An American Thanksgiving in Spain

This year I completely embraced the Thanksgiving tradition!  Luckily, I work at the US Embassy on Thursdays so being an American holiday, all my students got the day off.  Therefore, I did too! I took advantage of the oportunity to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for my roommates and some close friends.

I made several trips to the American store in the Embassy to pick up a few essentials and ordered my turkey from a local butcher.  Turkey isn't as popular here as in the US so we bought only parts of the turkey.  It was easier since there were only 5 of us and faster to cook.

My friend Melissa, a Puerto Rican girl who recently moved to Madrid, was super excited to try a traditional mainland US Thanksgiving meal.  She stopped by my place early in the afternoon to help me cook while all my other roommates were at work.  We cranked Christmas music all afternoon as we were starting the feel the holiday spirit.

By the time my all my roommates got home, it was around 10 o'clock (typical dinner time in Spain).  I put together the table and we all sat around where Nikki and I told stories about our past Thanksgivings back in the United States.  We had to explain what all the food was to our Spanish compadres as they hungrily and confusingly stared at all the rarities on the table.  When everything was out, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for that year.  I said for the opportunity to share my culture and for experiences that I have been blessed to have throughtout my time here in Spain.

Then we dug in everything and went to sleep content and FULL!


That Saturday was also my company's Thanksgiving luncheon. This year we had it at Nicoletta, a really nice Italian resturant. It was fun getting a big group of Americans and non-Americans together to share amazing food, wine and some laughs.





 

After the lunch, a large group of us continued to some pubs and bars where we drank, chatted and danced the night away.

It was yet another interesting Dia de Accion de Gracias and I wouldn't have changed a thing :)

Birthday #24

Another birthday flew past me about 6 weeks ago.  Once again it shot upon me unexpectingly as I was still on a family high from my aunt and grandmother coming to visit just a fews weeks prior and adjusting to a new work schedule. 

I followed the same theme as last year- simplicity.  Like I explained, summer months are usually tight on the wallet especially later in the month.  So I invited everyone to my apartment (my 2 wonderful roommates made absolutely gracious hosts), I cooked a variety of American dishes and bought liters and liters of beer for everyone.  My apartment is substantially bigger than the apartment I was staying in for my last birthday so I got to decorate and invite a lot more people.

I got a much better turn out than last year... especially considering I've made a lot more friends over the course of this year.  However, something still wasn't the same.  Dani, my Spanish best friend, didn't come and some other close friends that I was expecting had other personal reasons that kept them away.  But those who did, had a very good time if I dear say. 

ME AND MICHELLE

I spent hours preparing all the goodies.  One of my best friends here, Michelle came over a little early to help my prepare.  She also brought me some goodies including my adorable birthday cake.  My amazing roomie, Nikki helped my cook and clean all day too.  When everyone started to arrive, they were met with an incredible assortment of snacks like pigs in a blanket, spicy chicken dip, deviled eggs, pasta salad, all the essentials.  To top it off, for dessert we had Michelle's cake and tirumisu and mini- French Toast bites.  A breakfast food in our culture.... but a complete culture shock for all the foreigners! Everything was a big hit!

 I spent majority of my party in the kitchen but it was well worth it to see everyone having a good time. The beer and liquor flowed steady for the next 3 hours or so. When all the food had been administered, one of my favorite students asked me about a promise I had made to teach the Spaniards some American drinking games. haha! it was hilarious watching them trying to master flip cup and understand the rules to beer pong. We were all laughing so hard that it actually brought my next door neighbor over to complain about the noise level. Oops! I mean c'mon.... it's Saturday night, my birthday and the first time we've had anyone over at all. But I told my nosey neighbor that we'd be leaving soon and we'd try to keep it down until then.

I kept my promise as 20 minutes later we ran out of alcohol.  So obviously it was time to move on.  I didn't have a specific after-place in mind.  I figured we'd take suggestions and see how many people actually wanted to head out after.  Majority we still wanting to party and my good friend Martin knew a place not far from my house that played decent music and was a fun but chill place.  Everyone supported his choice and we headed there.  It was a really fun bar that played a mix of american rock and pop with some spanish singles.  We stayed there till I'd say around 530-6 when the place closed down.  I still had some energy left but everyone else was pooped so we called it a night and went home.

Overall, it was one FANTASTIC birthday.  The actual day was nothing special. I had work all day and called my family at night.  A lot of my friends and family sent me cards which is always a nice suprise :)  The party beat all my expectations... so than you to everyone who was apart of my special day! MUCHOS BESOS Y MIL GRACIAS A VOSOTROS!

Back to that Same Ole Place...

SWEET HOME CHICAGO!

One of the strangest (yet, most fantastic) culture differences I've encountered in Spain is their extensive vacation time.  They have random holidays at least once a month and during the summer, most employees can take up to 1 MONTH of vacation if they didn't take too many extended holidays during the year.  1 MONTH paid holidays... are you kidding me??  Well, with the Spanish culture being the way it is, there isn't a lot of work during the summer months as large percetages of people are gone July, August or September.  So my academy requests strongly (basically, requiring) that every teacher take off at least 1 month of the summer.  Unfortunately, being foreigners, we don't get the priviledge of paid vacation time. 

I planned my vacation for months.  I knew I wanted to go home as I haven't been there since the previous October (and that was for only 5 days!) So an extended period of time was definitely in order.  I contemplated for months when I should go back.  I decided on the month of July.  I'd make it in time for the 4th, it was my mother and siblings birthdays and my really good friend Sarah was having her wedding shower/ bachelorette party.  I wanted to go to her wedding instead in September and take my vacation time then, but it just so happened that my grandmother and aunt were planning a trip to visit me in Spain during that time.  So, July was the obvious alternative!

At the end of June as classes were ending, I decided to move apartments.  I was having difficulties with my roommate and mostly, I just wanted a change of scenery.  One of my colleagues and close friend, Nikki told me that one of her roommates was moving out the end of July. We thought about living together before so this just seemed to perfect.  After my month of vacation, I could move in with her and not worry about paying an extra month of rent.  Perfection. 

After weeks of anticipation, the day had finally arrived! And wouldn't you know it... all the subway workers conviently decided to hold their huelga (work strike) the same day.  So I was walking around the streets with 2 large suitcases, unable to take public transport and not an available taxi in sight! After over an hour, I finally spotted an old couple getting out of a taxi and quickly slid into the backseat.  Already exhausted, I arrived and the airport and made it to my plane. One layover and 14 hours later, I finally landed in Sweet Home Chicago.

My family met me at the airport and within minutes were arguing and screaming at eachother as we walked to the car.... ahhhh so good to be home :)

The first week was spent cell phone less as my parents 'misplaced' my old one and going to doctor/ dentists appointments.  Oh joy, 3 cavaties and my WISDOM TEETH had to be removed.  Spain clearly doesn't have flouride in their water!  So the end of my first week and most of my second week was spent popping pain killers and eating nothing but pudding, jello and ice cream (can't complain too much)

For the 4th of July, one of my friends had a huge picnic and bonfire.  I got to see a huge group of people that I haven't seen or really spoken to in over a year.  Luckily, it was like I never left.  We sat around talking about the same old, same old with a few Spain questions thrown in the mix.  At night we lit off a small armoury of fireworks.  The following days were spent visitng family and hanging out with friends: bowling trips with my siblings, laying poolside with cocktails, hitting up all my old hangouts, baseball games, birthday parties, Taste of Chicago and simply relaxing at home.  That's what I love about my life... no matter how long I'm gone, I know I'm always welcomed back and it's as if I never left. 

Here's a collage of random awesome events throughout the month with my awesome friends:

@ Teehans

@ The Taste of Chicago

4th of July

 besties in Naperville

Chris's Bday Bash

Thunderbolts Baseball Game w/ Meg

prepared for our 1st night out together :)

Probably the most important thing I did back home was getting a tattoo.  I had 2 already and was thinking about a third for quite some time.  But knowing that this would be my last one (at least for a while), I wanted it to be something meaningful... at this point in my life, there's nothing more meaningful to me than my siblings.  So I researched for weeks and weeks prior to coming home for something that would really illustrate how important they are to me. 

I liked the idea of a short phrase.  But nothing really seemed poetic enough in English.  I thought Spanish would just be korny.  So I opted for the root of most modern languages: Latin.  Not being one really to show off my 'artwork', I opted to put it on my foot.  I already had a small heart above my little toe so I knew that I wanted to incorporate it into this tattoo. Therefore, I decided to get 5 additional smaller hearts- each one to represent each of my 5 siblings. After searching even more, I finally found a phrase I wanted, the most basic phrase that completely 100% says how I feel...

SINE VOS NON POTERO VIVERE

WITHOUT YOU I COULDN'T LIVE

 The last week I travelled back to my college days by flying to Ohio for Sarah's bridal party weekend. I stayed with my best friend from OU- Amy and her boyfriend. We spent hours gossiping, watching bad movies, walking around Cleveland and making jello shots! Majority of my closest friends came in for Sarah's shower so it was incredible to see everyone again. We laughed, cried, drank a LOT as we reminisced about the good old days. Sarah's shower was during the day and later that night we started her bachelorette party at her sister in law's house before hitting some bars in downtown Cleveland. I was an amazing night with some really amazing ladies! I said goodbye the following day, hugging everyone and fighting back the tears as I returned back to Chicago.

MORE PICS FROM OHIO...

Amy and I in Cleveland

Cleveland Skyline

Sarah's Wedding Shower

A few days after that I was doing it all over again but this time to all my family and friends back home as I boarded the plane back to Madrid.  The month flew by and I only got through a fraction of the things I wanted to do on my list.  I got to spend time with most people I wanted to and I send my deepest apologies for anyone that I didn't.  I love Spain, but these last few months I'm really starting to miss Chicago.  Being away definitely helps you put things in perspective.  I now know that Spain will always be one of the best highlights of my life but I also realized that the latter part of my life will be spent in America.  Spain has my heart forever but the US is where I belong.  So as you have probably figured out, I've decided to return back home.... but not until next summer!  haha I still have a few more adventures left to have here in Spain. 

our ritual goodbye Sushi Dinner



A Welcomed Surprise

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It represents time spent with the family and friends, the arrival of Spring and the ability to eat delicious treats guilt free. So this year, I was a little sad to be so far away from home. However, that all changed one day last week. I woke up and opened my bedroom door to walk to the bathroom when I stubbed my toe and nearly tripped over an object in front of my door. I cursed my roommates under my breath for not paying attention where they put their things when I looked at the object. It was a package. I picked it up and saw my name written on the side. Someone had sent me a package!!!
After a quick bathroom trip, I ran back to my room full of excitement. I examined the box as if it had come from outer space. It was from my best friend Ray. He had been telling me for almost a year that he would send me things from back home. Every time I talked to him he said, “Yes, I’ll send you something soon.” I knew he eventually would but I never rushed him because I knew how expensive shipping things abroad could be. And I was right; this box cost him $50 to send. I bet he wasn’t expecting that.

Anyways, I felt like it was a box of American heaven. PEANUT BUTTER, CHOCOLATE, GUM, GLAMOUR MAGAZINE (in English), SPICES, and most importantly….

CRYSTAL LIGHT!!!!

Ray also sent me an envelope full of our favorite pictures together and a 2-page note of his random ramblings.  I sat in bed reading and re-reading the letter with tears rolling down my face. Yes, I was that big of a girl in that moment.
This came at the right time for me. It gave me a piece of home and made me remember how blessed I am to have such amazing friends.

My friend Meg sent me a similar box around my birthday last fall and again my friend Chris sent me a small Christmas box of goodies. It’s the small things that make me miss home but luckily, I have the love and support from my friends and family to keep me going. Shout out to all of my friends that remind me daily of how lucky I am!!! Love you and miss you all <3

Home Sweet Home

Well the time had finally arrived. It was time for my first trip back to the United States since I had left 6 months before. I was a little nervous because most people say that your first return trip is your hardest: meaning that it is harder to get back on that plane back to Spain. I had little time to really anticipate the trip because I had so much work to do before hand. I was going to be taking an entire week off of work. So I had to prepare all my classes for my substitutes. But of course I couldn’t plan the next week until I had that previous week prepared. Therefore, in a matter of 3 days, I had to plan 12 days of class. That whole week, I spent every minute possible making photo copies, looking for resources and meeting with my substitutes to discuss my classes. Needless to say, I was tired. I was also pretty emotionally stressed too that month with financial and personal issue so I desperately needed this vacation.

I left mid-morning on a Tuesday which put me into O’Hare about 7pm. The flight was pretty standard. I had a layover in Copenhagen, Denmark for an hour and then a 9 hour flight to Chicago. I would definitely recommend Scandinavian Airlines, if you have the opportunity! I was greeted with signs and flowers by my mother and my siblings: Derek, Brock and Kylie. It was just the homecoming I needed. That night, I ate dinner at my Mom’s and then met up with some friends for a few drinks. I started my errands straight away the next day, picking up things to bring back to Spain. I visited some of my old hangouts and spent every second visiting the people I had missed the most. Thursday night, Carrie and I were up to our old shenanigans and went to Bourbon Street for Ladies Night. It was like I never left. Plus, it was Halloween that weekend so I even got to dress up! As you can see from the picture, I went as Limp Bizkit (though no one knew until I did the 'Rollin' dance) Some of my boys met up with us along with my other bestest Leslie. It was an amazing night.

Friday, I did more running around and then went downtown for Colleen and John’s rehearsal dinner. Saturday was their wedding, so it was a hectic day of hair, makeup, fake nails and last minute touches. My best friend Ray aka my wedding date drove down with my dad and brothers to meet us at the Church. It was a drama filled day but everything turned out perfect. Colleen made an absolutely gorgeous bride. The reception was one that will go down in infamy within my family. Words cannot describe it… so enjoy the pictures! We ate, drank and danced till the wee hours of the morning. Being Halloween, the theme of the wedding was Vintage Masquerade. Unforgettable.

The next night, I met up with my dad and other siblings, Liam and Windsor. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time as I wanted before they had to go back to their moms. That was probably the most disappointing part of the trip. These kids are growing up so fast and I want to make sure they know how important they are to me, all my siblings. It’s probably the hardest part of being so far away with such a large age difference between us. I have to take advantage and treasure every moment I have with them.

Well Monday came ever so quickly and it was time to head back home to Spain. I spent the morning packing and running last minute errands before my mom and grandmother took me back to the airport. The flight home felt a lot longer this time. I enjoyed every second of being back in Chicago but I was kind of glad to be going back. It wasn’t as hard as I expected it to say goodbye again. This trip was what I needed to reassure myself that I made the right decision to move to Spain and embark on this crazy adventure. As soon as I got back in Madrid, I had to throw myself back into my classes which was good because it didn’t allow me time to wallow. So this blog is dedicated to John and Colleen Whitehead that gave me the perfect excuse to come back for what was an amazing first homecoming! Congratulations!

The Joys of Friendship

I must say that throughout my 20-some years, I have been blessed with the best friends anyone could ask for. When I look back at my months here, I think about everyone I left back in the US. Sometimes I think I’m crazy for leaving home but then I realize how supportive everyone was of my decision to come here.

Well, to prove how fantastic they are, I actually had a few friends come visit me over the past few months. When I first came to Spain, my friend Stephanie sent me a lovely message saying how much she wanted to visit me. She and I studied together in Toledo, Spain back in the beginning of 2008. Throughout the rest of college and the following year, we stayed in contact and always reminisced about our fantastic time in Spain. So when she told me that she was planning a visit, I was overly excited about reliving my college days with her in Toledo. Without hesitation, I told Steph that she could spend as much time staying at my place (one of the many perks of having friends living abroad: no hotel expenses). She and her friend Audrey arrived the middle of August. I had class at the time her flight arrived so Dani went to the airport to meet them. Steph and Dani were also friends from our time abroad in Toledo; they planned the trip to coincide with another one of Dani’s friends, Emily that was arriving the same day to Spain for a visit. The group of them met me at my work and we all went to lunch with some of my ALA teachers. Then Steph, Audrey, Emily and Dani went back to my apartment in Toledo while I finished up my night classes. When I got back home, we all went out for some quick drinks and tapas. The girls were exhausted as was I, so we called it an early night. The next day Dani and Em returned to Dani’s village and I gave Steph and Audrey free reign of my place while I was at work. I have to say, that week was one of the best weeks I’ve had in Spain. Everyday when I got back, the girls had dinner already for me. They had both been in Spain before so they weren’t in real tourist mode, more of a simple, relax and enjoy the Spanish culture mode. The 3 of us went to the Perelada on Friday and reaped havoc as the only natural blondes there.

It was a blast. The next night, we decided to party it up in Madrid with some of the ALA teachers. Steph was recovering from one nasty resaca (hangover) so she stayed in the hostel we got for the night. Audrey and I ventured out to some bars with my friends and all in all had a fantastic time. We went back to Toledo the next afternoon and the girls finished out their trip within the next few days. I enjoyed having them immensely mostly because it gave me a taste of American that I had started to miss.

A few months later, I had another visitor… one of my best guy friends, Matt. He moved to Baltimore from Chicago the year before so it had been awhile since we both spent more than an hour together. His trip was a bit more taxing but I enjoyed every second of it. Unfortunately, when he booked his flight, I didn’t know what my class schedule would be the following month. As chance would have it, I had class when his flight arrived in Madrid. But we discussed it (immensely) and he decided to try his luck on the metro by himself. He made it to my work safe and sound and ready for the adventure to begin. We spent the following week exploring Madrid every free second I had. Of course, I couldn’t take a week off of class so I would get up early, go to class, come home, take Matt around, go back to class, go out with Matt, get a few hours of sleep and repeat the following day. By that Thursday, I was utterly exhausted. In Spain, I am accustomed to my daily siesta which was not remotely when one has a friend in town. He was a great sport though even considering my crankiness by the end of the week. During my breaks between classes we did the typical tourist things. I took him to the Prado, the Reina Sophia, Gran Via, el Retiro and other sites. We usually ate lunch at typical Spanish restaurants and most dinners I cooked at my place to save us some money. We went out Friday night with Nikki, one of the ALA teachers and met these really interesting Spaniards at one of the bars. Matt couldn’t get enough of the Spanish culture: everything from the concept of botellons, to the open prostitution on Gran Via, to the Chinos that “sell beer and Kit-Kats to booty-dancing Spaniards” as he put it. Haha! Saturday we spent a few hours in Toledo so I could show him where I lived for so long. I love sharing these places with my friends and hopefully get them to understand why I love my life here. Sunday we did his souvenir shopping and whatnot. He left Monday afternoon. By the time Monday came, we were already discussing his next trip to Europe. Next time, we agreed to meet up in another different country that would be an adventure for both of us. Can’t wait…

Another great thing about living abroad is the surprising amount of old friends that are also living or visiting abroad for some time. One of my good friends, Brian, is stationed in Naples, Italy with the Navy. So I’m planning a trip to visit him and vice-versa. Plus, we’ll most likely meet up in other random places to travel. Then about a month back a girl that I went to high school with contacted me on facebook saying that she was coming with some friends to visit Madrid and if I could offer any advice. I was more than happy to help and even offered to show them around when they got into town. So need less to say, I have had my hands full with friends’ requests to come visit. It’s been less than a year so I am really excited to see what the future holds. Remember all are welcome :) Hasta Pronto!

Birthday Celebrations

Well with the month of September flying by so quickly, I didn’t even realize that my birthday was the next week. It’s kind of a pain having a birthday at the end of the month here in Spain because no one really has any money left to throw a big shindig. Therefore, I decided to have a pretty low-key night. In Spain, it’s tradition that the birthday person buys the drinks when everyone goes out. Well, not being made of money and knowing how much my friends can put away, I decided just to have a few friends over to my place and buy some beer and calimocho stuff. Simple, easy and affordable.

My friend Dave came in on Friday from Talavera for my birthday weekend which was a lot of fun. It had been the first time he’d been back to Madrid since he studied here some months back. So Friday, we walked around downtown and hit up a bar that was in the basement of a hostel he had stayed in awhile back. At first the idea didn’t seem that fantastic, but it turned out to be a crazy, fun night. Plus, I loved watching how excited he got seeing everything again. It’s those emotions I miss the most; it’s so hard to explain but I love watching people when they have these moments of “Damn, I can’t believe I’m actually here! I can’t believe that I followed through with it!” Madrid and well Spain in general lost its zeal some months ago. Not that I don’t love it; but now it’s just… home, not that distant magical place it once was.



Anyways, Saturday was crazy hectic. It was the night of my “party” so I had a lot of cleaning and prep to do. Plus, I was in the middle of apartment searching because the girl, who I was renting the apartment from, was returning to Spain that weekend. On top of it, the girl was not happy that I was having people over to the apartment for my birthday… so it caused a lot of unnecessary drama that I didn’t need. But whatever. I spent the afternoon running errands and making my final piso decision. Late-afternoon, Dave and I stopped in at this going away party/ rummage sale for one of the ALA teacher that was moving back to the States. It was simple and a good way to socialize with some of the teachers outside of work. We couldn’t stay long because we were meeting Dani and Xandra for my birthday dinner. I hadn’t seen either of them in a long time, so I was really excited about it. I was told to pick the restaurant so I found this cute little Mexican place a few blocks away.

However, Dani and Xandra failed to tell me that neither of them likes Mexican food. Well, that dinner ended up being a big disappointment haha. But it was a nice gesture from them to let me get what I wanted while they suffered through it in silence.

With little time to spare, we returned to my apartment to get set for my birthday get-together. I didn’t have as big of a turnout as I had expected. People that I was sure would come, didn’t. And people that I didn’t think would come, did. In the end though, I couldn’t have asked for a better crowd.
Dani and Xandra left a little early to catch the last metro to their part of town. Nikki, a new teacher at ALA, came and I soon realized that she and I were going to become really close friends… which we did in the weeks that followed. My friend Emilio came and also Tisha and Devin, other teachers from ALA made an appearance. Dave stayed that night too and we all had an AMAZING time. We sat around and talked and joked about anything and everything. Then when all the booze was almost finished, he hit up Malasana (local street with lots of great bars). I don’t remember much about the bars but from what I’m told, I had a great time. When things closed down, he headed back to my place for a few more drinks before we passed out for the night.

Overall, it was the least pizazzed birthday I’ve had in a while but there’s nothing really special about turning 23, I guess. The people definitely made the birthday and I couldn’t have been happier! Thanks everyone :)

Going Overboard with Study Abroad

A year and a half ago I embarked on a journey that would change my life forever. I packed a large suitcase, said goodbye to my loved ones and set off to Europe for my required study abroad program. As the plane took off from O’Hare, I remember thinking, “Please God, let these next 10 weeks go by quickly so I can return to normal college life.” Well those few months did go by quickly and as I boarded the plane in Barajas returning to Chicago, I looked back thinking, “I wish I never had to leave Spain”.

some of my study abroad group in Rome- 2008

Spain wasn’t perfect. The culture has its flaws and I made my share of mistakes but overall, I knew that the Spanish way of life and I were destined to be together. So as I packed my suitcases, said goodbye to my loved one and took off from O’Hare on my return flight to Spain, all I asked was, “God, please let this moment last forever.”

Well when I arrived I knew that I had a lot of hard work in front of me but I also knew that I wanted to share my experiences, good and bad, with other American students. Therefore, a few weeks prior to my return to Spain, I contacted my university and told them of my plans. They put me in contact with the professor that would be leading the summer study abroad group in Toledo, and I offered him my assistance. I found out that the summer program would begin in late June for only 5-weeks, but I still eagerly awaited their arrival. I made plans to meet with them at their first group meeting; however, as chance would have it, I was called in to substitute some classes in Madrid just hours prior to the meeting. I sent my apologies and hoped for a second chance to meet them.

One night following, Dani and I decided to go to O’Brians (a local irish pub) to watch the USA vs. Brazil soccer game with another American he had met prior. As we walked in and did our introductions, I met Cory, one of the OU summer group students. He had heard from their professor about me, and I was glad to finally start offering my help. The same night, as we watched a heart-wrenching Brazil comeback in the late second half, I noticed an odd assortment of Chicago baseball caps. Feeling a little South Side Pride, I ventured over to say hello. Turns out there was another summer group from Northern Illinois University studying in Toledo. I told them my well rehearsed speech about studying here prior and loving it so much that I returned to teach English… blah blah blah.

A few minutes in, I started asking where exactly everyone was from in Illinois. I got a wide range of answers until I got to one guy, Kevin, sitting in the corner. He said he was from the South Suburbs; I said me too. He asked me where; I said Orland Park. Suddenly a shocked expression arose on his face and he said, “No way, I’m from Oak Forest!” I think within milliseconds my mouth dropped to the floor as I screamed, “Oh my God, I went to Oak Forest High School!” Both of us just stared at each other in amazement as we discovered that we both went to OFHS and he had graduated just one year after me. Sure enough in the days following when we became ‘Facebook Friends’ did I discover how many other friends we had in common. Writing this now, my body is covered in goose bumps. It’s moments like those that make you realize that the world isn’t as big as it seems. I also spent a long time talking to another one of the NIU guys, Dave. Like me, he was working on getting a European Union passport through dual citizenship. Even though his group had just arrived in Spain, he knew he wanted to come back in the future to live for some time. I told him about my struggles and any pieces of advice I could offer that he immediately absorbed. As I unwillingly left the bar for the night, I knew that I was in for one crazy summer with all these students.

the night I met a fellow Bengal

The next weekend, Dani, Ana, his roommates, other friends and I went to La Peraleda in celebration of Dani and Ana finishing their exams. While lounging around the table, I bumped into Cory and Matt (another American student). Luckily this time Cory came with more of the OU students that I was so excited to meet. We talked for awhile and I put in my two cents about what to watch out for and the best places for tapas. We walked around and danced as I got to know each of them. I could tell right away that this group had a much better connection than the group I had studied with some quarters before. I told them that if they ever needed anything, day or night to call me, and we made future plans to meet up another weekend.

With my insane work schedule and their busy travel plans, we all finally met up a couple weekends later. I invited them to my apartment to pregame before we returned to La Peraleda. This time, the rest of the OU group was there so I got to see how everyone interacted with one another. Though they all had different personalities, they complimented each other very well. We sat in my apartment for a bit, drank, snacked and watched a fire breakout in a nearby field; they asked me about my life here and back at OU. I shared some of my funniest stories and some of my scariest experiences, and I listened as they complained about some of the culture differences and reenacted some of their craziest moments here so far. That was probably the best part of the night for me because I saw in them the same expressions and emotions that I had experienced when I studied here. We caught a few cabs and spent the rest of the night exploring La Peraleda, drinking and dancing. For the first time in a long time, I remembered what it was like to be in college again.

the OU summer study abroad group

The next few weeks went by quickly as my work got busier and busier. Before I knew it, it was the OU and NIU’s last week here in Toledo. I had tried to meet up again with the NIU group prior to their last week but couldn’t with both our crazy schedules. So when they invited me out on a Tuesday night, I went even though I had work early in the morning. We stopped at a few bars and went back to my place for after hours. We talked, drank and watched Kevin pass out. I saw the sun come up that morning and woke a few hours later to teach a full day’s worth of class, but it was worth it. That Thursday was the OU groups last night to Toledo. So once again, I met up with them, went to a few bars, met some other Americans and had an amazing night. Then I did it all over again on Friday for the NIU groups last night too.

some of the NIU summer abroad group

That week was one of the most tiring yet best weeks I’ve had in Spain. It made me realize a few things about myself; I am older and can’t party as hard as I used to in college, but in retrospect, I’m okay with that. I had my 4 years of keggers, late nights and bad decisions. However, I’m not in college anymore and I do have responsibilities. I also realized something that has been bothering me since I’ve been back in Spain. I don’t feel the same as I used to when I was here for study abroad. Those emotions of magic and mystery have now been replaced with feelings of routine and familiarity. It saddened me for a long time that Spain wasn’t the same for me anymore. But being with these study abroad programs, I realized why.

Spain is a magical place to be especially coming from America. The buildings and monuments are older than our entire country. The culture is rich and empowering. The people are unique and inspiring. You see this for the first time and you are mesmerized. However, these emotions themselves are fleeting. The reason why these emotions are so powerful is because you know that they will not last. You know that as soon as you board the return plane home, your adventure is over. So you spend your time basking in the majesty of the amazing things you experience because after you take that final exam and sip on that last café con leche, you return to normalcy. I know I did. So when I walked off that plane in Barajas for the second time, there were no angels singing from the heavens, no mirages of a Spanish paradise. I was no longer that foreigner looking in from the outside. I was on the inside looking out. Spain is now my life and my home.

People, especially Americans that I’ve talk to here always tell me how much they envy my life and how incredible it must be. I love my life here, there’s no denying it. I know that I made the best decision of my life to move here. However, the truth is that I’m the one that envies them. I envy the looks in their faces as they walk through Toledo for the first time. I envy their naïveté about the cultural differences. For them Spain is still a magical place to be and that’s how I wish it would have always remained for me. But it didn’t. I was sad when I realized this at first. I knew that I would never feel they way I did when I first arrived in Spain with the study abroad program. However, I know now that I have something even better than that; I have the opportunity to be apart of the magic. And I’m starting to think that that’s even better.
So to all my study abroad groups- past, present and future, all I can say is enjoy it; soak it all in and never miss an opportunity to experience something new. Because once you get back on that plane to go home, you are leaving not only Spain but the magic of your time here!