Then we headed to a Spanish chain called Lizarran. I had never been there before and it's famous for its tapas. So Sohae showed me the ropes, we ate delicious Spanish food, and reminisced some more. We also shared come really good sangria, our last glasses of real, authentic, Spanish sangria. She told me about her adventures in Munich and I told her about Verona and Turin and my time with Silvia and Enrico. We talked about the whole semester and the future and what it would be like back at Mizzou. It was good closure to the trip. We were both ready to go home but still so sad to leave.The next morning we got up super early and took the first bus to the airport to make our 9am flight. Let me tell you, it was very difficult getting all our bags there. Sohae needed help carrying hers and some nice Spanish men helped us get them off the racks of the bus. This time we actually had to check in! And my bag was overweight.... So I had to take another carry on. How awkward is it to have to leave the line and unpack and repack your bag in front all the people in line? I actually put too much in my carry on and in the end my checked bag was WAY underweight. So I had to cart that carry on all the way back home. But whatever.
So we headed to the gate and found one of the girls from our program! Sammie was on the flight back to the states. So we flew to Madrid. Then in Madrid, we split. I was headed to Miami and they were headed to Dallas. So we said our goodbyes and see you laters. I did a powerwalk to my gate since I was cutting it a little close. Actually, a girl on my flight to Madrid ended up missing her flight back to the states because we were a little late in leaving Alicante. I felt pretty bad for her. But I made it to my flight on time.
And listen to this! I was waiting at the gate and I got called up to the desk. I was super nervous. I thought they found the plant I had packed in my bag that came from Silvia's dad! I mean, it's kind of illegal to bring plants to new countries, and I knew it. But at the desk they were like, "So we noticed that you're seated way in the back by the bathroom and we were wondering if you would like to be move to the middle of the plane. You can have these three seats, the entire middle row, all to yourself. Would that be alright?" Uhhhhhh, DUH! So for the 9 hours flight I got the entire row to myself. I got to lay down and have all three pillows and all three blankets and stretch out. KARMA! It was wonderful! So on the way home I listened to the Prince and the Pauper which was really good. I didn't know it was about King Henry VIII's son, Edward. A little background story, the story is about Edward when he's 12 and he actually dies at 13. I've read The Other Boleyn Girl and that series and they were also about King Henry VIII. So it was cool to see a different side of it. Then I tried to listen to Oliver Twist but it just wasn't good enough to get very far at all. So I slept a little and watched Country Strong, which was a terrible movie, by the way.
And then we arrived in Miami! It was perfect because everything in the Miami Airport was written in English and Spanish so it was a good transition. But I was so happy to be back in America. Home. So I made my way through customs and had to get my baggage and run it through customs and security again and check it in. And my plant made it through! I was so nervous they were gonna arrest me or something. But they didn't. So I headed to my next gate.
For some reason I don't remember, our flight from Miami to Chicago was delayed TWO WHOLE HOURS! I was dying. And it really stunk because we were already on the plane and waiting to get onto the runway. So it was all warm and uncomfortable. I was seated near a group of high school students who were returning from Costa Rica. Thankfully I sat next to the program supervisors, and not obnoxious students. So since we were delayed I asked one of the young adult supervisors if I could borrow his phone to call home since I only had my Spain phone and no other way to tell my family I'd be late. So after two hours we took off.
We flew past/through some storms. It was one of the coolest things I had EVER seen. We flew right next to a lightening storm for a solid half hour. But the cool part was that the lightening was constant, like lightening every 2 seconds for a HALF HOUR! And I was at the height of the lightening and got to see it all. It was like a symphony. I could almost hear the lightening playing to the music. I can't describe it well enough and my camera couldn't capture it but I'll never forget it. It was probably the most beautiful thing I've seen in my entire life. Breathtaking.
After a 2.5 hour flight, I landed in O'Hare :) Finally. I basically ran through the airport to baggage claim and there was my seester and mommy! They found me. They took me to the car and I hugged my daddy. I was finally home, after a long 5.5 months.
The next few days I fought jet lag and I won. I had like two days where I woke up at 6:30am but it wasn't really that bad. I swung right back into my summer routine like I had never been gone, like the last few months had just been a dream.
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Six months later, I'm sad just thinking about it. The end of my adventure. It's quite possible, if not probable, that that was the high point of my life. The freedom, the adventure, the new world view. I met a girl yesterday who is going to France next semester. Girl, live it up. Do everything and anything. Don't miss any opportunity. You never know who you'll meet, what you'll see, what you'll do. I honestly can't say, "Oh I wouldn't change a single thing about my semester in Europe," but I sure did appreciate everything. I'll always look back on my time in Europe and smile, knowing that it was the best six months of my life.
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