In two days, it will all change again.

Just as expected, the end is in sight. Even, as I was fully engaged in each moment I have still been surprised by the work of time. I have, as is my favorite hobby, been reflecting about this trip and feel like I am far different from the same girl who nervously got on her first international flight three and a half months ago. It is hard to sum up change while it is still occurring, so perhaps I will spend the rest of my life chasing after that ability. I know that my grammar and vocabulary skills have improved very little (my pre evaluation and post were only a few marks different) but that was hardly the entire purpose of the trip.

I was reminded that grammar was not the entire purpose of the trip the other day in class. My grammar professor had mentioned to us that there had been confusion with the administration and he was not going to get paid for teaching our class. Nonetheless, he stuck out the whole semester coming early in the morning three times a week to correct our ‘el’s’ and ‘la’s’. We organized to bring in gifts to show our appreciation, because our grammatically incorrect words were certainly not going to be enough- it could have even been insulting. So as we sat to take the exam, we gave him the gift basket filled with sweets from our respective countries. His face flushed and tears filled his normally sarcastic eyes and he kept saying, muchas gracias de mi corazon. He opened some of the cookies and snacks to share as we took the exam, and I think I did terribly on the test because I was so distracted and excited. But perhaps it is better to remember such a circumstance than whether Juan was expressing confusion or anger to Maria.

I still have to study tonight for one last exam. Four are finished with one more tomorrow afternoon. Never have I crammed in the fashion I did these past few days. I have received back very good grades so far, but the style of studying was out of character for me. Attention towards 16^th century Spanish literature fades quickly at the lure of almost anything else. It seems that my language skills are the least improved while I have learned so much in my other classes. An interesting circumstance- to be able to pass Spanish philosophy and art history but struggle in grammar. I know the terms for flying buttresses and stoicism but forget when to use subjunctive.

I have been exchanging numbers and addresses with my new friends and classmates as they begin to dwindle down to just a handful. Soon I will fit right back into the places that were waiting for me, but it will not be the same. That is okay, maybe even better. I look forward to a new challenge of re-assimilating. In the meantime, I have a short adventure to embark upon. I have heard that my stocking in Sweden is already hung along side the Rodgers’ normal five. Never could I have imagined the things I am doing these days and the ones to come. I am very appreciative and am doing the best of my ability to appropriately embrace it all. Though I am small, my ability to embrace is increasing along with my new and rich experiences.

Tomorrow to celebrate, my classmates and I are going to have one last “Madrid night”, rolling in around 6 or 7 as custom. I may have to get ready by going to bed early tonight, I don’t know how the madrileños manage to make that a normal schedule. Maybe I will learn the secret when I master grammar. Además, probaré.