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.