tuesday July 3

Late Monday night, July 2, we arrived back home in San Antonio.

I was happy to see my family after being away for three weeks.

For some reason I was more sad than happy. I found myself reminiscing about all the good times we left in Spain. I wish we could’ve stayed there forever.

To study abroad is a different way to study. It helps the learning. If we were to read a paragraph with a picture of a building designed by Gaudi we probably wouldn’t give it as much thought as we would if we were physically standing in front staring at it.

The study abroad experience throws it all in your face. I went on this trip expecting to change a bit. I have changed some but for the most part I am the same. One thing that has altered in me is my hunger to see the world. I have done some traveling and have always loved to see different sites. This was my first trip outside the United States. Being overseas has made me yearn to encounter more of the world. My traveling experience let me comprehend that there are variations of cultures and customs. I witnessed a different society and now I hunger to see the ways of the Italians, the French, or perhaps the Swiss.

I am already planning a spring break trip to Cancun and hope to see another part of Europe next summer.

Now I see the world as grand as it truly is. When I was in Spain, I would tell people I was from San Antonio and they wouldn’t even know where it was at, not until I said Texas. That made me realize how huge the world is and that San Antonio is a tiny spot on this earth. There is so much out there to witness. Imagine how many unknown San Antonio’s there are, thousands!

On our last night I said to my friend Carlos after a flamenco show, una last cervesa? He looked at me with a smiling expression that said you didn’t even have to ask! Then we went to O’Connels and celebrated our last Coronita with the rest of the group.