homecoming.

This weekend was homecoming for all of my lovely Geneva friends. I kind of really wish I could have been there.

But I must admit... if I couldn't be at Geneva this weekend, I was in the next best place -- SEVILLA!

It was like my own sort of homecoming here in Spain. I went back to the city that I once called "home". I also got to hang out with Rachel, my MAS (Mejor Amiga para Siempre), who I studied with in Sevilla. It was awesome to be back there with her! Thanks to the super cheap bus prices (€35 round trip!) and my schedule of all 4 day weekends, I have a feeling that I may frequent that city a lot.

During my first few days here in Spain, I had doubts in my mind about whether or not I chose the right city; Toledo is great, but maybe Sevilla would have been better. While Sevilla is a fabulous city, and while I loved the time that I spent there, I am at peace with my decision to live in Toledo. This past weekend, I realized that Sevilla no longer felt like my city. Sure, I still love it, and I love the time that I spent there, but it's just not mine anymore.

If you know me, (and I would assume that most of you do), you probably agree with me when I say that it's an important step to be able to recognize that I have moved on, that my life has changed. For years it was like, no matter how good things were at home, I just wanted to go back to Sevilla. And now, here I am, living a new life in Toledo, and I can finally recognize that things are different, but just as good.

So, enough with the philosophical junk. Want to hear what I did in Sevilla? I always find that the best way to do this is bullet style. (I will never be a travel writer.)

• I went with Veronica. Her birthday was on Monday, and she didn't have a voice all weekend! But she was a trooper, and we had a great time.
• We traveled by bus (as I have already mentioned). Thanks to Bonine, my new favorite over-the-counter miracle, I survived the without getting sick.. and I even slept for most of the way there and back.
• I saw RAQUEL!!! And oh, how lovely it was!
• I went to C/ Betis. This includes Big Ben and Alambique, where apparently, the sangria still flows as freely as it used to. (I take that back... it's no longer free, but it's cheap. And I'm sure they still sell just as much of it.) This also includes a little tapas place that I can't remember the name of, that had delicious tintos and gambas rebozadas.
• I went to the Feria de Naciones, an international fair in the Parque de Maria Luisa. I ate at the Greek tent! Yum. I had a gyro and baklava. I am happy to report that I can make a better baklava than the Spaniards who run the Greek tent at the international fair (though, at the end of the day, it was still baklava, so it was still awesome!) Also of note, the Estados Unidos tent had Obama posters, pictures of John Wayne, Duff beer (like it's something that we all drink) and sold chicken & ranch hoagies. (Oh my God. Why did I not eat there?!)
• I went to Raquel's church, which was awesome! And afterward, we went out for tapas and bizcochos with one of her friends. Fun times!
• I went to the Plaza de España. Still under obras. Still beautiful. Hopefully this forever-long construction project will be done by my next visit!
• We walked around the cathedral, and the alcázar, but we didn't go inside.
• We walked around el centro, but we didn't go shopping.
• We ate at THE chino -- our favorite budget Chinese restaurant. This, I think, is turning into my ritual.
• I walked down the NEW C/ Asunción. It is now a pedestrian mall. It is gorgeous. And I kind of wish I had lived on it when it was this way.
• I know you're all dying to know.... did I visit my señora?! NO! I didn't! I walked right past her house, rather terrified of the possibility that she might be peeking out from her balcony, but I didn't ring the bell (though I was tempted to ding-dong-ditch... but in broad daylight, my better judgment told me not to :) ).
• I found €20 on the ground. Pretty awesome! The last 2 times that I have visited Sevilla, I have found money. Maybe I should go back often.
• And, quite honestly, one of the best parts of the weekend was the botellón that we had with friends of Raquel's intercambio. We may or may not have taught them how to play Kings (and, you may be impressed to know that we even explained it and played in Spanish). It was a lot of fun. I told Raquel to be their best friend... I don't know if she'll listen. :)

In short, it was a really great weekend. Hopefully Raquel will come here soon to visit! And of course, I'm sure I'll be going back in the not-too-distant future (aka, Thanksgiving).

(And I hope that everyone who went to homecoming had a great time there as well!)