A reflection about learning

I feel like more and more, especially being here in Spain, I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn.

I realize how little I know about politics. I sit in one of my classes class and listen to the Spanish students talk about the unemployment rate in Spain compared to other countries, listen to them talk about the key players in all of the European nations and their roles in the global recession. I listen to them talk about why Spain will not be like Greece, who is asking the European Union for a bail out. I listen in my other class about the history of the European economics system, sometimes with someone interjecting in a point that the professor makes about the GATT or the role of the World Bank. In a different class I listen as one of the guys throws out facts about the linguistic history of Spain, reciting verses of El Mio Cid or talking about the influence of the Arabs on the Spanish language as if he were talking about the latest sports score. I sit and I listen, and listen, and listen. And I realize that I have so much to learn.

I feel like the more I listen, the more I realize how little I really do know. About the history of Spain, about the history of the United States, about the history of Colorado, about the history of my own family, American politics, world politics, current world news. I have lived in the same country my entire life, the same state my entire life minus the three years I have been in college, with the same people my entire life, and yet I know so little about all of them. I try to read some sort of news source every day and still know very little about what is going on in the country and in the world.

I got to Spain and was shocked to learn about the high unemployment rate here; people looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that I did not realize that it was such a huge problem here. I knew that people from Cataluña had a strong regional pride, but I did not realize how strongly other regions had similar pride as well. I thought that I was going to come here and that it was going to be beach weather all year long (in fact, I even brought more skirts, dresses, shorts and tank tops than warm clothes and have only worn them a couple times because it has been so chilly and rainy since I have been here). I didn’t know that this region is famous for oranges and that they take pride in that. I didn’t know that I would be asked all the time about American politics and that people here would know more about what is going on in my country than I do.

Being here I have really gotten to know what people mean when they say that the most learning takes place outside of the classroom. The more I talk to people, the more I go out and have coffee with friends, the more I have dinner with my two Spanish families, the more I learn about Spain and the world and myself. I am not really sure what it is that I have learned about myself quite yet, but I have learned that I have tons more to learn. I have learned/ realized how important my family and friends are, my family here (that consists of friends and the people that have taken my into their homes) and my family in the United States (my parents, my sisters, my nephew), my high school friends, my friends from Coe, my friends from D.C. I am learning and realizing how different my life would have been if just one person had not come along in my life; the absence of just one single person could totally have changed my life. I am learning how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life and appreciating the life that I have and all of the amazing opportunities that I have been given. There are so many things that I wish I could have changed, especially the way that I have treated people; I cannot change what I have done in the past but can hope that in the future I will not be the same person and make the same mistakes.

In my blog entries I try not to write extremely personal stuff because I feel that this blog is about my experiences here, but I feel like I have come to personal realizations that I should share. I have realized how important my parents are and how important they have been in my future. When I say my parents, I am talking about my mom, stepdad and biological dad. My dad left my mom when I was younger and I do not have a good relationship, really any relationship, with him. But I am realizing how important he is in my life. Not only would I not be here in the world without him, my life would be completely different if he had stayed in my life. I am certain that I would not be where I am today if my parents were still together. I realize how important my mom is in my life. She has taught me so much in life and is one of the most loving and generous people that I know. She has never let me settle for second best and has always given me all of the things that she never had growing up, mainly a mom that tells her daughters every day that she loves them and that they are the best thing that has ever happened to her. I am realizing how important my stepdad is in my life. He has been in my life for 20 years and I cannot imagine not having lived without him. He has never treated me like I was not his daughter. He and my mom gave me an amazing childhood, and are still trying to give me an amazing life, a life that neither or them had. 30 years ago my stepdad went to the U.S. with no money, no job, not able to speak English, hoping for a better life, and here I am in Spain, traveling, learning, living an amazing life thanks to him and my mom.

Like I said before, I do not like to write personal things here, but this entry would not be complete without mentioning one more person, a person that I have learned so much from, that has taught me about myself and that I am so thankful to have in my life. I would not have guessed when I left home to go to Iowa for college that I would meet someone as amazing as this person. This person has showed me how fortunate I am in life, has helped me realize how amazing my parents are, how amazing I am, how remarkable and generous people who are not your actual family members can be. They have taught/ told me that I have tons to learn in life. They have been patient and put up with so much of my crap. I have done nothing to deserve this person's love and friendship and have learned this year being away from this person how valuable they are, how different my life would be without them and how luck I am to have this incredible person in my life. I know that I do not say it enough, but you are incredibly fantastic and I cannot image a better person to have in my life. So thank you, John Sherrod. I appreciate and love you more than words can express.