4 weeks left

4 weeks from today I will be on a plane back to the States. It's crazy. It seems like just yesterday I was standing outside of my new apartment, locked out with all my bags and no way in. It was an uncomfortable start to this trip, but now I can easily call this place home. I love the pace at which life here moves and the community that I feel here. I had a coffee today and read by the main plaza in my town and there were tons of people out: parents with their kids running around, kicking soccer balls and riding little bikes. Old ladies sitting around having a cup of coffee. Old men walking their dogs around. There is so much life here and everyone always seems to be out and about, experiencing what this place has to offer.

My time here has been different than I expected, but so much more fulfilling. I envisioned myself traveling all over Europe with a couple of my best friends and always looking forward to the next thing. But what has really been amazing to see is how much I love just spending time in Getxo, in downtown Bilbao, with the friends that I have made here and have gotten really close to. If you had told me at the beginning that I would make the kind of friends that I have made and would be legitimately sad to have to say goodbye to them, I probably would have said you were nuts. But after only 3 months being here, and maybe only a couple months of knowing some of these people, I am amazed at how close we have become. I have made friends from Spain, Germany, England, Sweden, France, just off the top of my head. It has been such a blessing to feel so at home and do a part of the action in a place that I have only been for 3 months.

So, not to dwell on the fact that my time here is nearing an end, because it really bums me out, lets talk about my recent literary endeavors. First off, read your Bible! I have found myself recently working through Genesis, which I have been approaching more as a piece of literature rather than trying to obtain a spiritual lesson. When read like you would read a novel, it is awesome. We often forget how incredible these historical events are, and how much of a gift it is that they are recorded for us and that we can read about them today, however many thousands or millions of years later.

Other than that, I just finished "The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some excellent writing and a little bit of a challenge. If your going to read it, be prepared to really focus on what you're reading, and then be prepared to be blown away by his writing. You will probably miss a lot, like I did, but it is still very worth it. Its not very long, but its chock-full of awesome lines and it takes a while to read. An amazing side note about the author, Joseph Conrad: He was born in Russia, joined the armed forces in France, smuggled guns into Spain, and didn't speak a word of English until he was 21 years old. He wrote one of the most influential American novels ever written, with an incredible command of the language, and he didn't speak a word of it until about how old I am now. It would be like me going and learning Italian next year and then writing a masterpiece in Italian a decade later. Pretty crazy.

Today I just started "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. I have never seen the movie, and I'm glad because then I can read this with a clean slate in my mind and no preconceived notions about what I'm about to read. So far its awesome, the main character McMurphy seems hilarious and I like the writing style. It seems a little less demanding than Heart of Darkness, which will be a much welcomed change of pace.

So not that you guys really care about what I'm reading, but I thought maybe someone was looking for a book to read and I could be of expert advice, as I often am. Nothing else too exciting to report, other than the Lakers being the #1 seed, which you probably already know about. Until next time, don't do drugs and make sure you keep your fingernails trimmed. I love you all who are reading this, except for the random people that stumble across the blog. In your case, I don't love you like I love my friends and family, but I love you in the sense that I am called to love everyone. So I guess I do love all of you who are reading this. Tata for now. Thanks for reading. Sorry I'm random.