¿La última semana?

Well, I guess all good things really do come to an end. Here I am, working* on final projects, papers, and exams, and it is the one week mark until the end of my program here in Granada. (*I use the term "working" pretty loosely here.) It's the typical mix of emotions: excited to return to the US (peanut butter! things without olive oil! stores open from 3-6!), sad to be leaving Granada (no more free tapas, no more beautiful southern Spain, no more wonderful granadinos and extended euro-vacation), shocked that the time has flown by SO quickly, ready to be done with classes, etc. I will actually be staying in Spain for two more weeks after the program ends -- mostly in Barcelona and Madrid -- but finals are this week and Sunday is the day of goodbyes. But as Kurt Vonnegut said, it's never a mistake to say goodbye.

These last few days I have had some last hurrahs though. My friend Mia was here which was tons of fun. We went to the beach which was so relaxing. And I am officially not the color of bacalao (a typical Spanish white fish)! So I mean that's good; can't really come home from a semester is southern Spain looking like I was just in the PNW. Anyway Mia and I bopped around Granada for a few days and just soaked in the glory (and the sun rays -- it's been so hot here!) and ate all the tapas. Mmmmm one of the things I will miss most is the tapa evening life. Going out for tapas with friends just isn't the same as going out for drinks or dinner in the States. I usually spend a leisurely 3 or 4 hours eating tapas and drinking wine or tinto de veranos (remember? half red wine and half lemon fanta!) just chatting with friends and walking around the city from place to place which just isn't the dinner situation at home. Not that I'm not beyond excited to get a kitchen again and cook whatever my heart desires, because such as tapas will be one of the things I miss most, cooking was one of the things I missed most about the US, but still. I guess I'm lucky to never want to leave where I am and always want to go where I'm going.

In addition to my friend Mia, another Vashon High School survivor was in Granada just last night! My friend Tanner and a lot of his program did an Andalucía tour and their last stop was Granada. Of course, it was their favorite (haha I don't know if it was, but it should be!). We wandered the beautiful streets and stopped in some of my favorite bars. Wish I could visit him in León!

A last update on my recent adventures: Last Sunday we went on an 18km (~11 miles) hike along the beach in Cabo de Gata. It was fabulously beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera died even before getting there so I have no photos of my own. However, I did snag some good ones from my friends so you can at least enjoy the view.


This is at the beginning of the hike.


These are my friends!


Oooo so pretty! It was this pretty the whole day.


And this is at the end.

Alright so 3 more finals, two more translations, one more assignment, 7 more nights of tapas (including tonight), and 0 more classes. Parents are here on Sunday (it's that one week mark where you can start using days' names instead of "one/two/three week(s) from ___"). Friends all leave on Sunday. I honestly cannot believe I am almost a senior. Yikes.