Oh so beautifully cliché.

I've just gotten back from my Semana Santa trip to Germany and France, and staying true to this entry's title, my return signals the beginning of the end of my time here in Spain. It's a bit mind-boggling to think that I have already spent more than 7 months here in Algeciras, and only have 7 weeks left. With that said, I'll be flying back to the U.S. on May 26th, that is, if they let me out of the country (my visa expires before I am supposed to leave).

Alright, now to talk about possibly my last trip that I will have made during my time here. I left Friday morning at 7am for Málaga, slightly under the weather due to a fine scotch whiskey. I normally don't drink whiskey like that, but for some reason it was going down quite nicely. The day before leaving, I went to my school's office to make sure that my check would be in the bank by the time I landed in Germany as I had a shuttle and train to catch to arrive at Ben's place. The secretary told me no worries, to go on my trip and the money would be there when I needed it. My first flight landed in Barcelona and using my last bit of money I used an internet terminal to check my account balance: +0.34. This meant that unless the secretary could go back in time, I would have no money to catch the train/bus when I arrived in Germany.

Upon arrival I was tense. A nice older man in the airplane offered to drive me to Cologne, but it wouldn't have been much closer to where I needed to go and Ben would have no idea that I was there. So, I tried to see if I could get a hold of him or Tom or Jani in some way. I went to the info desk and begged to use the phone and to have the lady look up his family's phone number. One problem, Ben's dad is a doctor and his phone is unlisted, so no luck. Defeated and too tired to be resourceful -although selling my camera did cross my mind- I went to sleep on a bench. One hour later Ben's friend Fabian calls the airport feigning a family emergency so that they will permit me to use the phone. He tells me to act upset -which I don't hear- and that Ben, Max and Lena are on their way to get me. My idiotic, ear-to-ear grin tips the desk lady off that the call wasn't an emergency and she throws me a snotty look. Who cares?!?!?!? I'm not stuck in an airport anymore! I take another nap and wake up to seeing Max's slight figure running in the distance, looking for a lost American. What a joyous reunion, made better by a beer waiting for me on arrival.

After a nightcap with Ben at 1:30, we get up to leave for Paris by car at 7am so that we can see as much as possible. Never in my life have I ever seen one person take so many bathroom breaks in such a short amount of time; Ben, we love you anyway. Despite the 31351322 stops, we made pretty good time, getting to Paris in just under six hours; NOTE: French tolls are literally highway robbery, 14 Euros a piece. The countryside was beautiful, and although it was close to Germany, pretty distinct. There were small, rolling hills with neatly tended farms and old churches and buildings standing in the middle of nowhere. Tom had made a brilliant mix for the road, complete with lots of French music like Daft Punk and Phoenix which kept me from falling asleep and in turn kept Ben from falling asleep.

Upon arrival, Amy -Ben, Tom and Jani's friend from Australia that we stayed with- had a huge meal ready to go for us, which was perfect. We didn't go out and see much that day, but rather stayed in the area of the Bastille, where she lived, and drank champagne -not as glitzy as it sounds- and got to know our hosts. The next morning we went to the market to pick up food for breakfast. Now, I've been to outdoor markets all over the place and have been impressed, but this one was immaculate. Cheeses, meats, hot food, vegetables, etc. were all arranged in meticulous order; cherry tomatoes, set neatly row by row, all perfect color and locally grown were just one of the impressive food displays. These people LIVE food, which is a lifestyle I can appreciate and share.

I won't go into to much detail on everything I saw in Paris since I think that you'll get a much better idea from the pictures on my Facebook and Flickr accounts. What I will say is that the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Champs D'Elysses, etc. do not disappoint in person. Paris has this kind of classic beauty that pours out of nearly everything. It was also another place I would definitely consider living if I had the choice, and money in this case. The metro is well oriented, it's bike friendly, tons of live music, good food, people from everywhere, art of every kind, I could go on forever. Needless to say, whether we were in Amy's house making food and dodging the rain, or out seeing the sights, I was at home and on vacation at the same time.

Once we were back in Germany it was like Christmas all over again. Ben's family was amazing as always and I think they were set on making me gain weight; although, the food is usually really healthy (German magic). Ben's friends -I should say my friends now- made sure that I had a great time too. We went kegeln (German 9 pin bowling) and had leberkase (miscellaneous pork, made into a loaf and baked, served on bread with sweet mustard) and Bavarian weiss beer; it was possibly the most German thing I could do. In the off moments, I hung out with Ben, Jani and Tom, watching movies and just enjoying their company. It's tough to think that I won't see them for awhile, but I'm sure it will be like no time has passed at all when we do.

While I was in Herbede-Witten a couple of opportunities opened up for me. They came about while I was talking with everyone about what my brother Alex was going to do when he comes in July. Tom told me that if I wanted, I could work on his mother's horse farm or at a vineyard in Australia for a year and he would help me set it up. I was blown away, because I have been wanting to learn farming -from a student of sustainable development's perspective- and have been wanting to see that side of the world. And, Tom and Jani offered me to live with them and help me find work in Berlin, a place that I want to live for at least a year. Let's see what happens, but I think that one of these, if not both are going to come into fruition.

I feel a bit transient at the moment, but that's o.k. I like the idea of getting as much experience and language as possible. The only difficult thing is being far from my family and friends. I thought I would have more time with them this summer, but my job on Star Island, NH will have me away for 3 months save my mom's wedding. Sorry this one was long, it's been awhile. Take care all.