What, already?!

**I wrote this post on Friday, the 29th, but couldn't post it... so pretend that's when i actually did**

Well it's been ages since I’ve written on here – SO sorry! It’s been busy though. So much has happened!!! Our whole program went to Lagos, Portugal – it was incredible!! I have never seen a more beautiful beach in my life – cliffs and rocks everywhere, as well as beautifully clear blue water – truly amazing! We had a blast!!A lagoon in Lagos that we both swam in and then took a boat to.
The beach we were on in Lagos

When we got back, it was time for our last week in Sevilla, hence why I haven’t written – I was too busy trying to soak in every little bit of Sevilla and Andalucia before it was time to head north to Barcelona! The last week was great – we went to Isla Mágica, the amusement park in town, which was really cute. Finals were good, and it was the first time since probably elementary school when I was legitimately sad to say goodbye to my teachers! However, I have their email addresses, and I intend to stay in touch with both of them. My culture teacher will be an INCREDIBLE resource for me this fall as I’m researching for and writing my senior thesis, and she’s ready to help me out in any way she can! Jesús, my spanish teacher, I will keep in touch with, too. He is such an awesome teacher and I learned SO much from him this month. Plus, talk about connections!! Last night was our farewell dinner which was definitely bittersweet. We had a great time, but it was our last time. Afterwards we all went out, Jesús included! We had a blast. Things are so different here than in the states! We ran into one of Jesús’s other students at the bar we were all at, except this guy was a Spanish-speaker learning English. I was explaining to him the major boundaries observed between students and teachers in the states, and to him it just seemed ridiculous that it would be so taboo for a teacher to hang out with their students like that. The culture certainly is very different here.

I have to brag just for a minute, but only because I’m so proud of myself! My Spanish has come SO far!! Last night at dinner I was sitting next to Stephen the program director, his father in law (no english), one of the Spanish teachers, and then a couple of girls from the program. I was switching back and forth between Spanish and English like it was no problem!! Also, I talked on the phone yesterday with three different Spanish-speakers, which is very difficult because you can’t see their mouth or gestures or anything, but I have gotten to the point where I can do that. It’s so exciting! I LOVE IT!!

So, after a great last week, I packed up my bags today to head to Barcelona. I said an admittedly slightly tearful goodbye to Rachel and Emily, Carmen (my senora), my apartment, and finally Sevilla. It was sad! But here I am in Barcelona, ready to dive into this program and do it all over again.

That's it. More on Barcelona later!