and here in spain i am a spaniard

monday, april 25, 2005
i sat myself down on the uncomfortable chairs to wait.
my calm exterior masked the turbulence within. i was not the only one, but in the camaraderie of silence we ignored each other. i ate some fruit.
"parachutes" played as i discovered for the first time a mike's mix and i opened the card from allison.
in newark i explored. i contemplated the idea of venturing into the city and found my gate in the deserted terminal. i found the food court and my mother paid for my lunch. i listened to "teenage riot" as i watched the children in short shorts coming home from spring break somewhere and tried to work on my final exam.
with only an hour left i went back to the gate. as i approached i saw the rest of the group. they were sitting on the ground playing a noisy game of cards. i kept walking.

tuesday, april 26, 2005
i awoke from a fitful sleep somewhere over the atlantic and soon i was in madrid.