Home.

So this post is 113 days late....or well, almost 4 months late. I started this post when I got home on May 9, but I never took the time to finish it. So here is what I had written....and then I'll finish it off...

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I am home, and it was quite the journey getting here. Saying goodbye to Valencia and goodbye to Amparo was hard. Amparo wasn't able to accompany Marli and I to the bus because she had to take the Russian girl (who had arrived on Wednesday) to the hospital since she was very sick. It was a sad goodbye in our bedroom, and Marli and I couldn't stop crying. Since Amparo took the girl to the hospital, Marli and I left the apartment, closing the door behind us. We said goodbye to some friends and the directors at the bus, and then we were on our way to Madrid.

We arrived at the Madrid airport at 3:45am Saturday morning. We made a little "camp" area in the departures area, since most of us didn't have flight until 11 or later. The goodbyes came slowly, one or two people leaving the group--hugs and some tears. Then finally it came time most of the people I was with were checking into their flight, and I needed to get to a different terminal for my flight. It was so hard saying goodbye to those last few people, which included Marli and Megan. They helped me load my luggage onto the bus that would take me to my terminal and then waved goodbye. I checked in and then ate my last bocadillo (sandwich) from Amparo. Going through security was pretty easy and then I headed to my gate. My flight was set to leave at 1:10pm. Then they announced it was delayed...more info in 30 minutes. Then they did that again...and again. The volcanic ash cloud was going to interfere with our flight path, so they were trying to find a new route for the plane. Around 2pm or so, I started freaking out a little, because I just wanted to be home, I had been awake for a very long time, there were no other ISA kids on my flight, and I knew if we were delayed much longer, I would miss my connection to DSM. That was when I encountered a group of grad students from Drake, who had been traveling in Europe for 10 days for a globalized economy class--they "adopted" me and made sure I was doing okay. Finally, they announced that our flight would be boarding and leaving immediately. I rejoiced and happily got on the plane. It turns out we were the LAST FLIGHT they allowed out of Madrid that went to the US, and they shut down that airspace shortly after. Due to the route change, the flight was almost 12 hours. I stayed awake for a while, watching tv shows and movies, but eventually I dozed in and out. I knew I would miss the connection to DSM, and I was just hoping I wouldn't have to spend the night at the Dallas airport.

We arrived in Dallas a little after 9pm, and I met back up with the group of Drake students. We made it through customs, and then we were given "distressed traveler vouchers" for a nearby hotel. Our flight to DSM was scheduled for 7:50 the next morning. I got checked into the hotel...then called my parents and gave them an update on everything. After that, I crashed. It was nice waking up in the morning and being able to shower before going home. We took the shuttle back to the DFW airport and checked in. The Drake group started taking bets on whether or not Collin would be there waiting at the airport with my parents. After going through security, I ate my first bit of American food, which was a cinnamon bagel with cream cheese--I had wanted a cinnamon roll, but couldn't find one. Eventually, we got on the plane and left. Landing in DSM was very surreal, seeing all the familiar places and things as we were landing. It looked so green and just different--I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. Walking from my gate to the arrival area, I got really scared and nervous, knowing that I would be seeing my parents for the first time since December. I was already tearing up before I even stepped on the escalator that led down to the arrival area. Looking down, there were my parents and there was Collin waiting for me. After almost 48 hours of travel, I was home.
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That's what I wrote back in May. I think I was wanting to write more or maybe wanting to edit it. But that's my story of getting home. The transition back to the United States was more difficult for me than when I transitioned to living in Spain. It took 2 weeks before I was able to sleep normal hours--I woke up between 5am-6:30am most mornings. The summer ended up flying by, and now I am back at school. I got back to Luther on Friday, and this is also a transition for me that is a little difficult. I'm remembering why I love Luther so much, but some of it is slightly overwhelming for me right now. There are so many people here, and it feels a little chaotic. I don't recognize half the people on campus, and I realize that I'm a senior, but I don't feel that old. We start class on Wednesday, which will really bring me back to what normal classes are like. Since I finished my Spanish major in Spain, most of my classes are Business Management class, but I added a Spanish class to keep up with my skills. We'll see where the year takes me. For now, this is the end....