Wednesday December 21 – Leaving Granada and Spain

                A lot of API students took a 2:00 AM bus to Madrid Airport Terminal 4. It was a five and a half hour bus ride with one 25 minute stop where we could get something to drink for free. I had fallen asleep with my head all the way back so my neck was really stiff. Once we arrived we had to say goodbye to some of our friends because they were not in the same terminal as us. From there it was about a 20 minute shuttle ride to our terminal. We went to our respective check-in lines and said we would meet after security. Kevin and I were about 20^th in our line and it took about an hour and a half to two hours to get through and our friends flights were supposed to leave soon so we did not know if we would get to say goodbye to them. After security we hustled to their gate and luckily there flight was delayed 30 minutes so we got to talk and say goodbye to them. Then we went to another group’s gate and waited with them until they left and then said goodbye. Our flight was delayed by two and a half hours so Kevin and I just waited. The eight hour and 15 minute flight was actually a pretty good flight; I slept a bunch and talked to a guy that had been studying in Spain too from Iowa. When we arrived Kevin only had an hour to get through customs, re-check his bags and get to his flight. I do not know if he made it because I was not able to check with him.

                My flight from Newark Airport to Omaha was supposed to leave at 9:00 but it kept on getting pushed back and I did not leave until 1:30 in the morning. Luckily I saw a girl that I knew from Granada, Kimberly, who was waiting to fly to Hartford and her flight was supposed to be at 9:00 but hers was pushed all the way back to 12:30. We talked and then I fell asleep on the floor. I was so angry and tired and felt extremely sick because I was so stressed that I had not left yet.

Tuesday December 20 – Last Full Day in Spain/ Finals Day 4

                Last night I could not sleep, I had the window all the way open but I was sweating still. I had dreams but I do not remember then and I woke up every 20 minutes anyway.  When I finally woke up for my Varieties of Spanish final at 9:30, I felt so sick, my head hurt, I was so warm, my eyes burned slightly, all my bones and joints hurt, and I had a very stuffed nose.

                The final was stupid like the first one; no one knew what they were doing. I am so glad I am done with that STUPID class! It also did not help that I felt so terrible. I did not try on my workout because everything hurt to do, I almost decided to give up multiple times but I did not. I then proceeded to sleep most of the day after I had packed. After dinner I decided I needed to get out of the apartment even if I did not feel well since it was my last night in Granada. I walked around from about 11:00 to 1:00.

Monday December 19 – Finals Day 3

                Today was the POE final that I did not study hardly at all for because I thought was going to be easy and I thought it was easy. All of today I keep thinking that I have one more time of everything, one more final, one more lunch, one more dinner, one more day or even worse, I am always having to check when I see people if it is the last time that I will see them. This is not fun at all, I do not want to leave or have anyone else leave.

                I went to say goodbye to my API leaders today at their office and they gave me some traditional Christmas candy. I also went to the bar called La bella y la bestia (The Beauty and the Beast) to have tapas and say goodbye to Sander and three of my Irish friends that had not left yet, Áine, Alana, and Caoihme. I am getting in to a depressed state especially since Ryan made a video of all that we have done here and posted it on Facebook so everyone could watch it.

                After dinner there were various groups at various bars to say goodbye to different people so I went to as many bars as I could and did not go to sleep until 3:00.

Sunday December 18 – Walk with Bamirse/ Party at Hannigan and Son’s

                The meals at our house have been getting weird lately. Now instead of the Americans eating first and then the family only at dinner, it is now at dinner and lunch. We are eating a lot earlier than normal and then the family eats at about the same time we usually did. Also there is a lot less food than normal. I do not know if it is because they are tired of us or if they are trying to prepare us for eating times back in the USA or for another reason but I do not like it.

                I went on a walk with Bamirse who I used to hang out with quite a bit but then had not seen in awhile. We did a walk along the river, took pictures, ate roasted chestnuts, candy, and chocolate milk, watched a street performer, and also looked at Christmas shops. We also talked and I learned that she was born in Albania, speaks Albanian, and is Muslim; she is a very interesting girl. I can already tell I am getting sad to leave these people behind because I was not sure if that was the last time that I was going to get to see her and I was extremely sad thinking about that. After I dropped her off at her house I went to Hannigan and Son’s because API was having a get together there. I only stayed a little while so I could come back and study for a bit and eat dinner. I went back to Hannigan and Son’s after dinner, stayed until 1:00 and then walked Samantha and Rachel W back to their apartment since Monday is Samantha’s last day in Granada, the sad goodbyes begin.

Saturday December 17 – Fun at Granada 10

                I slept most of today because I was so tired from yesterday. Kevin and I went to drink at Trevor and Jon’s residencia and Kathryn and Katie M were there too. We knew a group of us were going to Granada 10 so we went there and it was the first time in Granada that I felt it was really cold outside. It was a really fun time. Also I saw Jazmin and her friends there who are all 16 and you need to be 18 to get in but that is what happens when they do not check ID’s ever. She and her friends were excited to see Kevin and me there and they were all making sure that we were not going to tell Cristina. It was more funny when I was walking some of my friends home who live near me and we ran into Jazmin and her friends again who were walking around outside. She asked for the keys to get in and unlocked the door and brought the keys back to me. They were still making sure I was not going to tell anyone what they were doing. When I got back from dropping off my friends, Jazmin and her friends were sitting in the first floor area on the ground. They once again made sure that I was not going to tell anyone that they were there. I asked what they were doing since it was now 6:45 in the morning, they said they were waiting to go get churros. I am not fully sure but I think they all told their parents they were staying at different houses. I stayed and talked with them until they all cuddled together to sleep for a tiny bit.

                Finally, on the last night I was up later that Kevin! When I got back to the room he was laying in bed with headphones in, glasses on and computer open to facebook but asleep. I tried to wake him up so his stuff did not fall. I started out softly and then started poking him pretty hard, after not waking up still I grabbed his arm and shook it around, still no movement. Next I threw his arm against him pillow several times but nothing. I decided since he was not going to wake up that I would put his stuff away for him. It was a pretty amazing night.