Things I've Learned:
- Como hablar español
- To greet anyone I know with a kiss on both cheeks
- All my plans for this year were wildly unrealistic – except for the one about spending lots of time in cafés reading novels
- Spaniards look great in earth tones
- I love it when Spanish speakers correct my Spanish; it means they think I’m worth it
- Brad’s stove-top biscuits and cornbread are delicious
- The meaning of “Tengo ganas de . . .”
- Mayonnaise comes from Spain – specifically Mallorca
- Our pull-out love seat is universally detested among our houseguests
- What it’s like to have 14 visitors in 9 months
- How to make gazpacho
- How to pack
- The best gelato in Sevilla in on Calle Zaragoza
- It can be hilarious when things are lost in translation
- Excessive socializing with archival researchers takes me to a dark place
- Something about European futbol
- Exactly wherefrom Columbus set sail in 1492
- Some fads from the U.S., circa 1990, (Chupa Chups, mullets, rollerblades) are inexplicably popular in Spain today
- How to correctly identify coquinas, almejas, mejiones, chocos, boquerones and chipirones (all seafood)
- How to correctly identify the color albero
- The rain in Spain does not, in fact, fall mainly on the plain
- Sevilla is just a big small town
- Wherever you go, God is already there
- How far a smile can get you . . . in any language
- I’m married to my perfect traveling partner
- Now that the time has come, we’re ready to get back to the land of: amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties, the dollar, my paycheck, barbecue, burgers, our oven, our church, the English language and the people most important to us in the world
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Dear Readers,
Your interest, support and prayers have meant so much to Brad and me during this time abroad. Writing for the blog has been a wonderful way for us to reflect, remember, release and reach out. I’m sure some things I’ve written have been incorrect and/or inappropriate, but that was a given. Thank you for pardoning me and/or laughing at me.
This post will be the last one (on this blog anyway) because we are leaving Sevilla early Wednesday morning. We look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks to come. God bless and happy trails!
Dos besos,
Neely
1 comment:
Just wanted to say how much I've loved following this blog over the course of your year in Spain! So glad Evelyn forwarded it my way. I hope that one day Kevin and I will be lucky enough to spend some time abroad in the name of "research." The academic gig is a good one! Best of luck settling back in stateside:-)
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