On Sunday we went to a friends house for a birthday party (a friend of Carmen's) that I hadn't seen since my first week in Sevilla. It was a pretty neat experience being able to show them the improvement in my spanish over those 9 months and I have to admit that they were pretty impressed. The next few days I spent at home hanging out with Carmen and Moises before going to the fútbol game in Barcelona.
One story that I find pretty entertaining, and a little bit touching, is the purchase of a laptop by Carmen. I went with her one day before I left to look for cheap laptops with a built in camera so that she could skype with me once I returned to the USA and we found a few pretty reasonable deals. That night, however, when Carmen told Ramon of her plans, he wouldn't hear anything of it. He said that she had no idea how to use a computer, that they should wait at least 3 months to even think of buying one because thats when all of the good deals hit the shelves and that she needs to take a class first. I told Carmen that Ramon had some pretty solid points, so I figured that she would wait to do it for a while. Nevertheless, when I got back from Barcelona, there was Carmen looking like a cat trying to 'figure out' a ball of yarn as she sat there with her new computer. I don't think it needs saying that she is the head of that household. The next day as I was upstairs packing she was constantly calling me, 'Trevorrrr, where is the 'm'?? I cant find the 'm'... Trevorrrrr come down and show me how to click the 'ok', how do you move the arrow??'..... Needless to say it was the first computer (laptop, to be more specific) that she had ever touched in her life. She also requested that I find her cheap flights, hotels included, to exotic locations around the globe - something that is a bit more difficult than she seemed to imagine.
My last night in Sevilla was perfect. For the first time all of my best Sevillan friends came over to meet my family and we sat outside on the porch in constant laughter (thanks to Ramon - the funniest man in this world) until 5 am, when I had to go to the airport. It was the ideal conclusion to my 9 month stay in Spain. I finally had all of the people that meant the most to me over there in one place - and I wasn't even the 'american', I was just one of them. Making jokes, laughing, maybe a tiny, tiny, minute bit of drinking.... (lo siento madre), a full-fledged member of the Sevillan culture. Of everything that I did over there, of every soccer game I saw and every sevillana that I engaged in (even the one with 'EL maria'), the one thing that I will remember most is that last night. The icing on the cake. The ultimate conclusion. After 10 months of trying to make sevillan friends, of trying become an actual member of my family and of the culture, I had finally done it.
My host parents took me to the airport that morning (after exactly '0' hours of sleep - and, not to mention, a total of about 12 hours of sleep the 3 nights previous) where we said our final goodbyes. I don't know how my leaving will effect Ramon, he's one of those guys who acts all tough and never shows emotion, but I think that I noticed a few tears in his eyes as I walked through the security line. Carmen, well I have skyped with her 4 times now and every time she says, 'Trevor, a question, so when are you coming to visit again??' And I always say, next year Carmen, when I finish school. And she says, "Do you know when you finish school? Because if so why don't you just buy the ticket now? It would be cheaper too wouldn't it?? And we always have a bedroom open for you. We will move moises and you can take his, even if your only here for a few days" She says that the house has become a bit boring, that the 'alegria' has gone, since I left, but I can't help but feeling a little part of me missing as well. Its difficult to describe. I feel a more 'complete' person for having done what I did but I also feel that something essential is missing. Not getting up every morning and having to speak spanish. Not staying up until 2 am on a nightly basis. Sleeping in every day and not feeling guilty about it, valuing relationships over money, putting family and friends before all else in the world, not caring what time it is as long as your having a good time. These are aspects of the culture and the people that that I will forever hold on to. My mom is already giving me a hard time because I can't seem to sleep in past 7 here, but it doesn't mean that I haven't forgotten how to. I will love and cherish what I have learned and the people that I have met 'hasta la muerte (until the death)' - as says the famous hymn of Sevilla. 'Sevillista seré hasta la muerte'.
For everybody that has kept up on reading this blog, I would like to say thank you. I know that I sometimes slack in putting up new posts and new pictures, and that some blog updates are outrageously long, but thanks for sticking in there. It was nice knowing that I wasn't all alone as I slept in that train station in the middle of Austria. I'm going to miss sharing all of my adventures with you guys. I would also like to dedicate this blog to my Mom. Thank you for teaching me how to stay positive in the toughest of times, how to find enjoyment even in the most miserable of situations, how to be an open and accepting person, how to find the courage and the determination to keep on persevering and how to take the path less traveled.
