I had no private lessons after school, so I got to come straight home for the first time in weeks and weeks! It was amazing to walk in the door before 5pm and have all my roomies gathered in the kitchen, chatting and giggling. :oD They were all shocked and so happy I was home so early and quickly included me in their after-school huddle. Ali told us a funny story about our strange roommate and I couldn't help but laugh until I almost peed my pants!! :) I love coming home to those three!!! We spent the rest of the night on Pinterest, chatting and cooking a little bit to prepare for the big feast on Friday. I got to have an adorable txt convo with J too, while asking her for her amazing cheesy garlic mashed potato recipe. :) Yay! All in all, it was a very relaxing, fun night at home, indeed!
So, although our Thanksgiving dinner will be tomorrow and not today, in honor of it being Thanksgiving day, I'd like to write what I'm most thankful for this year. ^_^
1) I'm thankful for my wonderful roomies - more on them to follow. ;)
2) I'm thankful for having the opportunity to live in Madrid, Spain - I just adore the city!
3) I'm thankful for being assigned to such a lovely school and the teachers and students there and the freedom I have working there.
4) I'm thankful for my cute apartment!
5) I'm thankful for the select yummy food Spain has - like gazpacho, salmon tostas, horchata, etc. :)
6) I'm thankful for Tango class and how happy it makes me every single Tuesday.
7) I'm thankful for my blog and having it as something that can document my travels and help me to reflect on them, all while sharing my experiences with those closest to me.
8) I'm thankful for the cute new wardrobe I'm creating. ;)
9) I'm thankful for my sanguinity, tenacity and uniqueness - and for all the work I've done and growth I've experienced since arriving in Spain.
10) I'm thankful for those certain people I love and adore in America who keep in touch with me and support me, even when I'm far away for long periods of time.
<3
And now, for a little more explanation of the first (just 'cause I'm feeling especially grateful for them and have been meaning to write a whole blog about them for awhile). I'm super thankful for my wonderful roomies. I absolutely ADORE them and can't imagine what my life here would have been like without them. I'd dreamed about being a part of a group of four friends ever since I was in middle school. When I was a little older and began to watch Sex & the City, I was always so envious of the friendship those four women had together. Everybody had their very definite spot in the group and nobody was ever forgotten or left out. They all adored each other and they all were equally important. I used to draw being a part of something like that. I would try to imagine what that will feel like - being adored for me, having a group of close friends, not being forgotten or left behind. I had no idea what that would feel like, but I hoped more than anything one day I would find out.
And here I am! I absolutely ADORE these three girls and I feel so lucky and grateful to be a part of this crazy little group. I feel loved by all three of them and feel completely supported, too. I know that if I have a bad day, I can come home and complain and they'll all be there to listen and make me giggle and make me some yummy food to cheer me up. I know that they're always on my side and that they think I'm unique and wonderful just the way I am. I feel like not only do I fit in to this group, but that I'm just as important to the group as each of the other girls is. I have my place and it's very defined and I'm not replaceable nor forgettable!
This is the first time in my life I've ever felt like this, and I adore every second of it. Before moving in with these girls and cultivating our friendships, I always thought the only way to feel comfortable and supported and loved was through a romantic relationship. The epiphany that this isn't the case at all is completely shocking! Suddenly I see why people join sororities and live together in a big house. Suddenly I see what all those quotes about friends being so central to a happy life mean. Suddenly I see why I would feel so lonely sometimes in the romantic relationships that meant the most to me. Suddenly I see what I've been missing and craving - and I'm sooooo very grateful I've found it here in Madrid with these three wonderful girls! <3
Perhaps the best thing they've done for me in these three short months has been how they've helped me to change my perspective on how I see myself. When I tell them that I've always thought I was an awkward, anti-social, unlikeable person, they laugh. They say that I'm very outgoing once I get comfortable and that I'm super chill and sweet. Katie was telling me how Abby says I'm a lovely roomie because I always try to be quiet and respectful, and as soon as I think I've done something to bother her even the slightest bit, I'll buy her one of her favorite candies and write her a mini apology note and put it on her desk for when she wakes up. They point out how I listen and how I go with the flow of whatever is going on. They point out of adventurous I am and how good of a teacher I am. They point out how I deserve better than I think I do and how I judge myself far too harshly than I should. They point out how crazy and wonderful my life as been so far and how I am always doing things to make sure it continues to be awesome no matter what.
To have three girls who I very much adore and respect living with me 24/7 (well, minus work time and Tango Tuesdays) and still have all of these wonderful things to say about me makes me feel inexplicably warm and fuzzy inside. I have lived my life for two decades thinking I was intrinsically awkward and unlikeable... like I would never fit in and like there was something just wrong with me... like I wasn't as successful in life as I should be and like if I really had anything crazy superb in me then the one person I love more than anyone wouldn't always go off for periods of time. But every single one of these negative, preconceived notions I've held about myself for all of these many years are being chiseled away by these three girls and I can't begin to express how much lighter and more in love with myself and the world they've helped me to feel. <3 Truly.
I just love coming home to friends and knowing that I can flop in any of their beds at any time and watch a show or listen to music or talk about our day or make them a cake and giggle over stories or go out or just be. <3
So if any of you are reading this, a huge, colorful and sincere THANK YOU Abby, Katie and Ali. <3
XOXO
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