Almost two years ago a twenty-something year old kid from
California,boarded a plane to Madrid with little idea about what he was getting
himself into. Two years later he finds
himself on another plane traveling halfway across the word, back to where he
came from. He is no longer the same kid
that headed off to Spain two years ago with two suitcases and an appetite for
adventure. What has happened between
these two flights has been an incredible and unforgettable experience.
It has been two years packed with many adventures and new
experiences. Many of these adventures
you have already read about on this blog but since the last entry there have
also been quite a few new ones. Some of
these new adventures include: returning
to London to meet up with some old (well they’re really quite young) friends
from college, reuniting with a friend from elementary school from Madrid while
making some new ones, frequent trips back to Cuenca, returning to the
“hometown,” Tobarra, and celebrating Semana Santa with drum slung over the
shoulder, escaping Spain and spending a relaxing and interesting weekend in
Morocco as well as many small adventures around the Sierra de Segura with good
friends in Siles.
Now that this two-year stint has ended, this kid from
California is sitting on this Boeing 737 listening to Los Delinquentes and reflecting;
trying to make sense of what this experience has meant to him. Over the two years, he has learned many
things. For one thing, his Spanish has
improved immensely. More than just his
Spanish, he has learned how to make paella, how to play the drums until 7 am in
the morning as well as the basic and most important steps of Flamenco. Moreover, he has learned how to fight of
hunger when lunch time is at 3 in the afternoon, how to improve a difficult day
by sitting down an having a caña or tercio with friends and even how to make
oneself feel at home and happy in a small town in the middle of the mountains.
If you see him around California, you might realize that he
has changed. He can no longer say that
his is from California because he is now actually from Tobarra. This small town in the province of Albacete
decided to adopt this lost kid from a far-away country. They took him in gave him food and even gave
him clothing in the form of a purple tunic that is worn during the drumming
celebrations of Semana Santa. Although
the Californian or I mean the Tobarreño says that he has from Tobarra, he knows
there are at least two other places that he can call home. In both, Siles and Cuenca, he has been equally
cared for and treated as if he was a family member. He really has been spoiled by the kindness
and generosity of the people in all of these places.
This brings us to the most beautiful part of this
Tobarreño’s journey, the people. Over a
short period of time, he has met many wonderful people in many different
places. These people have taken him in
and shared with him their culture, their customs, their language (including the
millions of sayings that are impossible to understand) and their warmth. Together they have shared laughs,
discussions, experiences and even a few tears.
It is because of these people that this Tobarreño has had such a
marvelous experience. And now, he has to
hold back some tears so he doesn’t make a fool of himself and cry on the plane.
The past two years have been an amazing experience for this
kid from California/Tobarra. Although he
might be far away geographically from the great people he met, he will always
hold them and experiences he shared with them close to heart. And you never know…he might even be back in
the near future!
These two years have had a lasting impact on my life. I’ve written in third person because it’s
hard to put into words what these past two years have meant to me and how they
have helped me develop as a person. I
hope it doesn’t come off as cheesy.
Although this seems like it’s the end of an adventure, it is
not. It is only the beginning of the
next one…Stay tuned!
