El fin?!

The end: el fin, el final, el límite. Que loco. How crazy that it’s already the end of the study abroad semester. It feels like I was writing about my goals for the next four months of life in Spain just yesterday. And now I only have a week left. The end is near. 

I accomplished many of my goals this semester, which makes me very proud. What I’d have to say I’m the most proud of is how much I solo-travelled. I had 3 trips I did myself: a weekend in Amsterdam, a week in Italy, and a weekend in Paris. In the past, I’ve always been the kind of person who does things with people. And don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy spending time with friends and doing things with them, but traveling alone, not knowing anyone, and going to a different country was exciting. But it was also nerve-wracking. I was in a new country and didn’t know anyone. That meant sometimes I would eat alone. At MLC, I’d almost always go to meals with someone, or at the very least, I’d sit at the “class table” and have someone I knew. Traveling solo required me to ask for help on occasion. I’m stubborn and like to solve problems independently, but new territory (literally) commands a new mindset. Solo travel allowed me to see what I wanted to see. None of my friends want to see a random street or statue?  That’s okay, I’ll just take whatever form of public transportation or walk there. They don’t want to wander a museum or eat cheap food to save money? No worries, I’ll find a grocery store on my way back to my hostel. I could do what I wanted and see the places I liked. But by far, the biggest blessing of solo traveling is the opportunity to make new friends. In hostels, I met many amazing people from around the world. Some places include the US, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, and many more. I still catch up with a few of them about their travels and hope we’ll continue to do so. 

I’m very happy with how I spent my semester, but if I could change one thing, I would love to travel more in my host country. My program hosted a few day trips to nearby cities, but there are amazing places near the coasts that I would’ve loved to visit. For example, the north of Spain has a lot of history and beautiful beaches. In the south, there are caves and beaches. I remember the crystal blue water in Nerja when I visited Spain almost 5 years ago. Then, in the west, I would love to return to Barcelona, but I also want to see Valencia. Both are coastal cities with a lot of history and culture. 

Going back home is going to be a considerable change. There are things I will miss about Spain, as to be expected, so I have some “habits” I want to bring back with me. In the morning, I listen to a 5-10 minute devotion by my home church or Time of Grace while I get ready for school. This allows me to get ready for my day and start it with God’s Word. I did some notetaking in my journal Bible, though I didn’t do as much as I had hoped. I want to better this habit once I get home. I also want to walk more, but I’m not exactly sure how plausible that will be. I’m excited to drive my car, don’t get me wrong (I’m going to blast music with the windows down,) but getting my body moving a bit while I walk to nearby places is healthy in so many ways. Right now, I plan to take nightly walks during the summer, and I’ll make another plan during the school year. 

I’m grateful for so many things from this experience. To pick one thing would be super tricky, so I’m going to say I’m thankful for the culture. I’ve traveled enough to experience a few different cultures and meet many people. I’ve made a few really close friends in Spain, and we can see museums or explore new neighborhoods together. I’ve even tried new foods and navigated other countries with them. I’ve met people from other countries and have seen their kindness. I love talking about the different cultural aspects, including food and vocabulary. Even the locals are interesting to talk to. Especially in Spain, I would chat with cashiers or market vendors. They’re not deep conversations, but I often learn something interesting about their life or Spain. I’ve seen God’s hand in this aspect, too. The creation of different cultures, especially languages, was a result of a sin at the Tower of Babel, with people selfishly wanting to be even with God. But God turned this sin into something good so we can see and experience different ways of life. It’s been such a blessing to meet all these fantastic people and get to know them. I’ve gotten to share my faith with a few of them and shared my cancer story with them, too, which is a huge blessing. 

Finally, here are a few recommendations for people going to study abroad. Just go for it. Don’t be afraid to look out of place because, honestly, you probably will. But you’ll learn the cultural norms and get to meet a ton of really lovely people in the process. And no matter what happens, God will bless you in the process.