My first three and a half months in Spain have been, at the same time, the most stressful and the most beautiful period of my life to date! I've had a lot of great times, and a lot of huge failures, but most importantly, I've learned so much.
I've learned that making friends is hard. Until coming to Spain, I have met most of my friends through school. I didn't have to try very hard or go out of my way to get to know people. I haven't had that luxury here. I've learned that sometimes you really have to put yourself out there and even get a little uncomfortable to make friends. Sometimes you need to talk to the person in front of you in line at the grocery store, ask the other person at the bus stop for help or tell the person you see each morning on the walk to work that you really like her shoes! Meeting strangers can be scary or uncomfortable, but you never know what they will bring to your life. You might just have a nice conversation; they could even turn out to be your new best friend!
I've realized that I am incredibly lucky to call the Sunshine State my home! One of the most difficult parts of adapting to life here has been learning to deal with the rain.
