Summertime Happiness

I’m never going to catch up on these blogs if I don’t just start...

So I last left off at the end of my second year in Navalmoral, so much happier than at the end of my first year, with the knowledge that I would be returning for a third. After many light-hearted “hasta luegos,” I headed off to Madrid to meet up with Juan and to start our 5 week adventure together to los Estados Unidos.

Flying back to the States with Juan was the first long flight I had taken in a long time with anyone besides my headphones and snack food for company.  The flights went by smoothly and quickly and before we knew it, Juan was stepping on American soil for the first time.

There is no possible way to write one entire blog about Juan’s time with me in the US. It would be 243 pages long and no one (not even my mother) would make it through reading all of them. All I can say was that it was an incredible 5 weeks and I know we both wished the time could have been even longer. Some highlights included:

-seeing the beautiful NYC skyline from the top of the Empire State Building

-failing to disprove the stereotype that all Americans eat are hamburgers and pizza and eating anything and everything that you can’t get in Spain (including, but not limited to: soft pretzels, smoothies, 5 Guys, everything bagels, froyo, fudge, Cheerios...)

-playing in the Air and Space Museum

-learning that we’re  too old to go on rollercoasters and get serious motion sickness now

-trenching through puddles and downpours at Busch Gardens and getting soaked to the bone

-lazy days spent on the couch, watching incredible amounts of Top Gear and Hard Core Pawn

-telling secrets at the Whispering Wall in the land of Thomas Jefferson

-shopping, shopping, and more shopping

-two words: mini. golf.

-sneaking bites of cheesecake in NYC so we didn’t have to pay the ridiculous “sharing fee”

-Juan meeting and fitting right in with my crazy aunts, uncles, and cousins

-going to a Nats game just for the $1 hot dog night

-soaking up the patriotic music and fireworks on the 4^th of July

Air and Space shenanigans

He learned what's good.

Busch Gardens in all its glory.

USA!!!

Family time.

It wouldn't be America without it.

When the time came to take Juan to the airport and say goodbye until September, though I was sad to see our vacation together end, I was proud of all we did and saw in those weeks.

The rest of my summer was spent either waitressing back at Clyde’s or looking for any possible opportunity to be with my sweet baby nephew.  I loved seeing my friends and family, but the summer dragged on so slowly and I was ridiculously happy when September 15^th came around and I boarded my flight back HOME to Spain. You know what they say...third [year’s] the charm...