mi adios

Here we go again.

In September 2003, I boarded a plane to spend a semester in Toledo, Spain. I fell in love with the country, culture, language and people.

In September 2008, after five years of thinking of nothing but how I would return, five years of bad jobs and a return to university for a second degree, after a failed attempt at trying to get into grad school, I boarded a plane to board the Atlantic a second time after securing a job as an auxiliar de conversación. My job was in a pueblo (small town) in Andalucía.

My heart and soul were captured by Spain a second time. However, the location left a lot to be desired. I may have grown up in a small town, but I am a city boy at heart. I knew I had to stay in Spain.

So now it's September 2009, and I'm getting ready to board a plane back to Spain. This time, however, I won't be boarding a train to take me to the province of Jaén. I'll be staying in Madrid. On Wednesday, I'll cross the Atlantic for a fourth time (as I went to London in 2000) and perhaps a final time as I may stay in Spain permanently.

And now I'm in that awkward goodbye phase. This summer has not been kind to me, but I still feel weird saying goodbye to my puppy (a golden retriever) and my coffee house, Common Grounds. I have to say goodbye to most of my possessions as I can only take two 50 pound suitcases and a 40 pound carry on. And this time around, it seems more final. I'm gone until June, and I won't be coming back to Lexington if I do return to the States. Why am I sad about saying goodbye to a place I've never been happy? I'm nostalgic if anything.

So now it's on to the future and what awaits in Madrid.

Maybe a vampire? No. There are no vampires in Madrid...are there?

(I don't think I believe in vampires, but I do find something intriguing about the ones that don't sparkle. I was stuck at thinking of a title for the blog, so it might change.)

At any rate, I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.

Current Song: Want You by Mariah Carey f. Eric Benet