It's getting down to the wire!

I can't believe it... only four more days until I board Iberia flight 6166 to Madrid! If all goes according to schedule, I'll depart from Logan Airport at 6:20pm on Saturday and land in Madrid at 7:10am on Sunday morning. I have a bit of a layover in Madrid (my flight to Granada doesn't take off until 11:50am) but it'll give me plenty of time to find my next flight's terminal, relax, wake up?, eat something, etc., etc. Then come 12:50pm Sunday afternoon, I'll land in Granada! So far meteorologists are predicting good weather and clear skies Saturday into Sunday in Boston but scattered showers in Madrid- let's just hope my second flight isn't delayed!

This year I had a really great summer... while it went by really quickly, I feel like I did a lot (and not just related to preparing for Spain). Most importantly, I was able to spend lots of time with my family and friends. There were lots of extended family dinners and visits, I made it to Massachusetts a few times to visit college friends, I took a family vacation to Maine with my Dad and brothers and, most recently, I had an amazing "last weekend in the USA" camping with friends on Cape Cod. I even got to visit NYC and Boston a few times... all in all, I'm really content looking back on the past four months :)

So... how am I going to pass this last week Stateside? Well, yesterday I had a plethora of doctors, dentist, etc. appointments and thankfully my passport (complete with my visa attached!) finally arrived at my house thanks to UPS. Since all that I have left to do is pack, I now have a few days to relax (and minorly freak-out about the upcoming year, haha)! After having spent the past four consecutive years away at Stonehill, I haven't been home to enjoy the start of fall in Ellington. Driving all over town these past two weeks as the fall foliage starts to appear and the days and nights grow chillier and breezier has reminded me just how much I love the start of fall in my little town. I love the way the air smells and noticing the first traces of orange, red and yellow emerge in the trees. Everything about fall in New England just says "cozy." Not to mention that fall means two of my favorite things: 1) Thanksgiving and 2) the start of football season (GO STEELERS!). Now, while I absolutely love fall, I'm happy to be able to escape the cold and dreariness of the New England winter this year! The winter will (should!) be much milder in southern Spain and to that I say, AMEN!

Later this morning I'm going to run some last-minute errands before having lunch with my grandparents. Afterward, I'll head over to Brookside Park to watch Kevin play (goalkeeper) in his first game of Ellington High's soccer season. Tomorrow I'll just lounge around and then Thursday I'll visit Joey at UConn before spending some time with my friend Jamie and her family (basically my second family) at their home. Friday three of my closest girlfriends (Katie Cummings, KK Rice and Jamie) are going to come over after dinner to spend my last night in the States with me- I can't wait to see them! Then it's off to Boston mid-Saturday!

If you ask me, I couldn't ask for a better last week at home :)