Más allá Sobrevivir

Spain is teaching me to live,

not just to survive-

to live in the richness that is the world and to understand the phrase más allá, which I think is more beautiful than simply saying "beyond."

I have discovered all of this since my arrival, which was more than a month ago (hard to believe so much time has passed). In these last couple of years, I have not been able to execute this más allá type of lifestyle that transcending basic survival and trudging through the to-do lists that never end. I'm still learning. But here, I can wake in the morning, in my typical, slightly-chilly Sevillano apartment, and let myself just go live-

In my purple shoes, that take me to places where I learn what más alla sobrevivir means:

-To know that somewhere inexplicably nice, like the mountain town of Granada, exists within reach. To smile because "Granada" means 'pomegranate' in Spanish. And to promise that, one day, I'll return.

-To discover the beautiful corners of my city and have the ability to make my own mark on the world.

-And to see a project completed to your liking.

-To sit by the river. Because God made it beautiful for you to see. And it's the nicest February day you've ever known.

I have found that living is better than just dragging yourself through the drear of the day, the week, the semester, etc. Of course, there's drear. Like language confusion and humiliation. And classes that aren't exactly captivating. And being away from your people.

But I love it anyway

(I'm not sure I really want to come back to the states).

And, what is more, I have found that I am happy.

What a concept-

To live and to be happy.

Más allá sobrevivir.