After spending some time back home, I can say I don’t know if I will ever fully come back. A piece of me will always live in Oviedo. I continue to find myself taking a siesta mid-day from time to time. I remember to slow down sometimes. The American lifestyle is a very busy one, always working to live, while Spain has a very slow way of life. You can even see it from the way that they walk: even paced and meandering. Meanwhile in the US, not that we walk nearly as much as the people of Oviedo, but when we do, it is with urgency. We carry ourselves with a quickness that the spaniards see no need for.
That was probably the hardest thing for me for a while. At first it was so exciting not having to worry about much all the time. However, I am so wired to constantly have so many things, I didn’t really know how to spend my time after classes. It was a hard left after going right my whole life. As time went on I became used to the city going quiet for a couple hours each day. It became part of the new routine. It was a moment each day where everyone (theoretically) in the country slows down, drinks a glass of wine, and enjoys their life in the day. I think I will carry that lesson with me every day. I learned to give myself permission to just be for a moment.