How Did This Become My Normal?
Sometimes I look around at my life here and think, “how did this become my normal?” 😊
On Friday morning, we started the day having breakfast with friends in Madrid. We spent the day watching short films and ended with our friend’s award-winning screening, with his cast and crew calling in from Oklahoma City to answer questions in front of the audience.
Then we jumped in a cab, rushed to Atocha, and took the train back to Sevilla. The train left on time but somehow arrived 20 minutes late, which would not have been a big deal except we had 45 minutes to get to a 60th birthday party on a boat.
And you can’t be late for a boat party.
The Gift of Being Understood
Our friends from back home visited us this past week, and it was fantastic.
They were two of our closest friends when we moved away. We still keep in touch, but life keeps moving for all of us. We’ve all made new close friends in our own places, but when we see each other, it feels like no time has passed.
Having them here was so special. There had been several close calls over the years, but they had never been here to visit us in Sevilla. One of my favorite things about people visiting us from back home is getting to show them why we chose this life. It’s one thing to explain it when we visit. It’s another to walk through Sevilla together, eat the food, see the beauty, experience the lifestyle, and meet the community we’ve built here.
Life Keeps Expanding
I just finished my citizenship exams, the first step of many, and I feel so relieved.
I won’t receive my results for 2-3 months, but I feel good about almost all of it: culture, history, writing, listening and reading comprehension. The only part giving me a little anxiety is the speaking section.
I practiced with my husband, and I was doing great. He said, “You know a lot more than you think you do.” I was nervous but feeling pretty confident.
Then I walked into the exam room and it was immediately, “Spanish? Never heard of it.”
