No, this is not going to be a blog post dedicated to explaining the seemingly impossible grammatical rule of when to use ser versus estar. Their similar translation but very different meaning best encapsulates my pre-leaving feeling.
For the non-hispanohablantes (me, until the end of this semester), both verbs mean: to be. A chief difference (although any introductory Spanish class will explain that there are many) is that ser is used for generally accepted permanent adjectives. For example, I would Soy simpatico to mean that I am a generally nice person. Estar is used to mean a specific instance or state of being. For example, to say that I am sick at the moment then I would say Estoy enfermero.
My feelings at this moment are sad. I am currently in a state of being that is sorrowful over all the things that I will miss: friends, family, and my dog. Of course, fomo is real and every party, club, and activity that I am going to miss at Georgetown seems like a net negative in the aggregate.
However, I am also in a state of being of excitement. There are a lot of really awesome opportunities waiting for me in Spain and I can’t wait to experience them.
All of my current emotions are temporary. Soon, I will be in Spain where I can settle down and be able to discuss a more permanent sense of being.
