¿Tengo que estudiar?

What?! You mean, I actually have to study on my STUDY abroad? I really thought this was a vacation abroad, or a party abroad. I guess this day had to come sometime.

So how did I spend my last week in Spain? On Monday, I had kebabs for the first time. Dang, I have been missing out this entire time. I think the best way to describe them is they are similar to gyros, except they come in round panini-type bread and have cucumber sauce and a tomato sauce. Delicious.

On Tuesday we went to see Los Miserables in Madrid, put on by Stage Entertainment España, the Spanish equivalent of Broadway. Yeah, I just don’t have words to describe it. It was soooooooooo good. I’ve never read the book or seen the musical before so I was a little lost during the first half, but thanks to my good friends Emily and Courtney, I was up to speed at intermission. Now, this was a three-hour show that started at 8:30, meaning it ended at 11:30, and the last train to Alcalá left at 11:50. That gave us 20 minutes to get to the train station via metro. We booked it through the station to the train platform (imagine a group of 40 people charging toward you. I’m sure we were a frightening sight) only to have the train pull away just as we got there. It was the bus for us, which meant another round of confusing metro changes and a bus that didn’t leave until 1:00 AM. So we finally got home at 2:00 with finals the next day at 9:00. Typical. Luckily, they really weren’t that bad and we had a little time to study before Les Mis.

I took both my finals on Wednesday and graduated! I got a little certificate and everything. Does that make me a college gradiate now?? (Yes, I know that is spelled wrong.) I guess not quite. We went to our final dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant, where I ate baby octopi and eels and steak. Definitely more Spanish than Italian, but they can think what they want.

The last supper.

All that was left to do was eat churros and chocolate for breakfast the next day and finish packing. It was weird packing everything up. I felt like I was just taking another side trip somewhere and I was going to come back to Alcalá in a couple days. It was sad saying goodbye to Mari and Abuelita. They have taken care of me for the past month and a half. They are like family now and it’s going to be a long time before I see them again. I definitely plan on mailing letters, and hopefully I’ll get some back.

Mari, nuestra madre.

Maria Jose (Mari's daughter) and her son Hugo

Abuelita

After waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes, I left Madrid for Rome (more on that to come). So what all have I accomplished while in Spain?

• Gained 15 pounds (I wish I were kidding)
• Ate around 40 loaves of bread, by myself
•  Breathed enough secondhand smoke to give me lung cancer
•  Learned how to identify the style of every cathedral in western Europe
•  Traveled to and saw some of the most amazing things/cities (La Sagrada Familia, País Vasco, La Mezquita)
• Made some awesome friendships

I’d say, based on that list, this past month and a half has been a success. What a great experience. I would recommend that everyone spend time abroad if they can. It really is an amazing opportunity for growth, and I feel like I have become a better person because of it. I’m saving my description of exactly how I’ve grown for my return post. I’m not done yet. It’s time to learn a little about Italy, oh and eat some gelato of course.