Exams, 21st Birthday & the Great Flight Fiasco

Our Unión Europea class jumpstarted finals week by trolling our teacher and impersonating the students from the movie "The Wave."  We had to watch it and write an essay for class, so we thought we might as well go all out.  Anything to spice up studying.

who wore it best, us or the actors? 

At the end of the semester Marie and I also became regulars at the cafe across from our university where they have a breakfast deal of coffee or colocao (hot chocolate) and your choice of tostada (delicious toast with either tomato spread and olive oil, paté, nutella, melted cheese, or many other intriguing options.)  We took to coming here right after our Tres Culturas en la Edad Media class, as the thought of second breakfast greatly helped us cope with two hours of hearing about Fernandos and Alfonsos running around the Iberian Peninsula. After several trips here our ginger waiter gave us loyalty cards, which we kindly left partly completed for Marta's future students as we didn't have time to come 9 times for a free colocao on the 10th visit. 

Exams started a week early when my Gastronomía exam was moved up (meaning I only had two exams on my birthday!) I figured eating Marta's food counted as studying la dieta mediterranea.  The week before our actual exams was the fiesta of December 8th, and a bunch of us went to see a flamenco show at La Carboneria. It's really difficult to study when you're also trying to appreciate your final week in Sevilla. 

It's also hard to study when your 21st birthday falls right in the middle of finals week.  I was definitely feeling a little sorry for myself as I had two exams on my birthday and one the next morning at 9 am. However, beginning with my birthday viber call from Haley at exactly midnight Spain time and continuing with Marie and Marta and all my other friends making the whole day amazing, I really couldn't have asked for a better time and place to turn 21.  Highlights of my birthday included: discovering that Marta had decorated the kitchen with a "Felicidades" banner, presents left on my pillow from Marie, my favorite  brócoli con huevos, champagne, chocolate cake, a super hipster study cafe, a wonderful birthday party on Thursday after exams, finger fútbol and gazpacho from a vending machine.  

they hadn't meant to match

Marta's friend Monica (the mother of the girls that we taught English to) has a brother-in-law who just opened a tiny tapas bar in el centro, and that's where I had my birthday party on my last night in Sevilla (or so I thought.. dun dun dun).  It was an adorable, lime green walled and jamon iberico lined place.  After the little old ladies at the table in the middle finally left we had the place to ourselves to enjoy the cheese and jamón and each other's company.

the ears were Marie's idea

thanks for the cake, friends! 

I had decided that I might as well not sleep on Thursday night because my bus to the airport was at 5 am.  So I drank vending machine gazpacho instead and knocked on Marta's door at 4:45 to wave goodbye. And that was the beginning of the Great Flight Fiasco. 

When I arrived at the airport, I at first thought it was only computers being slow or some other silly reason that they couldn't find my booking.  And then when I had heard from two separate offices that all of my tickets were canceled I began to get worried.  I thought, well, this would be a prime time to have a little chat with my parents, it's a good thing I'm in a foreign country.  I tried to use a pay phone. I couldn't figure it out. I turned on all my iPhone's data. There was no cell service in the airport.  I slumped in a corner, cried for a minute, and then bought wifi and began to viber call my parents.  They didn't pick up because they were sleeping.  Finally Anna answered from Chicago as she was about to go to bed. After finally making contact, my parents told me to go back to Marta's house as there was no hope of me making it out today.  The travel agent had forgotten to finish my booking. That's not annoying or anything. 

So I popped in a taxi, ate most of the sandwich Marta had packed me for my flight, and shuffled back to our apartment as Fernando and Borja were leaving for school, causing a very confused and sleepy Marie to wake up in shock when she heard my voice in the hallway.  Marta gave me a hug and sent me to bed and I got a surprise extra day in Sevilla.  

I was rebooked on a flight the next day two hours before the group flight.  I jokingly told all my friends, while saying goodbye for the second time, that if they saw me in the airport the next morning they would know something was seriously wrong.  And then Lisbon was foggy and my flight was delayed for two hours and I saw all of them.  By the time I arrived at my grandparents' house in Chicago that night, without my luggage I might add, I had been traveling for 24 hours and slept only 8 hours in the last three days combined.  Remember when I went to Barcelona and vowed I wouldn't be that tired again until Dance Marathon 2014?  That was a lie. When I arrived in Aspen very late the next night after more delays in Denver, I basically fell asleep into the birthday cake my mom had made for me. And then I slept for a week. 

And so ended the Great Flight Fiasco and my time abroad in Sevilla. I figure if traveling home was the only problem I had in the whole four months I am pretty darn lucky.  

Adios, Sevilla. You will be sorely missed. 

Shoutout to Marissa Pederson and Sam Schalop on their 21st birthday today!  I loved spending time with you in Sevilla.