Discovery

Since I was a little girl, I have asked my Daddy all about Spain.

I wanted to know the culture, the traditions, the language, the people, the history, the art, the streets, the shops... I wanted to know Spain.

(For all of you who think you know this story already, wait for it... you don't want to miss this one.)

I almost spent 4 grand to come to Spain in high school.

For a week.

With my own money.

I wanted it badly.

If we are completely honest, I worked really hard to get to Spain, and I had a lot of people help me get here. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for a scholarship that I was able to obtain through hard work and lots of blessings in high school, or the job the Lord blessed me with Nannying over the summer and the money I saved from that, or grandparents and parents who are eager to see me fulfill my dreams and helped me monetarily to do it.  I am proud of myself that I got here. It has absolutely been all that I could have imagined, and even more. I can't tell you how enriching the education has been as I have lived in a family culture, spoken the language with native people all the time, learned to think in Spanish rather than translate, take classes in Spanish, learn all about the history of the Iberian Peninsula, the culture, the traditions, the language, the people, the history, the art, the streets, the shops... and then I got to experience it. Let's just get this straight: If it is ever ever ever ever possible for you or your child or your nephew or your cousin's daughter's boyfriend to go study in another country for a period of time where they REALLY get to stay in the country and learn about it... help them get there if you can! Or GO if it's you! Most amazing experience I've ever ever ever ever ever ever had and I will be grateful and remember it for the rest of my life!!! I have learned so much about life and the people that live it a different way than I do. 

I thought I loved Spain before I came.

I. Love. Spain.

To me, before, it was a mystery. It was an adventure waiting to happen, a culture that was home to the most beautiful and enchanting language I had ever heard. It was old castles and dark haired, dark eyed handsome men. It was too far and distant for me to realize as a possibility; it was just a dream. It was vague, but beautiful.

To me, now, Spain is my passion. Even more so than before; it is the place where I deepened my love for a language I have been enamored with since I heard it roll across my father's tongue as a little girl. It is the place of Elder Lopez, the man who taught me so much in his class on the History of The LDS Church in Spain and who took my decision to go on a mission as an opportunity to give an entire class on missionary work. It is the place of Alba, my younger sister here who was immediately welcoming from the beginning and who continued to share music and jokes and vocabulary words and smiles and friendship the whole time. It is where I connected with a group of girls who I will forever consider friends. It is where I met both Profe's, my directors, who taught me about loving others, going for my goals, and loving the Lord the whole way. It is where I saw views that testified of the hand of God as a paintbrush, showing his love for his children through making this world beautiful and peaceful. It is where I learned and experienced Romans, Catholicism, Cathedrals, Spanish Festivals, public transportation, art, history, culture, language (I feel like I've said this before.... ;P)... It is the place of the Madrid Temple. It is where a good friend is serving his mission. It is where I met many a handsome man and broke many cultural norms. It is the panaderia on the way to school where I would buy a loaf of crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside bread or a napolitana. It is higos, or figs, and olivos, or olive trees. It is fish with bones and skin on your plate that tastes better than you would have ever thought. It is Gran Vía, El Parque de Retiro, El Prado, Guernica, Goya, Picasso, Rubens, Rembrandt, El Greco, Velazquez and Las Meninas, Bus drivers who are my friends, old ladies who share their umbrellas with me, old men in stores who hang on my arm and kiss me on the cheek as I leave, it is my dashingly handsome host brother (when it's true, it's true), it is my mamita, her smiles, laughter, tears, testimony, advice, directness, love, help, listening ear, blessing, food, family, home, spirit... Spain is now one of my homes.

How lucky am I. 

I love Spain.

Now I have spent 2 whole days in this country and city I love, Madrid. I have spent it here showing the place I love to the person I love who told me all about the place nearby that HE loves called Barcelona my whole life long... if you could follow that :)

Spain. 

I will be forever grateful, forever in awe, and forever missing, thinking about, and loving this place. It is in crisis; people spend money on expensive clothes rather than food; the culture is direct and sometimes brutal. But it is where I have found confidence and learned about humility; it is where I received personal revelation; and it is that place where anyone is willing to stop for a few minutes on the street to talk to you if you need help or let you pet their dog or just sit on a bench with you and watch the world go past. 

Spain is wonderful.

I'm smiling. I can't help it. I love you all and I am so grateful for your support, love, and prayers. I love the Lord. Life is beautiful! I am blessed. We are all blessed. The Lord watches us!

How lucky are we.