Adventures Abroad: So what?

So what? Tomorrow is my last full day in Palma. So what? I have been here for just under a month. So what? I may never step back on this island again. It's crazy to think that I have been here for the past four weeks studying like a student and living like a local (well...at least one that goes to the beach pretty often) and the best phrase that I can come up with to sum it all up is "so what?" What have I learned from this experience? I would like to say everything, but that would be a lie. So what did I actually learn? Certainly a lot about marine ecosystems and how we are impacting the environment around us, especially in the Mediterranean. What else? About people? About myself? I've learned that I don't get along 24/7 with everyone, and that is perfectly okay. I've learned just how much I am willing to bend myself over backwards to look like I am doing the right thing so that I do not lose face. I learned that each person has a complex story to tell, even if they do not realize it yet. And they do weird things to cover up what they don't like about themselves or what they think other people want to see in them. It's funny to look back at how I have changed even within the past four weeks. I remember being really outgoing, willing to try and do anything so that I would not get FOMO (fear of missing out) while I was here. And now, here I am, my true self, a bit more quiet and reserved, a bit more exclusive but certainly no FOMO. Okay, I will admit there is a little there but nothing to make myself concerned over what other people are doing when I am not with them. Imagine though, if I were to remain that super outgoing person that I had greeted everyone with. That is not my story, that is not who I am. It takes time for people to settle in, to feel comfortable, to be who they truly are. Eventually, it comes out and it is in those moments that true, honest friendships can be made and fostered.

Enough reflecting for the night, let's get onto some updates on the past few days.

Yesterday was quite a regular day of classes. The last day of lecture (woot woot!), which went quite well after some coffee and sugar to keep me awake. Sometimes it's just so hard to sit through a three hour lecture without having the urge to fall asleep. Thank goodness for the coffee machine on the first floor, that thing is a lifesaver. After class, we had our last cultural meeting. Things got interesting in this meeting. It was a debrief of our experiences in London, conducted much like one might conduct the debrief portion of the discipleship cycle. It was definitely interesting to hear other people's thoughts and experiences in London, some of which were quite different than mine. For example, it was reiterated many times that the pace taken and the responsibilities placed upon us to be punctual or find our own way was very stressful, and one that could have not so been so strict for the sake of making sure the whole group got to enjoy London. I personally thought the pace was fine, but then again, I have had experiences in cities such as Hong Kong and New York that are quite similar to the fast-paced nature that London has. Again, each person has a story to tell, and each person is coming into the experience from a different place. It would be pointless to speculate the reasons behind such actions. Anyway, as you might be able to tell, the conversation got quite heated , especially about a particular incident where one kid got left behind for the entire day because he did not make it to the first meeting spot on time. It was good to hear people arguing points, especially regarding this small situation that might not have bothered other people. Overall, everyone seemed to be eager to debrief the whole experience and share what they learned and saw in London, which happened to be slightly different for each person. After the cultural meeting, we were going to watch a movie but the audio was not working. So instead, we played Crazy 8's for a couple hours while talking to each other, Antonia, and Alba, one of our Guardian Angels. It was nice to have a simple conversation with just a small group of friends. The rest of the day was spent on dental apps and finishing homework assignments for class, although I did get a chance to go out and go for a quick run along the shoreline, during which I was able to capture a yet another beautiful sunset in Palma.

(A great time to run!)

(Beautiful view as always)

Today, we visited the Palma aquarium. The aquarium, besides the inaccuracies of the portrayal of some of the marine ecosystems, was a pretty amazing place to be. Apparently it is the largest aquarium in either North Europe or Europe itself. There was a lot of stuff--we were here from 9-12:45, so there is certainly a lot of species to see and get to know. The fish were amazing to see, and the corals around the aquarium (though not the healthiest) definitely added to the experience by brightening some tanks with their fluorescent activity. Check out the pictures below! Like many things here, it is hard to describe with words because it just doesn't do this experience justice. After leaving the aquarium, we came back to Sa Rieira to work on our group presentation/final as well as this summary essay of our experiences in Cabrera. Definitely got a lot of work done, but I decided that I was going to jet home and grab a reward for a long day. I stopped at a frozen yogurt place called Llaollao, and ordered a yogurt/granola combo that was SO good--the yogurt was perfectly tangy and slightly sweet, and that mixed with the fruits in the middle was so delicious. That became my fruit servings for the day. While I was eating and up until dinnertime, I was working on my dental app but it paid off because I FINALLY SUBMITTED which was the best feeling ever. After dinner, I met up with Isabel and we walked down to the Cathedral to enjoy the night lighting and explore the harbor area a little at night. It was really cool to have a one-on-one conversation with someone finally, since that is definitely more in my comfort zone than any other interaction I have had here. We ended up coming back at 1:30AM, and now it is most certainly off to bed for me.