Whimsical, Magical, Fantastical Dreams

When we are little, adults ask us frequently, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Answers range from firefighters to astronauts to princesses to dinosaurs. I remember drawing in this book I had, which prompted me to create certain things, myself as an artist: a paintbrush in one hand and a mixing pallet in the other. When I got a little older, I discovered painting was harder than I thought and turns out I am probably not the next Van Gogh or Picasso. My dreams changed, author this time. I tried writing but 13 hand-written pages into my “book,” I realized that it would probably not be the next New York Best Seller. Marine Biologist, singer, teacher, zoologist, movie producer, and everything in between filled my childhood.

Then, I grew up. Physically I stopped growing, but when does one exactly transition between being a child and an adult? Legally I am considered an adult at age 18, but I am given the right (if I pass a test) to man a metal machine that could easily kill someone if I am not careful at age 16 yet I am not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages until I am 21. Scientists have come to the conclusion the brain stops developing when humans are 24 years old, but when does our brain stop maturing? I’m not sure it ever does. There is no definitive time in one’s life where you are grown up and when you are not because there is nothing like the feeling of returning home and laying your head upon your own pillow or running through the sprinkler during a hot summer day. And as we age, our wisdom grows, but our childish longings never leave us, only become more subdued. When you are a kid, there is some magic line you cross once you “grow up,” but the fact that it does not exist makes the question of what I want to be when I grow up much harder to answer.

I have some ideas what I want to be. Some are fantastical and reserved for only dreams while others are much more attainable. I dream to be an ambassador for my country, to be able to help facilitate international relations for the UN, or to translate between countries in the world. I dream to be a polyglot, speaking languages like Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Arabic, Hindi, and etcetera. I dream to be a renowned photographer and explorer, sharing my adventures in one or two issues of National Geographic during my lifetime of how I climbed mountains or ventured through the rainforest or maybe simply sat down and had a meal in a foreign land.

Recently, I have discussed my future with two of my friends who are also on exchange, one of whom wants to be an ocean geologist and the other an archaeologist. My immediate reaction was to tell them how interesting and amazing their dreams are! Mine pale in comparison! They reminded me of being a little girl again, having wild dreams of doing something unique and unordinary. I explained to one how I wished to be an ambassador because a professional photographer is unattainable. “Be optimistic… If you really want it, you CAN get the job,” she told me. How odd a response. As an 18 year old girl, living in Spain who just figured out where she would like to pursue college, I am used to being told that I must go after a career that makes money, something that will use my intelligence, and I can have for a long time. Being encouraged by a peer that I need to hold fast to my dreams so they don’t slip away is an experience I have not had the pleasure of having in a long time. Although her words were simple and kind, it reminded me that with perseverance and hard work, anything is attainable.

When we “grow up,” where does our imagination go? Why does it limit ourselves and make the world less whimsical? Perhaps, reality taints it or others tell you that you need to stop living in a made-up realm. Our doodles as children becomes more realistic when we are older and we find ourselves drawing cubes or rain drops instead of dragons or mermaids in the margins of our notes. Sometimes we forget how to dream while we sleep or if we do, it is about menial things. Our creativity is suppressed to the point of minimal existence. Those who have grand imaginations and dreams stick out in society: they dress differently, they have an abnormal shade of hair color, their opinions are different, they don’t stick to the status quo. Labels are easily put upon them and the price they pay for an active imagination is not fitting in. Their doodles are abstract, they dream of creating what they love as their dream job even if it means not making much money, and they are joyful people. They tell amazing stories, ones that are true and others that they make up off the top of their heads. Yet, somehow they are the ones labeled as weird or get whispered about. They are living exactly how they want to be though: doing what they love, which is the only thing that matters to them.

For now, I won’t settle with doing something uncreative. I am an artist, but not of paint, of dreams. And it is my career in life to bring these dreams to life as would a painter paint an idea to canvas. Maybe I will be a photographer or an ambassador, maybe not. Whatever I do, I will do because it makes me happy and it keeps the embers of my warm imagination glowing, ready to be heated up into a blazing fire again.

*Polyglot: someone who speaks 4 or more languages

**I took the picture of the boat on the beach today (crazy weather the past few days)

I wanted to start sharing some of my thoughts that I write down during my exchange and perhaps give a deeper glimpse of what goes on in my head, more than the updates of what I do with my time or a recent trip I took. My creativity this year has skyrocketed since I have minimal outlets for it, so my doodles are more extravagant, I play my guitar a ton, I write (all the time,) and will soon be buying some paint to have fun with.

Thanks for reading!

COLLEGE: Update 3

WHO WANTS TO BE A GOPHER?! I DO!!

Yes, you heard it here, I finally decided that my next year (and hopefully all my years at college if they go well) will be spent at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. And I could not be more excited. As of right now, I want to study international relations with a concentration in Spanish but also study Portuguese, French, and Arabic. That's a little gustsy, I will admit... But these languages are perfect for me to learn with international relations! Why? 

1) My Gallego knowledge has helped me so much that I now can read friends' blogs in Portuguese.

2) If I know Spanish, Portuguese, and French, I know the main languages of the Americas.

3) If I know Arabic and French, I know a good portion of the official languages in Africa.

4) If I know Arabic, I know the official languages of the Middle East (a very important region nowadays.)

5) If I know Spanish, Portuguese, and French, I know the official languages of a block of Western Europe countries (not to mention English is pretty important too over there.)

6) International relations can involve traveling and speaking other languages (two of my favorite things!)

There is a whole list of reasons that I could say why I decided to be a Gopher, but I have made too many lists about this to even want to type it out. You can ask my best friend Sarah, we have Skyped more in the past 2 or 3 weeks about college than in our first 3 months in Europe. Nevertheless, I feel so good about this decision and I love it more and more every day! It is a weight lifted off my shoulders and I now feel like I have a better purpose for motivation!

If you have any more questions, comments, etc. etc. just let me know via comments or Facebook or email!

Ciento

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Ashlyn Kriegel who was instilled with a love of the world and Spanish language so much that she decided to live in Spain for almost a whole year. Now, this year wasn't easy for her, it was in fact filled with many trials. She had to overcome language barriers, make new friends, and live with complete strangers. At times she felt hopeless and lonely, that she would never fit in. But Ashlyn never gave up, and with each new day she lifted her head once again and said, "Today is a day I can take hold of and I will make it amazing." Granted not every single day was amazing as her first week in Spain, but little occurrences made each day special. Sometimes it was a friend giving her a hug, other times it was almost scoring a goal in soccer practice. Despite feeling setback sometimes, Ashlyn was constantly empowered by God. One evening, she was given a burning desire to be in fellowship, as that is something God placed in every single one of our hearts. So she acted upon it, organizing a group of other exchange students around the globe to participate in a morning/night of worship via Skype. They were called S.A.L.T. Separated Abba Loving Travelers. Although getting everyone together didn't work out like it was planned, Ashlyn discovered that the same longing for worship and to be with other Christians was also felt between other S.A.L.T. members. Now, Ashlyn did not feel alone. Hope now greeted her every morning and gave her motivation to pursue her life in Spain. THE END.

Well, that was my short little "fairy tale" and I can't believe I have made it all the way to 100 days. What a blessing. A quick recap of other things that have been happening in my life: played in two soccer matches (lost both,) had a guitar concert, and it's the first time in 6 years I haven't taken a final in school.

Recently, I have been going through another bout of loneliness (something I endured in October for three weeks,) but was completely comforted today when I opened up my "Jesus Calling" devotional book (for the first time in a few weeks I should add.) 

December 17
Come to me with your gaping emptiness knowing that in Me you are complete. As you rest quietly in My Presence, My Light within you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is simply the prelude to being filled with My fullness. Therefore, rejoice on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have become your companions. You may nor realize at what point they joined you on your journey, but you will feel the beneficial effects of their presence. The perfect end to such a say is a doxology of gratitude. I am He from who all blessings flow!

Although I am prone to wander into the darkness that beckons me away from God and makes me feel like I am trapped in a downward spiral of sadness, God does not allow me, a beloved child, to stay there for long. 

I have also discovered the the one thing I miss most from home is Westwood and going to church. I watch the podcasts on Youtube every week, but I cannot wait to run into my home, my church, again. There is a saying "Home is where the heart is" and I gave a brief talk to middle schoolers this summer about what that phrase means. I challenged them to ask themselves where their homes were and if they were in God. Leaving my physical home, my spiritual house of God, and everything familiar that I called home, I now understand my own words in much more depth. My home rests in the hands of God because that is the only home I can rely on to never change, always bring me comfort, and have an unlimited outpouring of love. 

~Ashlyn

3

Here we are again, another month later. I can't tell if that is a good thing or bad thing right now. Another month of practicing Spanish, doing sports, making friends, going to school, and adventuring in the world. Another month closer to when I go home. But I won't be going home until at least the end of June or July you might say. This is true, but if my first three months passed this quickly already, then the next six or seven I can imagine will come just as quickly, if not faster. I am not going to think about that right now... So onto what I have done recently!

Mmmmmm... Homemade empanada, guacamole (courtesy of Xenia and me,) and some veggies! 

'MURICA!! YEAH! Xenia and I folded all the napkins to look like bananas! Only took us 45 minutes...

Left to right: Katie, Hope, Xenia, me

All the exchange students! Left to right: Eric, me, Hope, Xenia, Katie, and Max (Connecticut.) Max is part of a different program, but he came to have dinner with us as well! 

Look at how colorful the train station is!! Love riding the trains here!

So Thanksgiving happened, and I went to Vigo to spend the weekend with my exchange friends since I wouldn't be alone and not feast! Maybe I was just imagining it, but I did seem to get oddly hungrier that weekend... For the most part, I helped set up, do light cooking, eat and eat and eat and eat, watch some Doctor Who and then go home. Remember when I started off this year with terrible luck traveling? (If you don't, check out my Consuegra video blog post from the beginning of my exchange.) Well, you guessed it, my traveling luck has failed me yet again. My host mom's car broke on Sunday so she would not be able to pick me up from A Coruña. In lieu of that, I changed my train ticket so I left two hours earlier, was picked up by a friend in A Coruña who got me to the bus station, took a bus from A Coruña to Ferrol, found ANOTHER bus stop in Ferrol, took that bus to Cedeira, and finally arrived home. I left Vigo at 3:45PM and walked into my house at 10:00PM. WHAT A LONG DAY.

This week starts finals week at school, but hey, I already graduated so I will only be taking the English final. This means I get to sleep in for two extra hours every day but 1 day for the next week and a half. I also don't know what to do with myself this week because it is the first year since sixth grade that I have not taken a final... How does one "relax"? When I relax, I usually sleep a lot, and I don't think that is how you are meant to relax... Especially considering the beach is 5 blocks from my house... I should mention though, it only is about 40ºF-50ºF outside this time of year. Minnesotans react by saying, "that's nothing! We have snow and cold!" and when I checked the forecast last night, it is only supposed to be 0ºF this weekend. However, the cold here is really humid as well as windy so when you get cold, no matter how many layers you wear, you are still cold.

This weekend I will also be playing in my first soccer game in about 12 years. Never ever in my life time would I have thought I would be playing in a Spanish soccer match. I am no good at soccer! I haven't played in so long! It will be an experience, and I can't wait! My coach just tells me to have fun, so that is really what I do all of practice. This means I laugh at my mistakes often and just go on the field to enjoy myself rather than winning since I just am not that great of a player! I am making awesome friends in soccer and I adore being a part of a team since running is such a solitary sport and it reminds me of my rugby days, where we all had to work together, communicate, and operate as one machine (not individuals.)

As of yesterday, I was accepted into the University of Minnesota - College of Liberal Arts! Yayayayayayayayayayay!!!! 

It is high up on my list of colleges and now I wait to hear back from 3 more and begin filling out any/all scholarship applications... But at least I am going to college and at the very minimum, somewhere I love and with lots of people!

Update: My dad just Whatsapped me and sent me a picture of my acceptance into University of Northwestern St. Paul! WOHOO!

And, the most exciting news, in my opinion at least, is I am organizing a worship/fellowship night via Skype for my Christian exchange student friends around the world!! EEEEEEEE!!! (That was my squeal of excitement.) I CAN´T SLEEP I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!! My fingers hurt because I keep practicing my guitar so much for the songs we will do, and AH!! God gave this deep desire to be with others and worship Him with them, so He told me to make it happen. We have the technology and I have a guitar, so what was stopping us?! I decided to give us a cool name so "We are the SALT of the Earth" and SALT stands for Separated Abba Loving Travelers. Witty, right? Needless to say, they are excited, I am excited, and God is great. I also have begun to read my Bible diligently with my friend Lauren in Minnesota... Wow. Have I been missing out on life. I am learning so much and we are only on our second book! If you can't tell, I am on this God high right now: I am filled to the brim with joy and excitement for life and everything He has to give to me! I know these highs don't last forever, but usually they only happen once a year at summer camp time, yet I have learned that I don't need to rely on a camp to see God in a new way or feel like He is actually here with me without having to remind myself too much of that ever so important fact.

~Ashlyn

Soy Española, No?

I am... Just... Yeah, let's go with pictures:

Left side being restored. Eloisa told me that the stone used to build the Cathedral is very porous and needs to be replaced/maintained frequently as Galicia is known for its rain.

Galician exchangers! Left to right: Xenia, Hope, me, Eric, and Katie

Botafuemeiro being swung above congregation

Light streaming in through window (seen due to excessive amount of smoke from the botafumeiro.)

Exchange students being exchange students...

Supposedly Saint James' tomb

Cathedral seen in distance and picture taken at the nunnery down the road from it.

On a tour, I got to walk on the roof of the Cathedral!

Part of the city of Santiago de Compostela

I should add that there are NO filters of any kind on any of these photos. The sunset was, indeed, that vibrant and amazing to see on top of the Cathedral. Perhaps I should also mention where this is... Last Saturday, I visited El Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. Other than being a stunning site to see, it is a very important landmark and is rich with history! 

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of my autonomous state in Spain, Galicia, so it has many important government buildings and officials there. It also has one of the best universities in Spain, and a large portion of students in Galicia choose to go there. It also is one of the oldest places in Spain. According to legend, Saint James the Greater took a route through all of Europe and the Iberian Peninsula was his final destination, and with him, he brought Christianity to Western Europe before he was beheaded in Jerusalem in 44 A.D. His body was taken back to Galicia and buried in Santiago de Compostela. King Alfonso II de Asturias ordered the construction of a church where James' remains could rest in 829 A.D. but was later burned by another king in 997 A.D. The Cathedral that I visited began construction in 1075 A.D. In 1122 A.D., the "final brick" was laid when in reality it has been embellished, updated, and restored since then. 

Nowadays, pilgrims also take a journey like Saint James did to walk to this Cathedral. Some start in Spain, others in France, Portugal, or even Germany. Pilgrims have been coming since the cathedral was first built and Alfonso II de Asturias was the first one there. Rumor has it that the Botefumeiro was not only introduced as a ceremony of prayer but to cleanse the pilgrims of epidemics and make it smell not so horrid in the church. These people had been possibly walking for months without bathing and living in the wilderness or hostels in the same clothing. The incense was supposed to cleanse them.

And there you have it! Nice little history lesson! Our day consisted of all meeting at the Cathedral, doing an informal tour and going to all of the plazas around the Cathedral, eating lunch together, going to the nearby convent, and then back for a formal tour where we got to go on the roof! It was absolutely stunning and it blows my mind to think how this building is 600-700 years older than my home country! The USA is a baby in the world compared to Europe! But then again, Kosovo is only 5 years old, and that is in Europe...

Next weekend, I am off to Vigo to have a Thanksgiving dinner with all of the Gallego kids! Unfortunately, Johan couldn't make it to Santiago, but next weekend we will be together! To meet these people only a few times and immediately be friends is just amazing. Not only does this happen with my fellow Gallegos, but with any exchange student I have met so far! There is something innate that draws us to one another because we understand and we long to be with people who know exactly what we are going through since we all were thrown into our adventures head first. These people are easy to talk to and we all share some commonalities as Rotary chose us to be where we are today! Not only that, you can talk to exchange students you have never met on Facebook, Instagram, etc. and feel like you really are friends. 

This type of community really can't be found in many other places in the world, which is what makes us a unique group. We see the world differently, that it is more than tourist destinations and vacation hot spots, but a place to live with people who have a culture/language/family/traditions different from anywhere else in the world. Each place is different and shaped by its own and its country/bordering countries' histories and makes it special, which is why going on exchange gives us the chance to live this instead of reading from a text book! I never could have told you before coming here that those who speak Gallego are usually passionate about it and defend its right to be taught in schools because it preserves a culture and history that otherwise would be lost. The little social norms that are only found in Galicia or Spain allow my exchange to happily nestle into my heart as I am now changed and will be bringing back some of these to the states to practice or promote. For example, electricity is SO expensive here, and although I would love to have on a bigger light in my room, it isn't necessary and I always have to turn my light/heater off when leaving a room. Why don't we do this in the states?! Think of how much energy we could be saving and CO2 emissions prevented! I can see the turbines out my window that help power my town, and being from the Midwest where it is mainly flat, why don't we have this either?! The air is so crisp and fresh and clean here! Or even seeing bad examples has led me to change my behavior such as students having no respect for teachers in class, talking while the teacher talks, etc with no punishment. I now have an elevated respect for my teachers here considering they deal with a lot, and the least I can do is try to be helpful by smiling at them, maybe pushing in that extra chair, or taking notes even when I don't have to to show I am intently listening.

I have officially signed an important document for soccer which allows me to play in games. Get this: I haven't played soccer since I was 6 or 7 years old, and now I am playing for my local team in SPAIN. Spain is one of the best countries in the world in soccer! And they want me to play! My teammates keep asking me when my first game is and encourage me a lot during practice even though I really am not that good of a player! I still don't have a position, but my coach will more frequently put me in a forward spot since I run a lot and am not afraid of physical contact or getting hurt (thank you, rugby!) At the same time, I still am training with rowing (just lifting weights right now...) as well as my marathon. I have now hit double digits on my long runs WHICH MAKES ME HUNGRY ALL THE TIME. I really don't like being hungry all the time, especially when my peanut butter is running out... 

Second to last, these past few weeks have been just amazing. I finally feel like I fit in. My friends are asking me to do stuff on weekends, some of my teachers make me take tests (had my first one this week and I didn't study for it, thinking I wouldn't take it... Geronimo..,) my Spanish is so much better and I can communicate very effectively now so that I can even express opinions in class or write a short commentary on the characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in "Hamlet" and how the King and Queen had such an influence on them that they were willing to betray their best friend. The little sister of one of my friends in Vigo said I talked really fast to her. YEAH SPANISH. Life is great.

Last, but certainly not least, my mother has been so kind to remind me why I am here: by God's grace, and it is incredibly easy to forget that. My new prayer is that He humbles me in all that I do so that I can live for Him and that His light is shining through me, that that is the first thing people see in me. God's word is what is guiding me and that has caused me to shift in some of my beliefs (for the good!) Some might call me old-fashioned and make fun of my orthodoxy, but God's word stands and we should not let society influence the Bible but let the Bible influence our society. The saying that God remains the same through the ages and never changes has struck a chord with me and although we are now living in a more radical time of Christianity with tattoos and piercings and gay rights and a lot of... Change. People are interpreting the Bible to how they want to read it to fit what they are arguing, but truly you can't argue the word of God. It stands alone and is what it is.

~Ashlyn

P.S. Take a peak at my photo stream for all of my pictures from Santiago de Compostela!

To, Too, Tú, TWO

Today. Today marks the day that I have been in Spain for two months. 61 days. 1,464 hours. 87,840 minutes. 5,270,400 seconds. I don't even know how to fully comprehend this. I constantly say to myself how it feels like I have been here for a long time, but also a short amount of time. At this point, I can confidently say that I don't feel as though I arrived here yesterday. I can now have a normal conversation with people. I am now taking notes in Gallego in the classes where my teachers speak it, and in Castellano in the other classes. (Actually, sometimes I accidentally put some of my notes in Gallego in my Castellano classes.) I feel confident taking a walk through town without getting lost or feel as though I have no idea where I am. I do not feel shy when I tell a stranger that their dog is cute. I can read normal books in Spanish. I am not just surviving or experiencing the world, I am LIVING it. I am a part of this life here! How exciting is that?! I have the opportunity to wake up in the morning and say to myself, "I am in Spain, I am 4,019.65 miles (6,469 kilometers) away from the place I am accustomed to, and I am a part of an exciting life." My year here is not just an adventure or a trip: this year is a new life that I never had the opportunity to have at home. I participate in rowing, am on the girls' soccer team, take guitar lessons, live in an apartment, have a younger brother as well as two older siblings (who don't live with me, but I have talked to and/or met,) speak a language that I did not grow up with on a daily basis, etc. THIS IS AMAZING! I can't stress that fact enough!! I am so excited in this very moment!

I would also like to share some things I have learned so far from being here:

1. Kikoman soy sauce is significantly better than the Heinz verison.
2. Living without Netflix is hard at first, but you eventually get used to it. For the record, I do have an unlocked version of it where I can watch it here, but I hardly use it.
3. Rain is not better than snow. As much as I say I would trade the snow for anything else, I take that back. If it is going to be cold, at least give me something beautiful to look at.
4. You can have family by blood as well as family by love and acceptance.
5. There is not a defining factor that distinguishes Spanish people from another population.
6. Not talking during rowing practice makes your coach and teammates think that you don't like it (which is not true.)
7. Having goals makes being motivated much easier.
8. Somehow, putting your hazard lights on and parking in the middle of the street is just fine.
9. Apparently, not everyone learns the primary colors in elementary school and what combinations are used to make secondary colors or what pairs are complimentary colors.

Now, things always aren't this exciting. Usually, I will go to school, come home and eat, take a nap, go to rowing or guitar, take a run, come home and either shower or wait for soccer practice, eat again, (shower if I went to soccer,) and go to sleep while somehow checking Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Imgur in between. Quick side note, if you catch me on one of these sites for a while, tell me to leave and go outside or something. The Spain exchange students did decide all of one hour ago to start a book club and our first book is "Los Juegos del Hambre" ("The Hunger Games" but in Spanish,) so that should get me off the computer. I have also set time limits for certain websites, so that is helping too. ANYWAYS. Where I was going before is that recently, I have been in a little bit of a slump. I have been really tired lately, finding it hard to have motivation to do the things I enjoy, and wanting to be alone. I contribute this to the lack of sunshine we get here. As a Minnesotan, I should not rely on the sun to give me all of the Vitamin D I need considering the sun rarely shines for all of the winter months (November-March, possibly April) in MN. 

This being said, coupled with the things I have learned so far, and running a 10K in Madrid, I have officially decided I will be running a marathon this March in Barcelona! Some of you are now thinking that I am crazy, that isn't good for my body, I am already involved in other sports so I don't need more, etc. I would like to tell you the pros about me running this race:

• Forces me to stick to a training plan and go running (and not use "it's raining" as an excuse)
• It helps me make friends!! I get to be healthy while socializing and practicing my Spanish? Count me in.
• Gives me a goal to work for instead of running aimlessly
• It will progressively help push past limits I have set for myself

Since the last time I have posted, I really haven't done much to be honest. Mostly relaxed and slept on the weekends... We did have the Samhain festival (Halloween) last weekend where I walked in a "parade" of townspeople led by three people carrying ghosts on sticks. It was very odd. No costume parties, barely any candy, nothing I was used to. Culture shock. I do hopefully plan on going to Vigo for Thanksgiving, maybe, kind of, total guess right now. December, I will for sure be going to Madrid and Granada for Christmas and New Year's that will include extended host family. Crossing my fingers, I hope to visit by best friend Sarah (I graduated high school with her and she is in Belgium through Rotary right now) and Soren (in the Czech Republic with Rotary) in March as well as my marathon. Phew. Lots of planning required and it makes me think how fast this year is going by. I will make a video to comment about that later. 

Prayers to combat this sometimes slump I get in would be much appreciated and that I continue to pursue God in this part of the world that so needs His love. I want be a bridge to show that love and that it is always present and existing no matter what people do. Hard thing for me to wrap my mind around, but I can't imagine what it is like for those here who haven't had the opportunity to learn about God in the way that I have. A good friend told me that she doesn't believe in God because the God that exists here is the one dating back to Medieval times. What God is that? The one where if you were rich and tithed more, the more likely you were to go to Heaven, and the poor never got a chance to experience God. Breaks my heart to hear this because that is not the case by any means and I wish for them to know different. I can tell them all about God, but He has to soften their hearts first and allow His Word to flow through them. Prayers would be lovely.

~Ashlyn

P.S. the very few pictures I have taken since my last update will be posted on my photo stream very soon!

Still Running Over Here

Enjoy this video explaining what I have done with my life in the past few weeks!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." 
-John 3:16

~Ashlyn

COLLEGE: Update 2

So, plans have changes (once again, as they always do.) Being here for one month has kind of changed my mind, not drastically, but I have considered other things.

Because I am in Spain and now manage my own finances (with some help from my dad back home,) I am now understanding really how far a dollar (or Euro) gets you and how I need to allot my money accordingly: have a plan for how much I am allowed to spend per month, keeping track of what I have spent so I don't end up spending more than I thought or planned, etc. Because of this, I am now considering how much college costs and I would much rather prefer coming out of college with a $30,000 debt than a $100,000 debt (public vs. private college.) I am not for sure going to a public university and I do not have my mind set on one place I want to go, but I am considering other options now rather than just looking at private Christian universities. 

I Skyped with my parents last night and we came to the conclusion that I will apply to University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Northwestern, Bethel University, possibly University of Wisconsin-Milwalkee, and I emailed my high school college counselor so he could recommend other Midwest colleges that have a strong international relations program. I will also be sending updated transcripts to Gustavus Adolphus College.

I am not completely positive that I want to go into international relations, however, it does seem like something I would enjoy: traveling, other languages, presenting/talking in front of people, being creative, etc. I am still open to other ideas, but learning new languages is so fascinating to me and I would like to pursue that! (As of right now, keep in mind.)

Things are continually changing for me as I open my mind to new places, see things from a new perspective, etc. Who knows, I might have a different idea in a month from now! Still praying about it and I know whatever end up deciding, God will have known it and it's a part of my plan, something that makes me, ME.

One Month Today

Here comes my attempt to remember all that has happened in two weeks... From what I do remember, not much, but of the things that did happen, I shall share!

I have now been here for one whole month. One month. Today. How crazy is that?! 30 days already gone!! I feel like I have done so much but also so little! School is in full swing now, I am beginning to start sports and other activities. Today I went to a rowing practice (we only did core exercises,) last week I went to modern dance (45 minutes of copying someone dancing. ACTUALLY SO MUCH FUN!) On Wednesday, I will go to a soccer (fútbol for us Europeans) practice, and on Thursday I have my second guitar lesson. Phew. Add in school, my desire to travel and see friends, time with the family, God time, and alone time in there, my schedule fills up fast. Now, I won't be able to do ALL the things I want to so these two weeks are meant for trying things out to see if I like them and then seeing where they fall in my schedule. I know I will be doing rowing and guitar lessons and depending on how fútbol practice goes, I will decide then. School is getting better and worse depending on how I look at it: better because I am understanding more and can communicate more easily but worse because the teachers are preping their students for the big tests at the end of the year so lots of note taking and listening to teachers talk at you all day (coupled with the fact that I don't change rooms very often, I get bored and tired fast...) To cope with this, when we aren't taking notes, I doodle profusely. Currently, I have decided to work on a black and white series of things that remind me of Minnesota. Since I can't take an art class here, might as well do it when I don't need to pay attention!

This past weekend I went to Vigo to visit some exchange students friends!

Me, Xenia (Taiwan,) and Hope (Pennsylvania) at one of the best icecream places ever! 

Seriously, look at all those flavors. 

BUBBLE TEA EXISTS HERE. I CAN STILL HAVE MY TEA GARDEN!!

My family doesn't keep Nutella at home... So I ate a lot at Xenia's....

Pato Beach.

Those islands.

I can't get over how magazine-esque those islands and water look.

So I took a bus for 3 hours to get to Vigo and then Xenia's host mom and Xenia picked me up! When I walked into their apartment, I was mesmerized: Xenia's host dad is an artist so every wall has some sort of mural, paintings, mixed media, drawings, etc. etc. on the walls and every wall is a different color. Xenia has a host sister who is 17, 15 (but she is currently in the USA,) and 10. The family is so incredibly sweet and I adored staying with them. Since Xenia has only had a few months of Spanish and I have taken more years of Spanish than Hope (as I am older,) I was one of the translators for the weekend. Meal times were filled with lots of laughter and attempts to speak English. Friday night, Hope, Xenia, and I had dinner and met up with Johan (exchanger from Sweden.) I went shopping for the first time there and probably bought way too many things... Oh well, right? I also went to a movie with Lola (10 years old) and Xenia on Saturday night. What is odd is that when you get your ticket, you are assigned a seat like a theater that shows musicals or plays. We saw "Gravity" and I understood the general idea of what they said, however, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney should not be dubbed over with Spanish in my opinion. Sunday, Xenia and Hope had surf lessons so I met up with another exchanger, Eric (Oregon,) and we just hung out at a café. I then had lunch with Xenia's host grandparents, hopped on the bus to come back home, and made it home in only 2 hours. They are the closest exchangers to me, so I liked seeing other Galacian kids as they understand me when I say that the rain here it getting a little old... (It rains every day, sometimes multiple times.) When I got home, I was pleasantly surprised to find a new rug and comforter/pillow cases (with cats, pears, and artsy things on it... Sounds weird, looks great) as well as a glass baking dish!! Now I can make any hot dish and brownies/cakes. I will learn the art of making time and fit that in my life too. 

And God in all of this? Well, I have been watching the podcats of church at home and I could not be more thankful for technology nowadays so I can do that. The series is about Revelations and as always, I love when Joel (my pastor) teaches. It sets me on fire for the week which is supplemented with sporadic devotionals and almost daily readings of the Word. Not to mention that God is still using my gifts here. Last week in religion class, the topic of gay rights to adopt children was being debated. Spanish and Gallego were flying at a million miles an hour, none of it I understood and had classmates translate for me. I did not take a stance, but listened and waited (like James 1:19 instructs, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak") and when my classmate said, "Ella quiere hablar [she wants to talk,]" I used this opportunity to use the words that God gave me. I explained to them, in another language keep in mind, that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength and the second greatest is to love they neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:36-40.) Now, even if you don't believe in God, that second commandment should always be followed because then all will be respected and we wouldn't have problems like this. Will all the problems be fixed if a few people, or even a majority follow this law? No. People will still have their own opinions and how they interpret that, but that is not my place to be. The conversation lulled and I proceeded to exit the room to free myself from any entanglements that might occur. My gift of evangelism is still with me, and God is still using me like He was back home. How great and reassuring is that?! 

If you could or would like to, please pray that God helps me with my college choices and remaining on the rock that He is while I am away from the community of Christians I was accustomed to in Minnesota. God obviously gave me this experience and I will use it to grow as much as possible because without challenge, then how will my faith be stretched or change in new ways?

~Ashlyn

Hey Hey Hey Hey Orientation

*Notes: the car I was riding in to get to the airport in Madrid to get back home on Sunday broke down/the battery died (I HAVE THE WORST LUCK WITH TRAVELING) and of course there is always more to the experience than in the video; this was just a quick recap. :] Orientation was held in Consuegra which is where Las Manchas are (aka where Done Quijote fought windmills and had many adventures!) and it was probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Loving Spain so far!

Other update apart from orientation weekend: I participated in clas today... Twice. What a win! I recognized the painting "El Tres de Mayo" by Francisco Goya and told my class that when no one else knew the painting, and I knew that Eros was the Greek god of love which no one knew again. Not to mention after school one girl said we should hang out sometime at her house. WOOP! MAKING FRIENDS! I guess I am not that weird after all if people want to hang out and text me! 

God is being interesting in my life and for sure teaching me all about patience, alone time, and what I really should be praying for (what is really, really important and/or pressing.) "Love is PATIENT" and I am now understanding this concept. Alone time is good for me, helps me figure out how to actually manage free time and I can be with God, just us. And of course, college has been a pressing issue on my mind so I am trusting God will reveal to me and guide me to the right place but also the right thing to continue pursuing in life.

~Ashlyn

To Madrid and Beyond

Let's see, where did I leave off... I guess it has been another week, hasn't it? Oh how time flies! Seriously though. It feels like I have been here much longer than a week and a half. I should probably mention that I started school. What an adventure that is... I take 9 classes: Spanish, Gallego, English, Religion, History of Art, History of Music, History of Philosophy, History of Spain, and Geography. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have school from 8:20AM-2:00PM and Tuesdays and Thursdays I have it from 8:20AM-2:50PM. Not one day during the week is the same class-wise. Lots to remember and I will for sure be like that awkward freshman who still looks at their schedule until the sixth week of school. On the bright side, I am making friends! When I showed up late today (story later) one of the girls ran up and hugged me because she thought I wasn't coming! My first day of school had a little bit of a rough start since I got home the night before at 2:00AM from Madrid.

Old "gateway" into Madrid

My host aunt (my host mom's sister) in the Central Park of Madrid

One of the banks

Kilometer 0: the place where all kilometers in the Iberian Peninsula are measured from

(And my super tourist-y picture)

Palacio Real

The Cathedral

La Plaza Mayor

My first cup of café con leche! Now I drink coffee everyday...

Hands down the BEST restaurant I have ever been to.

To say the least, Madrid was amazing. My host uncle gave me the tour with historical facts about everywhere we went. You know it has been a good day when you have to take off your shoes because your feet hurt from walking so much. I also got to meet my host sister and host dad when I went as well as a majority of his family. They are all so kind and I was told on a few occasions that I look more Spanish than my host mom's son in California! Sorry Jesús. Eloisa told me we will go back to Madrid at Christmas time so I can go to the museums and see more of it. El Prado, here I come! Due to this lovely weekend, I arrived at home quite late and got minimal sleep for the first day of school (but it was worth it.) Everyone stared at me and they didn't know I understood or could speak Spanish for the first two hours of the day. When they found out I could, both them and I were more social. 

Second late night of the week: I went to my first Rotary meeting in A Coruña last night. It started at 9:30PM and ended at, drum roll please... 1:00AM. I was super nervous because I was having dinner with some of the most prestigious people in this area of Spain. The fact that Eloisa kept telling them that I speak perfect Spanish made me too self conscious to ask someone to repeat themselves or to say that I don't understand. This came back later to bite me in the butt. When the secretary, which sat across the table from me I should add, asked me if the meeting was boring me, I didn't hear him, nor did my mind process the Spanish enough to understand, so I answered, "Sí, sí, sí." The man next to me, Carlos, started to laugh as well as the secretary and Carlos looked at me and asked, "¿Entiendes que te dijo?" To which I replied, "No." He repeated the secretary's question and, oh man... The embarrassment... Things like this happened on multiple occasions last night. After a certain point in the night, I don't understand Spanish anymore. I can speak it poorly, but there is no chance for me when listening to it. Now I understand when exchange students say that their minds are exhausted at the end of the day from translating. A Coruña is a 1 hour drive away from my home so Eloisa and I arrived home at 2:00AM. But wait, there's more! Yago had the keys to the apartment. He was asleep. He wouldn't answer his phone. He didn't hear our calls to the apartment. We tried calling him until 3:30AM. Finally, we called the police, woke up our next door neighbors to let us in and pounded on our apartment door for 5 minutes until Yago FINALLY woke up and let us in. Eloisa was just happy he was alive since it was quite odd that he didn't answer out 75 calls (that number was confirmed by Yago himself) or hear the doorbell. By the time I got to bed it was 4:00AM. ROUGH NIGHT, RIGHT?! However, Eloisa let me sleep in until 11:30 so I only had to go to school for 3 hours, but when I arrived, I found out that my last hour was cancelled. Only 2 hours of school for me today! To make things better, my Gallego teacher lived in the US for 4 months and pretty make told me I don't have to do any homework for her class.

In total, I'd say it has been a pretty good start to my second week in Spain. I am so incredibly thankful for all of those who helped make this happen. I know it might be hard sometimes, but it will be SO worth it when I return home.

"For God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power." ~2 Timothy 1:7. When I am down or feeling inadequate, I remember this verse and that God gives me strength when I call upon Him. For He makes all things possible.

~Ashlyn 

Out to the Ocean (Part Two)

What a week! I shall start from the beginning and work my way up until now:

1) My family is more than amazing. My host mom is so incredibly hospitable and makes dinner every night. Tonight, it was just me and her and even though she already ate by the time I came home, she still sat with me at the table and asked about my day (like my real mom would! :] Sorry, mama...) Yago... Well, he is a 14 year old boy: loves to watch TV, go to the skate park, not really have much to do with an older host sister, but nonetheless, he still asks me "¿Qué tal?" whenever one of us returns home.

2) I go to the beach everyday, no big deal. It is usually 75ºF, slight breeze, sunny, clear cold ocean... So pretty much it is PERFECT. It has only rained once and it was only for two hours, so I would say good weather so far! I know I will like it here mucho.

3) I have been to Ferrol twice now, and what a lovely city it was! (I will talk more about it later...)

4) I signed up for classes: yikes. School starts on Tuesday and I will be taking Spanish, English, Gallego, History of Spain, History of Music, History of Art, Religion, and Universal Literature. WHAT A LOAD. The co-director of school decided to put me in small classes so I will have about 10 kids or less in each class. At Minnetonka, I had 25-30 kids in one classroom. What a change. School goes from 8:20AM-2:50PM with two 15 minute breaks in the morning and no lunch time (that's for after school.)

5) I am now meeting people around my age and who I can hang out with! I played a card game similar to BS with about 10 other people. What's funny is their cards here go from 1 to 12, not Ace, 2-10, Jack, Queen, King. And we played this game outside of a bar because, what better place, right? But they were all very nice to me and when I saw some of them the next day, they said hi and remembered me! Perhaps school won't be so scary if everyone is this nice.

6) I have discovered that nearly EVERYONE smokes (even the kids my age.) Apparently, cigarettes are super cheap in Spain. So unfortunately it does smell frequently. On the bright side, my family doesn't smoke.

Now, for my adventure today, because today was my best day so far:

I went to the beach (as always. I do my devotionals there,) but today, I decided to release my inner child and make a sand castle. 

Who says I am too old to make a sand castle?

It's beautiful! I am so proud of it! I love the beach! I have also started running here, but today I was lazy so I took a walk along the beach instead.

Look that the water! So clear! So bright!

Footprints from other walkers.

Shall I tempt you with another picture of the ocean?

Are you jealous yet? It's five blocks away from me. I counted. I only got a mild sunburn today, which is an accomplishment! For those of you who don't know, I got terrible sunburns this summer because I hate using sunscreen. That may have to change... So my day so far has consisted of sleeping in until 10:00AM, getting to the beach by 1:00PM and while I am at the beach I made a sand castle, took a walk, did my devotional, and found more shells to add to my collection!

¡Qué bonita mi colección!

My day probably could have stopped there and I would have been incredibly happy, but it gets better. Yago told me I was going to meet Eloisa in Ferrol (one hour bus ride away) and I had to take the bus to meet her... Without him... So alone. He explained to me several times where I needed to get off, and I hoped I would get off at the right spot. I successfully navigated the system and met my host mom and the right stop! Woop woop! We then proceeded to meet a friend of her son, who is taking a gap year in California right now. Nuria, the friend, speaks really fast and honestly I really didn't understand most of what she said, but she is my age and really friendly so Eloisa left for home and Nuria and I went walking around Ferrol. I got a capo and picks for my guitar (oh, did I mention that my family had a guitar for me when I got here?! I adore it!) and then we met some of her friends, who were also very nice! And spoke really fast too. All four of us stopped to sit down and get this:

Vanilla frozen yogurt with crumbled cookie

Oh my. It was so good. It was very similar to Yogurt Lab back home, but I only got to choose one topping and flavor instead of 35. Nevertheless, it was still delicious. We all sat and talked, I just listened for a while and chimed in when I could insert something actually meaningful to the conversation or understood what they were saying. Another friend, Yago, came up and I also met him. He happened to be going back to Cedeira too so he sat next to me on the bus ride home and we talked about everything from music to TV to varying accents of English. He spoke really good English with a very unique accent (British mix Spanish mix... Some other European accent.) I got home and ate almost every snack I could find in my room because I was starving (feel free to send me some more,) but my host mom made me soup and a sandwich, which quickly put to rest my hunger. And here I am now! Writing in my blog!

It feels like I have been here more than a week and to be honest, the language is frustrating me because I forget words frequently and can't speak as quickly as I would like, but in all due time and a positive attitude will change that! My family is patient with me as well as everyone surrounding me so I am thankful for that!

God is doing wonders with me in my devotional time and I am learning to embrace my quiet time so I can spend it with Him. I have learned that God speaks best to us when we dwell in silence so we can talk to Him and we have no distractions. Almost always, God does not speak in a thunderous voice, but in a gentle whisper in the wind. Just as God told Jacob to leave to a foreign land, He guided him through it; God promises me the exact same thing in my new country.

~Ashlyn