The day has come, May 23rd, when my semester studying abraod in Granada is officially over. I can't begin to wrap my mind around how it is possible that time went by so quickly. It feels like just yesterday I was meeting my host mom for the first time and she was walking me down the street to show me where my school was. I remember how excited I was and as we were walking I was thinking "I am going to get to know these streets so well, and it will soon feel like home here." Sure enough, I was spot on right, and now the place that I call home is suddenly slipping out from underneath me.

The past two weeks are a blur in my mind. Between trying to see all of our favorite sites/go to the best bars one last time, hanging out with friends, eating as much gelato as we possibly can, and oh yeah, studying for our final exams, it made every day feel like only an hour had gone by. It was shocking when we realized we actually had to start packing, and everything else trumped studying (I'm crossing my fingers that I passed my tests..and my toes too!) and it was totally worth it.

My friends and I have become extremely close to the point where I feel like they are my brothers and sisters. Saying goodbye to them this morning was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life, and that is no exaggeration. When the bus pulled away I truly felt like someone was tearing my heart out. I have no doubt that we will meet again in the future, but I can't imagine not seeing them everyday and walking the streets of our beloved Granada together. After leaving them I went back to my apartment and had to say goodbye to my host mom, Maribel, also. She was so sweet when she hugged me goodbye. We were both bawling our eyes out. We just held onto each other like we never wanted to let go, and then she gave me a pack of kleenexes for the road (lol). I haven't even said goodbye to my Spanish friends yet! I'm going to die of dehydration!!

I couldn't have asked for a better group of people, a better host mom, a better city, or a better home to be a part of these past 5 months. I am extremely blessed and am so thankful for the spectacular adventure I got to experience. I have grown so much as a person and my life will forever be changed because of this semester. I am so excited that I now get to travel more of Spain with my sister Mary and then get to spend two more weeks in Granada with my family, showing them around the city that will forever hold a place in my heart.

Now to Alicante we go!!!