Is it really time?

Wow…the end has come. This time is incredibly bittersweet; I miss my friends and family back home, but I’m not ready to leave my life here in Spain.

The past three months have made for an incredible journey towards self realization; I’ve discovered things about me that I never knew existed, changed in ways I never imagined possible, and truly lived for the moment. I’ve embraced the culture and the people around me, I’ve become sincerely self-confident, and I’ve grown as a person.

When I first arrived in Granada, I realized how dependent of a person I was, and the stress of being alone, so far away from home, knocked me down completely. I had to rebuild myself as a person, discover who I was and who I wanted to be, and I emerge as someone strong enough to handle what was before me. I have changed and evolved while I’ve been abroad, and I really like the person that I am.

Now it is time to return home, and find out how deep these changes run. It is time to say goodbye to my friends here; for some it will simply be a “see you later,” but for others it will truly be goodbye. I’m trying my best to focus on the sweetness of the moment instead of the bitterness. I’ve had an incredible time, I’ve made great friends and amazing memories, and I’ve grown as a person. I want to take the happiness that I’ve found back to the states, enjoy the memories I’ve made here, and embrace my life back home.

Was I really in Africa?

Yes, I really was in Africa. This past weekend I went to Morocco with the program “Morocco Exchange” (http://www.moroccoexchange.org/) The experience was amazing! I was immersed in the real Arabic/Islamic culture of the country, and was able to interact with real Moroccans. This was not a tourist trip.

I am having a difficult time putting the experience into words, so I’m going to cop out on this post and just share the itinerary with you all.

Day One ALGECIRAS - TANGIER - RABAT

Morning:

- Meeting at 8am in Algeciras

- Boat journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier, Morocco

- Drive to Asilah and walk through the Medina (old town) to the Atlantic Ocean

- Lunch in a restaurant outside the old city wall

Afternoon:

- Conversation “Cultural diversity in Morocco” about Arab, Berber and Jewish coexistence

in Morocco, with Prof. Ali Azeriah and Moroccan students from L’Ecole Superior du

Traduction in Tangier (one of the best schools for translators in the Arabic speaking world)

- Drive along the Atlantic Ocean to Rabat (3 hours)

Evening:

- Meeting of the home stay families (Two or three students will stay with one family.)

- Dinner with home stay families

- Walk through the Medina of Rabat in small groups with Moroccan students

Day Two RABAT

Morning:

- Breakfast

- Facilitated discussion “West and Arab worlds - images about each other” with Moroccan

students from Rabat University

- Visit of the Roman ruins Chellah, the Mausoleum Hassan II and the Main mosque.

Afternoon:

- Lunch with home stay families

- Exploration of Rabat’s Andalusian houses in the Kashba and the street life in the medina

market. Shopping in the market with a Moroccan student guide.

Evening:

- Social time: Conversation in the patio of a family with a Peace Corps

volunteer about living in Morocco as a foreigner

- Dinner with home stay families in the Medina

Day Three RABAT - RIF MOUNTAINS - CHEFCHAOUEN

Morning:

- Drive to Akchour, Rif Mountains through rural areas of Morocco (3,5 hours)

- Break on the way

- Short walk through a valley in the Rif mountains

Afternoon:

- Picnic and time to relax in the mountains

- Drive to Chefchaouen (30 minutes)

- Guided walk through the medina of Chefchaouen with background information about it’s

Moorish and Jewish inhabitants and its historic link to Al Andaluz

- Settle in Hotel Andaluz

Evening:

- Time to explore the medina individually (good place to buy some souvenirs)

- Special celebration dinner in the Medina of Chefchaouen

- Social time on the roof terrace: to share images and thoughts from our journey.

Day Four CHEFCHAOUEN - CEUTA - ALGECIRAS

Morning:

- Morning walk through the awaking town to a hill outside the city gate

- Drive through mountains, fields and cities to Ceuta (2 hours)

- Breakfast on the way

- Crossing the Moroccan - Spanish border

Afternoon:

- Boat journey across the Strait of Gibraltar

- Good bye in Algeciras, Spain around 3:30pm

The four days were packed with amazing moments that I hope I never forget. I visited a new country, learned about a different culture, and had my eyes opened to the lives of other people. I wish I could better explain the experience, but it was just too amazing to be put into words.

Do I want to write about Paris?

This past weekend I went to Paris. I wasn’t impressed. The architecture all looked the same, the Eiffel tour wasn’t that remarkable, I didn’t understand the big fuss about the Mona Lisa, I personally believe the cathedrals I’ve seen in Spain are more extraordinary then Notre Dame, and to top it off, it cost me an arm and a leg to be disappointed.

So, I’ve made the executive decision to not write about my experience in France; instead I am going to share some of my more recent emotional thoughts.

As of late, I’ve really been thinking about my homecoming. How is it going to feel to be back stateside? When I first got to Spain, I was convinced that the experience wasn’t going to be life altering, but recently I’ve noticed just how much I’ve learned and how much I’ve changed. I arrived with the intention of learning to speak Spanish, and while my language skills have improved, the life lessons I’ve been taught are what have really brought about change.

I have made some really great friends while I’ve been here; friends that are very different from the people I spend time with back home. I’ve found myself loosening up a bit, not being so high-strung, and enjoying life for what it is now. Over time I’ve noticed what things are really important to me, and what things I just thought were important; true friends have been revealed, and not so true friends have been found out.

I’ve learned that it is ok to make some bad decisions as long as you learn from them (orange soda + vodka on Saturday = a miserable Sunday), I’ve discovered that journaling can really help sort out thoughts (thoughts can flow smoothly from brain to hand onto paper), I’ve seen the power of prayer (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me), and I’ve realized just how blessed I am to have my family (the rock my socks off).

In 16 days I head back to home; I can honestly say it won’t be easy to leave Spain. I’ve grown accustomed to long lunches and siesta time. I don’t mind walking miles and miles everyday to get where I need to go. Tapas and wine can be the makings of a great night, and it is always the right time for a Schwarma. I’ve gotten use to seeing people drinking out of liter bottles of Alhambra beer at 10:00 in the morning, and it no longer shocks me to see people smoking everywhere, all the time. I’m going to miss the culture and the lifestyle, and I’m going to miss my friends.

Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end. Studying abroad has been an amazing life lesson, by far one of the best things I have chosen to do in my life.