January 6, 2015, marks the day that a young girl of 19 said farewell to the tiny, church-and-bar community of her childhood. The cornfields and snowplows evaporated around her as a massive whirlwind transported her to another world. And even though she didn’t have a tail-wagging Todo as a witness, when the dust settled and the girl opened her eyes, it was obvious she wasn’t in Wisconsin anymore…she was a girl abroad.
Una chica en el extranjero.
This second semester of my college sophomore year continues in the Spanish city of Valladolid. I count this experience as a blessing, for sure, but also as an unspoken challenge to grow and mature within a foreign culture. This blog will function not only as a space for personal reflection, but also as a means to share my discoveries, adventures, and bits of insight with others as well. I pray that this four-and-a-half month journey will lead me to new realizations, stretch my limited perspective, and shape my malleable heart and mind.
And maybe improve my Spanish a tad in the process…
While I continue my climb up the ladder to proficiency, I intend to reach audiences of both my native and second tongues. Because of this, my blog contains content in English as well as Spanish–some entries being unique to a particular language and others present in both pages as translations.
I know it’s true that there’s no place like home…but I’m far more excited to blaze the yellow brick trail and encounter all this Oz has to offer.
