A Time to Reflect

With just under three weeks left and only 1 class to occupy my time, I've had a lot of time to just sit and reflect a bit. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing as I have the tendency to OVER think things all the time.

Guarani Indian Tribe reservation, Argentina. June 2010.

What keeps coming back to me is where I was a year ago. A year ago, at this time, I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Six months ago, I was in Lima, Peru. And now I'm in Sevillle, Spain and I take none of that for granted. But the progress that I've made in a year is so overwhelming to me. Last year I had to think before I spoke a single word in Spanish. I had problems ordering my daily lunch at the bakery (delicious empanadas) and could barely get out anything other than "Me llamo Alisa. Soy de Alabama." (My name is Alisa. I'm from Alabama). I was so timid and scared that sometimes I couldn't get any words out. My professor at the time always looked at me and asked if I understood...even though I understood, I would get so nervous that I would say the wrong answer even though she knew I had the correct answer written.

Iguazu Falls, Argentina. June 2010.

If I could've seen then all of the progress that I've made leading to now, I wouldn't have believed it. And sometimes I still cant. Not only can I speak spanish, but it gets a little easier everyday. Not easier in a "Hey this is like my first language" but easier in a "Hey I just conjugated that right and they REALLY understand" kind of way.  This is amazing to me. It has become easier to speak when spoken to and I'm more comfortable  and almost but not quite fluent. My fluidity has increased tremendously but I would like to keep the progress going.

In this time of reflection I think about all of the personal challenges and all of the things that I've accomplished. Everything that I've done. All of the amazing places and faces I've seen. And I regret nothing. I am not the same person I was a year ago. The experiences that I've had have forever shaped my life and probably in ways that I still don't know of. A year ago I was in Argentina and now I'm in Spain. And everyday I wake up thinking...WOW. Just wow. How amazing is this and how blessed am I?!