Two main key points that I'm trying to hit with this one:
-- I'm thankful for my family
-- I'm so unprepared.
I didn't realize just how luck I was with the family that I have until I left home. Granted, yes, some things aren't all "keeping up with the Jones'" but really, who wants that? I've met people with mom's who stay home and cook pies and drive them to soccer camps, but their dad's work ten hours a day and barely talk to them. I've met people with parents who both work a bajillion hours a day, but they have everything they could ever want. I've met people who's parents don't work a lot and have both of them breathing down their necks 24/7. I'm thankful that my dad took time away from his job to stay home with me and my brother. I'm thankful that my mom worked her ass off to provide me the childhood that I had. I am, thought I hate to say it, thankful that I was disciplined in the manner that I was, and taught right from wrong at an early age to ensure that I wouldn't be spoiled little bitch.
I'm thankful that I can be honest with my parents now. Let's be real, no one is honest with their parents in high school, maybe some, but those kids rarely have any fun. But I've met people who only have been allowed to study abroad based on the false promise of not drinking alcohol. I've met people who don't tell their parents anything about anything. I've met people who will blatantly lie to their parents while we're abroad because they're afraid that their parents will get upset... I'd rather tell them the truth in case something goes wrong, that way they don't think "Oh, my daughter hasn't texted me in three days, but she's with a friend, so she'll be fine." No, if I'm doing something away from Granada or away from my program, you've got to be crazy no to expect that I'm going to give you minute by minute details of my future weekend.
I'm thankful that my family has allowed me this opportunity to grow. I have many friends who's parent's wouldn't financially support them abroad in terms of co-signing a loan, or letting them know that they could help if needed. On the other hand, I have friends who don't know how to budget because their parents will pay for every wish and whim that they can dream up. I'm thankful for the balance that I've learned. When to splurge, and when to save.
Thanks Madre and Padre for teaching me, raising me in a semi-decent form, and giving me the best life experiences and chances that I could ask for.
P.S. Shout out to Aunt B and Uncle M for being my metaphorical 'gutter guards' along the way. :)
I don't know where I'd be without you.
On a scholastic note, I feel extremely unprepared for real life. As in, life when I get home to college. Real college. The other day we were walking around, enjoying the streets and I said "Gaw I love college", and my friend R responded with "This isn't college, this is just like, a long vacation with some work thrown in." and she's completely right. Granted, I am getting the challenge that I want from the classes that I'm taking, and I'm learning a lot about myself, the language, and overall Spanish ed. but school is not structured the same way that it is in the States.
All of my friends here are very organized, they're all on the honors track, and they're all lining up internships for the summer and planning their honors thesis for graduation... I'm sitting here enjoying my time in Spain, day dreaming about how I'm going to live here one day and hoping to the high heavens that I'm going to graduate in May 2014 and not the fall or spring of 2015...
Ugh.
I can't tell if I'm unprepared or just enjoying life as it comes.
I'm definitely not on the honors track, and I'm really not looking to speed up anything because that just means that I have to start paying back loans way sooner than needed, but am I behind? Am I behind some curve designed by the US National School Board? Should there be a four year guideline?
Oh, now I'm getting philosophical.
Ugh. I feel like I am unprepared for my future, but maybe I just have a different future than these other girls. One wants to work on the hill in DC, another in some non-profit business life, the other a doctor... I'm seriously thinking about being a teacher or, now, looking into PR business... So, in comparison I feel like they HAVE to be more in line...
Life...it's a hard one isn't it?
<3
Buenas Noches
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