Forward: I'm Ready to Learn

The Next Page.  I know it may seem like a cheesy theme, but I think the quote above by St. Augustine defines the goal for my trip.  By traveling throughout Spain and Europe, and experiencing new cultures, I hope to discover other pages of the world's book.  I want to go beyond tourist hot spots.  I want to taste, smell, and feel the raw cultural experiences that this trip can provide.  Through this experience, I hope to internally travel to learn more about myself, while collectively learning more about others.  I will be open and adventurous.  

But all this comes at a cost: fear.  Today I embark on my journey and I am feeling anxious and nervous.  Although I traveled to Argentina for a month in high school, I know this experience will further challenge me.  On that trip, the trip detailed were planned by a trip leaders who waited for us at the airport and accompanied us on our trip to the destination city.  This time, it is all on us.  We have our plane ticket and hostel reservation. Nothing else. We are diving into something exciting, yet unknown.  In the past 24 hours, I have found myself fearing the worst.  What if I lose my passport?  What if it is stolen?  What if someone steals my luggage?  What if I miss a train?  But I have realized one thing.  It's not about these worries or these "what if" scenarios, it the reaction that is important.  It is the reaction from which I will learn.

So bring it on Europe.  I'm ready for sporadic rains at inconvenient times.  I'm ready to get lost in bad neighborhoods.  I'm ready to experience language barriers.  I'm ready to embarrass myself.  I'm ready to learn.

First stop, Madrid, Spain