Here I am in the final week of my study abroad experience, wondering where the time went but also feeling like I've been in Spain forever. Looking back to the month of January when I first arrived, I remember clear as day waking up to an unfamiliar room and hearing the voices of my new Spanish family chatting downstairs, speaking a language I thought I knew (until I got to Spain and heard people actually speaking it). Laying in bed, I would give myself a pep talk to start the day. Just go downstairs, eat your breakfast, and it's okay if you barely understand a word they're saying. It was nerve-wracking and frustrating and so confusing at times, but every day it got better. Although it didn't feel like my comprehension of Spanish was improving, it most definitely was.
Reflecting on these past 4 months, I can't help but be proud of myself. I stepped out of my comfort zone and flew across the ocean to live in what felt like a completely different world. I have not achieved fluency in the language, but I have learned more here than I could have ever imagined.
Although it is bittersweet to be leaving, I'm excited to return home and take with me all the knowledge I have gained abroad. That being said, this week is one of reflections on all the good times, and I want to recount some of the most memorable moments. Living on Spain time has taught me that meeting times are more often than not merely suggestions, tener prisa or "to be in a hurry" is generally unheard of and procrastination is the norm. Staying true to Spanish ways, I have put off posting on this blog for quite awhile now. Although Spain has a much slower and more relaxed lifestyle, time still flies, especially when the country is filled with big cathedrals and old palaces, and it sometimes feels like a fairytale. So as the reality of leaving this beautiful place sets in and I start to feel a little nostalgic, it seems like the right time to put my experience here into words.
