Saying Goodbyes

These past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind and I don’t really know where to start.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I have been working hard to make the most of the little time I had left in Montevideo.

This included a spontaneous trip to the zoo, a bike ride along the rambla which then led to a swim in the ocean, climbing in the Ombú at 4 in the morning for a picture, going to Buenos Aires to watch the World Cup final game, sleeping 6 hours in 72, and countless goodbyes.

On Thursday, Maya and I went for a bike ride along the Rambla. It was really pretty and great exercise because my bike was stuck on the highest gear. We had quite the adventure. We stopped and contemplated writing in wet cement, only to be shooed away by the construction workers, we played on an old jenky playground, stopped at a bakery and got some surprisingly great apple crumble, and as a grand finale, we locked up the bikes, stripped down, and ran for the ocean.

We got an applause for the Uruguayans who were walking by (in their winter jackets). It was really fun and great to cross another thing off of our “Things to do Before Leaving Montevideo” bucket list.

Friday, we had a giant going away party for the “Casa Americana”. We met up in a bar 2 blocks away from our house first, and then went out to go dancing. When we first got to the bar, only 2 other people where there. We were nervous that no one was going to come, since we told the bar to except around 20 people. After 30 minutes, a few more started to trickle in.

Soon, the bar was jam packed and over flowing outside with people who had come to say goodbye. I remember at one time, stopping and looking around realizing that all of these people, from all around the world, had come just for us. I realized that in just a short 5 months I had accumulated real and meaningful relationships with some really amazing people.

Family Picture!

I bought a Uruguayan flag and had all of my friends sign it

We went and danced and it was a blast. The place was packed with all of my friends so no matter where I turned, I was dancing among them and not strangers. We stayed until 7 AM. I don’t usually stay out so late but I was caught up in the nostalgia of the whole night. I knew that leaving meant a goodbye for good with a lot of these people.

Shameless mirror selfie

And then some Uruguayan girl walked in and asked if we wanted her to take a real picture of us

Around 7, Maya came over to Santiago and I, sensing that the night couldn’t just be over and said we should go to McDonald’s. So we loaded up a taxi and headed for a morning McFlurry.

Even though McDonald’s apparently doesn’t serve ice cream for breakfast, it was the perfect way to end a perfect night.

I finally got to sleep around 8. Three hours later, I woke up to make a quick stop at the Feria to pick up some last minute things before heading to a classmates house for an asado (barbeque).

Most of my friends from my recreation class were there. I was really glad that the asado fell on my last weekend in town because it gave me one last chance to hang out with the group of people who really shaped my experience here in Uruguay.

We spent the afternoon laughing, eating, dancing, and enjoying each other company.

Once again, in one moment, I stopped, looked around and realized just how far I’d come. These once strangers had welcomed me into their class and culture and tucked me under their wing. Every time I walked into class, they would greet me so enthusiastically and always so willing to help. I learned so much about the language and the culture from them than any other thing I did, including my Spanish and Culture class. I will always feel so blessed that I was able to be a part of their lives, even if it was only for a short while. 

Fermin drove me home and on the way we saw Candombe, something I wanted to see before I left but thought I had lost my opportunity. Luckily, there were people playing in the street we drove be.

That night, we had another get together but a more intimate one. A chance to spend final moments together with the people we have grown closest to over our time here. It was great to sit around and just be together one last time.

We stayed up until we needed to catch a taxi at 5:30, to head to Buenos Aires.

To hear about my time there, read this blog post. 

My mom, Amy, Julia and I headed back to Montevideo on Tuesday (More on our adventures together in a future post). I wasn’t expecting to be able to spend much time with any of my friends (that’s why I said all of my goodbyes over the weekend) but I was surprised.

On Wednesday, we had lunch with Santiago. I was really glad my mom got to meet the guy who shaped my experience here so much. It was really hard to say goodbye at the end of the meal.

Later that evening, we took a taxi ride all the way across the city to watch the sunset in the best spot in Montevideo. We met up with just about everyone who was still left from the international students. For some reason, I felt like we were in a movie. Just a bunch of friends laughing and joking as the sun went down in the most picturesque spot possible.

That night, there was one last going away get together in Con Tutti, Jonas’s apartment. It was really chill night, just everyone around the table chatting. Like everything else in these past 2 weeks, it was great just to enjoy the company of these amazing people. This time, when I said goodbye, I knew it was the final one because I only had one more day left in Uruguay.

I spent my final night with Maya, Meli, and Sweeney. I couldn’t imagine who would be more fitting to spend my final moments in the country with. We didn’t do much, just hung out in the living room while I tediously packed up all of my belongings into my suitcases. We didn’t even talk much which was okay with me; there wasn’t much to be said. I was just happy for their presence.

At 4 AM, we had to go to the hostel to get Amy (Julia was sick). On the way, we hoped the fence and took a picture in the Ombú, the huge tree next to my house, crossing another thing off our bucket list just in the nick of time.

Julia and Amy were staying in our room so we decided to have a slumber party in the living room. We drifted to sleep after some late night giggling and woke up a few hours later to start the next day.

I ate breakfast, did some final packing, letter writing and prepared myself to leave. I said goodbye to Laura and Eduardo, promising I would return soon. Then after that, I said my hardest goodbye yet. Meli and I wrapped up in a big hug, soon joined by Maya and said goodbye, knowing that it wasn’t a real goodbye but rather a see you later. I have no doubt I will see her again in the near future. Friends like that don’t stay apart for long.

All too soon, I was walking out the door for the last time, saying goodbye to the house that had become my home for 5 months.

Eduardo drove Amy and Julia with the entire luggage to the airport and Mom and I took a taxi. Eduardo went with us all the way to the check in. That’s when he got a phone call from Laura. Something was wrong but I couldn’t tell what.

When he hung up the phone, he told me that my passport had fallen out of my pocket and that he would be back with it as soon as possible.

I tried to check in but was unsuccessful without the real copy of my passport. I sent the others ahead, not wanting us all to miss the bus. With 2 minutes left, I started to panic.

1 minute….

Maya comes running through the bus terminal in her pajamas, my passport in hand.

A quick hug and I check in and made it on the bus just in the nick of time.

Soon the bus was pulling away and I was leaving Montevideo for the last time. As I traveled further and further away from the city that holds such a fond place in my heart I realized that the most bittersweet part about leaving was knowing that if I ever return it will never be the same because it was the people, not the place that made my experience so incredible.

Bitter because the stage of my life is officially over and there is no going back to it, ever but ever so sweet that I was able to be a part of something so incredibly amazing and life changing.