Home stretch

Wow, I'll be getting on a plane home in 3 days. I can't believe how quickly it's gone by.


It's strange, I'm really excited, but a little stressed to be back home again. I have lots of packing to do of course and I want to make sure I see everyone and do everything while I'm there.

I just dropped Iñaki off to catch the bus for his hoop camp this week. So, I have 3 days that will be filled with the kids and scrambling to get things together. At the same time, I wish I were leaving tomorrow. The 3 days wait, especially with the kids off of school, could be a bit of a torture.

It's interesting to think about what I've gone through to get to this point. I remember having to run away from Mom and Whit at the airport so I wouldn't break down and cry when I left on September 12th. I also remember feeling quite free as I was all alone waiting to board the plane. I was starting my adventure and it was just me.

I remember arriving in Bilbao after a bunch of flight delays and taking much longer than I should have and seeing Catherine standing outside the exit doors waiting for me in one of her smart suits. I just walked right up and gave her a hug. She's so tiny.

We got to the house at around 4 am and I just hit the sack but I couldn't sleep because it was all so strange. All the sudden I had a new home, but I didn't know where to take a shower or who my new family was yet.

The 5 or so days I had with Alicia were a huge help. She showed me everything and introduced me to people and my head wouldn't stop spinning and I couldn't imagine how I would remember all of it, but somehow, I did.

Learning the stick shift was my first big accomplishment here. Now I try to apply that experience to learning the language. I just have to keep trying and eventually it will work.

I remember meeting Lourdes for the first time and how she was so sweet, but we could barely speak. She helped me find my team and it was quite exciting to go see them play for the first time and get bothered by Iosu for the first time. I went back and met the coaches after the game and Iosu tried to speak to me in english and he introduced Iñaki and Iñaki said, "Pleased to meet you," in perfect accent and form. I remember feeling so relieved. He says my face just sort of lit up at that moment, like "thank God, a little help!"

From there everything just started rolling and suddenly I had a busy life... a busy life in Spain! I never expected it. I thought I would be in my room reading and writing a lot but as it turned out, I have been able to experience everything and have made a rule to try not to say no to invitations out or to do things with people and it's worked pretty well.

I've felt more stupid, awkward, nervous, frantic and strange here than at any other point in my life, but for some reason, I love it here. Granted, if certain people, or a certain person, hadn't come into my life, I don't know how well off I'd be. Maybe I'd be sitting here telling you about how I'd finished my 3rd childrens book of the year and am moving on to a novel. Though that would be great in its own right, I'm glad that is not at all the news I have to tell.

I'll see all of your sweet faces in a few days! I can't wait to hug and kiss you all and just sit down and chat for a while.