That's all, folks!

So, here is the end. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that I'm leaving Spain tonight, and that these 4 months have already passed by so quickly! I was worried that my last few days here would be tainted by the fact that everyone has been studying for exams, it has been miserably cold, and constantly icy-raining. In fact, I had to put on a pair of wet jeans this morning because ALL of my pants (and socks and shoes and coats, for that matter) are soaked through. Not one of the best feelings in the world. BUT luckily it cleared up yesterday afternoon and has been beautiful, if still FREEZING, and everyone has decided not to care about school anymore. I've always been on the apathy track, just waiting for everyone else to catch on. No matter how ready I may be now, looking back on my time here I have no trouble remembering that there was a time when I wasn't quite ready to rush back to America, no matter how full of wonderful friends and family, fireplaces, cars I can drive, and BBQ it may be.

I have learned so many things this semester, and I think I will continue to learn as I look back on my experiences. As a little reflection on my semester, here is a brief summary on my feelings on leaving Spain...
-I will miss Muesli Crujientes con Fresas y Almedrados. Even better than Special K with Red Berries. Not even kidding.
-I am going to miss schwarma and gelato. A lot. However, my dad has informed me that there's a schwarma restaurant on 20th St. so I will be hitting that up promptly upon my return.
-I will miss traveling, and especially the price of traveling. Ryan and I have become quite close over these last few months. However, I would be glad to never again here the techno music they play throughout the flight. The same song. The entire time.
-I will miss plazas and fountains on every block, and beautiful little streets, and living life in the street. However, my immune system and I will not miss walking through minefields of animal excriment to reach these beautiful locations.
-I am definitely not going to miss Spanish street culture (i.e. people are mean.) If I stare you down on the street, run you over without apologizing, don't say hello when I pass you on the street, or respond to everything you say with "claro", the quasi-equivelant of "duh.", please forgive me. I will try to rid myself of those parts of Spanish culture as quickly as possible.
-I will miss hearing at least 4 different languages every day, and meeting the people that go along with them.
-I will miss always being uncomfortable and being pushed into new experiences and new relationships. But heck, enough is enough. I'm ready to be in the places I know with the people I love!!!

I am headed now to our fancy farewell party, which will be a mix of lots of emotions and exhaustion that will probably result in hysterical delirium. I'm getting on a bus at 3 am to Malaga, and from there it's just a hop, skip and a jump across the Atlantic and I'll be in Birmingham late Thursday night!!!!

And here we are. The end of the end! Thanks for keeping up with this blog, listening to my rediculous stories that more often than not just prove what an idiot I am (sea urchins, anyone??)... I can't wait to see all of your faces in person and not just in your Facebook albums that I stalk!!! ...and That's All, Folks!

No.

I just got back from a fabulously romantic weekend with Molly in Galway (meaning I just took my last public bus in Europe - praise Jesus.). So much to say about the weekend, and so so little time. Here are a few things we did:

-Wore pajamas and warm socks and watched American TV while eating breakfast by the heater. Can't get much better than that.
-Sat and talked in a cafe, a Cathedral, the floor of a used bookstore, on the riverwalk, in her bed, etc.
-Went to pubs and listened to some sweet music.
-Made our own food.
-Sang U2 and Moulin Rouge while waiting for a bus to her friend's Christmas Party.
-Went to her friend's Christmas party and laughed at Irish accents, among other things.
-Watched The Office.
-Made a CD of men with deep voices.
-Ate at a delicious and romantic restaurant.

Also, Sally and 2 of her friends were in Galway for 2 days, so we got to hang out with them a bit. While Molly wrote a paper Saturday, I went on a tour of the countryside and the Cliffs of Mohor with them. We had a hilariously weird tour guide named Desmund. Photos coming soon.

I get home in less than 2 weeks. I can't wait to shamelessly participate in lots of American traditions like overeating and driving separate cars everywhere even when you could walk and/or carpool.

'Twas quite a jolly good time, indeed.

So sorry to leave you all hanging on my British adventures...I know you were hitting 'reset' every five minutes just waiting for this post to pop up... you don't even have to hide it. This week has been non-stop work. But, I've made it through the worst, and now I'm off to Ireland!

While obviously nothing can beat a hay ride and bonfire in Lincoln, Alabama, my Thanksgiving weekend came pretty darn close. First let me say that it was absolutely splendid being in a place where English is spoken - and with such a lovely accent to top it off! For the record, people in England really do use words like "jolly", "'twas", "inkling", and "bril." (short for "brilliant") in their everyday speech. And there really are bright red double-decker busses and phone booths. And university students live exactly like Harry Potter. I always thought it was just in the movies...

I arrived in Cambridge late Wednesday afternoon and was greeted by the lovely Miss Ellen. She was too kind to let me take her bed for 2 nights while she slept on the couch! Ellen and I then went to Christ's College to have tea with her friend Alice (who reminded me of Corinne, so obviously I loved her.) and then to dinner with a few of her other friends. We then went to Christ College's Christian Union meeting, which Ellen has been going to all semester, and which was so wonderful! It was really only about 15 students, but it was so refreshing to be with other Christians. AND I met a girl who lived in Huntsville when she was in Elementary school... that was bizarre. After CU we walked around a good bit, went to the grocery store and bought about 10 boxes of what turned out to be cornstarch instead of cornmeal, and went back to the house to start cooking for our feast.

The next morning Ellen gave me a quick tour so I could get my bearings and then she went to class and I went off exploring. Cambridge is amazing. I would totally live there. I know I've said that about other cities, but I really mean it about this one. The colleges are all absolutely beautiful, and there's lots of grass (that is protected by law...), and the city just has a really wonderful scholarly feel (which I loved...that might make me a dork.) That afternoon we cooked... and by that I mean Ellen cooked and I tried not to get in the way of the master. I did contribute by doing things I'm good at like snapping beans, cracking eggs, etc. I still can't really believe that we cooked a Thanksgiving meal for over 20 people by ourselves... quite a feat. We cooked right up until dinner time, when Ellen's housemates and some Cambridge friends (and later her professor and his wife) all joined us for our meal. We told our Thanksgiving traditions (the lake/hayride/bonfire totally won, by the way.), said what we are thankful for, and tried to explain Thanksgiving to the Brits. It was wonderfully cheasy.

The next morning, Ellen and I woke up early to go punting (punt=England's version of a gondola), and then headed to London! The train ride was beautiful, and it made me want to live there more. We arrived at our friends Andrew and Andy's house to drop our stuff and headed out to meet Kendra. We went to Westminster Abbey and saw lots of famous people's graves or something like that. It was cool. When we got out it was dark, because apparently England thinks it's ok to get dark at 3:30. Then we sped through the National Gallery and then to a nice dinner and the Queen's Theater to see Les Miserables! It was absolutely fabulous!! The next day we did a few more touristy things like go to Herrod's and Burough Market (free gourmet food is such a wonderful idea.) and then back to the house to help cook for Thanksgiving feast #2. That afternoon i heard "Sweet Home Alabama" in a grocery store and may or may not have shed a tear. A bunch of different London people came over that night and we feasted and watched football. It was great. Andrew and Ellen walked me to the bus stop at 3:00 am in the cold rain. They are really good friends.

Overall, fabulous weekend - good friends, good food, great language. I love Cambridge. The end.