It was around 9PM last night, as I finished taking an online Spanish placement exam for my classes in Barcelona, that I realized my Spanish is about as rusty as the old Honda coup that’s been sitting in the side yard of my childhood home since Reagan was president. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was not terribly disheartened, nor was I particularly surprised, but as I looked at my computer screen full of words, phrases, and syntax I either didn’t recognize or only found vaguely familiar, all I could think was: “Andrea, you have a lot of work to do.”
But that, after all, is why I’m doing this. Sure I’m expecting Spain to be amazing, and beautiful, and fun, but I also know it will not be easy. I mean, all that “mind-expanding,” “life-changing,” “self-improving,” “language learning” mumbo-jumbo which is the real purpose of this journey are not really going to happen with out my full participation and willingness to work.
Which was why I only let myself feel defeated by the placement test for a moment. How can I feel defeated when I have this amazing opportunity to improve?
Now, packing, on the other hand…. Let’s just say that if there was a placement exam for packing, I would most likely be placed in the remedial class, or maybe just not allowed to enroll at all. I can imagine receiving my rejection letter from a school we’ll call “University of Basic Life Skills,” stating: “We’re sorry, but we do not accept students who have not met our ‘folding clothes before putting them into a suitcase’ and ‘knowing how to decide what and what not to take on a trip’ prereqs.”
Ok, well, maybe I’m not that bad…but then, it depends on who you ask. Anyway, I am lost as to where I should start, and so, as a result, have simply just not started yet. Probably, I will pack as I usually do, all willy-nilly and border-line panicky the night before (a method frowned upon by the aforementioned fictitious University), throwing clothes in my suitcase and making last minute, cut throat clothing decisions that I will later regret. (Cut to Andrea in Barcelona “Ugh, I can’t believe I decided not to bring ____”).
But, oh well, who cares? Because, did I mention, I’ll be living in SPAIN?!?
