The last couple days have truly been a whirlwind of activity. I am getting very concerned about leaving this place so soon. I feel like a quarter of the time, when I’m smooshed into a crevice on the bus, as I leave the grocery store empty handed, or I see a new tourist checking into the hometel, I can’t wait to leave. But the majority of the time it is just the opposite. Today as I rode a maquina to a Cuban friend’s house it struck me just how little time I have left here in this country. While my list of things to do is not very long (drink a mojito- Check! on the malecon-Check!) I have come to the conclusion that I could stay here for an extended period of time and be happy. My time here is running out! I write this fifteen minutes before midnight, after which I will have exactly 11 days left in my study abroad experience. Of course the fact that we filled out course and program evaluations today did not help to give the feeling of longevity to my stay here.
I feel very guilty for getting so behind on this blog. The girls and I recently hosted a few professors and directors from Presbyterian College (the college who runs this study abroad program). I had a similar experience to the time when I sat in on the intermediate Spanish class. We found ourselves explaining the intricacies of Cuban life and culture to these visiting professors of history. While I certainly do not profess to know all there is to know about Cuba (I am SO far from that reality), I felt, to an extent, that I had gained a more profound understanding of how society functions here and it was pretty validating to explain what I do know to our visitors. They also took us out to dinner which was a welcome break from our unvarying meals. Interestingly, we ended up at one of the restaurants we went to during orientation. It was another serendipitous moment to see just how far we have come from our original naivety.
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