Bittersweet Goodbye.

No es adiós, es hasta luego.

So today is my last day in Oviedo and I am so sad!  Lets just say there has been a lot of tears today.   I have grown to love this city and I am sad to leave behind my home away from home.  I will be returning here soon.  I can't believe that I have been here for five weeks; I feel like I just got here!  I have had such a great experience here and I have learned so much about myself. 

It is so funny to think back five weeks ago and what I wanted to achieve here in Spain.  Well first off, I was hoping I would be fluent in Spanish... HAHA  I definitely am not, but I can understand almost everything and can speak way better.  I will get there eventually!  That was the main goal of this trip but once I got here I realized that there was so much more to this trip.  I have met so many new people and have been exposed to different cultures. I have tried foods that I would have never tried in my life before this.  I have seen places in the world that some people will never have the chance to see.  I love my Spanish music even more now and I can actually order food in Spanish (:

Today we had our graduation ceremony and then a goodbye party after and it was so bittersweet.  Tears and laughs. I honestly cried like a little baby at some moments though.  Before the ceremony they gave out random funny awards and of course, my friends and I got the "best dancers award."

(or the most embarrassing/funniest dancers)

After the awards, we presented our teachers with gifts from each class and this was my favorite part.  I love my Spanish Professor so much, she is adorable.  She started crying before I did!  She was so appreciative of her gift.  I am a little biased, but I honestly had the best Spanish class here.  We are all friends and have learned so much together. 

Our little graduation ceremony was so cheesy, but of course, I loved it!  We got our own little certificate and you know I will keep that forever.  The room that we had graduation in was the same room that we meet on the first day of school.  Thinking back to the first day, I didn't know anyone in the room and I couldn't understand anything because it was all in Spanish.  Then, today I know everyone there and I love them so much.  Plus, I could understand everything!

To end "graduation" the Director of the Program, Tim, (who was my Spanish professor for two semesters back in Utah) gave a speech.  It was very heart felt.  It was funny because everything he said I had experienced here or felt.  The speech was very emotional and everyone was tearing up at this point.  Now that I think back to the speech it is hard to remember what he said exactly but I can remember my feelings perfectly. 

This whole experience has been so amazing!!  I am so glad that I took a chance and came here.  Oviedo is my home and I love this place.  I love the Spanish people and I have made last friendships with them.  At the graduation one of the students said to the professor, "adiós" and the teacher said, "no es adiós, es hasta luego."  I loved this because it doesn't mean we are saying goodbye forever, just for a little bit. 

Goodbye Oviedo, you will always hold a piece of my heart! Now, lets bring on the next adventure....

PARIS!!!

The picture I got of all our class together kinda sucked so its seperated by boys and girls.. 

All of our professors who made this possible, big thanks!

Cute Concha!

These are my host parents, it has been very interesting with them...  My mom is a little crazy and would get mad about simple stuff so sometimes we butt heads.  I am very appreciative of her though! The dad didn't talk much but he was funny.  My mom would just get mad at him and he would look at me and laugh.. He is a good guy!  My mom is 81 years old and my dad is 85. 

THEY ARE ANCIENT. 

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