Just One Week

Though a week is a determinant amount of time; it passes differently depending on your circumstances. Who you're with, what you're doing, where you are... the moments might last for a lifetime, but really they're disappearing before you ever get a chance to take them in. When Christian arrived this past Friday, it seemed like we had all the time in the world (a week) to see and do everything there was to do in Marbella. I met him at the bus station, and we made our way along the not-so-simple bus routes of Marbella into San Pedro, where we stayed the night at Nina's house. He finally showed me most of the second Lord of the Rings movie (can't remember what it's called... fell asleep on the couch pretty much right after the opening scene, oops). Saturday, I showed him all "my" places in Marbella: my school, favorite restaurant, pathway, scenery, old house and new house, etc. After calling and calling and calling the other exchange students, we eventually made plans to go to Ceuta (AFRICA) the next day.

Up and out of the house at an early 8:30 (hey, it's early when you're living the Spanish life!), my host dad gave Christian and me a lift to the bus station. I ran up the stairs (dragging a reluctant and tired Christian behind me) and introduced him to Vanessa and Christine, who were already in line to buy their bus tickets. Only a few minutes later, the four of us were on the bus (sitting in the back 'cuz we're cool like that) on our way to Ceuta. Cj hopped on the bus as it passed through San Pedro, and we caught up for the rest of the hour long journey to Algeciras. We ran (except for Christian... apparently British people don't run haha) to catch the 10:30 ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta, and attempted not to get seasick for an hour. The boat docked in Ceuta, we flashed our passports, and were off on our adventure. Like most other Spanish coastal cities, Ceuta has a beautiful main square, lots of tourist shops, and castle, and gorgeous seaside views. We roamed through the streets, avoiding (as promised to all supervising rotary members) the border to Morocco, and stumbling upon the end parade of Carnival, during which they promenade through the streets in a funeral procession with a large paper-mache sardine. I ate my first "kebab" (like a gyro), and we downed bottle after bottle of water (not sure why Africa made us so thirsty). After hours and hours of walking around, we caught the six o'clock ferry back to Algeciras, then wandered Algeciras until our 9 o'clock bus home. It was a long, long day, but I always love "getting the group together" and having Christian there just made the day even that much more fun (Cj sure enjoyed having another guy around!!).

 Ferry ride... how is it that exchange students always manage to make me laugh

the port

 happy :)

 normally you can see africa when you're sitting at the beach... from here you could see spain

 beautiful city center

 el pez

the castle

The rest of this week has been a blur of school, avoiding the rain (the one week Christian comes the weather has given us downpours), wandering along the Paseo Maritimo, eating churros con chocolate, catching bus after bus, and attempting to teach Christian at least a bit of Spanish before he leaves (lol). I gave a presentation in an English-speaking Rotary Club today, talked about my experience as an exchange student and the ups and downs of living a year away from home. People seem to really appreciate my honesty; I'm not shy about discussing the struggles that I've gone through this year, nor the ways my life has gotten better in the past month. Christian goes back to England tomorrow morning, signaling the end to a full, very fun week. Hopefully I'll get to see him again someday soon, maybe when it's actually sunny in Marbella!!

That's all for now, hoping everyone back home is doing well. Miss you all!!
Love from Marbella,
Shonabell

Oh, and Cj, we did NOT go to the beach :P

Change

Looking over to see Cj on my right, Vanessa on my left, and Christine fidgeting with her blankets on the couch al lado, I can't help but smile as I think of how far we'd come. It seems like just yesterday we were on our train ride to Madrid, nervous and giddy and newbie exchange students tend to be. Like on that train ride, my feet are tucked up neatly, though I'm considering stretching them out (and used Cj's long legs as a footrest, as per usual). Vanessa is chattering on with Christine, reading my iphone messages aloud (oh, joy) and laughing her wonderful laugh. She's come so far since we first met; out of all of us, I see her as the one exchange has changed most dramatically. Her determination, bravery, and ability to find the positive in any situation have made her such an amazing friend, and one I cannot believe I've lived sixteen years without. Then there's Christine, the not-so-quiet super-smart girl from Iowa/California/NewYork/EVERYWHERE who constantly proves that multitasking is indeed possible if you've got the right attitude. I don't know where she finds the time to do all that she does and still be such a large presence in the lives of the people around her. And Cj, good old sturdy Cj, has made it through the ups and downs of these past six months and is still his goofy self (with a little bit of Spanish vocab mixed in). He's always up for whatever adventure and is a good listener whenever you have a story to tell. Oh, and he has finally begun to smile in all my photos. Charissa, whom we miss dearly, checks in from up north every once in a while. Each of us has been changed by our exchange year, but all in incredibly different ways. Still, our gains and losses have brought us ever closer; these next few months are sure to fly by. And in the end, we'll be left with all our memories and, of course, each other. Love you guys <3

Love from Marbella,
Shonabell