Tonight we ate our final official dinner with Kathrin. In some ways it was a little disappointing because so few were there -- Ivan and Jordi, two of our teachers, were supposed to come and both were sick. Ryan decided to go to Bible study instead of the dinner. Other kids were stuck getting back from Switzerland and never showed up. However, dinner was a time to reminisce, and enjoy the company of the few people that we've spent these 4 months. It's amazing that already it has been that long. I can't believe that in just a week and a half I'll be heading home. The time has gone incredibly fast.
As per the usual with Kathrin's meal choices, dinner was delicious; she did not disappoint in the least. She chose an Italian style restaurant, where she actually knows the owners. These dinners are always interesting because we get to try many different things and they just bring out dishes that are for everyone and you pass everything around and all eat off the same plates. It's a different way of eating; much moreso than just going to a restaurant and having your own individual plates. It also showcases a style of meal that is very much Spanish -- that of eating quite slowly, enjoying every little taste, and of course lots of wine.
It's nice this way; you never stuff yourself full. You never inhale your dinner, and you take your time to really spend talking with the people that you're eating with. It also gives you a chance to really enjoy the atmosphere of the place -- which is Barcelona is quite often a tiny-fronted diamond in the ruff. These back-alley places are where the gold is. The prices weren't even bad here (not that we were paying... but still).
Afterwards Kathrin invited everyone back to her house just to chat and reminisce. Only Ian, his girlfriend, Brittany and I obliged... Personally I was really interested to see her humble abode and was surprised that more people didn't take the opportunity. The Switzerland travelers were supposed to meet up with us there, but never really made it. But we got a rare opportunity to just talk with Kathrin and her husband Thomas, and it was really neat to see where they lived and talk a lot about the culture that is in and around their neighborhood, in addition to cultural differences in general and political things and more!
It made me feel like a real adult to have such a sophisticated conversation with such interesting people. It's the kind of thing I would hope to have when I'm an adult, with my neighbors and adult friends. I like being able to just sit down with some champagne and talk about stuff. It's an important part of life, I think, to have those sorts of friendly relationships. We'll have to see how things play out. Who knows, maybe I'll just end up being a total nomad and that will never happen. But I like the idea of settling down and having friends over for wine and snacks.
Anyways, this was a great way to really end the semester and tie up the loose ends. We have our final class tomorrow, to put together the final touches on our travel papers, and I'm ready to have that all out of the way. Then all that lies in wait for me is planning Norway and doing my independent travel paper. Goodnight, from Barcelona!
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