Adios Spain!

Posted on July 20th, 2008 by bmgray.
Categories: Uncategorized.

It’s incredible the way the time has flown here. It seems like yesterday I was unpacking my things in my new room and now I am packing everything back up again. I am trying to make the most of my last week, I have a lot of mixed feelings. I am super excited to be going home and seeing my friends and family and at the same time I am sad to be leaving this wonderful place and all of my new friends here. The good part is that Murcia will always be here and if I have to opportunity to come back I will surely do it.

Last week was nice because I didn’t have to study and I could hang out with friends. One day I went with German in the morning to get coffee and breakfast and then we went to go pick out a graduation present for his girlfriend. We ended up finding a pair of earrings and a pretty card. We went and ate lunch at a little restaurant in Murcia. I had gazpacho, pasta and a flan type dessert. Afterwards we just walked around town for hours looking in stores trying to find little things for his girlfriend. I have a lot of fun with German and he has been great helping me with my Spanish. He studied a semester in Italy and he knows what it’s like to learn a foreign language. Almost every afternoon last week I went with Roberto to the “campo” (countryside?) to one of his friends houses and we hung out there. We played trivial pursuit and ordered hamburgers (how American!).

This weekend was our last trip, Roberto and I went to Amsterdam. I am completely broke and have about 20 dollars to my name but we managed to make it eating the cheapest food we could find and finding a cheap hostel outside of town. We rented bikes downtown and were able to ride them wherever we wanted to go. It was so much fun to just ride around this beautiful city! Everyone rides bikes, the town is completely set up for bike riding and there are hardly any cars. It’s amazing because it is such a big city you would expect a lot of noise, but there is a stillness that is almost creepy. In Amsterdam we went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. The Van Gogh Museum was a lot bigger than I expected, they say it’s the biggest Van Gogh Collection in the world. The Anne Frank house was really neat to see after hearing so much about the book in grade school. I felt like I had gone back in time being there! More than anything I loved the atmosphere with the old houses and the canals. I was fabulous!

Last night Roberto’s family invited me to a family dinner at his house to celebrate his Mom’s birthday. They have a giant family! His Mom’s side was the only side of the family that was there but it was still a huge family dinner! His Mom has 7 sisters and brothers and his Dad 5 or 6? as well. Once everyone got there we ate empanadas, pasteles de carne, ensaladilla rusa, bocadillos and for dessert una tarta. (translation—empanadas (little bread envelopes with tuna and other things inside) pasteles de carne- (a bread cake stuffed with eggs and meat—typical from Murcia) Ensaladilla rusa—(my favorite-basically tuna salad with potatoes and eggs) tarta—fruit cake! His family was so nice and a lot of fun to be around. Everyone was always laughing and so loving.

Today is my last day! Tonight we are going to have a little going away get-together on the terrace above my apartment. We are not going to have anything too big but something so I can say good-bye to the people who are still here in Murcia. It’s going to be sad but at least I am going home to friendly faces and people who love me in Indiana! This semester has been amazing and anyone who has the opportunity to study abroad should take advantage of it because the experience is worth every penny.

Photos-

Spain wins the Eurocup!!—

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079098&l=083dd&id=47202615

Amsterdam

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2079647&l=2fe15&id=47202615

Cabo de Palos

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075628&l=96987&id=47202615

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