My last days in Spain were a blur. A complete, utter blur. One day I was out to eat with my host family as a farewell dinner. Next thing I knew my room was packed up into three bags and ready to go. Then, my host family and I were on our way to the train station jamming out to One Direction and 5 Second of Summer at the top of our lungs. Finally, I took my first step into that train station with three of my host family members (Ana Maria had to work so we said goodbye before hand) by my side and I just lost it. Every emotion hit me at once! The reality that this would probably be the last time I saw my host family for a very long time, the fear that I would lose touch with all of my AFS friends, and the relief and comfort in the fact that I was finally going home.
I pulled myself together after literally every other exchange student came over to comfort me. Each host family mingled and made light conversation until the awaited moment came when the volunteers announced that it was time to go. Saying goodbye was tough. After living with someone for ten months it almost feels as if you are all attached at the hip. We finally severed our attached hips with a warm heartfelt "This is not a goodbye, but a see you soon" and went our separate ways.
The train ride was a nice, lengthy, overnight trip to Madrid. We reached the Madrid station at about 7 AM the next morning and went through about a ten minute wrestling match with our baggage. Imagine cramming 10 MONTHS worth of belongings into three suitcases all carried by yourself. You don't know what struggle is until that is something that you have been through.
We were the first of the AFS chapters to arrive at the university we would be staying over at and were told to put our belongings in the conference room, separated by country. Returning home just seemed to become more and more real with every passing moment of reality. We were each given a room key and assigned our own single dorms for the night complete with a personal kitchen and bathroom. Not gonna lie, it was pretty sweet! About one hour later we were called down to group up and take a small trip through Madrid, just for kicks.
I don't remember much of that trip because I was extremely sleep deprived, but I do remember taking a nice chilled out break in a local park, talking with the other exchange students for what would be one of the last times. We returned to the university and found that just about every other exchange student had arrived. Talk about overwhelming! I saw faces that I hadn't seen since September and some that I hadn't ever seen at all. It brought back all the memories of the travel to Spain and the last time we were all together in the city of Madrid.
The night went by slowly. There was an orientation where we were told when the buses for our planes would depart accompanied by cries of dismay when some students realized their bus would be leaving at all sorts of crazy hours such as 4 and 7 AM. Other cries rang out when students realized they had less time with some of their friends than others since we would be divided by country.
Morning came and the remaining students came out to say goodbye to us. It was another cruel reality check to see how many students had already departed, a reminder of a dozen faces I would probably never see again. Our bus left arriving at the airport right on time after a slight heart attack about all the traffic we had to weave through (I was still freshly traumatized from nearly missing the plane to Santiago). We got up to baggage check to be told the miracle of all miracles. The attendants announced that, due to an under booking of that flight, we would be able to check TWO bags free of charge or over weight fees. WHEN ON EARTH DOES THAT EVER HAPPEN! I am telling you it may not seem like that big of a deal now, but those bags were monstrously heavy and it was such a relief not to have to struggle with so many bags at one time. SWISS AIRLINES ARE THE BEST AIRLINE ON THIS PLANET! To top that off my whole AFS USA group was escorted to a private security check where we could zip through without any wait in line. It was unreal how conveniently everything played out.
The trip to Zurich flew by (haha get it flew ) and we landed with exactly twenty minutes to get from one gate to another which were not so conveniently located on complete opposite sides of the airport requiring a shuttle to get there, not to mention passport checks for about fifty people squeezed into that time span as well. We made it though!
This was it, the last leg of the trip, the home stretch if you will. Yet again everything caught up to me all at once and I nearly had a nervous break down then and there in my cozy little Swiss Air seat (fun fact, I was seated in the exact same seat on the way home as I was on the way there, everyone else was different yet mine was exactly the same) . The flight also went by rather quickly and before I knew it we were flying over the familiar sites of New York City. We all began to chant (obnoxious I know, but come on we are all just teenagers returning home to the states for the first time in about a year, give us a break).
We land, we exit, we find our way to customs, we find our baggage. All of my friends are swarming saying how happy they are for me because, unlike them, I am one of the lucky ones that lives in New York and will therefore see my family on the other side of those doors while they still have a whole other flight to sit through. My nerves completely took over and I could not function. I swear my friend Quinn had to handle my custom papers for me people I simply could not hold them still. I barely have the coordination to make it through the second part of customs while juggling all my baggage. I am simultaneously pushing ahead of everyone else in line to get to my damn family already! I'm pretty sure everyone else was pointing and laughing at how pushy I was, but I was a girl on a mission and nothing was going to slow me down if I could help it.
Finally I make it to the front of the line, hand over my papers and the man says "You're all set". I turned around not sure if I was able to leave on my own or not, but I got a bunch of approving nods from the other AFSers as if saying "Ya we'll cover you if they ask where you went". So there I was in front of the very last obstacle separating me and my family. I pulled open the doors to a sea of people (honestly did the whole world choose to travel today or something?). I was extremely disoriented and decided to turn right after about two full minutes of contemplation on what to do next. I began to walk slowly at first. Then behind the sea of people I heard my sister Mari yell "There she is!!!" I couldn't find the face, but even after ten months of separation I could not mistake that voice. Next thing I know I see my mother pushing and shoving like a bat out of hell, moving the barricade rope thing and grabbing me with all she had.
Done. I. Lost. It. Everything I had bottled up, anything at all just came pouring out and I cried harder than I though humanly possible. They're real and they are here. This is finally not a dream anymore, but a reality. I looked around the room and just admired the coming together of families of all the AFS kids and I still get choked up now. It was the safest most comforting moment of my entire life. AFS changes lives. Not only does it teach you a new culture, how to be independent, meet new people, but it also brings families together. After experiencing it first hand let me tell you, distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
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It's hard writing this last blog post today. Although my exchange ended months ago, this is it, the final closing book end of an unimaginably wonderful experience. I may never do anything that lives up to this experience. I think back on my exchange every night and think "I am so damn proud of what I have accomplished". That is one of the best things in the world, to look back and be truly, full heartedly proud of something you have done.
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Long story short I LOVED MY FOREIGN EXCHANGE! Thank you to each and every person that made it possible for me! It has imprinted on me in more ways than you will ever know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NlkldINrM&list=UUU4Fw_7UQDNA9SG-bKS8Xgg
AFS SPAIN
2013-2014
THE END
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