Spain; a reflection

HELLO!

Wow, we are all home. I hate to say it but I don't want to be here. Not at all. I loved Spain. I made friends over there that I find myself missing terrible now. I fell in love with the city, the country, the people, the music, and the food. There was something about the way that everything functioned so in sync with everything else. I found that the city just kind of...flows. It definitely marches to a different beat than the one we are all accustomed too.
There were many days where I just set off on my own little adventures all over Madrid. I walked the streets, I sat in restaurants and observed the people, I rode the cramped subways and ease dropped into conversations, and I even went to parks and watched the local children kick around the futbol.
Here in the United States I study architecture and I continuously found myself in a state of awe at the grand structures erected so many years past. The history of that city emits from the edifices like a beautiful sent from roses. Every turned seemed to want to tell of a story from long ago. Because the buildings have been so beautifully restored and kept you can sometimes get the mental image of the lower classes from years ago in a bustle of hectic life or even picture the wealthy strut down the Prado in all their grandeur. It all seems so unreal, like a story or a dream.
Then there was the food. At first I was not impressed. Then after I made some Spanish friends I quickly found out that I wasn't the food the was bad, it was where I had been getting the food. They took me out to a restaurant in the center of the city and ordered three bottles of what they called "Sidre". It was an alcoholic apple cider. They then showed me how it was supposed to be poured. Apparently, you can not just pour this cider like any other beverage. you have to pour it from two to two and a half feet above the glass. They told me that the drink mixes with oxygen this way and you get a better taste. Then they ordered food. They got what looked like and egg and potato omelet that was surprisingly tasty, some sausage links, chicken soaked in butter and herbs, and warm delicious bread. It was all about location. However, one night they took me out and ordered me octopus. I did NOT like that...but that's for personal taste reasons.
But of all the wonderful things that Spain had to offer me, its people were the what won me over. They were never rude and always kind. They were patient with my language barrier. They were helpful and hopeful. They were all I could have hoped for. I even made friends that, to this day, I talk with and miss terribly. The only thing that threw me off with the people of Madrid were the mannerisms of some of the men. It was an adjustment for me to be openly checked out or pursued. However, once I realized it was a culture thing and not a personal violation I was able to relax and accept it.
But the friends I made will last forever. Not only were they good practice then, but even now they write to me and challenge my understanding of the language. This benefits them too. They are all learning English so I help them and they help me. We teach each other new word and their meanings, even tidbits on each other cultures.
All in all, this trip changed my life. I know that it will not be the last time I see my friends and city they call home.