Tomorrow.

This time tomorrow, I will be about a third of the way through my plane ride back to the US! I always knew this day would come, and yet it still seems so surreal. Maybe it will finally hit me tomorrow when I'm in the airport for the last time, or when I land in Chicago...I'm not sure.

Today I woke up (early, my roommate left to hang out with her parents and Paloma was up early yelling at somebody on the phone), ate breakfast, and ventured out to Sol for the last time. I still hadn't seen the Royal Palace, and I figured today was as good a day as ever to see it. While it wasn't as impressive as Versailles, it was still beautiful. Unfortunately they really crack down on picture taking, so I don't have any pictures to show you all. I spent the afternoon walking the streets of Sol, enjoying my last time in the middle of the city for a long time.

I was walking to school on Sunday to study for my final on Monday, and was so completely content with my life. I was so thankful for the last four months and still so excited about what lies ahead of me. A lot of my friends have a huge mix of emotions right now: some are doing whatever they can to try to stay longer, but most I feel are ready to come home. Some aren't even leaving tomorrow: I know of 2 groups of people who are traveling until the end of May or early June. And it's also hard because some of my friends that I made here don't go to SLU. My friend Andy who I ate lunch with almost every day of the semester goes to Catholic University in DC...I don't know when I'll be able to see him again.

But the bottom line for me is this: I've seen what I wanted to see (with very few exceptions...but that leaves me with a reason to return in the future), I've done what I wanted to do, and I know that I've learned what I needed to learn....which is why I am so content to leave Madrid. God brought me here for a reason, but it's time for me to close this chapter of my life and let Him start writing a new one.

But please keep me in your prayers...especially when it comes to traveling! I will leave Madrid at 11:55am (5:55am eastern time, 4:55 central) and arrive in Chicago at 2:15pm. From there, I've booked a flight from Chicago to Columbus that leaves at 3:25pm and arrives at 5:30. I realize that this puts me in a slight time crunch...but there are also 5 more flights that leave after mine that fly from Chicago to Columbus. BUTTTTT I am praying (and hoping that you will too!) :) that there are NO complications or delays, that lines are short, and I can quickly move throughout the Chicago O'Hare airport and make it to my flight on time.

OK! This will be my last update from Madrid! I'll post one more after I get over my jetlag and get back to the states...

tomorrow <3