Wednesday, May 16, 2012

RUN: Truth or Dare


Today I went for a run and as I was cooling down a song by Switchfoot came on, and it got me thinking. The song was “Dare You to Move” and (like most things these days) it made me reflect on my time here. In the game truth or dare whenever someone chooses “truth” it’s as if they are taking the easy way out. However, if someone chooses “dare” then they automatically open themselves up to the unknown and therefore, are more adventurous. I wasn’t “dared” to come to Spain, but in doing so I feel like I chose the more adventurous path. I could have taken the easy way out and stayed in a job that I was unhappy with, in a place that I didn’t feel challenged by, but I didn’t. I left. 
Unfortunately, my time in Spain has finally come to an end. And while I still have two weeks before I actually leave the country, I’ve already started to say my goodbyes. Goodbyes have always been hard for me, but these seem to be especially hard. This experience has been unlike anything else, and it truly changed my life– in a way, it saved my life. And the thought that I may never see most, if not all of, these people again really pains me. These people have open their homes, hearts, and lives to me and now I have to say goodbye. The worst part is, I know that I can’t communicate exactly what I want to say to them. If you’ve read any of my previous post you can tell that brevity isn’t my strongest suit, so to be unable to convey my true feelings, exactly the way that I want to, is frustrating. And while my language skills have improved exponentially, I still don’t have the ability to express how I truly feel. Nevertheless, I’ve decided that I’m not going to settle. I’m going to choose both “truth” and “dare” for my last few weeks. I’m going to “dare” myself to make one last push; to figure out what I want to say and how to say it, so that I can leave knowing that I gave them my "truth". I want everyone here to know how much they truly mean to me, ‘cause the truth is... I may never get another chance. 

Friday, May 4, 2012

STUMBLE: Spain Problems

When living in another country it can be very easy to compare and criticize things that are new and different. I usually frown upon doing this because the comparisons are often made when you are unhappy with a situation, and when you compare two things, one has to lose; often it's the host country. However, I stumbled upon this Twitter page ( I don´t actually have a Twitter) but it made me laugh and I thought I would share some of the best postings. Thank you social networks for offering unhappy Americans yet ANOTHER outlet to complain!