Six months..?!

I apologize for my inconsistent blogging, there's just been so much going on here and it feels like the days are flying by..case in point..I've been here 6 months! Literally I can remember everything about the first day I came and how scared and unsure I felt, and now, here I am, more than halfway done my exchange year.

So much has happened lately. In February I went to my cousin's wedding in Valencia. That was really fun, and pretty much a typical wedding..except for the fact that they cut the wedding cake with a sword(?). Haha.

Also, a few weeks ago was Carnaval, which definitely turned out to be one of the best nights of my life. Carnaval is the Spanish Mardi Gras. Luckily, there's a town called Pego fairly close to Benissa that's pretty famous for their Carnaval in the Valencia community. Practically our whole school took a bus that the students organized from Benissa to Pego. The bus left at midnight, and when we got to Pego, the whole world was dressed up in crazy costumes. My friends and I went as novias (brides)!

Pego was crazy. There were a ton of people and discomobiles. If you went down one street there would be a discomobile and so many people, then you'd walk down another street and there'd be a completely different discomobile with even more people. The whole night was spent dancing and just having an amazing time in general. The bus left at 7 the next morning, so needless to say, it was one of the best/craziest nights in my entire life.

Also, last weekend there was a discomobile in Teulada, a town really close to Benissa, and my friends and I went to that. I'm absolutely in love with the nightlife in Spain, I have no idea how I'm gonna adjust when I come back to my little town in New Jersey.

I've become really used to living here; experiencing different things and having just the best time of my life. It's made it that much clearer that I don't just want a typical life; that I'm not going to settle for anything less than amazing. I've had a taste of what life can offer and I just want to keep traveling and seeing everything this world has to offer. This experience has changed me, changed my thoughts and outlook on the world; even changed the career I had in mind.

Today Miguel, Angela, and I went to my aunt's house, which is practically right on the Mediterranean. We ate, relaxed, and walked along the beach. I just can't explain how refreshing the sea air is, or maybe it's just that this is good for me to be away from my town for awhile, away from my family, my friends, everything I've ever known. I'm not saying that I don't miss my family or friends, or that I don't love my town, I'm just saying that being by yourself at such a vital time in your life allows you to grow as a person. It lets you be the person you choose to be, completely uninfluenced by anyone or anything. And along the way, it allows you to pick up another language and meet a new set of friends and family as well.

I am completely grateful for this experience. Every day that goes by stings yet is a relief at the same time when I think that I'm a day closer to coming home. Right now I'm just taking it one day at a time, enjoying the time I still have left.

P.S. I'm really sorry if I sound like a repetitive, inexperienced, motivational speaker, but I'm honestly blinded by my own happiness sometimes that I really can't tell if what I write is annoying or inspiring. These are just my thoughts, take 'em or leave 'em.