Meg Nadeau
Here I am, my last day in Spain. Where does the time go?! It amazes me that my summer travels abroad are coming to a close. With this, I am feeling many mixed emotions and I am basically an emotional roller coaster. Being excited to go home to see my family and friends, but being sad to leave the beautiful place I've called home for the last five weeks. On one hand, I am sad to leave. I am sad to leave the wonderful people I have met throughout this trip, including my host family, the students who have shared this experience with me, the children I have worked with, and all the people in between. They weren't wrong when they said that the people in Granada were some of the most friendly and kind people I would ever meet. I am going to miss the warm, dry weather here and looking up and seeing mountains surrounding me where ever I am. I wish I could have explored the mountains more and gone on more hikes, but that just gives me another reason to come back some day. I am going to miss being able to walk almost anywhere I go, but I am excited that I won't have to deal with public transportation for a while. The wonderful food, drinks, and tapas are high on the list of things I will miss, as well. If only I could order a drink and get free food anywhere in the world. Gazpacho. I will miss my morning gazpacho a lot. And of course, going back to United States where the drinking age is 21 will be a bummer for the next couple of years. The beautiful Mediterranean Sea can't compare to the cold Atlantic close to home, and I will hold on to the memories of me floating in the sea with the sun beaming on me without a worry in the world until next time I dip my toes in. I will miss exploring different cities in Spain with new friends and using these travels to grow as an individual. The strictness of the U.S. will be hard to readjust to after being used to the lackadaisical culture of Granada which includes naps every day and a loose time schedule and work day. There are so many wonderful things here that I will truly miss when back in the United States. This experience has made me grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. When I get back home I have a better understanding of what I want to do with my life and a clearer idea of how I can get there. I have a new found confidence that anything I set my mind to is possible. I am excited to bring back with me all that I have learned and apply it to the work that I do at school, at my jobs, and within my community. On the other hand, I am so excited to go home. This has been the longest I have ever been away from my family and, although I have been fine, I am more than ready to be with them. I have missed them and I can't wait to share with them the experiences that I had on this trip. I am happy that communication will be easy again and I won't have to think so hard when just trying to order something off the menu, or even read a menu, for that matter. I am looking forward to having my own room that I feel comfortable in and not feeling like an intruder in someone else's home. I can't wait to feel the freedom of driving my car with the windows down and music blasted on back roads that I've never been on before. I am excited to be on my boat eating ice cream, tubing, or playing scrabble with my family. My mouth is watering just thinking of my Dad's food. It will also be nice to start working again and earning money since I am broke after not working and traveling for almost two months. I am looking forward to what my last year at Saint Joseph's College will hold for me and how I can use my experiences abroad to further myself at home. So, although there are so many incredible things I will miss from my travels in Granada and throughout Spain, I feel like I'm ready to go back. Five weeks has been the perfect amount of time for me to feel like I have a good understanding of the culture and feel like a part of the city, without feeling like I've been away from home for too long. I am sad to say goodbye, but it gives me a little consolation that hopefully it is just a "see you later." My life back home is waiting for me but I will forever be grateful and never forget this amazing opportunity, the people, and this city. Adios Granada. Nos vemos más tarde!
