Returning to the U.S. of A

I failed to write some sort of conclusion upon leaving Spain mainly because I was having problems with my laptop and was too lazy to head to an internet cafe.  Then, when I returned I had plans with friends and family every day for about a week.  So here we are, about a week and a half ago I returned from Spain.  I have to say that overall I had a good experience in Spain.  I learned a lot about myself and it reaffirmed the future that I had been planning for myself and my fiancé.  Spain re-taught me the meaning of patience and independence.  I also realized, once abroad again, that I had been taking so many things in my life for granted: everything from everyday comforts to friends and family.  I found a deep appreciation for my roots in Minnesota and pride for being an American.  I could not be happier being back home.  As much as I love Spain and plan on returning some day to travel, my home and my heart is in Minnesota. There are many wonderful experiences that I had in Spain and many wonderful people that I met that I will always remember, but my life and my future are in Minnesota and I know now, more than ever, that this is where I belong.

Above all, I feel more confident than ever in my future with Brandon.  I am sure there were a lot of skeptics who thought that 8 months and over 4,500 miles apart would somehow break us but it only made us stronger.  If we can make it through that than we can make it through anything.  When I saw him in the airport with my little sister it was like we had never left each other.  I am truly happy and content and could not be more excited to marry this man!  I also have so much respect for him for never failing to support me during my whole 8 months.  Never saying, "I told you so," when I was struggling to adjust in the beginning and always showing me that his love for me had never been stronger than at that moment.  I don't want to turn this into a sappy love post but I guess the point I want to get to is simply that I have never been more confident and happy in a relationship than I am right now.  I am so in love and so thrilled to be engaged and marrying him in less than a year.

Being abroad also made me feel pride in being an American.  I saw my fair share of anti-Americans, including one of my roomies in Spain, but through it all I learned to really appreciate my homeland.  So many people around this world are not fortunate enough to have the rights that I have as an American or the diversity as such a large country.  I feel lucky to come from such a hardworking and efficient country.  I know that no country is perfect, no history unscathed, but for me, America is the place where I want to live and grow old.

My plans for the upcoming year are to find a good serving job (in order to pay my student loan debt), look for a part-time, fall tutoring or substitute ESL position, do some freelance writing and photography and plan my wedding.  It is going to be busy but I could not be more happy being home and being close to the ones I love.