Parting Is Such Sweet(water) Sorrow
It happens every time: I start to feel at home in a place just when it's time to leave... It's always in the last week that I find that great bar, that cute boy or that great group of friends... and this time was no different.
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of goodbye parties and sentimental moments. I don't deal well with goodbyes in general. I usually like to have a going-away party a few days ahead of time, and then slip away when no one is around. It didn't quite work that way this time.
In the end, the experience in Aguadulce was a good one. My original goals had been to gain teaching experience and travel around Andalucia, and I met (and surpassed) both of those goals. True, I wasn't in love with the town itself, and it lacked a certain social and cultural excitement. But I had great luck in terms of the school I was assigned to, which made the entire year enjoyable.
At the end of the day, the experience is about the people you meet. And I was lucky on that front, too. I met some amazing teachers -- people who taught me about teaching, inspired and encouraged me, and who were (and will continue to be) great friends. These people put the "sweet" in Sweetwater, and they are the main reason that I will miss the place.
And the kids.... Oh, the kids. How to describe how much I adored them? Saying goodbye to them was harder than I expected. My 1o ESO class (roughly Grade 7) cried their way through the last hour of class, sang songs, and gave me presents and sweet cards. The 2o ESO class (Grade 8) demanded one last sing-along to "Molly Malone", which I caught on video (they've learned all the words!). And the 2o BACH class (Grade 12/13) invited me to their graduation dinner, where there was much revelry and picture taking.
Pictures of all the great people I met are here.
And on to the next....
From here, it's a crazy ride that takes me through 5 countries (the main goals are a family reunion in France and a return to the Viking Festival in Iceland) before I land back in Canada in early July.
What's my next step? I'll let you know when I know....
posted by tsunamivalentine at 11:16 AM
2 Comments:
Marikje!!! Espero que todo te este yendo muy bien en tu viaje. Lloré mucho en el autobus cuando te vi que ya si que era verdad que te ibas... Bueno ya pronto te mandaré un e-mail con las fotos de la cena que al final fueron unas 100 jeje. En mi fotolog he puesto algunas, si quieres meterte... www.fotolog.com/belencilla_1990 Un besito!!
Belén(Aguadulce)
es normal que no te enamoraras de la ciudad. pero esque nisiquiera es una ciudad, de todas formas yo llevo
18 años aqui y el unico sentimiento que me despiesta es indiferencia y sentimiento de embarresment.
bueno sabes que conoceras muchisimos mas sitios, cada sitio es unico pero eso lo hacen las personas. a partir de que llegaras, aguadulce me parecio mas bonita. ---------buaj que cursi---
y no seas la tipica que quiere a los de primero de eso, que son unos salvajes.. jajajajja muakmuak
bye viejuna
elena.------
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