Change

This time in life is a time of changing and learning and growing up, and even if I was not in Spain all of these things would happen, but I think, since I am in Spain, these things happen on a greater scale. I was thinking about it the other day, and this experience is weird. I willingly decided to put myself in a a place I had never been before with people I had never met, and, in order to communicate, I must speak another language. All of this together has resulted in me learning a great deal. I have learned that new things are fascinating and frightening. I have learned that sometimes I will not understand people, and sometimes they will not understand me, but we are able to accept each other anyway. I have learned the importance of being alone and being content with being alone. I have learned that there is a lot to learn, and it is okay to admit that I don't know much. 

Like I have talked about in previous posts, I spend a lot of my time with two other exchange students from Finland, Nora and Oona, so I have seen them change too. I am so thankful for them and their support because they understand in a way only exchange students can. Nora made a tough decision last week, and she decided to leave the program early. She left last Saturday, and it has been very different without her. She had always thought that this experience was for her, but then she realized that it was not. This does not mean she gave up, but rather that she grew and learned about herself. I am so glad that I had the chance to have her as my sister and my friend here. She has shaped me more than she realizes, and I know our friendship will continue even with the distance.