Well, it sure has been awhile… this will probably be my last (current) post, although I may go back and fill in the entries I never wrote from Semana Santa, Germany, my homecoming, and all that jazz. >>

Overall, life at home has been… interesting. My summer was uneventful, and just kind of weird to tell you the truth. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, probably because I was expecting it to be the most horrible thing ever. You know what I mean? Like, when you set yourself up for the worst-case scenario, chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And I was.

That’s not to say coming home was easy. I think I cried more on the day I spent traveling home than I ever have in my life. But readjusting to life back home was much easier than expected. I fell back into my old routines, and everything just sort of worked.

Back here at college, I’ve thrown myself into classes and as many clubs as I can fit into my schedule. I’m excited for my core journalism classes, but I miss speaking Spanish. I’m taking a 2-credit Spanish class this semester, and when my professor started speaking Spanish to us… it took a minute to register. The last time I heard Spanish was from native speakers, and in Spain… it just doesn’t seem right, or authentic, or something, to be speaking it here. I almost feel like a fraud.

I miss, and think about, Spain every single day. Some days it doesn’t feel like more than a dream, but then I look at the Spanish flag hanging up in my room, or the posters and pictures I have plastered on my wall, and I’m reminded of the dream that was fulfilled this spring.

Everyone I met there, whether we’re on speaking terms or not, is still close to my heart. A huge piece of advice from someone who’s learning the hard way: don’t burn the bridges you built abroad. The people you depended on most to get you through the homesickness, the people you trusted most, the people who made your time abroad worthwhile… those will be the people you miss most when you’re back home. They will be some of the few people who know exactly what you’re going through when you forget how your life ever made sense before studying abroad.

Me, I’ve lost some of those people. And honestly? It sucks. I feel hated by so many people, and I don’t even understand why. I don’t fight with my friends, and I am THE last person to ever hold a grudge against anyone. We depended on each other, and while none of us were perfect friends to one another, we tried. I always thought that was enough. Trying to figure how I’m supposed to deal with the reality that my closest friend for 4/5 months abroad doesn’t want anything to do with me is anymore, to say the least, difficult. But I’m working on it.

But anyway, this entry isn’t about my personal vendettas… I just thought I’d give you an update on how life is going since leaving Spain. Look out for backposts coming in the future, and take care, everyone.

oh, and if you get a chance… I have to keep a blog and twitter for a class this semester, and we get extra points if we have lots of followers. I’m doing mine on Spain, surprise It’s going to be kind of a mix of a travel guide to Southern Spain, and I’ll probably be elaborating on things I talked about here. But I’ll also talk about news out of Spain. Please go follow me, check me out, tell your friends, whatever… I’d really appreciate it

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