A Spanish Adventure : Half way there

Today is the 5th of February. I arrived here the 5th of September. I have officially been here for 5 months, which means that I'm halfway through my year (well 10 months) abroad, and I'm in shock.
When I look back on these past 5 months, it's strange because there's a part of me that feels like I've just started. The time has flown by and I've been having the best time with my friends and family here. But there's another part of me that feels like I've been here for so much longer. I've grown so much, changed so much, learned so much, matured so much in only 5 months.
It's crazy to think about when I first got here. I didn't understand anything. I remember always feeling so lost because I couldn't understand even the simplest things. I remember feeling so alone because I didn't have any friends and I didn't know how to make any because I couldn't exactly be my normal outgoing self when I had no idea what was going on or how to communicate. I remember feeling sad because I missed home, I missed being with my family and friends, I missed understanding, I missed being me, I missed the normality of my life. I remember always being tired because it was so much work to try to understand, communicate, study. I would come home from school completely exhausted and want nothing more than to sleep, but I couldn't because I had to do hours of homework using Google Translate for just about everything. I remember wondering if it was going to get better, wondering if it was going to get easier, and wondering when.
But I think back and I can recognize the steps, every time getting a little bit easier. I remember finding friends from my host sister's class, finally talking to my class, finally going to a discoteca, finding new girlfriends, really getting to know my class, getting close with friends I've had since the beginning and constantly making new ones, becoming more comfortable, using less and less Google Translate, understanding more and more, getting consecutively higher grades. It's so crazy how much has changed in only 5 months.
Now I'm incredibly happy here. I've got incredible friends, a precious boytoy, a family that supports me... I understand Spanish to the point where I can understand almost anything people say to me, well as long as they're using normal colloquial language, because if they used what's in the Spanish Lit book, I'd probably die. I can almost always communicate my point, although I still don't talk perfectly, of course. But I mean hey, if I can get my point across instead of having to always stop and say "no se" (I don't know) every time I have something to say, like I did at the beginning of the year, then hey I think I'm doing pretty well. They even tell me I only have a slight American accent, which is probably the most exciting thing ever not gonna lie.
These past 5 months have been the hardest of my life. I can't tell you how many times there was a part of me that just wanted to give up and go back to my normal, easy life. I can't tell you how many times I couldn't even cry because I was too frustrated or upset. These past 5 months have been the most humbling of my life. I've seen a whole new culture, a whole new world, really. I've learned so much and I've seen so much, it's crazy. I actually realized when I got here how much US pride I have. Like if someone says something bad about the US, I kind of always want to punch them in the face, and I definitely always feel the need to defend it. Although yes there are a lot of problems with the US, and although yes it's amazing to be abroad, US is my country, it's my home, and I'll defend it to the death (totally being over dramatic, I doubt I'd defend it to the DEATH). Anyway, as I was saying, these past 5 months have been insanely eye opening and heart wrenching, but they have most definitely been the best 5 months of my life. I've had some amazing times, met some amazing people, seen some amazing things, and felt some amazing emotions. I didn't know it was possible to feel so much, but it is.
I'm starting to get excited about going home to see my friends and family and because when I get home, I've got a lot of cool things waiting for me, like an awesome job in a tattoo shop, a license and car, more tattoos, a puppy, etc. But at the same time, thinking about leaving scares me. It scares me because I've fallen completely in love with this place and these people and my life here and the things that I'm feeling that I've never had the chance to feel before. It's definitely going to be hard to go home.
Well, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone back home who supported and continues to support me on this crazy journey; I love and miss all of you so much, and I can't wait to see you in what is sure to be a very short 5 months. I'd also like to say thank you to everyone here who took me in, taught me, helped me, supported me, showed me the way, and "adopted" me into their family, friend groups, and hearts. I love all of you very much, I'm extremely excited to spend the next 5 months with you, and I will be heartbroken to leave you. Thank you all for everything you've done for me and for making these 5 months incredible. Some pictures of amazing people and amazing moments: