Melissa's Travels

I am officially back in the PST Time zone, calling Seattle (or rather Burien) home again. Although, I can't say I have actually adjusted to this time. The sun is telling me I should be enjoying breakfast and morning errands, but my internal clock says I should just be awaking from a siesta and heading to tapas. In an attempt to get myself back in the groove I've opted for granola and yogurt over greasy bar food, which I'm enjoying in my parent's backyard, reminiscing about the unbelievable three month adventure I just enjoyed. There is no Mediterranean Sea to admire as I sip my morning coffee and no beach to look forward to lazing at during the afternoon ahead. But regardless of the European sun I am missing and the mixture of languages I long to hear, I am happy to be home.

Only a few days ago I could've barely given you a handful of things I was looking forward to back at home. I was heading back to Seattle unemployed and teetering on debt, with three months of living at my parents to welcome me home. I had finally reached the point where I was missing family and friends, but after 13 weeks abroad I had adjusted to my life in Europe. I would've been perfectly content remaining there for a longer period of time. However, after a full day of traveling from Madrid to Berlin to London to the states, I found my eyes welling with tears of joy as our pilot announced we were only 40 minutes from landing at SeaTac. There was Mt. Rainier! And the beautiful Pudget Sound! Although I'd spent the past 3 months telling other travelers and Europeans whom I'd met that they absolutely must visit Seattle in the summer, I had somehow forgotten that I was actually going to have the fortune of spending this season in Seattle myself.

Agnes E. Benedict said, "Trips don't end when we return home, in a sense it's when they usually begin." I'm excited to discover how this trip has changed me and what wisdom I've gained that will affect my lifestyle at home. And as one of my friends said to me last night, if you're going to be unemployed, summertime is the best time for it! Of course, I'm not sure how much truth there is to this statement when I am trying to get back to Spain this fall. I've accepted a position with Spain's Ministry of Education to teach English in a bilingual elementary school outside of Madrid. This summer I'll be working on obtaining my visa, practicing my Spanish and some way or another making enough money to purchase my ticket back over to Europe. I may be foolish to believe that this is all going to work out, especially considering our economic state, but my mind refuses to let go of Paolo Coehlo's wisdom from his well known bestseller, "The Alchemist" that "When you want something, all of the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

I hope I have the fortune of seeing all of you this summer. Just as much as you may want to hear about my travels, I too want to hear about your life during spring 2009.