You are my Everest!

I would venture to say that my time in Bilbao has been well spent and very beneficial so far. The program is organized, the school is nice, my teachers are nice and Bilbao is nice. You would think that since I am still going to classes here in Spain that that would be where most of my learning takes place, and to an extent that is where I learn. However, the majority of the things I have learned in Spain have been outside of the classroom. I have learned a lot of the language, a lot about the culture and a lot about myself. It is amazing the strides that you take when you are places in a foreign country with what I could only label as a mediocre knowledge of the language based solely upon book learning rather than practical application. I have learned a lot about what I am capable of. I used to think that Spanish was somewhat similar to mount everest in that it was just one of those things that I would never be able to conquer. While I would not say that I have conquered Spanish, I would say that I believe it is possible. While my grammar is still a little shaky and my word choice will inevitably be incorrect many times during the day, I can get my point across. I can get my point across even when the topic is complex and my thoughts are complex. For the first time I can actually communicate, and after all, isn't that what it is all about. While to many this may not seem like a monumental task, it was to me. Languages do not come easy to me, but all of my hard work and hours using a dictionary are finally paying.