leaving Salamanca

So here I am, sitting in the Madrid Barajas airport, people watching, chillin’ out, trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m leaving this place in a little less than 15 hours. The despedida from Salamanca was as bittersweet as they come, complete with long-awaited hugs, sort-of-awkward duplicated and triplicated goodbyes, homemade sugar cookies (thank you Kara!), a few tears, and perhaps the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen since I’ve been here in Spain.

                After packing and repacking my suitcases a few times to get the right balance of weight and saying adios to my apartment I wandered around the city for about an hour saying goodbye to some of my favorite places. (A side note - if you are still in Salamanca or if you have plans to go, one of my favorite places to go and just sit is this ledge that is off to the right side of la Facultad de Ciencias y Ciencias Quimicas. It’s just the right size to hop up on and sit comfortably and you’ve got a great view of the river and the part of the city across the river. I’d sometimes go there at night just to sit and be with my thoughts; it might seem a little sketchy but it’s really quite peaceful.) Anyway, after exploring a bit I went to tomar un café with Kara and then we made sugar cookies! After taking the exam for my language class we were off to la fiesta de despedida which was a wonderful way to end my last day in Salamanca, I got to see all the students from the program as well as some professors and las señoras.

                I cannot lie, I definitely got the waterworks on the bus driving away and watching the Cathedral and the city disappear into the distance.  Thinking about all of the people I’ve gotten to know and the inevitability of losing contact with some of them is the most painful thought. However, in between the moments of melancholy I think about how excited I am to see my family, their welcoming familiar faces and voices after three and a half months of newness and unfamiliarity. I am also beyond excited to see my dog!!! I’m excited for home cooked venison stew and cuddling all cozy in my bed with a book and watching the snow fall on the trees outside my window. I’m excited for all the smells and sounds of home, for midnight mass on Christmas, and for DRIVING (I miss driving so much, roadtrip anyone?).

                As sad as I am to leave, I take comfort in the fact that Salamanca and all my experiences here in Spain have left such an impression on my heart and soul and mind that I will not soon forget them. And of course time and prayer heals all things so this heartbreak will not last.

I guess I just want to end with a thank you to IES Abroad and all of the Salamantinos (by birth and by choice) that I’ve gotten to know, you made my time in Salamanca the indescribable experience that it has been. J 

¡Abrazos!   

Ps. this post is a little behind, I am now in Dulles in DC waiting for my connecting flight to Pittsburgh, it is so strange to hear so many people with American accents speaking English again!