Independence
Well, for those who don't know, this past week was my first of eight weeks working in Madrid, Spain! I'm working with an international company called Endeavor. Endeavor seeks to support entrepreneurs in growing their companies, stimulating the economy, creating jobs, and ultimately alleviating poverty. Since Endeavor's Madrid office has only been open for a bit over a year, it's still quite small, and it's been both interesting and enlightening to get started there. My co-workers are also very welcoming, and it's been fun getting to know them whilst communicating in "Spanglish." Speaking of language, it's been quite a jolt for my poor brain to fire up those dusty Spanish neurons, since I hadn't been practicing for a bit over a year beside a few periodic conversations. Needless to say, I'm fully immersed now, and it's all coming back to me. I've also had some precious time with my previous host family, and I even got to attend my sister Alicia's high school graduation over the weekend. Although Esther, my previous host sister and one of my best friends in the world, left yesterday to spend the summer in Italy, it was awesome to see her even for the few days we had together. That entire family is truly so kind and accommodating; I love them.
Besides work and time with the Gomez family, this week has been one of tremendous growth for me. In some ways, it may actually have been my own passage into adulthood, something I previously thought I'd already done. While I'm lucky enough to have quite a bit of travel experience, this is actually my first time being completely alone. Since my roommate doesn't arrive until tomorrow, I've had to completely set up my new life from ground zero. While I was able to spend a few days with Esther and her family, the vast majority of my time has just been me (imperfectly) figuring it out. Until now, I've always had the underlying knowledge that there was someone else who could fix things out when stuff got really bad. At home, I can always call Dad. On the gap year, Drew and Katie were at least in the same country and there to help. Here, working from 9am to 6pm, there's not a bigger bed to crawl into. In fact, there's not another bed in my sweet apartment at all! That all became painfully clear when, on my third night here, my phone was stolen out of my jacket pocket while I was on the metro. That's what I get for being tall and blonde. Walking to the police station to report the theft, I had a moment of clarity. Life is about attitude. I can choose to freak out about how I'm going to navigate the city and communicate with my family and even know the time, or I can just trust that I'm not the ultimate Power in my life anyways. Out of necessity, I chose the second. Without the comfort of roommates, family or friends, without my native language, and without even a phone, I had to question where I put my trust. When you're stripped of nearly everything you know, what is left? I admit that on my first night alone in the apartment, I had to get on my knees and pray. That was all that was left. My precious Jesus. I decided that in order to maintain sanity, I needed to consciously have a good attitude. And you know what? I am so grateful for all that I've already learned as a result. At a certain point, necessity comes before pride, and adventure comes before fear. I ask for directions. Walk with groceries in the rain. Talk to strangers on the metro. Make up Spanish words if I don't know the right ones. I even went to a concert by myself last night! Hearing the anonymous voices of my apartment neighbors at night in a city that's not my own can be scary, but even when I'm alone, I'm not truly alone. This coming week, things are likely going to be easier. My roommate is coming, I'll get a new phone, and I'll make more friends. Still, I hope I carry these lessons with me. I think I'm finally an adult.
Besides work and time with the Gomez family, this week has been one of tremendous growth for me. In some ways, it may actually have been my own passage into adulthood, something I previously thought I'd already done. While I'm lucky enough to have quite a bit of travel experience, this is actually my first time being completely alone. Since my roommate doesn't arrive until tomorrow, I've had to completely set up my new life from ground zero. While I was able to spend a few days with Esther and her family, the vast majority of my time has just been me (imperfectly) figuring it out. Until now, I've always had the underlying knowledge that there was someone else who could fix things out when stuff got really bad. At home, I can always call Dad. On the gap year, Drew and Katie were at least in the same country and there to help. Here, working from 9am to 6pm, there's not a bigger bed to crawl into. In fact, there's not another bed in my sweet apartment at all! That all became painfully clear when, on my third night here, my phone was stolen out of my jacket pocket while I was on the metro. That's what I get for being tall and blonde. Walking to the police station to report the theft, I had a moment of clarity. Life is about attitude. I can choose to freak out about how I'm going to navigate the city and communicate with my family and even know the time, or I can just trust that I'm not the ultimate Power in my life anyways. Out of necessity, I chose the second. Without the comfort of roommates, family or friends, without my native language, and without even a phone, I had to question where I put my trust. When you're stripped of nearly everything you know, what is left? I admit that on my first night alone in the apartment, I had to get on my knees and pray. That was all that was left. My precious Jesus. I decided that in order to maintain sanity, I needed to consciously have a good attitude. And you know what? I am so grateful for all that I've already learned as a result. At a certain point, necessity comes before pride, and adventure comes before fear. I ask for directions. Walk with groceries in the rain. Talk to strangers on the metro. Make up Spanish words if I don't know the right ones. I even went to a concert by myself last night! Hearing the anonymous voices of my apartment neighbors at night in a city that's not my own can be scary, but even when I'm alone, I'm not truly alone. This coming week, things are likely going to be easier. My roommate is coming, I'll get a new phone, and I'll make more friends. Still, I hope I carry these lessons with me. I think I'm finally an adult.
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