Discovering The True Meaning of Living in the Present Moment

One of the perks of living in Madrid is being able to escape to any part of the city and experience a moment of pure bliss. While living here I have discovered that I am truly happy to call this city home. I look forward to going to work, meeting new people, strengthening my friendships with other CIEE participants and individuals who reside in Spain. I am grateful to also have a community in Alcala de Henares. Living away from my friends and family in the states is difficult (especially when I used to be a two-hour drive from my family.) But thankfully everyone is just a FaceTime phone call away. 

On Saturday I felt a sense of urgency to write down a few thoughts (the old fashioned way with pen and paper ;). I walked over to the Temple of Debod which is only a fifteen-minute walk from my flat (yes I know I said flat not apartment-it’s been heavily ingrained in my vocabulary since I’ve moved here.) I sat down on a park bench, placed my headphones in and played classical music, all while watching the sunset. As soon as my pen hit the paper, the words suddenly flowed through. I thought it would be nice to share this personal piece with you. I hope you enjoy, but most importantly I hope you find it to be enlightening; 

07/05/2020:

Moments like this remind me how beautiful it is to live in the present moment. 

Here I am sitting on a bench in the Temple of Debod. 

Living in Madrid has been nothing but a dream come true. 

This journey itself has not always been the easiest.

 Moving and living in another country I’ve encountered an array of obstacles. 

But each time I got over the “hurdle” I was reminded that anything is possible. 

You just have to believe in yourself and the process. 

I hope that you find the beauty in your day. 

 We all have a unique story.

 Don’t live your life in fear. 

Do the complete opposite. 

Just go out there and create one hell of a story.