Altered Pace

Pace is something that is constant, an unspoken rhythm that acts as a metronome for how quickly something occurs.  It can be rapid, like a heartbeat, or slow as the tick of the second hand of a clock, counting down the remaining time that we have left on this earth.  In Spain, I became accustomed to living a life of accelerated pace.  I was always moving, whether it was walking to class, riding on the metro, or braving the Barcelona streets in a taxi ride.  However, as I have returned home the pace of my life has been drastically altered.  I no longer continuously have some place to be, and have time to relax in a hammock as the sun beats down upon me while I slowly turn the pages of a good book.  I had adapted to a life of never ending motion, and it now feels strange to return to my life where time stands still. 

I have also noticed the immense quiet of my suburban neighborhood.  The only sound that I can distinguish is the tranquil chirping of birds.  There are no footsteps, no people rapidly speaking in Spanish in the street, and no car horns blaring in thick traffic.  In five weeks, I am not used to hearing such a lack of sound.  It is unusual to see so much open space and green because Spain is so congested, and the only green that you see are the leaves on the trees.  Colorado is so spread out as opposed to the confined concrete streets of Barcelona.  It feels odd to be home and return to my life that I left before Spain because it almost seems as though I had never left.  I have recoiled back into my old routines, and it is weird to think that I was gone for so long when my life does not appear to be any different at home.  However, my life is different, and I now understand the rich history and way of life from another place in the world.  Returning home, I miss the endless exploration and discovery from my life in Spain.