Heading Back to the U.S. Tomorrow

I'm all finished up with finals, my suitcases are packed up, and I just had my final meal and shower at my home stay.  I can't believe that I'm heading home tomorrow!  

First of all, here's a follow up of all of my concerns from my last blog post:

1. Finals.  My finals went really, really well.  I'm so relived about that.  I deserve it though because I studied really hard for all of them.  Somehow I had a slight mix up with the dates of my finals and just assumed that they were all on Monday and Tuesday.  However I actually had two Monday, one Tuesday, one Wednesday, and one Thursday.  I thought that I was going to have Wednesday and Thursday to relax, pack, and enjoy my last few days in Granada but instead I had to wait around, study, and procrastinate all day until 5PM on both Wednesday and Thursday to take my final teo finals.  Today was my Lituratura Espanola final and I totally nailed it.   I pretty much was able to quote my notes and information from our packed because that's how much I had studied for it.  My Flamenco final yesterday was...interesting.  I knew a lot of the stuff on it but I wasn't really sure what exactly he was looking for.  I wrote a ton of random stuff hoping that something eventually hit the point.

2. the OPI.  Still something that's on my mind.  Especially because someone just posted on the Granada Facebook page that they got an e-mail confirmation about their date to take it but I didn't get an e-mail.  

3. My online summer class.  I finally got everything figured out with that which is good. 

4. A summer job.  Apparently Augustino's Rock and Roll Deli is hiring! That would be a great place to work so I definitely have to apply there ASAP when I get home.  

5. Packing up my stuff.  I always let myself get way too stressed out when I pack.  It also always takes me way too long but I did it!  

It honestly didn't really hit my that I'm leaving until today.  When I went on my final run on the streets of Granada this morning, I started getting all sentimental, reflecting on all of the times that I've had here.  The other day Eva gave me a going away present.  She gave me a nice card, a necklace, bracelet with a K on it, earrings, and this adorable little magnet with a bull on it.  Then today she gave me these little dog clip on earrings.  She said that it was a way that I could remember both her and her dog Scooby.  It was really sweet! A few days ago I gave Eva the gift that I had made for her.  I wrote her a nice letter and put a picture of us at the bottom.  Then I brought a frame and framed the letter with the picture for her.  She loved it.  She said that  it was such a great way to remember me by and so much more personal then just a store-brought gift.

Today after my last final I blasted "Home" by Edward Sharp on my iPod and then headed over to look for a University of Granada t-shirt to buy  for a final souvenir before I left.  Although I need another t-shirt like a need a hole in the head, for only 8 euro I figured that it would be a nice memorial to have.  Once again, I took a little stroll down memory lane, getting a bit sentimental as I walked through the Arab markets near the Cathedral thinking about the first time that I had walked there with Eva a night or two after I had arrived in Granada.  

Tomorrow I am going to take the airport bus at 7:10AM to the Granada airport and then my flight from Granada to Madrid is at 10:05.  I have a layover in England and then I get to O'Hare at 5:55PM.  Luckily there is an airport bus bus stop really close to my house.  I figured that I would ask Eva if she could help me carry one of my huge suitcases to the bus stop in the morning, even though I'm sure that I can manage by myself.  Before I end this blog post with a "bang" I just want to mention that Eva has been somewhat sick this past week.  Her stomach has been really bothering her and she went to the doctor twice.  Anyways, I asked her about carrying one of my suitcases and she told me that she was really sorry but she couldn't help me because she isn't allowed to carry heavy things.  This is a new restriction as of today because she went to the doctor today and found out that she is....PREGNANT.  I had absolutely no idea and she really didn't either.  She said she thought that he was just sickly, tired, and sore all the time because of the heat and the change in seasons.  wow, wow, wow is all I can say.  

I want to finish up my final blog post with a little reflection on all of the times that I've had in Granada.  Here's a few pictures from my most memorable times these past 5 months:

January:  Orientation Day 1 and 2 where we took a walking tour of the city and saw the school building for the first time. 

The parade for the "Dia de los Reyes Magos" (Day of the three kings) where they pelted the crowd with a ridiculous amount of hard candies.

 Visiting the Alhambra and the Albayzin for the first time.

Paris, France during the week long break in between the intensive language course and the actual classes at the University. 

February:  Getting to know and love the city more and more.  These four girls were definitely four of my closest friends here in Granada and luckily three of them go to ISU too!  

Trip to Ronda

March: Weekend trip to Madrid with Amy, Rachel, Sarah, Marlee, and Katie

Mom visits during her Spring Break!

 and we take a trip to Malaga

April: Cordoba 

 and Sevilla with CEA

Nerja with Amy, Amy, and Ashley

Semana Santa

April/May: Watching a bull fight at the Plaza de Toros 

Dia de la Cruz

Lagos, Portugal 

And then just some other great pictures from the semester: Flamenco shows, the Albayzin and Sacromonte, art, food ect...