All good things must come to an end...

Woke up at 10:30 to my alarm stunned and taken aback by the sudden realization that the end has arrived. This would be my last day of Study Abroad, oficially, and my last day living at my homestay. Tomorrow, at 9 I head to the airport to pick up my family and then I move all of my things to the hotel. I just can't believe that this is it. The time has come to pack up and end this whole experience. I mean, yes, I'm not leaving Spain yet, but now I will be here as a tourist--a visitor. It will no longer be my home. I woke up knowing that this would be one of my last mornings as a Sevillana. I got out of bed, got ready, Manoli was here cleaning. As I headed out the door I gave her a very sincere goodbye, she said "Hasta luego," little does she know that we would not in fact see each other again. Ever. That's what's so hard about leaving this place, is that I'll never see these people again. Sigh. I headed out and spent a good hour and a half hitting up many stores in los Remedios to find the perfect gift for Maruja from Stacey and me (Stacey was working till 12 so I was on my own). After hitting up at least 3 Don Regalon's (a chain gift store), I stumbled upon a really nice mahogany box on which you can display different sized pictures on each side. On the inside there are little sheets in which you can store extra photos and other various memorabilia. It's really nice; and I was able to get it boxed and wrapped and everything. Then I walked to the center to meet up with Stacey as she got out of work. We went gift shopping in the center area of town. It was so hot, and my legs were so tired--I've been sitting and studying so much that my body's just not used to walking so much again! We hit up a bunch of stores; I bought some USevilla gear and a Sevilla 2007 calendar. We then walked home, on the way striking up a conversation with some newbies from Texas Tech on a month-long program. It's so weird all the newbies that are here...Sevilla's just a completely new place with all of the new students and the tourists (there are sooo many tourists taking over my city!). It's just so appropriate to run into them like that on my last day of study abroad...it's like we're passing the baton. Sigh. We soon got home, drenched in sweat (it was in the 90's today) for our last lunch with Maruja. So sad. Lunch was good, and overly fulfilling: we all got our own leftover from previous nights--I got leftover salmorejo (yes!). I asked her to explain how it's made, and it sounded soooo complicated. I told her that it sounded hard and she told me no, that it's very easy. Eh, okay. Then we all had ribs (plain fried) which were actually pretty good, and fresh Spanish cheese circles with smoked salmon (yeah lox!) on top. We also had simple green salad and then honeydew for dessert. After our last lunch (so sad!) I took pictures of our room and the apartment before I started to pack. Then we both started to pack, then Stacey had to go back to work from 4-7 at the center. So I packed up all of my Winter clothes into my big suitcase which was tiring and took a good hour or so. My dad called to say that the fam has arrived safely in London and that they were heading to the hotel for the night. Yes. I can't believe they're in Europe! I'm so excited for them to get here! Then I headed over to the center for my last day hanging out at the center. I mean, I planned to return the next day with my family to say goodbye, but that's it. My last day ever bumming around the center. I'll miss it. There were very few of us there. I didn't have too much to do, just some emailsl to write and such. But it was nice to just hang out, stress-free, and take it all in. Stacey and I at one point walked to McDonalds and got ice cream cones. Aw yeah. Everyone left by 6:15, and the center closed at 7 and Stacey was in charge of closing, so Stacey and I hung around the center by ourselves until closing. For awhile it was just me because Stacey went to the bookstore quickly. So I had my last moment of bonding with the center. It was like the series finale of "Cheers": just me and the center, one last time, then closing it up all alone (well, with Stacey). We then walked home...walked away from the center...to go home to pack and have our last meal ever at our homestay. We made a quick Vips/Starbucks stop and I was able to buy the Sevilla Starbucks mug I've been wanting since I first got here in January. We got home at around 7:30 and did a crazy, sweaty packing job. It was insane and stressful. I was exhausted and it gave me a headache because it was so hard to figure out how I would make everything fit. Man, I've accumulated so much random crap since I got here, I tell ya. Flustered and exhausted, we ate our last meal ever at home stay. Unfortunately Maruja didn't make anything too special, but I was too sad and feeling way too sentimental to care. And hence, I describe my last meal cooked by Maruja: Marinated chicken breast with fresh garlic and garlic sauce which was very light and quite tasty, a single small baked potato, and a delicious tomato and cucumber salad soaked in oil and vinegar. For dessert, melon. During dinner I told Maruja all about how I remembered my first meal ever there, and how good it was and how Stacey and I afterwards talked about how happy we were that she was a great cook. I'm sure you all now know how much I appreciate her cooking. She was blown away by my memory. Hehe, oh Maruja. She was being so cute, peppy, and friendly all evening. After eating I ran and grabbed the gift from Stacey and me. Wow, I remember when we first gave her our arrival gift. We were so nervous! Omigod, it was wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper...that's how long we've been here...since right after Christmas! Ahhhh! She opened it...and she LOOOOOOVED it! She was so excited about it and talked about where she could put it. She was amazed by the whole concept of it and how unique it is. I'm so happy she likes it, and it was very obvious. I mean, her face lit up completely. She was all smiles and she put out her hands as a sign of embrace and thanks. SO nice because she's not a very touchy-feely woman. I love Maruja and am going to miss her so much. I can't believe that I'll never see this woman again; this woman who took care of me for the past 5 months. She cooked for me, did my laundry, and above all else provided me with a home and comfort. She's the best. I can't thank her enough. I'm so sad that I'll never be able to see her again. Unless I come back to visit next year...hehe. But, man, I am going to miss her. She kept thanking us for the gift, but she's the one that should be thanked and we kept saying, no--thank YOU! Oh man, it was great. After dinner Stacey and I worked on packing more, I took a much-needed shower, which turned out to be my last shower here. I mean, I was kind of sad since I was adding it to my list of "lasts", but then again, the shower here is probably one of my least favorite things. So therefore I'm not too upset. However, it was a very nice shower that I took because instead of turning it off when lathering up I just kept the water running the whole time. Booyah. Then I came back to the room, started this blog entry, then went back to the living room to hang out with Maria del Mar for one last time. We were both exhausted (she's been staying out late with Alfonso almost every night). I thought that I'd have to say goodbye to her that night (she has class all day tomorrow), which I wasn't ready to do in the least, but she decided to wake up a half hour early to say goodbye. Good. So we chatted a bit and watched "Mujeres desesperadas" ("Desperate Housewives") until she called it a night at around 11:30. Stacey and I hung out for a bit in there until calling it a night at 12. My last night hanging in the living room. We then came back to the room and I packed some things into a duffel bag that Stacey's letting me use. She's stressing out because British Airways only lets you check 2 bags, and she has a guitar to check (the one Ryan gave her in April), so she has to ditch a bag. It's rough because she's now really low on space. I had packed all of my random souvenirs into plastic shopping bags, but now I had this nice sports duffel to work with. Now all of my things are in suitcases, but I now have one more than when I started. Yeesh. Oh well, whatcha gonna do. Then I washed up and here I am working on this blog. Our room is so bare and depressing now...just like when we first got here. Wow, I remember when. Time has flown like crazy. I'm just in awe about all of it. I just...can't...believe it. I really can't express in words how I'm feeling, I'm just...feeling. I feel a constant knot in my stomach--half sadness, half excitement. Sadness about leaving, but excitement about my family getting here tomorrow (!!!). I can't wait to travel around Spain with them. And I really am excited to eventually go home. As sad as I am to leave, I am ready. It definitely feels like I've come to an ending point. I don't know, Sevilla's different now: there are more Americans, and they're different, more tourists, it's soooo hot, and the majority of people on my program have left. So it feels right. It's just sad. I'm sad to see this experience go because it's been one of the most amazing, rewarding experiences of my life. I've truly grown in so many ways here, it's amazing. Yeah, I've really grown...my independence has skyrocketed...I feel like more of an adult coming out of this. I feel more, well, worldly. But I'll talk about this all more upon returning to the States when I begin my blog "Epilogues" (a.k.a. my reflections on the whole experience). Alas, I must go to bed. I have to be up really early tomorrow to finish last minute packing before picking up my family at the airport. Come 10am tomorrow, when my family arrives, I will no longer be a Spanish student, no longer a Spanish 'citizen', I will be a tourist...a visitor...a vacationer. It's all just changing. But it's time. And I'm ready. Let's do this. Last night at Maruja's. I can't believe it. I'm going to cry like a baby tomorrow when I have to say goodbye. Sigh. Here goes!