my blog. I've been thinking a lot about what to say when people ask me "SOOOO...how was it?!" To be honest, I don't even know where to begin. I think I might just go with incredible. Truly and completely incredible and life changing and one of those things that I'm going to be talking about when I'm old and gray and wishing I was young again. Maggie and I say all the time that we're going to be those girls in Chapel Hill that everyone hates because every conversation moves towards "Oh! That reminds me of that time in Spain when this happened..."

But for now, I will leave you with this. Thank you to everyone who has actually read this. I hope it was at least interesting, and know that I have enjoyed keeping it more than I ever would have imagined. Europe, it's been real. I can't wait to see you again someday. Until next time Spain, hasta luego.