November 30, 2025
Rooted in Good Soil: Learning to Be Where My Feet Are
The idea that I have been living a completely different life in another country for three whole months is utterly surreal. Time is slipping by quickly, and sometimes it makes me sad to think eventually I will step away from a life I have cultivated and grown to love here. In fact, I recently joked to my host dad that I needed 1 more year here...except it wasn't really a joke. Time is fleeting, and I think a part of me will always long for just a little more of it. Just 91 days ago, I was introducing myself to people I had never seen before, and now those same people are lifelong friends. The well of blessings never runs dry; my cup runneth over!
This month has been filled with adventure, friendships, celebrations, and many memories. At the beginning of November, my host family, my friend Mathilda, and I took a trip to Sevilla and Granada, and I saw some of the most breathtaking views of my life. In Sevilla, we visited Plaza de España, Torre del Oro, La Giralda, Plaza de Toros, and the Seville Cathedral, which is one of the biggest churches in the world. In Granada, we explored the Alhambra, and it was unbelievable. When I am in moments like this, it is easy to want to take pictures and videos of everything or call my family and friends back home so they can experience it too. However, I am learning to pause and pay attention to what is right in front of me instead of rushing through it.
A little later in November, all the Rotary students in Spain traveled to Marbella for the 50th anniversary of Rotary Intercambios. I didn’t know about this trip until a few weeks before it happened, so it felt like the best surprise. I met students from every district in Spain, not just my own, and I loved getting to know so many new people from the entire world. We went to the beach, played paintball, listened to amazing speakers, ate a big celebratory dinner, and just spent time talking and bonding. Though my roommates that weekend were all from different countries, we connected quickly. The whole trip felt altogether comforting, energetic, and full of people who understand exactly what I am going through.
This month, my entire grade went out to dinner to celebrate Nocturno, which is a night that celebrates the semester ending. It is a time where classes enjoy time together after finishing a ton of exams. In November, the students in segundo de bachillerato take eight exams in three days. I enjoyed getting to spend time with people of my school. They have truly welcomed me like family and for that I am so thankful.
At the end of the month, the students in my district traveled to Madrid and celebrated Thanksgiving together. We went by train which was new to me, but I loved it. The train was just like a plane, but in the form of a train. It was so fun and I already can't wait to go again! Since Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated here, being surrounded by love and the tradition of Thanksgiving felt especially unique and meaningful. We toured the city, went ice skating, had delicious food, and saw many incredible places. I am grateful to be part of an organization that makes me feel safe and supported. I am thankful for my family and friends thousands of miles away, and just as thankful for the people who have become like family here.
To be frank, Thanksgiving was the first moment I found myself between here and home. Even though I was here, my mind drifted to my family back home sitting around a table that I wasn’t at this year. But then I remembered I will have many U.S. Thanksgivings in the future, and this could be the only one I ever spend in Spain, so I am overjoyed I was able to spend these moments here. For future outbound students who are reading this: know that it is okay to feel that little pull in your chest and to wish you could be in two places at once. What is not okay is to dwell on that feeling so long that you miss the beauty of the moment right in front of you. The ache is a reminder of the blessings you have been given. Let the tug on your heart remind you that you are loved, but let the present remind you that you are growing; the two feelings can coexist.
I kept thinking about a simple story Jesus tells in the Bible, in Matthew 13, about seeds falling on different types of ground. The parable is about a sower scattering seeds. Some fall on rocks, some in thorns, and some in good soil where they can actually grow. Lately, it has made me think about being present. When I spend too much time thinking about the future, it is like I am not giving myself any roots. When I get caught up in things from the past, it feels like I can’t breathe or grow. But when I focus on where I am right now, things just feel clearer. The story teaches that being present is where growth happens. When you choose to live in the present and be where your feet are, you plant yourself in good soil. That is where life grows. That is where fruit is produced. And the beautiful part is we all have access to that good soil.
This month, I received acceptance letters from colleges from my home state of Georgia to Alabama, and all the way to Prague, Czech Republic. The future is full of possibilities, and I trust that God has good plans for each step. Even if the future feels unclear, I know that here in the present, I am exactly where I am intended to be. I am a 17-year-old girl simply walking in the plans He has laid out for me, and right now, I am living one of my sweetest blessings.
All in all, November has been such a beautiful month. If I were given this opportunity again, I would choose Spain every time. I have been blessed with a supportive organization, a family who takes me to beautiful places and loves me as their own, and friends who always make me feel welcomed and supported. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to study abroad.
Before I left the U.S., some said coming here might make me lose my values or drift from who I am. The truth is, this experience has only helped me understand myself more clearly. It has taken nothing from me; rather, I am an even better version of who I once was. I’ve learned how to adapt to unfamiliar situations and how to communicate across cultures. I've gained independence, humility, emotional strength, open-mindedness, a new language, and I’m continuing to learn what it means to grow beyond my comfort zone. Three months abroad and my time here has changed me in ways I will carry for the rest of my life. I am already thinking about how I can share what I have learned and use my experiences to make a positive impact in my community and beyond.
Hasta la próxima!