It is my third day back in the U.S. I have not yet dined at TX Roadhouse, because I realized I missed pasta even more.?
The last week of my study abroad was quite sad simply because we all knew that the experience was coming to an end. We kept saying things like, ?our last day trip!? and ?our last caf? con leche!? We were also very busy, though, trying to do last-minute souvenir shopping, packing, and cleaning our flats.?
Monday was interesting, as it was my last day in Seville and I spent the morning stressed because my debit card kept getting canceled and I couldn?t speak to someone at the bank because of the time difference! I was planning to shop but I had to limit myself to the cash in my wallet. We had to go gather our things, grab some gelato, and head for the airport. By the time we got back to Barcelona, we ran into another problem- some of our transportation cards had expired, I had forgotten to bring my extra, and some had no problem. Don?t forget to bring your extra when you travel, and if you?ve already swiped one, don?t swipe the other until the first one expires!
Tarragona and Sitges on Tuesday were both interesting, though they were very much like Girona and Tossa de Mar. My favorite part was still the gelato.?
Wednesday must have been my favorite day because I got to cook and hang out with a part of the group. My favorite thing to cook was probably the croquetas because I absolutely loved croquetas.. The most interesting discovery I made that day was that Alioli sauce (which tastes like mayonnaise/ranch) only requires three ingredients: garlic, olive oil, and salt. The weirdest thing I encountered, and which made me understand how seafood paella tastes so fishy, is that they infuse the oil they use in the rice with the shrimp peels and heads. However, it wasn?t that weird after tasting the paella; it was my favorite paella I have tried! And that meal (chorizo onions, patatas bravas, bread, seafood paella, vegetable paella, and Catalan cream) was my favorite ?local cuisine? meal I had in Spain.?
Thursday was spent last-minute shopping (in Zara, of course) and packing before heading to our farewell dinner. Though it was filled with light conversation, there was a gloom about us. Or perhaps it was just my feeling, knowing that those would be my last few hours in Barcelona.
After dinner, things got interesting. As anyone could have guessed, we very much procrastinated on cleaning. So, thursday night was hectic; we cleaned and cleared out the kitchen, bathrooms, and living room, making sure to pack what we needed to and throw the rest away. We did pretty well considering the short amount of time it took, but I have just realized that I still left a hat.?
Friday morning was our last goodbye to the apartment and quite a rush getting into the bus.?
After that, it?s the typical airport and flight stuff- the machine detected my water bottles (which were empty) and they made me empty my bag just to prove that said water bottles were empty, and I couldn?t fit everything back. I left a hoodie at the airport. I was buried under 3 blankets for 8 hours on the plane. The planned 4-hour layover turned into 4.5 because the pilots were late. The flight home was eternal. But we made it!
It seems so normal to be back in the U.S., as if I didn?t leave for 5 weeks. Besides missing a few events with my friends and family, it feels like I have been here the whole time. I have noted, however, that I have not been parking as well as I used to and I miss walking. Also, I have not felt sweat all day, and I was actually cold in a restaurant!?
I love being home, but estar? por siempre enamorada de Espa?a!