TL;DR
I chose Spain because Iāve always been interested in travel and Spanish is the only other language I know well enough for a situation like this. Photos at the end ā¬ļø
Before You Read:
Before you start getting into this blog post, Iām writing this in the same way that I would speak. So, if fragments, randomly placed emphatic parenthesis, and prepositions placed at the end of sentences may cause you a grammar-induced conniption, this may not be the blog post/diary entry for you. Iāll think about working on it eventually. Until then, to my beautiful family and friends that have been waiting for confirmation of life, here it is!
Dear Beautiful People,
Iām currently writing this during the first week of December which means that Iāve been in Spain for a little over 2 months now. More specifically, Iāve been in Madrid. (I wonāt tell you where exactly – unless you have my number and can text me – because I think my grandparents may not be too happy with me about that one.) And the first question that I want to answer is why. Why did I decide to move to Spain for a few months?
Well, thatās simple. Iāve wanted to study, travel, or live abroad since I was a kid. In fact, studying abroad was one part of the university experience I was really looking forward to. However, the COVID-19 pandemic first became a major concern right in the middle of my sophomore year of college. Right. In. The. Middle. So you can probably see where this is going. That was the semester I was supposed to start my study abroad inquiries and applications. But instead, I (along with tens of thousands of students) was sent home.
With the uncertainty of school life, the pandemic, and the implications on the world, studying abroad didnāt quite make sense after that. Just because it didnāt make sense doesnāt mean that my desire dwindled in any way. I just put it on the back burner. And then, after going back to Ann Arbor, getting sent home again, going back to university, and eventually graduating, I was running on fumes.Ā
Honestly, despite how I feel about the coldness that accompanies snow and gloomy days, I quite enjoyed university. I met so many cool people. I joined way too many clubs. Took way too many classes in any given semester (except my last one, of course). Watched my first hockey games. Cheered on major sports teams. Cried in operas and orchestra concerts. Pulled all-nighters just talking until sunrise. I had a good time (most of the time) and I learned a lot about myself. But somewhere along the way, I got a little burnt out.
As I said, in college I took way too many classes in any given semester. At one point, I was in 5 clubs at once (though a āCā in economics reminded me really quickly that I needed to calm down a bit). In fact, because I filled my mind with day-to-day tasks and requirements in college, I realized that I had forgotten my life goals in the first place. If youāre reading this and you donāt know what Iām talking about, hereās a brief overview:
I want toā¦
- Travel the World
- Inspire and/or remind people to bear and share the Fruit of the Spirit in such a way that others realize just a portion of how loved they are by The One that created them. I believe we can connect and communicate with people through visual and performing arts, through media, and through face-to-face interactions meeting them wherever they are, however they are, and speaking to them with whatever language they speak.
Now that weāve sidetracked a bit, letās get back on topic, shall we?
So, why did I decide to move to Spain for almost a year?
Well, after graduation I was wrestling a lot with God because I had forgotten the vision He gave me. And then when I felt like He was trying to remind me of my goals and dreams, I felt unprepared, uncomfortable, and unqualified – and I told Him that. So, over the last 3.5 years (has it been that long already???) God has been using His Word, my beautiful community (you all š), and work opportunities to remind and refine me.Ā
In all that time (3.5 years I guess), I still had the desire to travel. At first I was looking at short-term work abroad programs that provided room, board, and a stipend. Honestly, that was when I was lowkey running away from the responsibility of officially being an adult. However as time went on and I occasionally researched different programs just to check my options, I came across the Auxiliar de ConversaciĆ³n program that Iām in right now. There are a few, but the one I chose is the first one I found and the one I did the most research on.
To be transparent, I was more than a bit hesitant when I first found it 2.5 years ago. It was right before the end of the 2023-2024 application window and I didnāt feel prepared to complete the application in a week. I was also nervous to take that next step to travel even though itās exactly what I had been looking to do. It felt way too real and daunting. So, I asked my parentsā advice and although they gave me the green light, I decided to wait. I mean, did I really think I could pull off moving abroad for a year? Me? Then???
Looking back it was just me operating in fear. Fear of facing the unknown all over again. Plus I didnāt know of anyone who had done something like that.
However, about 3 months later, I saw a college friend of mine post on Instagram from Spain and of course I DMād her immediately. Turns out, she was doing the exact same program that I had been looking at. She loved it and kinda got me hyped about it too. At the same time, I had a road trip planned with a childhood friend and explained to her what I was thinking. It was all hypothetical, but now that I knew someone who could vouch for the program it was starting to look possible. So for a year and a half, not only did I save up some money, I also built up my resume and my confidence.
When I had finally gotten to the point of applying to the program in Spain, it was out of interest and curiosity rather than avoidance. In fact, I almost decided not to move after getting accepted because I’d gotten much more comfortable with this whole 20ās thing. But here I am months later in Spain trying something brand new. I mean, I still donāt quite know what Iām doing and my Spanish is definitely not great yet š, but I have a growing relationship with God, I have my community here and at home, I’ve found some grocery stores I like, and I have some decent ideas that Iām working toward.
So, to make a long story short, I chose Spain because Iāve always been interested in travel and Spanish is the only other language I know well enough for a situation like this. Plus, I’m single with no huge responsibilities and have some money saved up for an occasion just like this. So why not?
P.S. For those concerned, I didn’t come alone. I applied with my friend and we’re here together š
Next week I guess Iāll tell you about my experience during the moving process. Until then, Iāve included some photos to look at since I keep forgetting to share them.
Talk to you soon!
Love you. Bye!
Pictures
