the farewell dinner

I'm a just a few finals, a couple suitcases needed to be packed, a whole bunch of goodbyes, and a final bus ride to Madrid from ending this chapter in my life.  The Time Has Come, my friends, the time has come.  And I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that I only have one more Saturday night out with my friends,  one last Sunday afternoon to be spent by the river, and (finally!) one more 9 am Monday morning class. It is only hitting me now that when Jen's boyfriend comes to visit in 2 and a half weeks from Scotland, I'll be long gone. This place will all just be un sueño, a dream.  That life will go on in Salamanca without me...how strange  !

Last night was the "Farewell Dinner" with ISA, the program I came here with.  We ate in a nice restaurant where Spanish food was served, and where I proceeded to eat way too many croquetas as I thought about how time is running out.  I left feeling uneasy and apprehensive, not wanting to deal yet with the transition of going back home.  But as I walked around with my friend Somer, who has also been here for the year, I realized that, perhaps: my time has come.

We have seen so many students and friends come and go. We have made so many friends and said many goodbyes.  And we realized this: Salamanca is the first of many places we will fall in love with and call home.  I know there is no way I could possibly stay here forever, and it will always, always be hard to say goodbye.  But we will always have the memories and the friendships.  So this weekend, I am going to focus on living in the moment, enjoying mis "ultimas dias" here in España, and taking none of it for granted.

I am off to study for finals (ugh!), wish me luck!

the place where I intend on spending my weekend, el rio