The Home Stretch

The three weeks I have left in Spain (yes, only three weeks!) are shaping up to be quite eventful.

Thursday, my 100 fellow participants and I will attend the closing event thrown by the local government officials who organized our program. It will be the first time we’ve all been together since last September. I expect improved Spanish, less nervousness and great stories.

Friday, I take Spanish federal government’s official exam in the Spanish language, called the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera. The test is not required by my program or any job I’m currently pursing. It’s just that I came here with the goal of learning Spanish, and I want to see how I’ve done. I’ve elected to take the exam at level B2, the 4^th on a 6-level scale known as the Common European Framework Reference for Languages (of which the 6^th level is pure native fluency). The B2 level indicates a general command of grammar along with the ability to “interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity with native speakers” and “produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.” In short, it is language proficiency.  It will be a long and difficult test. But, special thanks to my professor David, I think I’m (as) ready (as I’m going to get).

This weekend will be my last full weekend in Herrera, and spending time with the professors from the high school is the order of the day. These are many of the people who made my life in Herrera truly wonderful. They welcomed me from the first day, humored my early attempts to communicate in Spanish, and have ultimately become very close friends. It should be a great time.

Next week is my last full week of work. I’m going to read my classes Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

The weekend of May 29^th and 30^th, we’re going to celebrate a proper send-off with my American and British friends in the immediate region. These are truly treasured friends, folks who have lived, like me, deeply immersed in tiny villages across the spanning landscape of southwestern Spain. They’re the ones with whom I shared the ups and downs of life here, the daily struggles and triumphs that we all came for. They’re the ones who I traveled to see, and the one’s who joined my adventures to Portugal, France, Holland, Belgium and many, many sites here in Spain. This trip wouldn’t have been the same without them, and I’m looking forward to one last get-together before we part ways.

Justin, me, Cheri and Laura, atop the mountain above the town of Cabeza del Buey

Monday the 31^st is my last day of work, which will be followed by about one week of time to collect my belongings, finish my goodbyes, and get myself to Madrid for my departing flight.

June 7^th, I board a plane from Madrid to Philadelphia. Rather than take a connecting flight to Nashville, I’ll stop to visit my grandparents (and buy a car from them). The 15-hour drive back to Nashville will be a long-awaited and deeply appreciated opportunity to reintroduce myself to my country. After months as an unofficial ambassador, attempting to share our culture and language with my friends and colleagues, I’m ready for one final journey for deep breaths and reflections on what makes us the United States of America, and what that should (and, perhaps even what it shouldn’t) mean for each of us. Then, just like that, I’ll be home.

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PS – A long gap between blog posts means I missed a few key events, including a great visit from my Nashville-based buddy Stu Ross and fun trip with my regional English-speaking friends to the small town of Cabeza del Buey (pictured above). Another such oversight was a truly legendary visit from my Mississippi-gone-Barcelona friend Josh Brister.  Fortunately, in this case,  Josh  said it better than I could in this blog post. Claims of test-tasting a 400 euro pastry are 100% true.

Nick and Josh, Herrera in the background