In the panicky last 72 hours of my stay in Madrid, I’ve reverted back to my original state of tourism, trying frantically to capture the novelty of everything that has now become so familiar. It’s literally impossible to convey the normalcy of my day on film, but that’s no surprise. However, I have yet to give up on this endeavor and continue to take pictures of what invariably turn out as lack-luster photos of tree-lined streets and buildings.
At this point I’m cherishing my excitement to return to the states; I know it will soon evaporate once the boredom and commonness of home takes over if not sooner (i.e. when I have to spend one unfortunate night in and around JFK). My desire to go home could stem directly from my looming last final exam, after which the reality might hit so hard that I’ll be wishing I actually had more tests left just to afford me more time here. The conflicting feelings of never wanting to leave Madrid and wanting desperately to get back to the U.S. has brought me to the point of not even knowing what to feel. I’m neither sad nor anxious nor heartbroken…at least for now.
There are irreplaceable things that I have always missed from the states—things that won’t change regardless of the amount of time I spend abroad—and it’s an eclectic mix of the abstract and the concrete: a tolerance of diversity, the facilities and desire to recycle, breakfast (for God’s sake, people), just to name a few. And for once it will be nice to live in a culture where blonde is a norm and staring is impolite. There are so many aspects of Spanish culture that I’d love to duplicate in the states, so much of the language that I would love to impossibly incorporate into our own (joder has inevitably ingrained itself in my vocabulary). Por lo menos, I know that I’m bringing back two bottles of Spanish wine, thousands of photos, and a better understanding of myself.
But I’d still like to continue to share my experience up until I set foot on U.S. soil. And as of this moment, I have yet to (nor am I able to) say goodbye to the place I’ve called home for four months. Until then, here are some more pictures, a little video of my last flamenco show (though the sound quality is terrible and is best viewed with the volume way down), and perhaps one of my last cool, calm and collected blog entries.
At this point I’m cherishing my excitement to return to the states; I know it will soon evaporate once the boredom and commonness of home takes over if not sooner (i.e. when I have to spend one unfortunate night in and around JFK). My desire to go home could stem directly from my looming last final exam, after which the reality might hit so hard that I’ll be wishing I actually had more tests left just to afford me more time here. The conflicting feelings of never wanting to leave Madrid and wanting desperately to get back to the U.S. has brought me to the point of not even knowing what to feel. I’m neither sad nor anxious nor heartbroken…at least for now.
There are irreplaceable things that I have always missed from the states—things that won’t change regardless of the amount of time I spend abroad—and it’s an eclectic mix of the abstract and the concrete: a tolerance of diversity, the facilities and desire to recycle, breakfast (for God’s sake, people), just to name a few. And for once it will be nice to live in a culture where blonde is a norm and staring is impolite. There are so many aspects of Spanish culture that I’d love to duplicate in the states, so much of the language that I would love to impossibly incorporate into our own (joder has inevitably ingrained itself in my vocabulary). Por lo menos, I know that I’m bringing back two bottles of Spanish wine, thousands of photos, and a better understanding of myself.
But I’d still like to continue to share my experience up until I set foot on U.S. soil. And as of this moment, I have yet to (nor am I able to) say goodbye to the place I’ve called home for four months. Until then, here are some more pictures, a little video of my last flamenco show (though the sound quality is terrible and is best viewed with the volume way down), and perhaps one of my last cool, calm and collected blog entries.
1 comment:
(Upside down !)Congratulations!
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