How to Find a Spanish Man.

I lied. This post has nothing to do with boys, but considering the one photo of me with a boy (who I'm not dating) received more likes on Facebook than any of me on my 21st birthday or on the back of a camel, I figured the title would get your attention.

Ok, this post's a bit longer, but it's worth it. I hope. 

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be broken. be faithful. love God. love people.

In 10th grace, my Apologetics teacher, Mr. Speropulos, asked us to create a tentative life motto. Which the meaning of mine matures as I mature, the motto itself has remained the same. Different years and seasons of life have given me a greater understanding of each concept, and while this semester has been about all four, I want to elaborate on the last one. I know some people want to hear of my travels, classes, and, well, I don't really know what you want to know. But, if you want to hear of my travels and destinations, my FaceBook albums will suffice. For everything else in life, here goes. It won't be terribly funny and as of now, I can't think of any interesting tidbits or trivia, but I, as always, will try to make it worth your read. On we go...

LOVE PEOPLE. I love being around people, laughing with friends, and sharing memories with those around me... but that's not loving people. That's loving what people can do for me, how they make me feel. Loving people is listening to them. Learning from them. Allowing them to inform your understanding of love, good food, family, music, Christ's world, and life itself. Sincerely affirming them and what they have to offer. Listening to, speaking, and seeking TRUTH with them. Allowing yourself to change because you know them. Hoping that they feel even just a little more loved and appreciated after your interaction.

When I arrived in Spain, I wanted to check off lots of bucket list boxes, meet new people, try new food, and gain a new perspective. As I sit in a hostal in Athens, Greece, I can successfully say I've diversified my passport, checked many of the bucket list boxes, eaten way too much good food, developed a sincere love for flamenco music, riden a camel while standing up, turned 21 in Paris, and have a few stories under my belt that my daughter will hear when she is old enough to learn from them. However, these things are far from what I love most about my time here (which, thank GOD, isn't over yet.) My biggest blessing in Spain has been the people I have met and learning from them as I watch them live their daily lives, even if it is only for a short time. Whether they meant to or not, they have taught me about how they understand their world and how to better love Christ.

From my American friends I have seen how to work hard while never forgetting to have fun, and never miss the chance to make a memory. From the Brits, how to listen well and always seek adventure, especially if you own a motorcycle. From the Danish, that a simple meal can be transformed into a memory. From the Africans, how to create beauty with expression and without fear, and what it looks like to dare to change the world around you. From my brother and his wife, how to maintain an obedient thirst for Christ's will, Word, and prayer. From my 6-year-old niece, how to make a great tent from bedsheets and never be afraid of new people and cultures. And from my Spaniard friends... I may never know how much they taught me. How to enjoy people, life, and the little moments and conversations of every day. How to walk slowly and eat slower. Not to worry about today, and definitely not tomorrow. When to ignore the plan for the day and listen to a homeless man's wisdom or the worries of a friend. Why to appreciate a job, any job, just because you're blessed enough to be employed. How they care for the marginalized and the poor, what they have learned from their families and relationships, how to surround myself with good people. How to cry hard,  and laugh harder. They have demonstrated joy in the midst of a deeply broken and hurting world. The have taught me that without the Gospel, we have no hope.

Granted, I have also seen desperate brokenness, as well. However, I'd say I didn't learn this from any of my new friends, as much as they simply confirmed the sin I see in myself every day: judgement, selfishness, pride, lack of faithfulness and joy. These are realities we will never escape, yet He allows us to see beauty in the brokenness.

Instead of seeking people to appreciate and understand us, I'm learning that loving people is appreciating and understanding them. Only then can you enter into relationships in which you can love and discover His truth together.

Possessing a photograph of the sun setting on Plaza de Espana in Sevilla or a cloudy day in the port of Copenhagen may prove that I studied abroad, but it demonstrates nothing of what I learned here. 

The mental photographs of smiles, tears, kind eyes, and faces searching for truth-- these are the memories and lessons I want to share and those my children will hear. Some of those I've met I will never see again, some will always find a friend in me and I in them whenever life crosses our paths again, and some have become best friends. The Estrellas, Chemas, Michaels, Sarahs, Birgits, Rogers, and the Moroccan artist whose name I'll never know--these are the people who shape our lives. These are the people who are developing my understanding of growing up from the ground I'm rooted in. This is why we travel, explore, don't take care, take risk, and WANDER, because indeed, not all who wander are lost.

...here's to the next month or so.

Until next time.

besos.