Un Mes

Today marks the one-month anniversary of my arrival in Spain.  I don’t feel as though I’ve really been here for this long.  I am frustrated with the progress I have made language-wise so far.  I know that I judge myself very critically and that I have improved much more than I realize, but I cannot compare my current ability to my past ability when I need to live in the present and work towards the future.  My comprehension is great, but my ability to express complex thoughts and ideas in response continues to be daily struggle.  I’m anxious to learn more and I’m even more excited to teach others what I’ve learned (I literally spaced out in class yesterday, making lesson plans in my head for when I come back to novice and student teach).  I have a new appreciation for grammar, and I have gained greater perspective on many aspects of life.

I hate to admit this, but on the bus ride back from Granada this weekend, I felt slightly homesick. I realized how many privileges I have in the U.S. that I take for granted every day.  Things that I can live without, but enjoy having because I was raised with them in my life.  This weekend, we stayed overnight in a hotel.  I had my first hot shower in a month, and I didn’t have to turn off the water every time I wasn’t rinsing.  I chose what I wanted to eat and how much I ate.  I was treated like an independent and knowledgeable adult.  I was not cat-called while walking past a group of men.  I did not have to avoid dog poop on the sidewalks and in the street.  I enjoyed the natural beauty of the world, rather than just architectural beauty.  After one weekend away, I have discovered so many reasons why I love my own country.  I love Spain and have not experienced enough of it to judge it as a whole, but I must say that I haven’t given the United States enough credit.  I love my host family and do not feel slighted in any way, but at times I wonder how different my experience would be if I had different living arrangements like my peers.  I know now that if I gain nothing else from my time here, I will be content knowing how fortunate and privileged I am.