Un Sueño y una Pesadilla

Un Sueño y una Pesadilla.
For any of you that have read my previous posts, you know that my first one was about how I was so worried that the fear of missing out on stuff back home would get to me while I'm here. Well, I'm proud to announce that I had my A-HA moment 2 days ago, when I realized that the FOMO is gone for good!

This past week we started classes and had a first routine week, which all went really well. On Friday my program took us to Granada, which is about a 3 hour bus ride away from Sevilla. I feel like it's impossible to drive anywhere in Spain without it being absolutely gorgeous the entire way there, especially when it's sunny out and mountains are in the background. So, we're on the way to Granada, probably an hour into the drive and I'm listening to my iPod while my eyes are glued to the beauty around me. There's a song by Imagine Dragons called "On Top of the World," and if you haven't heard it before go listen right now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8PrTzLaLHc

Anyway, it's just a wicked happy song (PS all the people in my program that aren't from New England always comment on how I say wicked...I always forget that's not a thing that everyone says) and while it was blasting into my ears and I was staring out the window, life just hit me in the face and I realized how incredibly blessed I am to be here. I recently got a tattoo on my wrist that says "bendecida," which means blessed in Spanish, because I wanted something I could look at to remind me how much God has given me and not to take anything for granted. I've had a hard time settling here in Spain but that one moment on the bus I will always remember, because it's when the FOMO disappeared and I realized I don't want to be anywhere but here right now taking in every single opportunity I can because I've been dreaming of this trip for SO long.

So, speaking of opportunities, that brings me to the "pesadilla" part of the story. Sueño means dream, which is what I just described about how I'm living part of my dream right now.
Pesadilla means nightmare.

I'm being 100% dramatic, but I just like the word pesadilla and this wasn't ever something I wanted to do so I'm calling it my nightmare. In Granada we went to a Flamenco show in a cave, and it was so sooo cool because the dancers were literally right in front of me, like their dresses kept hitting my legs and we were essentially on their "stage". It was interesting to see something cultural and authentic since Flamenco dancing is a very popular thing in Spain. They gave us all sangria and we got to sit and watch the show with a perfect view.

At the beginning of it I remember thinking "they better not pull people from the audience" because I was in a prime location for getting grabbed and brought on stage. Well as no surprise to me that EXACT THING HAPPENED and I was mortified. I was the first person they chose out of like 70-80 other people there. I'm not a dancer at all...I'm such a self conscious person in that aspect so the second that the dancer took my hand I didn't want to move. But when in my life can I say that I looked like an absolute mess trying to imitate Flamenco with a professional dancer in a cave? Yeah probably not going to have a chance like that again, so I went with it. I had no clue what I was doing and was super embarrassed but hey when in Spain right?

All in all, I love it here. I'm so happy right now and while I miss people at home, this is going to go by so fast and I'm loving every second of it. This post goes out to the person I never would have guessed I would miss as much as I do; the only one who knows what a B.O.S. is.
Me haces sonreír cada día, y te extraño muchisimo! No puedo esperar hasta mayo, HS ;) -HP/LG

Gracias por leer. Hasta luego!
Moll