Stay Reckless.

where, to, begin..

I think i have maybe blogged two or three times on this thing… (hence the username). I’ve watched my fellow abroad pals write away on their blogs after each trip or adventure with tales to tell to their loved ones. I am not one of them. But tonight i’m feeling weirdly emotional so i had to get my thoughts out of my head and onto here. After spending four months in the beautiful and splendid and magical (i could go on and on) city of madrid, my time has come to an end. It’s such a strange feeling to describe. I feel like being here i have been living in an alternative universe where nothing else exists. Home is this faraway land that i sometimes believed i had imagined in my head. So now i go back, to where my family and friends and my bed (very important to mention) await me. As i’m studying for my last final, my thoughts keep drifting to one question: Is this the coolest thing that will ever happen to me? Is it all downhill from here? I know, i know, it’s dumb.  My logical side tells me there is SO much more to experience (after all i’m only 20) like i don’t know… marriage, kids, and all good stuff. However, something tells me that 20, 30, 40 years from now i’ll be looking back on this time period as one of the best in my lifetime. I just want to keep exploring, exploring, and exploring. I hope that feeling never goes away. I’ll always look back to where i traveled Europe with my friends,carefree, no real responsibility or problems weighing me down. Dancing the night away in dublin, walking so much my feet almost fell off…. but realizing it was worth it when i saw phoebe cry tears of joy as she stood under the eiffel tower, drinking wine in italy with our balcony overlooking the cliff of the almafi coast, and most of all: sharing these memories with some of the people that matter most to me. Our host momma Lydia (lyd) was so kind and funny and helpful that this truly became my second home. I’ve learned more about myself than i could ever explain to anyone, and i can only thank leaving my comfort zone once again for that one. I tell myself this almost every day because it’s SO. DAMN. VALID. the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. As much as i’m dreading leaving this cultural play ground, i know other things await. I know that i will continue growing, learning, and experiencing exciting and surreal things. It’s time to leave Europe and go back to, in what my eyes has become, the real world. Don’t get me wrong, i’m excited to go home, but i know as i pack all my things up tomorrow and hop on that 9.5 hour plane ride back to miami, i’m leaving a small peace of my heart in Spain. Thanks for the memories.

adios!