It is just the little things...

As time is clearly ticking down on my experience it is the little things that have struck me as clear differences.

I left the United States and George W. Bush was our president, for the good and the bad, of course he is off currently living on his "ranch" or city house somewhere in Texas. Barack Obama is our president. I watched him live via television be sworn in as 10 Americans raised their glasses to great new things in a cafe filled with Spaniards.

I left the United States and my house still had my Christmas tree up and it was winter.

I will return home in a few weeks back to Long Island, my house (hopefully) does not have the tree up, Bush is no longer our president, hopefully gas prices are down a little (maybe wishful thinking), the economy is terrible, but there are much bigger things that I think of as nothings that have changed.

Right before I left for Spain I returned to my MacArthur High School to observe a bunch of Spanish teachers. I always seemed to remembered a few Spanish teachers consistently talking about "when I studied in Spain", "my host mother use to make",and "on this celebration they did". What surprised me more was as word got through the building that I was leaving for Spain, the history teachers I had, my guidance counselor who all stopped me to share a memory of their study abroad experiences. My guidance counselor had the last word before I walked out she said, Erika you think you will know how it has changed you, come back and find me in 15 years, you will be shocked at what you have learned.

I probably should have studied more, payed attention in class more, possibly gotten straight A's, but I can tell you why a pueblo is considered a pueblo and why a cuidad is considered a city. (Pueblo does not have a cathedral within town limits, a city does.) I can tell you where Grecos original paintings are located in Spain (Prado, Toledo, and Oviedo). I can tell you how Franco went down as a dictator and why Spain currently has a king but he has very little power post Civil War. I can tell you they don't eat paella everyday, and why drink sangria when they have amazing wine. I will never be as 'fluent' as I would like to be, most likely because what I think of as 'fluent' is never having to look up a word in the dictionary and understanding 110% of everything everyone says. If Jaime hasn't mastered that I sure as heck will not. Doesn't mean I wont strive for the impossible.

It is surely the little things I have learned that I think I will continue to hold on to as the most important. The things that are almost impossible to be learned out of a textbook. The things I really am not sure I realize now.

There are a million things I will miss here. But I cannot wait for some Mac and Cheese, to not here Single Ladies as the current hit in the clubs and bars, and you know a bagel and cream cheese. But don't be shocked if I wonder into some Spanish supermarkets on Long Island just to be able to turn around and say 'donde esta....'. At least I live in a place where that is normal occurrence in Dunkin Donuts or the local supermarket.

It is the little things I will hold with me back in the States and take in a few more as my time ticks down, but I for one am the last person to doubt if I will or will not be back in Spain. Give me a few years, it will happen. I promise.