Hasta luego means goodbye for now Adiós and hasta siempre mean goodbye forever.
Final hugs and kisses on the cheek. I'm not used to permanent farewells. Every departure from any person I've known has been diluted by an incipient reunion.
I try to etch images of the people I've met, all the fascination with their culture (especially those with cold winters), the pleasant surprise of getting along well with people of opposite backgrounds, and our shared memories in class or in our trip to Madrid. Underneath this is a mild pang of remorse for not knowing them more profoundly, for passing up some of the opportunities to share an adventure with these people I will never see again. But the briefness of our acquaintance makes goodbye easier to swallow.
Exams were easy. Minor studying and hardly any worry involved in preparation.
I've developed immunity to coffee. All the restless nights left me dependent on daily caffeine for the past two and a half weeks. Now, even after a night full of sleep, I still require a cafe con leche y hielo to stay alert past noon. Compare this to when a decaf coffee made me jittery just a month ago.
In our final week, our program hosted a tapas de despedido. Vinimos tapeando con miembros del programa, y salimos tapeando. I ascended the Santa Barbara castle again (and will one more time tonight), and ordered my last cup of wine for two years. I won't mind a hiatus from the taste of alcohol, yet I relish the freedom and trust Spain offers.
Final hugs and kisses on the cheek. I'm not used to permanent farewells. Every departure from any person I've known has been diluted by an incipient reunion.
I try to etch images of the people I've met, all the fascination with their culture (especially those with cold winters), the pleasant surprise of getting along well with people of opposite backgrounds, and our shared memories in class or in our trip to Madrid. Underneath this is a mild pang of remorse for not knowing them more profoundly, for passing up some of the opportunities to share an adventure with these people I will never see again. But the briefness of our acquaintance makes goodbye easier to swallow.
Exams were easy. Minor studying and hardly any worry involved in preparation.
I've developed immunity to coffee. All the restless nights left me dependent on daily caffeine for the past two and a half weeks. Now, even after a night full of sleep, I still require a cafe con leche y hielo to stay alert past noon. Compare this to when a decaf coffee made me jittery just a month ago.
In our final week, our program hosted a tapas de despedido. Vinimos tapeando con miembros del programa, y salimos tapeando. I ascended the Santa Barbara castle again (and will one more time tonight), and ordered my last cup of wine for two years. I won't mind a hiatus from the taste of alcohol, yet I relish the freedom and trust Spain offers.
I'm trying to think of ways to fill the void of spare time between now and my departure on Sunday morning. Something worthwhile yet short enough to squeeze in packing. I procrastinate on packing because it reminds me how soon I will depart from my cozy host home forever. Yet I also look to the space of time this afternoon and Saturday I had planned for clearing my bedroom because I remember how soon I will be in my comfortable home- not sweating and restless in humid heat, not lonely, among friends who will stay near me for at least several years and HEB sushi and craft supplies and friendly jogging routes and iced water and a long list of other aspects especial to Austin-Georgetown.
I left home to escape the discomfort of ever-lingering bad memories and claustrophobia associated with having stayed in one place my entire life. Across the ocean in a place so strange and beautiful to me, I've the breathed fresh air of independence. I've discovered shelves of my personality and abilities previously hidden by a sedentary life. I've taken a large step closer to seeing the mutual humanity in people from varying backgrounds. I've tasted magnificent food and have seen treasured, story-filled sights.
But the most important gift I've acquired is to appreciate home. I thought that just for these two months, I could escape the ever-trailing ghosts of my past in Austin. Fostering a temporary home in Spain has done that and more. While I dug up tidbits of Spain's warm culture and history, I uncovered the part of myself residing permanently at home. As my trip here unraveled, the home's treasures washed over its bitter nights and tarnished relationships. With elated surprise, I don't dread leaving, but anticipate arriving to another adventure at home.
I left home to escape the discomfort of ever-lingering bad memories and claustrophobia associated with having stayed in one place my entire life. Across the ocean in a place so strange and beautiful to me, I've the breathed fresh air of independence. I've discovered shelves of my personality and abilities previously hidden by a sedentary life. I've taken a large step closer to seeing the mutual humanity in people from varying backgrounds. I've tasted magnificent food and have seen treasured, story-filled sights.
But the most important gift I've acquired is to appreciate home. I thought that just for these two months, I could escape the ever-trailing ghosts of my past in Austin. Fostering a temporary home in Spain has done that and more. While I dug up tidbits of Spain's warm culture and history, I uncovered the part of myself residing permanently at home. As my trip here unraveled, the home's treasures washed over its bitter nights and tarnished relationships. With elated surprise, I don't dread leaving, but anticipate arriving to another adventure at home.