crossing the t's and dotting the i's

the past few days have been a jumble of bittersweet memories. wednesday amanda and i took a trip up the funicular. it was the second time i had been up it but i was glad i went again. the views of bilbao from there are amazing. there is something about being able to oversee things that makes you step back and appreciate it a little more. afterwards we wandered around casco viejo in search of some gifts amanda needed to buy. we got some coffee at this awesome little to go place and then headed back to the dorm. we had our closing ceremony that night. the practicum class put on a play at the beginning (amanda (my roomie) was in it) it was really good! after the directors talked a little bit and gave us our grades etc. everyone went to the crazy horse pub after for a drink together. nothing big after that just packed and hung out with friends at the dorm.

thursday, all of my dorm buddies left at 5am! i woke up and saw them off but the combination of me being half asleep and surrealism made it feel like they werent really leaving. i went back to bed for bit then had to wake up to drop a box off at a friends and also tell Lauren goodbye. i then returned to the empty dorm to pack. right as i was about to leave for kimberlys (i stayed there for the night) the fire alarm went off! this was just fantastic since i missed the talk on what to do during a drill on the count of my birthday monday (i thought it was a legit excuse). i made my way to kims and lo and behold, my other suitcase breaks. i was upset for more than one reason. it was then i started to realize everyone was gone. i couldnt turn to amanda and laugh at my lack of luck. one bright side was that i had another suitcase i bought in rome. sadly i had given it away, so i had to be an indian giver and take it back (sorry). Kim and I had lunch with Conchi (her host mom). I love that lady more and more. she is absolutely hilarious. we had a convo at lunch about racism which then turned into a conversation about people who put dead people in food (dont ask me). after lunch kimberly and i went to the Guggenheim one last time and saw and exhibit on "Dog Day Afternoon." I picked up a puppy poster and then we headed to casco viejo to the christmas market. we bused it to the dorm so i could get the suitcase and then we went to the grocery to get ingredients because we made dinner for Conchi and her daughter. it actually turned out really good for all of the improvisation we had to do. we made crusted oven fried chicken, broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes and a cheesecake type desert. conchi and her daughter liked it! kim helped me repack and then i headed to bed!