Visiting a Legacy...

This past weekend I went on an excursion to Seville (Sevilla). I really enjoyed the time I spent there. And just like every other part of Spain so far, it felt a little like walking through a history book. But, if there has ever been a moment where I have felt completely beside myself, it was on Sunday. I almost couldn't contain my emotions as we stood amidst archeological ancient Roman ruins.

The feeling of standing in the center of an ancient Roman anfiteatro (amphitheatre) is so amazing, it's indescribable. This place was occupied by people so so long ago. It was built so long ago, and yet it still remains. Gladiators fought there, people died there. Ferocious animals were kept in cages and released into a pit with pillars to fight for triumph or death.

Pillars and statues half remain along with the foundation of housing and even floor tiling. Once, people built it all. Now, this is all that is left of a place that used to be thriving with life. Someday that is all that will exist of the world we live in today. At what point does that land become ruins? How will we go? Why will we leave? People do come and go, but a civilization's legacy and influence can last for thousands of years, maybe even forever. We can experience their life after they have lived it, we can enter the world through their eyes.

The past gives us insight into the future. People lived so differently then, yet they were people just like you and I. They loved and were afraid, they learned and made mistakes, and I'm sure they had good days and bad days. Perhaps for them a bad day was when they were locked in an arena facing a full grown lion, and although typically we are not forced to face a lion, we find ourselves in difficult situations and we must overcome them to continue our lives with content. Ancient Romans were not so different. A person is a person no matter what time period they come from. It's incredible to see evidence of that, even when they lived thousands of years ago.

A Roman civilization once existed in Seville, and for a moment so did I. I shared a space with gladiators. The thought is quite remarkable and it gives me goosebumps.

Am I there yet?

So, I cannot believe that our program is half way over. We just reached the nine week mark, and there are 18 total. In a way I feel like I just got here, and in another way I feel like I have been here forever. Mostly, I just feel like I have been away from my family forever. Maybe distance and time are correlated... the further away, the longer the time seems that you are apart.

I never thought that studying abroad would be such a serious experience. It hasn't been academically serious, I mean I have learned a lot, but I expected that. I have however, seriously, learned so much about myself. Which is maybe something I expected but I didn't know to what extent. I have learned what kind of person I am, what I need to work on, and what I'm good at (that's the hardest). I'm trying my best to stay positive. I do believe this experience will forever change me.

Also I feel a little bit more like I belong here, in Granada. I am more than just a tourist passing through for a visit. But, I also think once I feel completely comfortable it will be time to leave. The transition period has been long and difficult at times, however, I have a slight feeling of accomplishment, like "wow I didn't just think about doing that, I actually did it." Usually they are just simple things, like answering a complex question in class, responding to a conversation without translating in my head first, ordering at a restaurant or asking for instructions at the metro station. I still have A LOT to work on, but as rough as it may be I feel like I can communicate with my Spanish. That is what I wanted all along, and I still have 9 weeks. It can only get better from here!