Final Thoughts

Well, we've (I've) reached the end. Tomorrow marks the return journey home and as I sit here in Madrid and make some final preparations, it seems all too strange to me that I am going to be leaving Europe and SPAIN in the morning. Honestly, now that I've reached the end, I am not sure if I am ready to go...sure there are a lot of things that I am CRAVING from the United States and I am excited to see all my family + friends, but I have definitely reached a level of comfort here that I am not sure I am willing to give up just yet.

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As I finish this blog post, I am currently sitting in my beloved bed in Raleigh, listening to Sharon Van Etten and James Blake, attempting to wrap my head around one of the most profound, fast-paced and best 5 and 1/2 months of my life. I began my return with a dinner at Angus Barn, followed by a much needed haircut, lunch at Whole Foods with Meg Philbrook, a visit to Alexander to get t-shirts and see camp and a trip to Target...a pretty solid welcome home itinerary in my book. Then came Elmo's Diner and a trip to Carrboro house. It is entirely wonderful and strange to be at home, back in the United States. In some ways, it almost feels like the last 5 months didn't actually happen, like maybe I never left at all. The routine of home returned pretty immediately and I'm surprised by this. But then of course there are the homecomings, the favorite foods and the billions of questions. I'm trying to work on not overwhelming everyone (and myself) with stories--it's hard to not get carried away, but honestly its even harder to process it all. I've got a semester of memories, challenges, moments and everything else in between. And I've got a sweet summer to figure it all out hopefully, before its time to return to Chapel Hill. It's good to be home in so many ways, but in many other it feels like I've got some adjusting to do. Here goes a little bit of re-assimilation. Spain I already miss you, but I know I ended this chapter with an ellipsis and not a period. I'm coming back, I promise.