Flying above the Atlantic again

There are no TVs on the backs of the seats on this plane. So really theres nothing to do, except to sum up this semester.

Well, to say that this semester has been awesome is an understatement.

It began in February, when it was necessary to wear a coat outside and you had to wear 3 layers in your room, and sleep with at least 5 blankets. I had my intensive period class (essentially you're stuck in a small room learning about Spanish grammar for 5 hours every day). I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn yet..

Also I got to experience Festival in Cádiz, a little town on the sea in southern Andalusia. It's like a Spanish Mardi gras. We wore costumes. We got lost. Everyone was drunk. It was a blast (insert head shakes here). But it was where I learned to take care of those who can't take care of themselves.  Most importantly I got to learn about food and culture during my first month. Practically every night my friends and I went out for tapas. Thank goodness for cheap Sevilla food.

March was even more full. We went to Granada, Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris. Granada is where I learned nothing about the city but learned how important friendships are. Madrid is where I learned to travel on my own and rely on God. Barcelona was where I learned to share. And Paris was where I learned to be patient. (I also learned that the Eiffel Tower looks short until you climb to the very top, by the way.)

My parents came and visited me too.  It's funny how you didn't realize how much you miss someone until you see them. That happened when my parents left. And I went through a tiny period of depression, as I wanted to be home with the rest of my family.

Then April came around, as did Semana Santa. It's a huge celebration in Sevilla during Holy Week (as thats what the name is in English). These huge and heavy pasos are carried on the backs of men through the streets, which are crammed with people. On top of the pasos are grand and priceless representations of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Very different. Very interesting. Very though provoking. And this is when I learned that people see religion differently, being as Catholic Spain celebrates Easter in a very different way than we do.

Then we went to Cordoba. The mosque there is amazing. The town is beautiful. The people are friendly. And it's where I learned how easy it is to make more friends.

We also took a trip to Morocco. Literally so beautiful. And so rich and culture. The majority of people are Muslim, while Christians and Jews also live there. But I learned that they all coexist without problem. There is no animosity between them at all, and they live at peace with each other. Very interesting. I learned that Muslim culture can be beautiful (since I've had no exposure to it before), and I also learned to ride a camel. Oh, and then I got sick, but more about that later...

When I got back, Feria began. Imagine a huge fairground with big tents, horses, amusement rides, beautiful flamenco dresses and dapper trajes, complete with much eating, drinking, and dancing. This, this image is Feria. Its a crazy fun tradition. You get to meet a lot of people too, like friends of friends, other students from all over the world... It's so fun. And it's here that I learned despite having very different cultures, people can sit down for a drink and laugh and have so much fun (even though we don't all speak the same language even!)

I also took the opportunity to travel to Rome. It's a beautiful city, but unfortunately I didn't get to see much of it. You see, Morocco is known for making its tourists sick via food or water. And thats what happened to me! (Yay!) While I was in Rome I had flu-like symptoms, and could barely leave my apartment. I had a few tough moments, and one or two scary ones, but it was in this place that I learned that God is faithful. This journey, although relatively unsuccessful, marked a point in my life where I can say, "God was definitely with me in my troubles there."

I also went to an FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC game. So cool to see these great two teams play. Yeah tickets were expensive, and yes the game ended in a tie, but the experience was priceless. And afterwards we had American food, which tasted like heaven. It was when I learned that sometimes an experience is expensive, but you just need to spend the money and do it (which was kinda my philosophy for everything this trip, which is why I'm broke *chuckling* *crying..*). Also ranch dressing makes you appreciate living the United States. Merica.

Finally May arrived, and we took a trip to Lagos, Portugal. There I found the most beautiful beaches I have seen. Crystal clear, aquamarine water. Sea caves. Towering cliffs. Just breathtaking. Here I learned to just take it easy and go with the flow (which was easy considering I took a sangria cruise, sat on powder white sand, kayaked, snorkeled, and partied. We also went to the End of the Old World, Sao Cabo Vicente, and overlooked an Atlantic ocean with the sun setting behind it. Sometimes (actually many times) we just need to stop and stand in awe of what's before us.

Then came final exams.

Wait, I just realized I haven't really talked about my other classes after the Intensive Period. Well I learned a little about business and Spanish..and other things..

Then our program ended on May 12. Thankfully my sister accepted my invitation to travel with me afterwards. She's the best traveling buddy ever, and I know I annoyed her a few times with my traveling quirks and getting us lost once or twice, but she put on a good face. We went to London and learned that it's really expensive. But more importantly we learned to be friends with people who are a little, how do you say, "sketchy". In the end we both decided we could live in London. Its just so-- I dont know, British?-- there. And we went to Dublin. Dubliners are crazy. The city is small but beautiful. We love Irish accents. Then we went to Berlin, and met some great people and had some fun times. And finally Barcelona was--in my opinion-- the best way to wrap up our trip. Can't go wrong with the beach and some discotecas with friends from the UK, Libya, Brazil, and Canada. Who would have thought I would meet all of these people?

Perhaps that's the phrase that sums up a study abroad experience: who would have thought?  To say that I've grown a lot since February would be a huge understatement.  The experiences I gained were invaluable.  You can put a price tag on a jet, housing, and food, but you can never put a price tag on learning to see the world in a different way.  I've loved it all.

I regret nothing.

I have lived life to its fullest.

And until next time, Sevilla.

Hasta luego.

La vida

Life is meant to be lived.

Like, of course it is.  But I mean think about it.

Life is meant to be lived.

The meaning of the infinitive verb to live certainly has different meanings for different people.  I know this, because the definition has changed even for me in the past 3 months.  Sure, at the beginning of February I would have said that life is meant to have purpose and we should live for that purpose.  Solid start I'd say.  However, my opinion of to live (vivir) has become more... robust... I'd say.

Perhaps I'd say it's more like, live a life of purpose and take advantage of the opportunities to do the things you said you'd never do.

Like today-- for instance-- today I jumped off a bridge.  With a harness and rope.  Into a river.

Yes, I jumped.  Yes it was a tall bridge.  Yes the harness was incredibly tight and uncomfortable.  Yes, the river had water in it (but surprisingly not that cold).

So there you are, harnessed and all, on the side of this bridge, clinging to a rusty railing, staring down at turquoise water slowly drifting by in this steep ravine.  Hills on either side.  Big sharp stones line the sides of the river.  Brush and tiny bushes and trees spot the dusty landscape.

I look down again, and the instructor starts counting.  Tres, dos, uno... vamos!

In that moment, you don't have time to look back.  There is no turning around.  Life is incredibly simple in that moment, because you have one direction you must go.  (You may not like that direction, but it is evident before you.)

So you let go of what you've been holding onto, what you've been using for support, what has been protecting you from falling off that ledge..

And you just jump.

* * * * * * *

I will say this (and you might think I'm lying, but think what you will):  I did not fear jumping off that bridge at all.  Period.   I will be honest and say I was probably an idiot for signing up and spending my euros on something without even researching it.  But the name sounded cool (puenting -- aka. jumping off a puente), and I knew it involved a harness and professionals who do this for a living (I mean they do, right?).  So I just did it.

And got on a bus.

And harnessed myself to a rope around a bridge.

And jumped.

And swung back and forth.

And fell into the water with a plunge.

Life was perfect in that moment.  I had survived.  I had a lifevest on so I wasn't drowning.  I was floating in a river with a perfect temperature.

I was invigorated.  I had adrenaline coursing through my veins.  I loved it.

* * * * * * *

Life is always in motion.  It's like that river that I floated and swam in today.  It moves and changes.  That's the way it was meant to be, I guess.  Life without change is stagnancy.  And we all know what stagnant water is like.  A stagnant life is worse though, because there is so much potential going to waste.  Change is what grows us.  Doing things out of the ordinary gives us experience.  It helps us see the world in a new way.  It gives us a new story to tell.  Experience is the pen that helps us write our stories in the infinite library of lives around the world.  Let's be honest-- a book with only a page-long story would be so incredibly boring.

But learn to love motion.  Learn to embrace energy.  Like the breeze that blows through your hair as you stand on a bridge in Aznalcollar and look down into turquoise water.  Like the river that rushes, or meanders, along beneath it.  Like the passion of a Andalusian flamenco dance.  Like the waves that break on the beaches of Lagos.  Like the crazy tea-dancers in Morocco.  Like the hot Sevillan sun on cobblestone.

Life has one direction.  You can only go one way.  Sure people try to "swim upstream", but they fail miserably.  Before they know it, they turn around and all of their friends and family are kilometers downstream and they're all alone.

Don't be that person.  Learn to swim with the current.  Learn to... well, jump off bridges I guess.

So embrace the movement of life.  We're meant to do, so let's do it.  Have an objective and get there.  Spot an opportunity and seize it.

Life is so simple, yet we make it so complex with our cluttered lifestyles and crazy schedules that we end up treading water in the same place without going anywhere.

Live a life of purpose, embrace its changes, and do the crazy things you said you'd never do.

I'm not advocating for jumping off a bridge.  But perhaps I am saying that the next time life presents you with that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I say, take it.  That is what I've learned in Sevilla.