In the end...

I am one day away from finishing my Spanish course, 4 days from leaving Buenos Aires for travel to the north and Peru, and just half a month away from going back home. When I made the plans I was so excited to go back, but now things are going so fast, I don't feel ready! I stil have so much to see and things to do! I will miss so many things here, and not miss quite a few, too, but it's almost unreal how I will be back in California by June. There is, or course a giant list of things I will remember, but here are a few of those that stick out as things I will really miss and things I really won't. But even in saying that, I know I will miss everything about Argentina.

I will for sure miss my friends, and my teachers in school, the walk home and not needing a car to go anywhere. I will miss taking buses and not knowing if I will actually wind up where I need to be. I will miss districts where I am sure to find 15 stores selling luggage, party supplies, earrings, shoes or fabric. I will miss Plaza Serrano, the ferias on the weekends, the ice cream and the coffee. I will miss the little cakes and cookies that come with the coffee, the fruiterias and the amazing, cheap steak, provoleta and dinners at Manolos and Gardelito. I love that everything delivers and that when you divide by 3 things are so affordable in US dollars. I will miss speaking Spanish every day and learning new phrases and words, and that feeling when I finally understand how to use a phrase or word and use it correctly for the first time. I will miss lumfardo, mullets, flower vendors on every street corner, empanadas and having someone else do my laundry. I will miss the old buildings and the new places to try, the Palermo Parks and the kioskos. I will miss buying things that have been placed on my lap on the subte. I will miss using the words pochoclo, che, boludo and ganas on a daily basis. I will miss seeing the obelisco, people tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, talking about the weather and seeing Maradona's face on absolutely everything. I will miss being an expat, making time to read, meeting people from around the world and complaining about Leon (haha!!). I will also miss mate in the reserva, terrazas and asados, the smell of leather coming out of half the stores on the street and coveting those elusive gaugho pants. I will miss getting text messages that end with "besos." I will miss conversations about Argentine boys and girls, politics and Peron, the Malvinas!

I will not miss the daily near-death experiences every time I cross as street, the honking cars, dirty air or crazy motorcyclists. I will not miss feeling like an idiot when I don't understand what someone is saying to me. I will not miss the people on the street asking for money or handing me fliers as I try to walk past. I will not miss the squirt bricks, sweaty subtes, mystery drips or crowded sidewalks. I will also not miss having to weigh my fruit and veggies separately in their section, forget to do it then have everyone in line roll their eyes at me because I have to run back across Coto to put my lettuce on the scale. I will not miss the poop on the sidewalk or the leering men on the corners, the slow restaurant service or the porn at every newsstand. I won't miss crazy Boca fans, gas stoves or the lack of spices.

Also I will not have to miss my boyfriend, family or American friends, because I will be back home with them! So as this chapter begins to come to a close I look around and appreciate even more fully the time I have spent, the things I have seen and done, the time I took to keep up this blog, and really appreciate the memories I have. OK, enough gushing, I am done.

Besos!