I was hoping this day would never come.

Do I feel like I am home and that I live here? Absolutely.
Do I feel like I've been here for 4 months and it's time to go home? No way.

This is one blog post that I have almost been dreading and putting off. I knew it would come, but I never thought it would come so soon. As finals are winding down and people are getting ready to say goodbye, I thought I would post a blog about a few things I've learned since being in Spain.

1. The world is a lot bigger than you think. There's a whole lot more out there than the small, comfortable town you grew up in. There's completely different life styles and ways of thinking.

2. Just because something has been done one way for a long time, or even as long as you can remember, it isn't necessarily the best way to do it. 

3. I'm definitely not the same person I was when I left in January. I've grown as a person, learned to live independently, make friends very quickly, and found my place in the world.

4. Going off number 4, it really takes a certain person to study abroad. I think that's, in part, why I became friends with our little group. We're all open for new experiences, new ways of life, trying new things, flexible, outgoing, and just want to make the most out of every minute. I've never bonded with people so quickly in my life, and I know some of these people will be my friends for life.

5. Don't be embarrassed. Someone here told me Americans get embarrassed to easily, and so many people come here and their Spanish doesn't improve because they don't want to speak out of fear of making a mistake, or not being perfect. I know that I came here to learn, I made a lot of mistakes, I still make mistakes, but it's the improvement that matters.

6. There's more the life than just work. Americans live to work, Spaniards work to live. They know the importance of making time for family, friends, and just time to enjoy life, because that's all we have. Dale tiempo al tiempo (make time for time).

7. I've learned not to worry so much. About a month ago, I was going to the train station to take the AVE to Madrid. I asked how much time I needed to get to the train station, followed that, and 9:40 rolled around, my train is at 9:45, and I'm still on the bus, 2 stops away from the train station. Before, like when I was worried about making connecting flights in the states, I would have been imagining every horrible outcome that might be (I'll never make in to Madrid, mom and dad will be mad, I'll have to buy a new ticket, mom and dad will be waiting in the train station but I won't be there, etc). But instead, I thought, you know, I'll get where I need to go, there's nothing I can do right now, so there's no sense in worrying about it. No pasa nada (or the Spain moto) has been ingrained in my brain. Coming home to the U.S. will definitely be a shock. 

8. Life doesn't need to move so fast and not every little detail of your life has to be planned out. Before I came to Spain, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted out of life. I had this cookie cutter plan of how my life was supposed to be. Now, I open to whatever may come my way and there's so many more things I want to try and do, and so many places I want to live in my life.

Study abroad, and specifically, Spain, has changed the way I think about so many things, the way I interact with people, and the way I want to live my life. I am externally grateful for this experience that I have had. 

I could write blog after blog after blog, but I know I'll never be able to put into words what I have experienced here. There are no words to describe how I feel when I'm in Seville. 

No me ha dejado, y nunca me dejará.