Since I am getting ready to head back to the USA I thought I would put down some of the things I am looking forward to in the USA and then some things I am going to miss about Spain and then some things I really like about Extremadura specifically.
What I’m looking forward to in the motherland:
-Seeing Spencer
-Seeing all my other friends and family.
-Carpet in houses.
-An education system I understand
-Central heating and air
-Good service
-Efficiency
-Being able to understand everything thats going on
-Being able to drive wherever I want, whenever I want.
-International food– like japanese. Yumm, im thinking about sushi and hibachi and fried rice now.
-Seeing diversity
-Good milk
-Cookouts and 4th of July
-Cheap sunscreen
-Good, reliable internet
-Being in the same timezone as friends and family.
-Less noisy motorcycles– they are terrible in DB.
What I’m going to miss about Spain:
-All of my friends here :(
-Hearing and getting to speak Spanish allll the time.
-The Spanish hospitality– the Spanish are so kind and so helpful and caring
-Braseros (heaters that go under round tables that keep you nice and toasty in the winter.
-The cheese They have delicious cured sheep’s cheese that is just the best thing ever.
-Catalanas and tostadas– typical spanish breakfast with a toasted baguette, olive oil, pureed tomato and cured ham- yummmm
-Feeling special just because I’m an American and am a native speaker of English.
-Bacalao Dorado– my favorite extremaduran dish.
-Being able to travel almost anywhere in europe easily and cheaply.
-Sevillanas class
-Hearing flamenco pop played loudly in cars.
-The unifying culture things, like how everyone knows how and when to clap during a flamenco soung.
-Tinto de veranos and cerveza con limon
-fresh bread, yummmm
-cheap rent
-All the holidays. As one of my teachers said to me one time, “Spain might rank last in work ethic, but they have got to be first in partying” (translation)
-Getting to walk everywhere I need to go and not need a car.
-Spanish foodin general. I used to not like, but I have come to love some dishes.
-The beautiful architecture
-Being able to see really, really old things. Like the Roman theater in Merida.
-The siesta
-Persianas (blinds)– they really keep the sunlight out.
-Learning something alll the time, whether its something about the Spanish language or Spain itself. I learned atleast one thing everyday it seemed like.
-The atmosphere of going out for tapas at lunch and then just continuing to hang out the rest of the day till after dinner.
-How talkative the Spanish are.
Fun things about Extremadura:
-How they always talk about the weather, and how unusual its acting.
-Their crazy accent– they drop “s” and “d” like they’re going out of style and the sing their sentences. Its so fun and “tiene mucha gracia”.
-Merida and Guadalupe– fabulous places that should not be overlooked by people traveling to Spain.
-Everyone has so much pride in their region, its quite endearing.
-The beautiful countryside
-All the sheep I see all the time.
-How everyone is obsessed with “jamon” (ham)
-The rural atmosphere.
This, of course, is not everything, just a few things that came to mind. This has been an amazing experience and its almost unreal for it to be over. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I have learned so much. With that said-- I am also so excited about going back to the US. I miss Spencer and my friends and family so much. I am excited to be able to share with the americans everything I have experienced in Spain.
Un beso. (my flight leaves in about 12 hours!
