Reflecting

Happy Wednesday! This has definitely been a wonderful and stressful week at the same time, so I will just share a few thoughts I have had and some realizations I have made, now that I have been in Spain for five weeks.

To begin, one thing I have realized is that family is truly my rock. I can be very busy and also very excited about lots of different things, but at the end of the day, it is family that keeps me grounded and really refuels me. Also, when I say family, I am not only referring to my actual family,  but also those very close friends that feel like family to me! Even if it is something small, like a brief email or an online text, or even a comment on this blog, it literally means the world, and it makes me realize how much I miss and love you all! I always knew this to some extent, I never realized just how much, until I have been away for this long.

That being said, I really love my señora! The two of us have gotten very close, and she is such a sweetheart and a hard worker! I admire her so much and know she is so strong for everything she has been through. I'm definitely going through some different emotions, and one of the saddest things for me to think about with the program ending is that I have to say goodbye to Carmen.

One small taste of home that was really great was getting a postcard from Monticello from my friend Alex, which was such a sweet surprise! It also hit me how, as beautiful as Granada is, with as much history as there is in the beautiful architecture and palaces and fountains and plazas, to me, the most beautiful thing of all is open land, forests everywhere, and seeing green everywhere you look!  I know when I come back to the US I will be so excited to be immersed once again in the rich plant life!

Anyways, finals are coming up and our days our winding down, and before I know it, I will be traveling for ten days, and will end this crazy, nearly 8 week adventure back in Illinois! Whew! That felt very good to post! I definitely love blogging, and I think I needed that, so thanks for listening. :)
Hugs!