No voy a echar de menos…

While waiting in the Heathrow airport for my flight back to the States, I confess that I felt more than a twinge of jealously at those people eagerly reading their guidebooks and obviously just beginning their travels while mine are finishing up. But, I think one generally tends to remember only the good parts about trips and I guess there are a bunch of things that I am not going to miss after I return. For example, I won’t miss rolling my r’s and that endearingly strong ‘ge’ and ‘gi’ sound that is akin to hocking a loogie. Won’t miss that great hike down the barranco in Masca and ending up on a gorgeous black sand beach with that blue, blue Hawaii-like water at the bottom. I certainly won’t miss hearing about life in different countries from my fellow students. I definitely won’t miss those college students in Granada who saw me doing my homework in a cafe, invited me over, bought me a beer, and starting talking to me about what I thought about how globalization is creating a big mix of cultures (I think anyway, like I said earlier, my Spanish sucks). Won’t miss hopping from museum to museum in Barcelona on the first Sunday of the month when they a lot of them are free. Definitely will not miss those free tapas in Granada and pondering whether or not I should have that third cana in order to see what the next one is. And I absolutely, positively, will not miss the generally exuberant, friendly personalities of the Spanish and the way they greet each other with a hug and a kiss on each cheek.

Won’t miss meeting up with my buddy in Italy, walking approximately 324.43 kilometers and hitting up every single tourist attraction in Rome and Florence (and Siena) commando-style and then stuffing ourselves silly at meals.

Won’t miss the ultra-sexy voice and deliciously British reminders to “mind the gap” on the Underground. Won’t miss those perfectly done and oh-so unhealty fish and chips either.

Yup, glad to be back.