Goodbye Badajoz!!

I know it has been at least 2 months since I last wrote, so I'll just give a short overview of what I have been up to for the last couple months since Valle de Jerte and Galicia:

*Dad came to visit for Semana Santa. We started in Madrid, came to Badajoz then wandered around Portugal for a few days.

*Went to Mallorca with Maureen for the weekend at the end of May. That trip concluded April, which my crazy month of traveling.

*Stayed in Badajoz almost all of May, and then my job ended on May 31st.

*Met Maureen in Madrid to start our trip to Romania and Hungary. My wallet was stolen on the metro in Madrid immediately, so I spent the evening canceling my credit cards and being stressed. Then had some interesting times figuring out Western Union in Bucharest, but then had a wonderful trip through Transylvania (Sinai, Brasov, Sighisoara, Sibiu, and the Transfargasan Road through the mountains) then worked our way to Budapest on a 16 hour overnight train.

*Back to Badajoz for a couple weeks, including a 3-day camp with 2nd of ESO, Birthday celebrations, enjoying the Feria de San Juan, and my Flamenco recital.

*Mom and Joc arrived and we packed up everything in Badajoz, spent a night in the Parador de Merida, and then headed to Copenhagen for a week. Then to Barcelona to meet Miss Sara Jenks, and now a few days in Badajoz before heading home tomorrow.

Wow, what a crazy few months.

It's strange now to be saying goodbye to Badajoz, but I know that it will always hold a special place in my heart, along with all of the wonderful memories I have of this year. I can't put into words how amazing this year has been, and how fortunate I feel to have had this opportunity. I want to thank everyone at IES Sierra la Calera. I really appreciate everyone's openness to me (and my less than perfect Spanish) and their willingness to help me with anything and everything that I needed. I learned so much about myself and about Spain, and I will always feel that I have a home in Badajoz.


Now onto another adventure...Galicia, here I come!