Back to reality (sort of)

What? I'm not on summer vacation yet? Monday morning was a rude wake-up call when I had to get up from the luxurious hotel bed to get dressed and pack my book bag for class at 9 am. My walk to class was nice because it was so much closer, already being in the center of the city, and I got to walk by the cathedral on Avenida de Constitucion, a sight that's never disappointing. And I did pass by a woman dressed in a jean mini skirt, a studded/acid-washed jean jacket, white lace stockings that rose to mid-thigh, and pointy pink heels. And she was eating a medium-sized gelato, at 8:45. So that was fun to see. But sitting and listening to the history of the discovery of the Americas was so far from what I wanted to be doing, especially having spent the last 4 days with Rachael in total vacation-mode. Right after, I had to take my language-assessment test at EUSA, so I made the trek up there, and even though I was the second person on the list to take the test, they had somehow already fallen 45 minutes behind...typical. So I sat and played my addicting little game on my phone that Stephen showed me and now I can't stop playing, and waited and waited and waited. I didn't think I'd have time to go to the gym anymore, my original plan, but I managed to squeeze it in- for my own sanity. I just feel like getting a little exercise in clears my head, brings me back to reality a little bit. I only spent 45 minutes or so there, and usually I like to at least stay an hour and a half (mostly stretching for the last half of my time), but it made a world of difference. Did the Tabata timer, making up my own exercises that don't bother my tendinitis, a little biking, and I was outta there just in time to meet R back downtown. We walked all the way back up to Nervion together to have lunch at Cristina's. I honestly don't know how I managed that one. She's so weird about having guests over, and even though I'd hinted at wanting to share the meal-time experience with my family and with Stephen when both of them were here, she immediately nixed it and said "we'll have a coffee." Meal times are so sacred, sometimes I think its just a little ridiculous. Am I not paying her to feed me 3 meals a day? She's gotten so many breaks with all the trips I've taken, and I've bought every meal for myself since Rachael's been in town. Luckily I scored the one lunch date and was able to at least let someone experience what a meal is like. 

I was debating asking Cristina to make a certain thing that I knew I liked so Rach could try it, but I decided to just let her go and make whatever she wanted to make, whether it be good or bad, and either way the outcome would be fun or funny. Turns out, she made paella. Not too shabby, Cristina. And a great salad with avocado. I think on the inside she really wanted to have a guest over, or maybe she just missed me :). While sitting to eat, Cristina filled me in on all the things I haven't been around to hear over the past few days (I so called it, too- before we arrived, coming up the sidewalk to our apartment, I told Rachael "I bet we talk about how her foot injury has progressed for at least 1/3 of the time"). Mostly she just talked to me and whenever she had a question for Rachael, she didn't even try to ask it to her, she just would say "did your friend like the park and Plaza de Espana?" And I would look at Rachael, ask her, she would answer me, and then I'd answer back to Cristina. I could tell Rach was pretty bored but lunch is a time for being together, not just eating and running, so I couldn't stop the conversation. When we finally did clear the table, I had to reorganize my things into my new room (David's room when he stays here). Although its got more space to roll out my yoga mat and a higher ceiling light so I can actually stretch my arms up without hitting it, my new bed is made for a 6-year-old, there is a rather disturbing sepia-colored, poster-sized portrait of her oldest sun holding a gun and wearing a uniform at age 6, there are baby toys lining the walls with very little space left for any of my things, the closet doors don't open all the way (according to Cristina,they are fine and she made a point of scolding me when I tried to open them the normal way, because that is obviously not the way they can be opened, as I almost caused further damage to them), and the wifi is much worse. Okay there's my rant. I will say I would much rather have my own room now than share a room with any new girls, and its only for 2 weeks. I'll manage. C told  me, "now we can be vecinas!" because this room is right across the hall from hers. How cute. 

Still, it pained my heart to walk past my old room and see it looking this way. We didn't have a lot that we could call "ours" over the past 5 months, but this room was as much MC's and mine as it could have been. We had lots of great times, just chatting late at night, getting on her bed like a couch and putting her computer on mine and finding movies or old TV shows online to watch until we fell asleep, getting ready to go out together, or reading funny blogs and watching stupid YouTube videos until 3 am on our beds with only the space heater light on. I'm gonna miss that little Tweety Bird picture and butterfly sculpture, the only two pieces of art in the room. But there will always come a time to move on, and its better to leave something when its still good than let it drag on until you're sick of it. At least that's what I always try to remind myself. So after I'd reorganized and turned David's room into my own, I stole a few apples and oranges, and went to my afternoon class. That night we went to las Setas at sunset, and arrived just in time to see the city at its prime. Added bonus- there were no annoying couples and no signs of PDA anywhere. 

We stayed up at the top and grabbed a mojito as the sun finished setting, Rachael, Chloe and her friend and me. Together we walked toward Macarena, an area of town I've yet to explore, and checked out a bar called la Bicicleteria. Hippie central, the smell of marijuana everywhere, the most eclectic bunch you ever saw in one place, and the biggest dog as well. He couldn't even fit between the tables. Later we met Tim and Emily at Alfalfa for more mojitos and lots of dancing (Chloe's last night in Sevilla...so many "lasts" its been ridiculous).  

On Tuesday morning I went to class again, and was the only American student there. I felt so accomplished for just getting my butt there; it was living proof that I haven't lost all work ethic from being abroad. We met Chloe and and her friend after my class ended at 10 and saw the Alcazar together. I love this place more and more every time I go. By now the greenery is everywhere, there are flowers in every nook and cranny, and lizards, peacocks, and other birds roam the grounds in abundance. I even heard one peacock make noise and fly, things I've never seen before. I don't think our friends' were as in to the history as I was the first time I walked through, so I spared them my tour guide role (for the most part) and we just meandered around, mostly through the gardens. No complaints there, it was a great last trip to the Alcazar and I'm not sure I would have made if if Rach hadn't been here. That's something I'm loving about having her here close to the end of my time in Spain. It gets me out doing things, seeing places I haven't seen in a while just because I know they're close within reach whenever I want them, and crossing things off my bucket list. 

The day I got the picnic with my dad and ate in the park was one of my favorite memories in Sevilla, so I wanted to do it again before I left. We walked to Triana to pick out avocados, mangoes and strawberries, walked to Starbucks for sandwiches to go (which Rachael did not receive; they gave her a hot panini on a plate with real silverware, and we then had to make the executive decision to bring it along, plastic plate and all, with us to the park), and set up our big white Vincci La Rabida bath towels in a sunny spot in Parque Maria Luisa. 

I will miss these strawberries in their kilo-size portions so much

Pure bliss

That night we shopped a little, I bought a dress with the gift card to H&M MC left for me, and wore it to dinner at the hotel that night. We just ate on the patio, rather than the rooftop restaurant, and had the whole place to ourselves. We were definitely overdressed for the occasion, seeing as the patio is meant for a casual drink or tapas before going out, but we came to stay, and we did. When our waitress wasn't taking our orders for tapas after tapas, we were dancing around the patio, taking pictures by the fountain, making fools of ourselves, without a care in the world. I had a black risotto (squid ink) with cuttlefish and Rachael had an egg casserole and tuna and vegetables. And after, sllllllleeeeeeeeepppppp. Wednesday was fast approaching, my busiest day of the week.

We awoke to grey skies and cool air. I knew it was going to be one of those rainy days in Sevilla, and normally I hate when its like that on Wednesdays, because they're already so boring and filled with class and things to do that its just another thing that adds to the dreary mood. But if any day were going to be bad weather, I'd want it to be today for Rachael's sake. I had to drag her around with me and we were inside most of the day, but with a day like this we didn't feel like we were missing out on much. She came to class at 9 with me, so she could experience Professor Serrera's incredibly muddled voice, she read at EUSA while I sat through Islam, she biked with me to Claret for my LAST VOLUNTEERING EVER (more on that later), and learned what its like when you get yourself into a time crunch for finding an open Sevici station, she came back with me to Cristina's to drop off more things, and came to class with me that afternoon as well. In between we grabbed lunch at Telepizza, the fast food pizza place around here. It was just what I expected and had hoped for- a non-Spanish, non-tuna or Iberian ham-topped, hot, gooey pizza with normal crust. We almost finished a large between the two of us. When we finally made it back to the hotel after my evening class, we collapsed on the beds since we hadn't stopped all day. So it wasn't the most fun of last days for a vacation, but we'd had plenty of filled days over the last week, and R gott a taste for what it an average day is like for me. That night we ordered room service, and when I couldn't get across what I wanted to order by phone the waiter came directly to our door  to show us the salad options. Just a few minutes later our salads appeared, and we watched Spanish game shows in our robes for one last time. In the morning I walked Rachael to the bus stop at 7 am , passing a Starbucks on the way and noticing that it wasn't open (this would be horrific in the US) and sent her on her way. And just like that, she was back off the states! It's so weird to think that every time I've sent someone off after their trip here, they've gone back to their respective homes and I've stayed here. I've been here for such a long time! It seems that way, and it seems like just yesterday I was getting out of my cab in front of 9-11 Villegas y Marmolejos to meet Cristina. I made the walk from el prado San Sebastian, down Calle Enramadilla and Avenida Ramon y Cajal once again, turning the corner onto the street of my house, entered my building and my apartment, passed by what used to be my room, and fell onto my new bed. Home again, home again, jiggity jog.