I'm back

Change is happening! Having been wrenched from what was one of the best Christmas and New Years that I have had yet, my mind for the first two days back was firmly set to ‘take me home’ mode. It took me about a week to truly settle in to the swing of Torrelavega life again and now that I have, I’ve noticed a few changes in my perception of my year abroad.

I'm no longer feeling that dreadful, heavy weight of homesickness that seemed to squash me throughout my first term here. I was having fun, yes, but at the same time I kept looking back at things going on with my British friends and wishing that I could join in. But now it seems that I no longer pine so intensely for home comforts. I continue to miss my friends and family hugely and there are still low points where I yearn to be back, but altogether I have lost that persistent ache to be surrounded by all things familiar. I imagine that this is in part due to my return to the UK where I realised that it does fact still exist and that I am not entirely removed from life there. It's also come from a renewed enthusiasm and love for my job, for travelling, for improving my Spanish and for trying new things.

The main downside of my experience here is, er, the downpour. We have rain in the UK, boy do we have it, but Cantabría has it's own unique type of precipitation; intense and heavy, the kind of short bursts that soak right through your jeans and freeze your legs. As a part-time language assistant with a lot of free time on my hands and the desire to explore, this kind of weather is less than helpful. I'm crossing all my metaphorical fingers that this constant rain will subside soon because when it does this place really comes alive with people and beauty.

a rare, rain-less day in Santander!