Another last day

Today was my last day in Priego.  And of course, today I found a bread that is almost equivalent to bagels.  I mean why not.  It is my last day and all and it's not like I've been wanting bagels the entire time I've been in Spain.  Ugh. 
I spent the day taking in this beautiful town that has become my second home.  I walked through all my favorite spots, stopped and talked to some of my favorite shop keepers, and bought a few last souvenirs. 

Around noon, I headed to Sara's country house with her and Luisa.  We spent the day lounging by the pool and enjoyed a lovely Spanish lunch composed of fruits and veggies bought from the Saturday market. 

As for the rest of this blog post, I warn you in advance, it will not have an organization of thoughts.  There is so much I have left to say and only one more day to say it.  This is a good representation of how I feel about this experience.  I have so many things left I want to see and do, but time has (quickly) run out.  To start, I want to talk about the ham legs.  Something I've been meaning to share with you is just how expensive those darn things really are.  We're talking a range of 100 to 200 euros just for the leg of a pig.  This is due to the fact that the pigs graze freely and feast mainly on acorns which is apparently super healthy for them and for the consumer.  Who would have thought?
Secondly, I stupidly cut a chunk of my hair off before leaving for Spain.  I was stressed, I was trying to cut my bangs in a rush, and instead I missed and cut off a super big chunk of hair.  If I had photos I would share post on here and you would most likely gasp in horror.  It wasn't a pretty sight.  I am pleased to announce that this chunk of hair has now grown past the point of my chin and can officially blend nicely with the rest of my hair.  Finally.
Thirdly, I've been so busy with the events of this week that I never had a chance to write about how great Feria was last week with my American friends.  It was the best way to end this time in Spain.
Lastly, thank goodness for this blog.  It has literally helped keep my English in check.  (Even though Mom would disagree.)  Being surrounded by a new language 24/7 kind of puts a damper on my English speaking skills.  And thank goodness for you all who read this silly thing every week.  I would have probably stopped at post number 10 if it weren't for my faithful readers who motivated me to write something.  And I am proud to announce that this is the 86th post.  Finally, I have to give a big shout out to Spain who taught me all about the grammar that is involved in the English language which I somehow managed to miss out on learning in school.  Spain loves grammar.  And I wish grammar was loved just as much when I was in school because I definitely looked like an idiot whenever my Spanish teacher asked me to tell him about past continual tense or present perfect tense, etc.   

Would I recommend other people to partake in this experience? Absolutely.  Would I give them any advice?  Again, absolutely.  This experience has been one of the best but also one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Unless you've been through it, you won't understand what it is like to move to another country where every. single. thing. is different.  This year, I experienced, my first (and second) theft, my first problem with roommates, my first death of a loved one, my first language barrier, my first lifestyle change, my first time truly on my own, my first this, my first that... you get the point.  I came to Spain rather naive to all of the changes that were to come.  I think I thought it would be similiar to college where everyone tells you beforehand it will be the hardest, biggest change of your life.  But I had no problem embracing the college life.  Aside from a few hiccups in the beginning, college was a smooth, extremely enjoyable, problem free experience.  Hence the mindset that came with me to Spain.  Except here, no one was here to hold my hand.  No one was here that I was familiar with.  If I was stressed or having a bad day, I couldn't run home to my cats, bed, and family.  I only had a few people I could cling to who could relate to what I was going through (which thank goodness for Maggie, Maura, and Katherine, because I know without them, I would have been on a plane back to the U.S. back in November.)  I had to start literally from scratch.  Which might be cool... if you're in the States.  There you can at least speak the same language, and comfort yourself with the same food, and relate to the some of the cultural norms.  But in Spain, that's pretty impossible.  So would I do it all over again... the answer is yes.  I grew so much as a person this year.  I think more this year than in my last 24 years of life combined.  I wouldn't trade that for anything. 

So tomorrow, I will be saying goodbye to the tostado con aceite, the blue skies and sunshine, the mountain views, the olive trees, the barrio, the crazy ninos, and the sound of drums from the processions.

I'm saying goodbye to the people of Priego who have come to recognize me as one of their own, my school which has a piece of my heart, my friends that I hope to see sooner rather than later and my second home, Priego de Cordoba. 

I'm saying goodbye to my first year dealing with the death of a loved one, my first year on my own, and to the last 10 months which taught me more than my 24 years combined.

Goodbye Spain.  Thank you for the most memorable year of my life. 

24 hour recap

Recapping the last 24 hours...

Yesterday, I continued with the egg drop activity in my 3rd, 4th, and 6th grade classes.  Out of all of the classes, only two groups (one in 4th grade and one in 6th grade) were successful.  All in all, a very fun activity. 

 One of the winning groups

 Creative egg styling

After the egg drop activity, we had extra time to spare in each class so both my 3rd graders and 4th graders took the time to tell me their favorite memories from this year.  This reflection activity was really nice.  As mentioned before, teaching in Spain is incredibly different from teaching in the United States.  So I was never 100 percent positive if I was doing a good job or not.  Yesterday proved that I had indeed managed to keep creative Kelly in the classroom while also leaving an impact on the students.  I received so many heartfelt cards and crafts to further prove this.  I went through the motions of saying goodbye to all of my students successfully without crying. 

 Every year, my school puts on a performance at the end of June.  Each grade level is in charge of coming up with some sort of performance.  Almost every grade level is doing a dance.  Antonio, one of the amazing teachers I work with, has created 21 cardboard instruments.  And the students are pretending to play these instruments to the Orchestra song "Carmen" (Google it-- you'll know the song I'm talking about.)  Talk about the most adorable thing ever.  I spent the last day with my 1st graders practicing.

 

 My munchkin 1st graders

The rest of the day continued in the same matter.  I had my final private lessons.  We said our goodbyes.  I headed home to take on the task of packing.   See how well that went in yesterday's blog post.

As for today, I had to return to my school to "sign some paperwork."  Or at least that's what I was told.  Instead of looking at a pile of papers, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the school's "salon" with all of the students and teachers.  There, the headmaster gave a wonderful speech about my work in their school.  Then everyone sang the Bruno Mars song "Count on Me."  Just listen to the lyrics and you'll see how meaningful this song is.  Again, I was on the verge of tears but managed to hold it together.  Once we were finished, the 1st grade teacher beckoned me over to his class.  A few of the girls were not just crying, but BAWLING their eyes out because I was leaving.  I gave them hugs as each of their little voices cried in spanish, "Don't leave."  I lost it.  Their tears caused my tears to come flowing out.  While crying, I was called to the front of the room, where I was presented with three gifts: an Olive Oil gift set, a picture book of all of Priego, and a typical, handmade Spanish fan.  This school, the children, and the teachers were wonderful this past year, and it was extremely hard saying goodbye today.  For the school newspaper, I had to write a goodbye message.  It expresses my feelings about this year perfectly:

Siempre recordaré este año.  He pasado un tiempo maravilloso trabajando con los profesores y alumnos de Niceto.  Esta experiencia me ha causado un gran impacto y espero haber dejado un buen recuerdo en vosotros y en el colegio. 

Desde el primer día, me he sentido acogida y bienvenida.  Y, aunque el año escolar termina para mí, son muchos los recuerdos y anécdotas de cada clase que llevaré conmigo. 

A la clase de primero, siempre tan activos e inquietos.  Cada clase con vosotros fue sinónimo de alegría y diversión.  Vuestros besitos siempre han pintado una sonrisa en mi cara.  Segundo… incansables a la hora de hacer cualquier actividad, gracias por dejarme mostraros mi lado creativo con los pequeños libros que hemos hecho en  cada unidad.  ¿Qué puedo decir de tercero?  Una clase pequeña llena de corazones grandes.  Gracias por los dibujos y las fotos que me habéis hecho a lo largo del curso.  El entusiasmo demostrado por los alumnos de cuarto ha conseguido que aprender inglés no sea algo rutinario o aburrido sino una experiencia gratificante y motivadora.  Espero que nuestros juegos de cada semana os hayan divertido tanto como a mí.  Cada clase con quinto curso fue un placer, son alumnos excelentes y les agradezco que hayan compartido conmigo sus historias y sus alegrías; tienen un corazón que no les cabe en el pecho.   Ojalá hubiera pasado más tiempo con los alumnos de sexto, cada momento con ellos fue maravilloso.  Gracias por dejarme compartir con vosotros mis experiencias y la cultura y costumbres de mi país. 

Por último, pero no menos importante, expresar mi sincero agradecimiento a los profesores, a todos, y cada uno, de Niceto.  No sé como habría sobrevivido este año escolar sin vuestra ayuda.  Gracias por hacerme sentir una más y hacer de este año una experiencia enriquecedora y gratificante.

A todos… GRACIAS!!! Ha sido un año inolvidable y os llevo en mi corazón. 

This past year has been one that I will never forget.  I have had such a wonderful time working with both the teachers and the students of Niceto.  This experience has impacted me greatly and I hope that I have left some sort of impact on the school.   From the very first day, I felt welcomed by you all.  And as the school year passed, many memories were created with each class.   

First grade, you are always active and restless.  And every day I spent with you was filled with happiness and joy.  Your kisses always brought a smile to my face.  Second grade, you pour so much energy into the activities.  Thank you for letting me show my creative side with the mini books we made regularly.  What can I say about third grade?  You are a small class, but your hearts couldn’t be bigger.  Thank you for all of the pictures and drawings you made me throughout the year.  The enthusiasm of Fourth Grade to learn English made the class fun and gratifying instead of routine and boring.  I hope that the games we played each week were as much fun for you as they were for me. Every class with Fifth grade was a pleasure.  The students are both excellent and intelligent.  Thank you for sharing with me your stories and your happiness.  Each of you has a heart of gold.  Sixth grade, I wish we got to spend more time together.  But the moments we did have together were wonderful.  Thank you for letting me share my culture and experiences with you. 

 Last but not least, the teachers.  I can't express enough my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you.   I could not have survived this school year without the help of each of you.  Thank you for making this year a positive and happy one!     

To all... THANK YOU!!  Thank you for treating me as one of your own. Again, thank you for the unforgettable year.  I will carry these memories with me always!