Since classes are over I haven't a lot of access to the internet, but to sum up this is what I´ve been up to:
My last day in Sevilla: pretty sure I aced the final exam for my gastronomy course (seeing as both my parents have worked in restaurants for longer than I've been alive I can't say I found the class very difficult. Still it was quite interesting to learn all about the history and influences of the Mediterranean diet. They say it's the healthiest diet there is, but as far as I'm concerned, I have yet to eat something I didn't like here, and I didn't exercise nearly as much as I usually do during summers, so I might have to get myself back in to shape a bit...oops!)
After class I said farewell to the americans and everyone at the ciee center, and then I met with three more friends over the course of the day, had some really positive conversations with my host grandparents, and finally spent my last night with a friend of mine, staying up until I could catch my bus early the next morning.
Slept almost all the way from Sevilla to Oviedo (almost a 12 hour ride) and then FINALLY met up with the Spanish Relatives.
At last! Here I was in Asturias, our part of Spain, the part I grew up hearing about for so many years, and waiting for my own pilgrimage of a sorts when I too could come to know the beautiful landscape, hearty food, and warm, hardworking people. Three of these things I successfully managed to do.
When I arrived in Avilés it turned out that despite telling me that any time was a good time for me to visit and it was all the same to them, this particular week, Mari Paz was going to the mountains to clean up some things in another family property, and Fernando was going to Jose's beach house on the coast by Finesterre. It was obvious they both expected me to want to go to the beach, so the next morning, with a smaller backpack I got in the car with Fernando, his girlfriend Cookie (not sure really how they spell her nickname in Spanish but seriously she's called cookie), and his very good friend Charo (who happens to be Cookie's aunt). I loved the week in Galicia and I think I got along with Fernando quite well given his somewhat reticent personality. He called me a Paisana twice and more than a few times referred to things we were going to do together next time I visit them in Asturias. More on all of that later.
After returning to Asturias I spent a very nice evening with Mari Paz, Fernando, and Jose, the three remaining Spanish relatives that we have and regularly keep in touch with, and then hopped on the bus that took me to Madrid, where I switched buses and made my way to Alicante once again, where Karen met me at the bus stop. I spent a lovely few days with her and her friends, and then waited with her in the airport until she went through security and waved a final somewhat teary goodbye to Spain.
Now I am hanging out with Sam (the same fellow I went bungee jumping with a few weekends ago) and some of the Granada friends that live here, as well as meeting up with Alfonso, the same fellow of the last trip to Alicante.
My plan as of now is to take a bus back to Madrid, arriving at 8 am Sunday morning. I'll rent a locker and leave my things at the station, and then wander around in Bourbon Madrid until the Prado opens at 10 am. Then I'll probably spend all morning there, get lunch somewhere and then take a bus from the bus station to the airport for my flight to Manchester, where Trevor will be waiting to take me to their home in Wales. Through online messages he has already made me feel so welcome! Though technically he and my grandmother aren't closely related, the one characteristic I think they both share is that they are probably two of the kindest people I will ever meet in my life.
Apologies to the family, I know I could be spending more time in Madrid. Originally I was going to spend these weeks hopping around Spain seeing what I could, but after a whole summer of school trips all over Southern Spain and weekend trips all over.... well now it's really nice to just spend quality time with some really great people. Madrid is a huge city anyway, and there's no way I could have seen it all by myself. SO I'm settling for the Prado, and a manageable section of the city for a day, with the assumption that next time I'm in Madrid I'll be able to better appreciated the opportunity there.
My camera broke my last day with the Spanish relatives, and I'm not sure but the damage may be irreparable.
This is likely my last post, as I'll be home in a little over a week, but I'd like to conclude by saying that in these three months abroad I have learned so much not only as a student learning about Spanish and Spain, but as a person and as an adult. I feel like I've grown a lot and I've made so many new friends...It's a little unclear now how this experience will effect my future in the long run, but needless to say I absolutely loved it, and would do it again (or something completely new and different!) in a heartbeat.
My love to everyone, especially if you stuck around and actually bothered to read any of these updates!
See you soon,
Laura
