Grounding

Hey everyone – it’s been a while. I have more stuff that I wrote during my time in Sevilla (which I will come out with in the future) along with other things that I still would like to write about my time abroad, but I’m back in the States now. Just moved into the new apartment in Madison two days ago, actually. Today was the first day of classes. This semester (my last semester of college!) I plan on writing weekly blog entries. I realized a while back that the mindset I had with writing back in Sevilla wasn’t conducive to me actually following through with it most of the time (as demonstrated by the lack of posts past October). Often there was just a lot that happened and a lot I wanted to talk about. By putting this pressure on myself to write about all of the major things that happened, I procrastinated, thus leading to more things happening and even more resistance. Hence, this time I want to allow myself to just talk about whatever and have the main priority be getting something out there every week. Of course, there’s a place for those longer, more aggregate reflections (which I’ll try to place here and there throughout the semester), but being okay with writing a little less should allow me to be more consistent. I’m hopeful at least.

For this entry, I wanted to write on some thoughts I’ve had during my four weeks back at home for winter break. First of all, it was pretty surreal being back in the U.S. again and then immediately joining family for Christmas celebrations (all after around 30 hours of travel). It was quite nice to have that comfort of family and the warmth of the holidays to enjoy, and I was surviving surprisingly well despite my substantial lack of sleep in the previous few days. Got to see my niece and nephew again (as I write this, my niece Zoey turned one a bit over a week ago) and play at this cool indoor playground in Edina. All the while, I was still very much in “Europe” mode, as this was the default I was used to for about four months. I was sad to be away from my friends abroad and not be able to explore Sevilla anymore, but at the same time, it was nice to be home and with family and in the cold strangely enough. Something about the winter air is just refreshing; I’ve felt this way for many years.

Even though I was at home doing a lot of the same stuff throughout the break (although there was certainly some variation), it felt like break lasted a long time. By the time I was preparing to leave to Madison, it had felt like it had been a long time since I was in Spain, but it was actually a little under a month. Time has continued to feel slow even after leaving Europe, and I honestly appreciate it. I wonder if part of it is that being in the U.S. gained some sense of novelty since I was in Europe for so long. I’m not sure. Despite the cold (some days it was <5°F or -15°C), I would go on walks nearly every day. Along with watching TV with family (The Good Place is a really good show) and having conversations with my siblings out in the living room, these walks helped ground me. Due to circumstances with the car and my foot still recovering from a minor injury, I was largely cooped up inside. Going outside, even if just for a loop around the neighborhood, was nice to just get a bit of a refresh. I’ll already be walking a lot here on campus in Madison, but I would like to incorporate more times like this during the day where I just walk without listening to anything, allowing myself to think and observe.

I never created any new year’s resolutions for 2026, but I do have one from last year that I didn’t follow through with very much that I’d like to carry forward and execute on this year: create more. These blog entries will be a part of that. I have other things planned as well, but I can write about those in the future once they’re underway. Something else that I’d like to maintain for this semester in particular is the adventurousness I had while I was abroad. I want to try new things, go to new places, and explore Madison in a way I haven’t done in previous semesters. I’ve made it so my schedule will finally permit that a bit more easily. I found that that mindset of exploration and curiosity made the days feel fuller while I was in Spain. I imagine that bringing that adventure and novelty will just generally help me grow as a person too. Procrastinating less (which shockingly I’ve actually been good about today!) would also help in allowing me to explore more freely and with less stress. I know things won’t necessarily be as successful as today was every day of the semester, but I trust that I can make this semester a great one if I’m intentional about things.

I’ve gotta remind myself: sin miedo. This blog entry isn’t perfect. I’m not going to be able to produce a perfect entry or perfectly express all my thoughts without it becoming a little wordy or scattered sometimes. But the important thing is that I get it out there, and I can improve it over time. I can’t improve it if I don’t get it out in the first place.

Signoff + Photos

To sign off, here are some photos from break back in MN:

• See, I’m not the only one who enjoys the cold air!

• In the snow with the packed rental car before heading out for Madison :)

P.S. like always, feel free to write a message with your thoughts or your own life updates!