Yesterday marked forty days on our countdown until we go home. I'm not rushing the time here or wishing the days away, but I am looking forward to seeing my family again, eating familiar food, working, and not feeling a little guilty when I speak English.
I filled out my ACA evaluation survey this week, which took nearly 45 minutes and included questions about the academics, staff, travel, school trips, and what we think of the program in general. I said I would recommend it to anyone—and it's been one of the most positive experiences in my life. This is absolutely true, and although there is a lot I'm missing about home right now, I know there are many things I'm going to miss about Spain once I'm home. I've been keeping a list on my iPod of all of this. Some are obvious (friends, teachers, etc.) and some are very random (having a balcony in my dorm room). Here's what I'm thinking this morning:
Fresh bread . . . for pennies. In Europe, it's rather uncommon to buy a perfectly square loaf of bread in a plastic bag, like Wonderbread or Pepperidge Farms. Instead, every grocery store has a small bakery (similar to the States) where they sell loaves of freshly-baked French bread every day. The thing is, these cost less than a euro, usually you can get a pretty large loaf for 45 or 55 cents. Oftentimes they are warm and fresh from the oven. Think good Panera bread, but all the time and super cheap!
Ryanair. It's going to seem strange when I go home and look for flights over a hundred dollars. With Ryanair, we've been able to fly to Rome, Paris, and back from Milan, each for less than 100 USD. Tickets to Ibiza, a nearby island, sometimes drop as low as 12 euros a flight. They aren't the most accommodating airline, but if you show up on time and don't mind the fact that they try to sell you calendars and lottery tickets during your transit, it's really efficient!
Kebabs. We've discussed it all year. Our favorite go-to "fast" food here in Europe is virtually non-existent in the States. I'm sure we'll be able to find restaurants with falafel, pita bread, and some sort of sauce, but it's not likely to be the same. It's become our Taco Bell of Europe—fast, reliable, nearly the same in every shop, vegetarian, and best of all, never over 4 euros and very filling.
Here's something I'm not going to miss this summer . . . homework! I have a nice little pile waiting for me so I better get to it. Today it's reading my book, doing a few worksheets, and responding to an article for conversation. I hope everyone back home is having a good weekend and we'll be back in just 40 days!
I filled out my ACA evaluation survey this week, which took nearly 45 minutes and included questions about the academics, staff, travel, school trips, and what we think of the program in general. I said I would recommend it to anyone—and it's been one of the most positive experiences in my life. This is absolutely true, and although there is a lot I'm missing about home right now, I know there are many things I'm going to miss about Spain once I'm home. I've been keeping a list on my iPod of all of this. Some are obvious (friends, teachers, etc.) and some are very random (having a balcony in my dorm room). Here's what I'm thinking this morning:
Fresh bread . . . for pennies. In Europe, it's rather uncommon to buy a perfectly square loaf of bread in a plastic bag, like Wonderbread or Pepperidge Farms. Instead, every grocery store has a small bakery (similar to the States) where they sell loaves of freshly-baked French bread every day. The thing is, these cost less than a euro, usually you can get a pretty large loaf for 45 or 55 cents. Oftentimes they are warm and fresh from the oven. Think good Panera bread, but all the time and super cheap!
Ryanair. It's going to seem strange when I go home and look for flights over a hundred dollars. With Ryanair, we've been able to fly to Rome, Paris, and back from Milan, each for less than 100 USD. Tickets to Ibiza, a nearby island, sometimes drop as low as 12 euros a flight. They aren't the most accommodating airline, but if you show up on time and don't mind the fact that they try to sell you calendars and lottery tickets during your transit, it's really efficient!
Kebabs. We've discussed it all year. Our favorite go-to "fast" food here in Europe is virtually non-existent in the States. I'm sure we'll be able to find restaurants with falafel, pita bread, and some sort of sauce, but it's not likely to be the same. It's become our Taco Bell of Europe—fast, reliable, nearly the same in every shop, vegetarian, and best of all, never over 4 euros and very filling.
Here's something I'm not going to miss this summer . . . homework! I have a nice little pile waiting for me so I better get to it. Today it's reading my book, doing a few worksheets, and responding to an article for conversation. I hope everyone back home is having a good weekend and we'll be back in just 40 days!
