I randomly found a couple of my journal entries from Spain this summer. Here is one excerpt..

"I'm sitting at the Tormes river sun bathing, having a glass of fanta and reflecting on my study abroad program while a random thought occurred to me. Why am I so happy? What is it about being in a different country, in place of unfamiliarity that brings out the best in me. Could it simply be the opportunity to reinvent myself in a new environment with new sets of people in my life? Or could it be that it is the first real break I've had from work since.....well EVER! It may be a combination of all those things, but one thing is for certain, this is the first time in my life that I actually did something for myself without the influence of others; whether it be for educational purposes, or family pressure. While I still here at this beautiful river and reminisce on the most amazing month of my life, another random thought occurred to me. How is that people just expect to be happy all the time? What gives us humans the entitlement of being in a steady state of happiness? To me, I view happiness just like success. Neither of those things can always be consistent nor guaranteed in life. You want happiness or success you better be ready to chase. If I had just sat at home and not gone on this trip to Salamanca, Spain, it would have taken away from the happiness that I feel sitting here. I often question what I have done to be so blessed with amazing opportunities. Perhaps I'm just an optimist, but something inside of me always tries to find the good- the silver lining in everything. After all, if you always look at the glass half empty, what good does that do for you? Absolutely nothing".