Life After College: Spainless Summer

With summertime right around the corner (or you know, officially today...) I'm having a hard time coming to terms with my current summer plans. For the past two summers I have been lucky enough to call Spain 'home.' But not this summer. *insert sad face* My boyfriend is finishing up his semester studying abroad in China and will be traveling around Asia before he returns home to Spain in August. Not to mention I'll be working throughout the summer saving up the last bits of money I can scrape together before I move to Spain sometime in September.

Puerto Chico, Santander

Parque de la Magdalena

So next Monday when public schools end here and I am finished working with the kids, it's official. I will begin my "Spainless Summer." But you may ask, "but aren't you going to Spain for a full year?!" Yes I am, but it's just not the same as summertime in Spain! There's just something entirely different and beautiful about being in Spain in the summer months. Especially in the northern regions of Spain known as 'Green Spain.'

While it truly is wondrously green in this region of Spain, it gets that way by raining quite frequently throughout the year. Until the magical summer months where from June through August, at least in Santander, it is its driest. This is when everyone flocks to the beautiful local beaches, enjoys the festivals and fairs, drinks in the streets, and basks in the generally glorious summer weather. Here are some pictures of the beautiful coastline throughout the summer (in case you didn't believe me):

Llanes, Asturias

But why would I miss the coastline of Spain so much when I live in the 'Ocean State?' Well the summer is a wonderful time for traveling in northern Spain and I miss the culture and history you constantly encounter. In the summer there are so many local festivals and many of the people are very in tune with their local history and customs. It was not uncommon to stumble upon a festival and see people dressed in the traditional clothes of their region. This is so unlike anything here because most of us have a mixed heritage and don't often celebrate where we came from in such a distinct way.

Oh you know, just exploring a stone church

As for history, my town back home was only founded in the early 19th century, before that there were no permanent settlements in the area. Santander however has existed since the 12th century, even though it wasn't officially recognized as a 'city' until the late 18th century and like many cities in Europe, you don't have to travel very far to see some ancient ruins. Everywhere you go in Spain you are reminded by how 'old' Europe really is; many of the countries, structures, customs, and cultures have been in place for centuries. I remember my Spanish friends dismissively introducing me to the 'new' part of the city by saying, "Oh, it's only been here for a few hundred years. It's really new." Back home anything that is a few hundred years old is practically considered ancient! Most cities in Europe are have been around longer than our country has even existed.

Not to mention it's so easy to travel between countries when in Europe. Visiting Spain in the summer has allowed me to easily country hop and see different sites in Europe. Traveling in the United States is quite different because it's so much larger and everything is more spread out. A five hour drive in Spain gets me from Santander to Madrid, here that would only be from Rhode Island to Maine.

Casually in some Roman ruins...

Guaposss

But the biggest thing I will miss during my 'Spainless Summer' is my wonderful friends across the pond. By the time I arrive in Spain it will be a full year since I have seen them all. They have been a huge part it what has made these past two summers wonderful; from the first day I met them all at the airport with a banner welcoming me to Spain, to the last time I left with tears in my eyes. They may have started out as my boyfriend's friends, but they have become some of my dearest friends. They patiently encourage ~~force~~ me to practice my Spanish and always make sure I feel comfortable and included.

In Spain I got to see them every day and I've come to define summer as being my time with them. I'll miss the backyard barbecues, the lazy beach days, the late night kebabs, the spontaneous adventures, and the laughs we shared. More than a group of friends, they've become my family when I'm thousands of miles away from my own and everything I know. Last summer I spent my birthday at Sanfermines and they surprised me with a wheel of cheese and sang happy birthday in the middle of the park. Then threw me a surprise party back in Santander. Their constant care and consideration has made my visits to Spain more than a trip to Europe, but a visit to my second family. And not having them this surrounding me this summer will be the most difficult thing to come to terms with.

I'm so lucky to have them all!

Now that it's officially first day of summer, I must come to terms with the fact that I will not being going to my 'summer home.' In my mind part of me still thinks I'll be on the plane in a week or two and see those lovely faces inviting me to some tapas and cañas. But I won't be spending my summer enjoying the free beaches of Santander, or having my ice cream buddy Pedro convince me that we need more llaollao, or going shopping with my girls, or having Julio yet again try to teach Spanish games (sorry Julio, I'll remember how to play one day!), or any of the other things I have come to associate with summer. There really is no denying that I've been incredibly lucky to have had all of these experiences for two summers in a row.

Basking in Parque del Retiro, Madrid

BUT

Perhaps a trip to Block Island with my Dad
to visit my Great-Aunt...

I'm not moping around about my 'Spainless Summer.' I mean I'll be there for a whole year starting in the fall making memories and this summer gives me the chance to spend time with my family and friends before I leave. I'll be babysitting two wonderful kids who I will miss so much in the Fall, enjoying my last tastes of home, and it also doesn't hurt that summertime in Rhode Island happens to be gorgeous. My 'Spainless Summer' means I'll get to enjoy the Fourth of July for the first time in a few years, have a real blazing campfire perfect for some s'mores roasting, go crazy on all the rides at the Washington County State Fair, and takes some long awaited road trips.

Or a road trip to my friend in Maine.

Overall, it means I'll get the chance to do many things I love about RI in the summertime, but haven't gotten to do because I haven't been here. It may not be the kind of summer I've gotten used to, but it's the kind of summer I have grown up on and love with all my heart. This could very well be one of my last summers I'll get to enjoy in the 'Ocean State, ' depending on where the wind takes my boyfriend and I with future work offers. So I want to enjoy every second of it, even if it means having to fork over $60 for a beach pass... *ugh*

There's so much I want to do and so many people I want to see before I leave for Spain. I have many amazing friends right here whom I love dearly and have been there for me for many years. Spending this summer at home has turned into a blessing in disguise, giving me the means to say goodbye to everything and everyone I love before I take this next step in my life. I may not know where I'm going, but I know where I came from. And it's a pretty great place.