Different Places, Different Faces

My stomach tightens as the reality sets in--six weeks until I'm home-bound. As with all of life's journeys, my time here in finite. This fact has encouraged a little bit more of the "YOLO" mentality than I care to admit. Then again, I may only live Spanish once.

I've thought about what I want from my experience here. I didn't come here to become fluent in Spanish. I didn't come here to play tourist in various European cities. Honestly, I cannot tell you what I wanted when I landed in the Madrid-Barajas Airport almost three months ago. All I know is that this is not what I expected. 

For the remainder of my time here, I have to soak up everything I want my Spanish experience to consist of. Do I embrace local culture by spending my money rollerblading and going out for tapas? Do I want to sacrifice what little money I have to plan a last-minute trip to Portugal? Do I want to schedule an intercambio every evening to practice my Spanish? Do I keep trying to meet as many people as possible? 

I've sought advice from those I know that have lived internationally and most of their advice was the same: absorb everything you can about the culture. Well, of course, but what does that mean? My sister's boyfriend said to me, "You won't regret not seeing a certain city. It's never the places we go. It's the ones we meet that stay with us." 

Looking back to my experience as a sixteen-year-old in Costa Rica, I barely remember ziplining in the rainforest or how I felt when I got my first ever passport stamp. I do remember meeting Kelli, who shared my disdain for the ropes course and still listens to me when I have a major life crisis (read: I don't how to spend my summer vacation). Last month, it was not the Trevi Fountain that made Rome memorable for me but rather Megan who listened to me accidentally spill out my heart as we casually sat on rocks outside the Colosseum. 

I don't want to regret not seeing Barcelona, but more than that, I don't want to regret missing out on getting to know the people this city has to introduced me to. As Semana Santa starts, I cannot wait to see my Catholic host family cook special dishes and get excited about their culture. I cannot wait for my roommate and I to embark on spontaneous day trips, each that will shed a little layer of defense. I cannot wait to have girl talk from the Mirador overlooking La Alhambra with Julia, who has served as my mini mentor as I try to navigate life abroad. 

Seeing a building that is 900 years old will not make you a new person. Life is not about the things you see, but rather the person you allow yourself to become.

I was so cute at 16.

Rome

Granada hikes!

When you surround yourself with people that help you tear down your walls and let love in, your life will never be the same. For the next six weeks, I know my personal "YOLO" will have much more to do with "who" than "what."