I guess all good things must come to an end. Although, I'd like to think that it's the start for new beginnings.
Time comes and goes, but memories are here to stay.

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"Time Flies"- understated phrase of the year

Well it has now gotten to that time in the year, the time that I have to accept the fact that i must soon leave.

I have no more than three weeks left here in this beauiful country, and i stil cannot wrap my head around the idea.

Things now have gotten so wonderful. I am more comfortable with the language, getting on great with my class, understanding everything I am being taught, and living with a wonderful family. However, this marvelous time also happenes to be as I am about to pack my bags.

Although it is difficult, I have to remember to keep my mind open and head up high. Although it is difficult for me to remember, leaving houston was incredibely difficult for me. I had a very lost sensation and thought that I had left absolutely everything behind. The change was very difficult, but as I have learned-little by little, it was so worth it. When I do return, it will be another beginning. It is very possible that at first I will sense the same, "i just left everything behind" feeling like i did at the beginning of the year, but little by little I will grow to love the situation just like I learned to here in Madrid.

Spain, Spanish, the people I met here, and everything else about this exchange is now a permanant part

of me, and will remain to be even when i do return to the USA on the 1st of july.

Looking back through this year, It is hard to even contemplate how much has changed. I have learned more than I ever have in my life. I've learned the material things, like Spanish, but also so much more than that. I experienced what it is like to start over, in a place where you know nothing or no one, I've experienced how difficult it is to express yourself and communicate when you are surrounded with another language 24/7. Yet, of everything that I have learned here, and of everything that has changed, I am certain that my perspective of the world and of priorities are what changed the most. That is what I think is the most important gift this year has given me.

In the beginning of the year, in one of my first blogs titled "ch ch ch changes" I  now realize how differently I think about Spain, then and now. In the beginning of the year, I thought my school, classmates, and classes were just horrible and was too negative toward the changes, yet now, I would do ansolutley anything to stay with these kids at least another year. Once I was able to open up to the students in my school, and once the language barrier wasn't has strong as in the beginning, I realized how much diversity my class offers. There are girls and boys of all types in the same class, yet I did not realize that at first--i only needed to look a little bit deeper.



Concha and I, my religion teacher. Also
one of my favorite teacher



Also, I have proven myself wrong about when I said that the classes lack discussion. It is the absolute contrary. Just the other day, in music class, the class had a full out heated debate about world politics. In History class, I can't remember the last class of these few months where we did not have an interesting discussion about the world in that class. Being here, rather than at my previous school in houston, I have the opprotunity to hear the points of views from people from the other part of the world. Also, a few months ago I transfered into the optional relgion class. I decided that it is a real opprotunity to be taught about christianity while I;m here in Spain, considering that I don't know much about it and it would not hurt to learn.

It turns out that religion is one of my favorite classes and the teacher is one of my favorites as well.In all ways, I have grown to love my school here and will definatley miss it.

I've gotten so close to my class, 4,D and will miss them dearly when I leave.

  



Itziar,me,Laura, and Suri



   


Laura and I :)



     

   







My Religion class, a day in the center of Madrid





 IES Alameda de Osuna 4D 2010-2011



Since the start of kindergarten, this is my fifth school, and yet this class is without a doubt my favorite so far.

I already miss them-and I haven't even left yet.