No Goodbyes - Only Hasta Luegos

I survived the dreaded goodbyes (or aka, hasta luegos).  I honestly didn't know if I was going to make it through these past few days without throwing up.  My stomach has been in knots for days now.  Still is.  But I survived and am now in Barcelona after just meeting with Gina's former foreign exchange student who lives in Barcelona - Iris.  I am so glad that we finally got to meet up, especially after having such a tough day of goodbyes it was nice to grab a coffee with such a sweet and genuine person.
Last night after dinner with the family around 9:30ish, I went over to Morgen's apartment with the gang for the last get-together.  Triste. Triste. Triste.  I am going to miss them so much.  I am so blessed to have met such wonderful, amazing people this semester.  They made my experience what it was.  And although our time together in Spain is over, I look forward to all the USAC reunions!  Wherever they may be.  *cough cough* Cabo :) jaja  Anyways this morning I woke up and did NOT want to get out of bed because I knew this was the last morning I would wake up in my comfortable little bed in my cozy little room in Alicante, Spain.  During the usual breakfast with Feli, I was tearing up... No way could I start to cry already.  I sucked it up.  jaja  The whole morning and afternoon, there was a huge elephant in the room called This Is Sarah's Last Day in Alicante with Her Amazing Host Family.  It was obnoxious.  Finally it was that time.  I went to my room, put on my shoes, then went back to the living room where Feli and Alba were... I can't even remember if I said anything before we were all hugging and had tears in our eyes.  I couldn't stand it - seeing both Feli and Alba cry.  Madre mia.  We said how much we were going to miss each other, what a delight it had been living together, how we can't believe it went by so fast, and how I am going to return muy pronto (ASAP).  Then Feli apologized for anything that either she or Alba did over the course of the semester that might have upset me etc.  At first I thought she was kidding or that I had misunderstood because neither of them ever did a thing (not even in the slightest) that upset me even a bit.  I told Feli that she was crazy for thinking that and that they were perfect.  When I start to tear up, I can't speak or convey my feelings without bawling so before I said goodbye, I wrote them a letter - everything that I knew I wouldn't be able to say in fear of crying or just because I needed to use the translator!  jajaja  The last thing that was said was "Hasta luego" and then as I was walking down the stairs I heard Feli say "pobrecita" and that was it.  I was crying.  As much as I will miss "pobrecita", I will miss Feli calling me "carino" even more.  They will always hold a very special place in my heart as I know I will in theirs.  Needlesstosay, the walk to the train station was a little embarassing...  Spaniards were staring at me (which isn't unusual) but they were staring evenmore as I was bawling on the sidewalk with a gigantic backpack on.  I finally put on my sunglasses to conceal the tears and redness. jaja
Anyways that is enough of my sob story.  I'm sure you all are tired of hearing about that.  But overall, I could not have asked for a better Spanish experience.  I'm not sad because I know that I will see all these beautiful people again even if it is in a few years.  I am more sad because I was not ready to leave, in my opinion.  There is so much I needed to do, needed to see, needed to say, needed to learn, needed to experience and of course, there was  time that I needed to spend with these wonderful people.  But there is a time for everything - a time to plant and a time to uproot (Ecclesiastes somewhere...).  I know this is true.  But I wish it just didn't have to hurt so bad to uproot.  I am excited for the next chapters of my life but when you enjoy one chapter of your life as much as I did in Spain, turning the page is about the most unbareable thing.  I am so blessed to have had this experience and to have grown so close with my friends here and host family.  I am also incredibly lucky to have the wonderful friends and family back in the States.  I cannot wait to see you all!!!!!!
I love you all a ton.  Thank you for being here for me through the thick and the thin.  You are amazing.
Tomorrow - Vienna, Austria.
Dos Besos,
Sarah

The Final Countdown...

Oh my... less than 24 hours... like I told the girls yesterday, I have oxymorons in my stomach - bittersweet, nervous-excited, jumbo-shrimp... jaja :D  I just finished my classes.  It feels so good to be done but at the same time it makes me very sad.  The time always passes so rapidly.  Not fair!  As weird as this may sound, I'm going to miss my teachers (even Don Juan jaja).  Between Don Juan and my host family - they have taught me so much Spanish!  The other day Don Juan gave me a very nice compliment about my Spanish - he said "has aprendido español perfectamente.  es increíble."  which translates to "you have learned spanish perfectly. it is incredible."  I have come so far in the last 4 months.  I wish I could stay for longer and see how fluent I could really get!  I have had the time of my life learning Spanish and will continue to do so!
The past couple days have been full of packing and goodbyes (not so much studying jaja).  On Monday I said goodbye to Intercambio 2, Pedro.  Kinda triste.  However it was harder to say goodbye to Intercambio 1, Javier.  My friend Carly and I both have intercambios who are good friends.  So last night we all went out to dinner for a last goodbye.  We had sooo much fun!  Between English, Spanish and the language barrier - it was ALL laughs!  I even got some good videos of us being funny at dinner.  Carly and I taught the boys some good English phrases and vise-versa. :)  Both Javier and Juan Antonio promise to visit us in the States.  Can't wait for that experience!!!  Until then we will use Skype or as the Spaniards pronounce it - "skeeeepe"  Oh, how I will miss España.
After our entertaining dinner, Carly and I headed over to Morgen's apartment where the "gang" was - eating cake with "frosting" and having one of our last "hoorahs".  ¡Qué Triste!  I am going to miss everyone so much.  Its unbelievable how close we have all grown.  Pues.. there's always Cabo, right ladies? ;)  
Right now I am just thinking of all the wonderful moments I have had and how blessed I am.  When I was on my way to España in January, I never imagined it would be this amazing.  Wow.  Although its coming to an end, we will always have the memories (and the photos or videos).
Tomorrow I take off for Barcelona, where I am going to try to meet up with Gina's former foreign exchange student.  Saturday my flight takes off in the afternoon for Vienna, Austria where I will start my 18 day journey.  From Austria I will head to Prague where I will meet up with Carly and her brother.  Then Berlin where I will stay with Katie, who is doing a STINT in Berlin with Campus Crusade!!!  After Berlin is Munich with my one-and-only hermano, Jared!  I cannot wait to see him!!  We already have plans to go to a castle and a concentration camp.  If it works out we will meet up with one of our Liberty, MO neighbor's foreign exchange student who lives near Munich.  Finally, there will be a night train to Paris where I will spend four nights before flying direct from Paris to Chicago on June 2nd.  What a ride!  I will continue you to keep you posted as much as possible!
Hasta entonces!
Dos besos,
Sarah




Later that day...
So after debating back and forth over whether to bring vino and other Spanish gifts back home with me via my friend Sara who lives in Iowa City, we decided yes that we would transport vino etc. in my suitcase.  No pasa nada.  Well this afternoon I went to the Correos so they could weigh my suicase.  First thing the guy says when he picks it up is:  "¡Joder!"  and I respond naturally:  "¡Sí Señor!"  ... 28 kilos later... mi maleta ha roto.  Pues.... no más vino... oops!  I go home to Feli and Alba to tell them about the incident - "Madre mia" was all they could say.  Yo tam.  Yo tam.  So I dropped the broke suitcase off by the garbage, went to get more money to buy another China-shop suitcase, and when I came back - my broken suitcase was gone.  Literally 5 minutes.  Or less.  I kid you not.  So then I go to another China-shop and the only suitcase they had was hot pink (sorry sara!!! you are going to look fly wheeling this baby through the airports jaja).  And now, three bottles of vino less... I am praying this suitcase doesn't fail me.  ¡Fracaso!
PS I want to apologize in advance to all of my loved ones who were going to get Grade A vino from Spain as a gift.  Now you are gift-less.  Lo siento mucho.  :( 
Pues... estas cosas pasan.  Now I don't have to worry about customs getting upset.  ¡Bien!

...lots of cuddling...

Less than a week...

Writing that phrase took all the energy I had, which isn't much because it's time for a siesta anyways.  I still don't want to leave.  But it's okay.  The girls and I have decided to reunite in Cabo, Mexico sometime in the next two years or so.  (This will happen.  I promise.  We all do.)  And today when Feli asked me when they could expect me back, I said within two years, after I graduate from Loyola.  That, too, will happen.  I'm convinced.  One thing that Spain and this experience has taught me is that you never have enough time with the people you love.  Never.  So nothing should keep you from the people you love most.  Not 5,000 miles.  Not money.  Not work.  Not time/schedules.  Nothing.  Family and friends are too important and even that is an understatement.  If only everyone lived with that mindset, people would be much happier and the world would be a better place.  But that's another "tema" altogether.  I have had the time of my life in Spain these past four or five months.  I have learned and grown so much.  I don't want to leave but I know the next chapter of my life will bring joy, growth, and love as well.  I hate endings.  And I hate goodbyes.  Chicas, when we leave Spain we are not saying "Adios" - only "Hasta luego".  Wow.  The more I sit here thinking about leaving the more I cry.  This is going to be worse than heartbreak.  Pues... no pasa nada.  I am just so thankful and humbled by these opportunities but more so by the people I have met here and come to love.  You all have made this experience what it has been.  Indescribable.  I am so blessed to have met you all and we have become best friends in such a short time.  And Feli and Alba have become my second family in only four months.  Spain and everyone Spain has brought me to know and love have stolen my heart.  Through the tears, I'm smiling because I am so blessed, so incredibly blessed.

Okay.  Okay.  I need to write about something else.  So... what has been going on in Alicante lately?  Well, let's see.  Last weekend can be summed up in one word - PLAYA (beach).  Amazing weekend of beachin' it, enjoying meals with my family, and passing the nights with my friends in the barrio.  Me encanta.  Last week was full of classes which have become even more incredibly hard to sit through with only a few days left...  I made banana bread for thank you gifts yesterday.  Delicious but the middle always is a problem.  Yesterday, I had to buy a suitcase to transport stuff home in... muy triste.  Since I don't have much stuff, I am filling it with turrón, datiles, vino, digestive cookies, and paella seasoning.  As well as a lovely pair of heels, that are quite painful but I'm dedicated to practicing.  :)  Last night all of us got all dressed up and passed the time at Morgen's apartment, hanging out, talking, laughing, breaking wine glasses.... again I apologize for that one.  *embarrassed*  Then we went to Havana Lounge in the barrio for some dancing.  The dynamic was great.  Everyone was having a blast.  It was the perfect night.  Tonight, ladies, lots of cuddling??? jajaja

However, that isn't the most important part of this weekend.  The most important part is today because today is Feli's birthday!  ¡Qué bueno!  Alba and I bought pastries and flowers.  In Spain, birthdays aren't a big deal.  Loads of gifts - no.  Lots of sweets and cakes - no.  It was perfect.  We had a delicious lunchtime meal of seafood paella, caviar, brie al horno, and then a few tiny pasteles.  ¡Qué ricos!  It was fun because during lunch preparation and lunch, I had my camera and we took some fun pictures.  One of all of our slippers, which embarrassed Alba because she thinks her slippers are ugly!  jaja  They kinda are but we love them all the same.  Even though it is her birthday, Feli did everything the same, including when I tried to help clean up, she protested until I talked her into letting me wipe off the table.  Tonight, there is no way she is doing the dishes.  

Hm... time to echar una siesta.  What a life!

Dos besos

Sarah