I'm on American Ground!

Hello to everyone!

This will be my last blog. First of all I would like to thank all of you for taking an interest in my life and my adventures as I traveled abroad! I arrived last Friday and it has been a whirl-wind of a first week back.

So let me start off with the journey home. Perfect! So perfect. All of my flights were ON TIME! AND my roommate Andrea and I had the same flight from Madrid to Philly-- we got to ride together after some strategic seat requesting :) It was the best way to end an experience like study abroad... with her, my first friend and my roomie :) We parted ways in the Philadelphia airport and then I came on down to the Southland! But let me interject here... culture shock-- hearing English and understanding it totally expected it-- understanding it with such ease-- SHOCK. Weird I know. I was welcomed with loving and tearful arms in Atlanta by my Mom, Steve, Eli, Melissa and Nathan. Melissa and Nathan were a small surprise :) and it was relatively brief because it was late, but still great to see them. On Saturday after trying to catch up on a little sleep, I went to my Dad's and Portia's and eventually that evening we ate Mexican food with their friends/roommates Rachel and Gordon and Michael and Kelly--- another small surprise (brother and sister-in-law)! I knew they'd come to Tennessee ;) At the restaurant I thought I might have cried when I heard and spoke Spanish, but I didn't-- not yet at least. It was so much fun to speak it, and I miss it terribly. I have to say here that every time I say I miss Spain or anything about it it's coupled with an equal affection for America and my home.... just so you know :) Moving on to Sunday was just a relaxing day at my Dad's and that night we ate grilled American hamburgers, so good! Kelly and Michael left on Monday (Memorial Day) and I made my way back to Mom's where there was a Memorial Day/I'm home party!! Friends and family, and friends that are like family came! Steve grilled, I ate, we had bbq, it was bliss, taha.

THEN on Tuesday I woke up deathly ill, I thought I had the swine flu but it turned out to be some type of tonsillitis blah. So for the rest of the week I've been in bed and on the couch. But starting yesterday (Saturday) I have been feeling better. I'm on the job hunt now... (if you have anything feel free to let me know) and I will be spending my first summer since the beginning of college at home. This should be interesting... haha, no I'm sure it will be great!

That's all the news I have, thanks again for all of your love and support over the past 5 months. This was one of the most memorable, shaping, amazing experiences of my life and I love that you are interested, so GRACIAS! :)

Some of you I'll see around Maryville, others Murfreesboro, or Gatlinburg at the family reunion, and still others I will just have to plan road trips!

Thanks again!!

This is Elisabeth now in Seymour Tennessee signing off :)