Stories from Spain: "Madrid" By Brian
Departure from Leon to Madrid was gloomy. Raindrops falling from the sky and some tears falling down cheeks we had become so attached to our host families that saying goodbye was hard. Some say that even Leon was gonna miss us and that the rain was Leon crying, many of us even made promises to come back one year and see them again. The bus ride was full of mixed emotions because this was our last adventure together in Spain but we were excited to see our families once again and go home but we now saw each other as family and we knew our goodbye would be hard as well. We slept most of the bus ride as we were tired due to our late night procrastinated packing but we procrastinated for good reason. We maximized our time together in Leon spending hours just walking the streets and talking to each other and reflecting off all our inside jokes we have created and just good memories overall but also reflecting on lessons learned and how going home we would be stronger and ready to take on the world.
Arriving in Madrid was exciting because we were ready to pour out our energy in Madrid. Sure we were still tired and hungry as most of us skipped breakfast but our last day of adventure in Madrid was not gonna be lost. We dropped off our stuff at the residence and hopped on the bus to the Real Madrid Stadium. Even the fellows that didn’t really follow soccer knew about it and were excited about the tour. We were in disbelief at how big it was and just amazed at the fact that WE were inside the actual stadium and no longer just a view through the TV. All of us were in awe at the vast amount of trophies that were showcased and the views and the up-close nature of the tour. We were brought around the locker rooms, presidential seats and the seats that the players themselves sit in during games. Following the tour, we ate lunch something that all of us were looking forward too. We ate lunch in a park in Madrid that was gorgeous. Statues and fountains galore with a lake in the middle that has tiny boats going around. After lunch, we took bus tours around Madrid where we saw a lot of wonderful architecture and folks in costume that we waved at that led to some funny interactions. Succeeding these tours we went back to our residences and ate dinner for the last time together more memories and jokes were reflected upon once again and laughter all around. The joy and laughter continued seemingly all night, we laughed so much that we were asked if we were okey we also re-evaluated how apples could turn into pears for some reason.
Madrid was a great way to wrap up our once of a lifetime experience but honestly, the biggest factor in making this trip memorable was the people. All the fellows have made a safe environment in which we laugh and tell stories. We truly have become a family and will miss seeing them literally on a daily basis. In just like that in 5 minutes this adventure was over.
