A Glance into the Future

If I were ever asked to drop everything, hop on a plane, and fly to any destination in the world, I would be Spain-bound in an instant. No questions asked. I don’t know what it is about Spain that has me so enamored (I guess I’ll soon find out for sure). Maybe it’s the images of the crystal clear waters hugging the pristine sandy shores. Perhaps it’s the twinkling lights of the beautiful cities illuminating the night sky and bringing thousands of years of history to life. Or maybe it’s the idea of sitting in a cozy café beneath the gleaming sun, trying to make sense of the Spanish conversations going on next to me. Whatever Spain may have to offer I am going to receive with a warm heart and an open mind.

Seeing as this will be my first time traveling out of the country, there are many things that I hope to experience on my journey, as well as some things I am apprehensive about. Let’s take the language, for instance. I have always considered Spanish to be one of my strong suits, and I hope that throughout my stay I will become an even stronger Spanish speaker and pick up some Spanish slang along the way (and maybe even that famous Andalusian accent). But at the same time, I can’t help but worry about the language barrier I am sure to encounter. Will I be able to communicate my message fully and effectively? Will I make a fool of myself by using what I mistakenly assumed to be a cognate? (Don’t worry — I already know that “Estoy embarazada” does not in fact mean “I’m embarrassed”, but rather “I’m pregnant”).

Aside from the language aspect, I hope to fully immerse myself in a foreign culture and open my eyes to ways of life I never knew before. I want to dance the Flamenco, feast on tapas, and greet people with a kiss on both cheeks. Again, I have some apprehensions regarding life in a new culture. I worry about the transition I’ll have to make living five thousand miles away from the comfort of my own home for four weeks. I wonder how difficult it will be to assimilate and if there will be sacrifices I’ll have to make in order to fully experience the Spanish culture.

Whatever fears I may have, however, are small and insignificant compared to my sheer excitement about my upcoming adventure. As I said before, going to Spain will be the trip of my life. I have always regarded Spain as a place that I would only ever visit in my dreams, an ethereal land that I would forever admire from a distance but that would never actually be within my reach. Now that I am only just weeks away (actually 15 days…but who’s counting?) from stepping foot in what I hope to be the most beautiful place on Earth, I am choosing to disregard my fears and solely focus on my goals, my hopes, my desires, and my determination to make this trip one that I will never forget.