¡os echaré de menos!

Today I started saying goodbye to some of the kids in the high school, because even though Monday is my last day, I won't see several of the classes again.  The kids in the European Sections classes (my wonderful 7th graders) asked me, "And you won't be here next year?  Or the year after that?" When I told them that I was going into a 2-year university program, they said,  "So will you come back after that?  Let's see, we'll be sophomores..."  Oh, man, would I ever like to take them up on that offer!  Spending the 2013-2014 school year in Spain again wouldn't be half bad...

I gave all the kids big hugs.  UGH--when I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere with the kids, that we're all comfortable together and they're actually learning something from me and I'm figuring out this teaching business, I have to leave.  Several of the English teachers are leaving next year, too (teachers in Spain generally change schools every year until they have enough seniority to have a permanent position), and next year's teachers and next year's teaching assistant had BETTER love these kids as much as I do!

The English teachers and the German teacher in the high school threw a little party for me--we went to the most amazing pizzeria in the area and I had this:

(well, the other half of this, OBVIOUSLY.)

and little baby squids and tiramisu and a "shandy" (known in German as a "Radler" and in English as "the most amazing summer drink in the world," made by mixing equal parts ice cold light beer and lemonade).

And the teachers gave me this:

and this:

and this:

and I gave them all big hugs.  I'm going to make them an enormous batch of cookies for Monday, my last day.  I felt wonderfully appreciated.  AAARRRGH I hate goodbyes!