Let them eat cake

In celebration of Pascua (I have two breaks this semester, and this is the second one), we decided to have a cake party at the park. So we went to Mercadona and picked out a big chocolate cake. But then Caitlin had to skidaddle (next time!), which only left Katelyn and I. So we instead picked out two bitty chocolate cakes. They were so delicious ( I don't usually care for chocolate), filled with cocoa cream and strawberry preserves, covered with a dark chocolate ganache. I wonder why they packaged the cakes in pairs. Hm. Anyhow, I think it's nice because sweet treats taste better when shared. That's why Twix candy bars are the best.

While Katelyn and I ate the cakes [with our hands because we wanted to be frugal and thus forego forks], we talked about how studying abroad sort of speeds up the growing-up process. I know I've already mentioned a similar thought before, but it even applies to friendships. Usually I make friends (not acquaintances) slowly, mostly because trust isn't instant and neither is vulnerability. But being in a foreign country and belonging to a program where no one really knows each other sort of forces us to speed up the friendship process. Sure I might not have caught a person's last name, but we do chummy things like make plans to get coffee in the afternoon. Loneliness is a natural thing to feel at times, but being lonely all the time probably means that you're actually quite alone, and I think we as humans naturally try to avoid coming to that conclusion. So we smile more and start conversations before class with strangers. And before long, you no longer find yourself hanging out with people just to hang out, but you hang out so you can spend time with people you truly care about.

Given that the people in the program come from different parts of the US, many goodbyes in May will be real (not the see-you-in-the-fall) ones. But this makes me think of what someone once said at a graduation dinner; she acknowledged one particular girl even though their friendship was newer than any of the others present in that room. She said that most people wouldn't make an effort to invest in a friendship with someone who was leaving when there were other friendships to be made that had more "potential." Then she relayed to the audience the words of her friend, words that put that mentality to shame: "Hey, you're leaving soon. I don't know you very well, but I better get to know you fast if we want to be friends. Let's make every moment count." Investing in this friendship wasn't going to broaden her pool of potential roommates or give her a speed-dial contact to call for an impromptu lunch the following year. I think it makes sense that the graduate acknowledged this friendship out of any others that night because it was a selfless friendship, profound in its simplicity--no hidden agendas, no selfish gain. I heard this speech seven years ago and I still think about it at least once a week.

So where does the growing-up have to do with this? Well, I recognize and see. I recognize the beauty of living in such a way and see that I have much improvement to work towards.

Sorry for all the typos. I'm very sleepy now.