I'm Back

I am back in the US of A. I have been back for a week but I have been at the beach and haven't had time to write until now. It's great to be here. I keep forgetting that I don't have to fake that I know how to speak Spanish, and that I can call people on my cell phone without worrying about waking them up at 6 in the morning. It's nice.

It's hard though to put everything into words. I have been trying to tell people about it and the picture just doesn't really get through. The only way to really experience it is to go there. BUT I have to try to talk to about and process it through other people. Everyone keeps telling me that if I don't talk about it then I will forget about it.

I think the first thing I will do it make 2 top 5 lists. The first will be the top 5 things that I will miss about Spain. And the second will be about the top 5 things I missed when I was in Spain.

Top 5 things I will miss about Spain

(1) AWESOME coffee. You can get really good coffee on every corner. When I got back and had my first cup of American coffee I almost couldn't get it down, it was so bitter.
(2) Being of age. It's really nice to be able to walk into a café or bar and order a beer.
(3) Clear skies. It rained for a total of less than 20 minutes the entire 2 months I was there.
(4) Huge mountains. I had no idea that the Sierra Nevada mountains were big. But right outside of Granada are 3 of the top 5 tallest peaks in western Europe. There are GREAT places to climb and hike right outside of the city.
(5) Kebabs (AKA Shwarma) These things are soo good. Kebabs are basically pitas, stuffed with chicken and salad. If you ever see a restaurant with one of those giant skewers in the window, go in and ask for a kebab.

Top 5 things I missed about home while I was in the Spain

(1) My family. Immediate and extended.
(2) My friends. Going somewhere where you don't know anyone at all makes you realize how much you rely on all the people that you love.
(3) Cold milk that doesn't come from a box. For some reason the people in Spain don't keep their refrigerators very cold. It's not a big deal with most things, but milk HAS to be cold. Unfortunately my milk was usually kind of warm. AND they all drink boxed milk that is made to last on a shelf for about 3 months. It took me two weeks before I could even eat cereal.
(4) Good toilet paper. The only things that are less absorbent than the toilet paper in Spain are the napkins. And the only thing that is less absorbent than the napkins is wax paper. I got used to it after a while but when I came home I thought I was wiping with silk.
(5) Using dollars. Euros stink. Everything is too expensive.