Hola a todos!
This post is a few weeks late, but better late than never, I guess! I returned back to America on December 18th, just beating that snowstorm that trapped many of my friends in Europe until Christmas, or even after Christmas for a few.
Initially, being home was quite strange. I no longer had to communicate in Spanish, which was a little weird and things in America, as we know, are quite speedier than in Spain. From time to time, I still manage to fit a siesta into my day--what would be a complete day without a siesta? My Mom has yet to serve me four salchichas on a plate or in a sandwich, which I am very pleased about. To be honest, I don't think I want to see another salchicha for quite some time. Although I liked Spanish food, nothing can beat my mama's home-cooked meals. I was offered to go to a seafood restaurant to celebrate my 21st birthday with my family, but declined. Fish was starting to grow on me, but maybe not enough to voluntarily eat it!
So, as you can probably tell, I'm not missing Spanish food too much, but there are many things I do miss. My host family, I think, went above and beyond their duties to keep me a very content girl while abroad. They were four of the most caring people I have ever met. They welcomed me into their home with open arms, and really gave a new meaning to "our home, is your home." Many students had a lot of trouble with their host families, but I think I had the best experience a study abroad student could ever ask for. I looked forward to lunch with my entire host family and dinner when it was just Juani and I. I'd hear many stories, receive their input about world events, hear about how Betis did in their futbol games, and even learned a few jokes. Some of my favorite times were when Juani would start pulling photo albums out from her wedding, daughters' baptisms, and festivals that go on in Sevilla. Whenever she did that, I knew she was willing and open to share her life with me as if I was a part of their family, and I was very touched by this.
As I mentioned before and in past blogs, one of my favorite days out of the week was Sunday when I was able to attend church with Juani. We'd walk over together and have a nice chat along the way, and then we were both able to enjoy mass together. After church she'd let me know that she prayed for my entire family, and at our last mass that we went to together, she said the only thing she asks of me when I go is to pray for her, and she will do the same. The church we attended every Sunday was almost like home to me. By the end of my semester abroad, many members of the congregation, including the priest, knew me by name which was pretty cool! Throughout my four months abroad I definitely went through some times of sadness with my grandmother passing away and my brother being deployed in Afghanistan, but knowing that I had a smiling host family to wake up to every morning and a church right down the street was enough to get me through.
I also made some phenomenal friends and had the opportunity to spend a great deal of my time with my best friend, Dana, that I went to Miss Hall's with. As I've told a lot of people since being back, Dana and I hadn't seen each other since graduation in 2008, but from the first moment we saw each other on the UPO campus, it was as if we had never been apart, and that is what a true friendship is. Through my blog, you heard a lot about traveling with Sam and Sydney--which was always entertaining and I miss both of them very much! You also heard a little bit about Kaitlyn who never failed to make me laugh. And perhaps I mentioned a little bit about Erik, who I go to Bryant with--we had never been too close at Bryant, but now I consider him to be a really great friend. Although I met a lot of other students abroad, I believe that the friendships I made with these people will be the one's that are able to last a lifetime.
For those of you that have followed my blog since day one, you know I traveled A LOT. If I can remember them all, the list goes a little something like this--Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Cadiz, Morocco, Cordoba, Portugal, Paris, and Rome. Traveling was absolutely invigorating. Over four months, I was able to experience several different cultures and see how the rest of the world lived outside the walls of the United States. A quote that I liked about traveling says, "And there's more to this brave adventure than you'd ever believe." It's true that I was completely terrified about being abroad for four months, but as you can see, I adjusted quite well and was jet-setting all over Europe and I even went to Africa.
But, you see, there's even more than just learning about cultures, tasting delicious food, and experiencing a whole new way of life when you travel. What's that you ask? You discover who you are and also learn things that you've never ever realized about yourself before. With this study abroad experience, I know I have grown in leaps and bounds. It takes a brave person to be plopped down in a foreign country where no one can speak your language and then you must adjust to a whole different life, and I rose to the challenge. I learned that if I had only spoken up in Sra. Wilsons' class, that I would have realized that I could speak Spanish really well, but I never had much confidence :P I knew I had the knowledge, I just didn't know how to apply it. Of course, living in Spain forced me to speak the language all the time and I have much more confidence in my abilities to not only speak Spanish, but also to read and write it as well.
If I had one wish for all of my blog readers, and all my friends out there, it would be for each and every one of you to have the opportunity to see what's out there. My parents could never stress to me enough that there is so much more that lies beyond the walls of Pittsfield or Boston or New England--we have a whole country to explore. But in the grand scheme of things, there's a whole world out there with so much to offer. At the young age of twenty-one, I have had the opportunity to already visit a lot of the world. In addition to my recent travels, I can never forget that I was in China just a year ago. All of these opportunities were made possible because my brother and I were blessed with two of the most amazing parents. Although our parents may not have had the opportunities that my brother and I have today, they have made many sacrifices and have worked so hard to make sure that we take full advantage of every opportunity that comes our way. So, Mom and Dad, thank you for everything you have done for me from encouraging me to go to Miss Hall's, taking me all over to visit colleges to make sure I found the perfect fit, giving me the opportunity to go to China, supporting this semester abroad, but most of all, seeing that I have huge dreams and making them come true. You two are truly the best.
So, sadly, I believe this ends my blog--at least for now! In a few short weeks I'll be finding myself back in Rhode Island starting spring semester of my JUNIOR year. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. I want to thank you all for taking time out of your days to read my blog--I hope I not only provided some great reading material, but also some great pictures as well. It has been an absolute pleasure sharing my experience with you! Until next time..
Love and Prayers. Hasta luego!
Besos,
Lindsay
