Post for August 12, 2012

I have now been back home for about two days. I still feel like I have lived an amazing dream. Things still seem surreal. Upon arriving home I felt a sense of relief. I think that may be because I felt safe and happy that everything during my entire trip went well. It was a huge difference as to when I arrived to my homestay in Barcelona because there everything was unfamiliar and new. I approached things with caution. Here I know and am comfortable with most things already that I felt a bit more at ease. That’s not to say that I didn’t like being in Barcelona though. There’s a few things I miss about it. I miss going out with the friends I made there and just exploring different parts of Barcelona or trying new foods. I miss interacting with my host family. I miss the beach and how exotic/interesting everything seemed in my eyes. I also really miss the random kindness I got to enjoy from strangers I would just talk to sometimes on the streets.

I am happy to be home though. Especially now that my brother and my mom have returned from their trip to Mexico. I feel more at home and like I truly belong. I love being able to use the kitchen and make whatever I feel like eating. I also appreciate all the commodities we have here like a fully functional washer and dryer, and consistent warm water with good pressure in the shower. I love finding it easier to relate to my family here.

The following photos are what I hope will convey how I feel being home again.

I chose to include this picture because we don’t often take pictures together and it makes me happy to see this and know that I have a family of my own to love and be a part of.

I chose this photo that I took on the road from Monmouth to Salem because it shows a little bit of Oregon’s beauty with the sunset lighting and the tall trees. I think this picture carries meaning not just because it’s of the road I commonly drive on to get from home to school but because there’s a road that lies ahead and much of Oregon I have yet to see. I am happy to be back and while I was in Spain I realized that I don’t have to go far away to see new things. There’s so much of Oregon that I have never seen or even made the effort to explore and that is why one of my new goals is to set out to explore more of Oregon when I have free time.

Sincerely,

Jose