As, much as Im excited to be heading home in just a few short hours! I am even more sad to be leaving Madrid. Leaving is bittersweet, I didnt think it would effect me the way it has! As I sit here, and think about all the good times Ive had! I cant help but cry! Taking this opportunity to go abroad has been the best experience of my life so far! Im sooooo happy that I did this! I cant imagine not doing this now that I have done it! Not only am iI coming back with a new sense of style, I am also coming back with a new found self. I am not the same girl that I use to be when I came here 4 months ago, scared and barely knowing any spanish. I have grown, not only in age but in wisdom! I have explored some of the world, I have done things that people in my family could only dream about! I am soooo proud of myself! I have gone farther than anyone in my family and I know that there is only up to go from here! 

This experience has challenged me and made me a better person. Its crazy I remember crying the entire first week when I was over here, because I missed everyone and now instead of crying because Im going to miss my family. I had tears filled with sadness over the fact that I am leaving Madrid, tomorrow! Four months ago, four months seemed like an eternity to me. It seemed like too long to be away from my family and friends and everything I had ever known, but in reality four months is no time at all! Four months has come and gone too quick! Can I do it all over,again? The things I know now I only wish I knew then. Seeing the world has opened my eyes soooo much!  Although I am leaving my experiences arent those will always be with me. 

These four months have been awesome. I had cried harder than I’ve ever cried, been lonelier than I’ve ever been, laughed harder, learned more and grown to love so much! Its crazy, how somewhere so foreign can become home so quick. Its like just as you get acquainted you are ripped from the place that you called home. 

To,  be honest! It took me four months to find me! Four months away from everyone else to really see who I was! To experience and to learn, about me! At home I always have someone and here I had no one! Being here taught me how to be comfortable being me, and at the beginning that was hard. I complained a lot as I still do and I didn’t understand why this was happening to me. I came here with a plan, it was me and Ariana against the world. It turns out it was just me against Ariana and the rest of the world. But, its okay we may not be the best of friends, and truthfully I don’t know what ever made me think we would be, but we have both grown from each other and learned how to at least co- exist. I don’t think we will ever fully understand one another and that’s okay, we aren’t meant to understand everything in life or everyone for that matter! 

Its crazy how something soooo far away can become soooo close! I am proud to say I made it! I have done so many things that I could have never imagined and now I want to challenge myself even more. I now know who I am with just having me! I know that I can survive without my parents, without Larry, without friends, and with GOD! Although I love to have them with me, I now know I dont need anyone to hold my hand and that things will be okay! I havent fully learned that lesson, just yet but Im learning! One step at a time. 

Knowing that in a few hours I will hop on a plane and say Sta-logo to Madrid for awhile makes me sad, but it makes me happy because I know I will be here again. And, next time I’m not coming alone someone else needs to see how great Europe is! Ive got the traveling bug and its only a matter of time before Im back here again.

As, I walk on to that plane and I will be closing on chapter of my life and opening the doorway to another. Now, where that doorway will lead me I am not certain, but I know if its anything like my time here, it will be an amazing journey. I’m ready, but I’m not and that’s as ready as I’m going to be! So, long Madrid you have been good to me! Be safe, until the next time we meet!

                                                                                         With all my love,

                                                                                                  Shaniqua Marie

I’m coming home in 5 days…and I’m not exactly sure how I feel about that. The anticipation of being at home is kind of crazy! But the thought of leaving Madrid, is even crazier. While it will be nice to be home, with going home comes all of the responsibility and all of the things I have to do, which I have been able to avoid for an entire semester.  I guess….since being in Madrid my laziness has reached an all time high. Which is definitely not the best thing. I am excited to go home to be with friends and family again and to STOP spending soooo much darn money! I have spent more money that I thought I would coming over here. We all know I can not budget, putting me on a budget is like expecting me not to talk, it just doesnt work! I dont know….I do need to get better though! 

Well anyway…as I prepare to go home I will be entering the 4 year of my relationship with the love of my life as well as my 4th and last year of undergrad, which still scares me shitless. I dont know, I feel like Im entering a pivotal stage in my life in which a lot of changes will be taking place. Larry just got a promotion and may possibly be moving to another usbank location where he will get another promotion. Which is awesome, I am soooo proud of my Hubbie! Soon, I will enter the working world that he has been in for over 4years now, and land an awesome job GOD willing! As I prepare to go home, there is just a lot to think about. I am now a year older, more independent and a year wiser. Although, I may be dragging my feet about coming home whether Im ready or not Im coming home! 

Its crazy! I remember being soooo nervous and sad to leave everyone and to come to Madrid, but now that I have it figured out! Im not exactly sure how I feel, when it comes to leaving! I hate that I do this thing where when something is going on in my life I push it to the back of my mind and try not to really think about it! Which is what Im doing,because deep down Im sad to leave but happy, and I’m scared to go back! Things are changing, my life is changing and Im growing up….

I guess just as I was scared to come here and scared of the change it would bring, everything will workout fine and I will have an awesome time! 

And if its not alright….then it is not the end! 

Love,

Shaniqua Marie

So Ive come to two conclusions about my life, thus far! 

So everyone is getting married! Its like everytime I turn around someone else is engaged and their boyfriend has proposed! I live for weddings and everything that comes along with them! They make me soooo happy! I LOVE to creep when I find out someone else is engaged! Mostly, I want to see their rings and or their fiance! Hey I cant help it! Im kind of obsessed with weddings! Im really happy for everyone who is engaged right now and getting married! One day that will be me and all of my friends! Ahh….its going to be awesome! Although I love weddings Larry and I still have a long time until ours comes! We dont have any money, and they cost a lot! I mean just a simple wedding costs a lot and Im too over the top for simple! So yea…when we both have good jobs and have some money. On the bright side Larry did get a promotion….yay! Anywho…since looking at engagement rings over the past couple of months! I have now decided that I want either a cushion cut, radiant, or oval! Mostly a cushion cut or radiant! Okay so we have got that down, I also dont want a diamond in the middle! I want a: light pink/peach Morganite {aka: pink beryl, rose beryl, pink emerald, & cesian beryl} or something like that, but I do want diamonds surrounding the stone and on the band! This is what I want! At first I wasnt the hugest fan of gold, and Im still not but rose gold looks really nice against pink stones!  If I dont like the rose gold maybe platinum or something! So anywho…this is the kind of ring I want! I need to figure out the name of the pink stone I want! So that is the first conclusion I have come to!

Secondly,

After college I am hoping to land an amazing job or internship or something amazing that will start me off in the right direction! However, if that dream job takes a little longer than expected! Im going to go to culinary school! And learn how to become an awesome chef and work on starting a business! I have soooo many plans for my life! Its going to be awesome! I know it wont always be easy but Im determined and baby Im going places! Okay…..so thats enough for now!

Love you all!

Tata!

Im having such mixed feelings right now! For like a month now, I have been so excited to go home! And, this morning on my walk to school I did a lot of reflecting! I suddenly didnt want to go home anymore, well not that I didnt want to go home! But, I wanted to either bring the things I like most about Madrid with me back home, or bring the things and people I loved most back to Madrid with me! I kept reflecting on all of my travels and things I wanted to do, and the things I have done! Wishing that I could do them all over again! I know everyone says if I knew what I know now I would do things differently! Well that is true, well not entirely! Its not that I wouldnt see those places again I would just see them differently and embrace the experience more! I would move slower, take smaller bites, talk to more people….go visit different things and just make it last longer! I dont know! I know someday that I will get to go back to all the places I want to go and many more. I have a plan..travel to all the places in Europe I want to go and then go places like Australia and India! Ahhh….I cant wait! I dont know….knowing that I have 14 days left seems like no time, no time at all! And its making me really sad, because Im going to miss this place that I have called home for the past 4 months! I really do like it here, its been such an incredible experience that I am sooo happy and proud of myself for doing! I wouldnt take back a single moment. I am soooo happy that I came and pushed myself. I pushed myself to my limits, I pushed my relationships, and just everything I thought I knew! And I have grown soooo much! I am not the same girl, I was when I came! I’m a little bit different. Im more independent, not so afraid to try new things and just over all Im growing up! Which the growing up part scares me shitless…because when I was thinking about leaving Madrid…what I thought about is once I leave it means I will officially be a senior in college and graduating in a year! Like…wow! My whole life is about to change, I dont know what lies ahead for me in my life! What is going to be the next chapter! As they say, when one door closes another one opens! Its sooo crazy how quickly Im growing up! I just plan to work sooooo hard to make all of my dreams come true! I know I have it in me, I know I can be and will be sooooo great! For me, leaving Madrid has brought about sooooo many thoughts and emotions! But, ready or not! Im coming home! Im sure as these last days I have here pass, I will be engulfed in my emotions, but that will mean a lot of reflecting! Its like you never realize what you have until its gone, and these 4 months seemed soooo long at first but really they werent! And its like with only 14 days left here Im starting to realize just how much I love it here! I LOVE HOME and miss all of my family and friends and my Hubbie! But, Madrid will always have a place in my heart, because even if only a little Madrid helped to shape me into the person Im becoming! So okay….its times for me to be a BIG GIRL now! I wonder if everyone who studied abroad felt like how I’m feeling before?? I think everyone should have the opportunity to travel abroad its so amazing and eye opening! I LOVE IT! Okay….now thats enough! Back to Sex and the City 2! 

Love you all,

Shaniqua