Time Away

Sometimes it is good to leave your present surrounding and travel to somewhere new. You may surprise yourself, you may be stronger than you think or weaker for that matter. You may discover that you really do not get along well with certain personalities and you may find a side of yourself that has been bidding its time and awaiting discovery.
My time away was overwhelming to say the least. It seems inadequate to describe it as a good, awesome or fantastic experience. How do I begin to formulate the tiredness I felt after traveling for nearly 24 hours, or the frustration I felt when I did not understand what was being said. How do I tell you of the little victories I celebrated each day when I understood a full sentence or when I was able to answer a question without first saying “repita por favor?” And there is certainly no way to express the love and respect I came to garner for my host family. There are not enough words to express how inadequate I felt at times when I could not translate from English to Spanish or vice versa fast enough, or when the words would not come out fast enough to fill the awkward silences after a question was asked. I cannot begin to describe the thick Andalusian accent and how incomprehensible it was. It is hard to describe my elation when I posted something for the first time, when I went I transacted business at Western Union, or when I asked for directions and understood what was said!! It is not sufficient to say I thought my program, CIEE, was amazing. CIEE not only had qualified, caring teachers, but they had someone you could consult for almost any problem, that arose, they organized field trips including one to Morocco , cultural excursions , workshops , volunteer opportunities and they even arranged for us to stay in hotels. It is not possible to adequately talk about our amazing group of 26 persons including me. Our group was small so we all knew each other and we were able to share our experiences with each other while it was happening. Inevitably, within our small group even smaller groups formed and I can truly say I believe I made at least 3 life-long friends. One cannot talk about time away without mentioning the amazing sensations one’s taste buds experienced. There was such a rich variety of food and the fruits and vegetables were always fresh. Everything seemed healthy, even fast food and tapas were a delectable treat that helped to plug the 6-7 hour gap between lunch and dinner. It behooves me to mention the walking, I walked everywhere and everyday, the narrow streets,the sometimes crazy driving and the need to press one’s back against a wall to ensure there was enough space for a car to pass by you.
Being in a new place is more than learning the language. It also involves learning the etiquette, body language, colloquial expressions, intonations, cultural faux pas, geography,style of dress and so much more. Being away has its advantages and disadvantages but it is difficult to sum up in one word. We don’t experience life in one dimension it is more like a multi-pronged approach, so sometimes when people ask me ‘how was your time abroad?’ I grapple within myself to give an appropriate one-worded response.