Life is Life

In addition to a handful of helpful tips on how to avoid getting molested on the public bus, Rotary weekends also gave me many warnings based on past experiences to prepare me for my year here. In order to prevent disappointment and/or unnecessary surprises, these were repeated many times at each meeting. So far they have all rung pretty true- the holidays are hard, immersion is the quickest way to learn a language, Spanish mothers are always right, etc. But there was one thing I was told several times that i kind of brushed off, even when I was told not to. I told myself that it wouldn't happen to me. I moved on to daydreaming about the ocean and the travel opportunities I was sure to be presented with while living abroad. I even forgot that I'd ever been warned of it in the first place, I was that sure it didn't apply to me. Like about 98% of the assumptions I'd made before actually coming to Spain, I was wrong on this one.
You see, us outbound exchange students were constantly being told that the culture shock would wow us even years after we'd returned home, and that there were innumerable differences between life in Oregon and life over seas. This was what I chose to believe. However, on occasion we were also told that after a certain amount of time you find that the excitement and strangeness of the place will wear off, and you'll find yourself bored with life just like you were in America. This was what I chose to ignore and forget. Now, that decision is coming back to haunt me, creeping up on me in moments of solitude and letting me know that I might just have been wrong. I know I'm wrong, because I'm finding that the second warning should not have been forgotten, as it's what I've been feeling for the last week or two.
As much as I hate this (both the dullness I'm experiencing and being wrong), I guess it's a good thing for me to learn early in life. The grass will always look greener on the other side, but if you inspect both sides closely enough you'll discover that it's all just grass. Life is still life, no matter where in the world you're living it. Sure, my life here may include much more ham products and much less snow, but it's still life. I still get headaches, wonder if my hair looks OK, pick at my nails, have a hard time waking up before 10 am, and want to have Disney movie marathons all the time. On the one hand it's kind of reassuring, that I'm still me even when my surroundings drastically change, and that I don't have to become someone I don't have the capability of shifting into to fit in. On the other hand, it kind of scares me that there isn't really an other option. I used to think that going far far away would solve my problems, but now I know it doesn't work like that. If you don't like drama, moving halfway around the world isn't going to fix that; self-centered people don't specifically target your hometown as a desired place to live. Problems are a part of life, as are good days and love and weird food. I guess really all we can do is make the best of where we are when we're there.