Chapter Seven: 'Ojala...'

Since my last blog post quite a bit has happened.

The first British Astronaut entered space. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, The Special One, became The Sacked One. There was an awakening within the Force... did you feel it? (WHAT a film, by the way!) Spain's General Election resulted in the most politically fragmented Parliament the country has ever seen. And yesterday saw the back of 2015 for good.

Star Wars hype is universal. I didn't know this at the time, but (SPOILERS) there are actually TWO Ben's in this picture...

Like many others, the period between Christmas and New Year brings me to reflect on the year gone by: the challenges and targets I set myself, what I achieved, what I couldn't quite reach, the highest highs and the crushing disappointments. I'd  say that I often dwell on the regrets a lot more than the successes, which is why this year I've tried to change my outlook. This time around, I'm using the New Year as a time to look ahead, to set new targets and goals to focus on, rather than dwelling on any regrets or heartache from the previous year. This new outlook stems from a fantastic quote I came across shortly before Christmas (which you can read at the end as always) and is what this latest blog post will discuss. I don't think it's any coincidence that my time in Spain has given me a refreshing way to view our entry into 2016- over the holidays I've faced countless questions from relatives and family friends about what it's like to be living in Spain for a year, with just 12 hours a week spent teaching classes in English. My answer? 'It just feels like I'm on sabbatical.'

Why is this? Well, first of all the novelty of the whole experience still hasn't worn off. A year ago I still hadn't decided what I wanted to do in my third year- but I can emphatically say that I made the right choice now. Because of that previous indecision I can't help but feel as if everything that has transpired since has been a bonus. I think this outlook has really helped me embrace the experience thus far, and made me get the best out of everything I've done in Granada up to now.

One of my favourite things I've put into practice during the three-and-a-half months so far that I've been in Spain is a lovely little word called 'Ojalá', meaning 'hopefully', but more often 'I wish' or 'If only'. I've been using it quite often to answer questions like 'Do you have a girlfriend in England, Ben?' or 'Have you been paid yet by the Ministry of Education?' One of these has been solved over the holidays, although the answer to the other one remains 'Ojalá', and emphatically so.

The wonderful thing about this little word is that it can be used to express so many different things: it could be used for sarcastic self-deprecation, part of a wish list or, very relevantly, to look forward to whatever goals you set for the near or distant future. It's already worked it's way into my day to day vernacular because of this flexibility. But more importantly, every time I use it I'm made to think hard about what I want to achieve and what I still have to look forward to this year. It's shaping up to be a big one: starting halfway through my Year Abroad, finishing back at NTU to round things off. I've previously referred to these two years as 'the business end' of a language degree and it certainly feels like that is the case. But all the better to go into it with a year's worth of experience of Spain's people, lifestyle and culture, along with this cracking little phrase. It all adds up to an increasing confidence with engaging Spaniards in a recognizable style- that of the everyday conversation, which makes them see you as less a tourist who wants to just take a few pictures, and a seriously committed linguist who can maintain a conversation with little apparent effort. This is one of the biggest revelations that I've experienced thus far- Spaniards who are speaking with you also need to have confidence in your abilities, so give them reasons to believe in you and then you will absolutely fly.

Believe it or not, I took this.

I certainly feel much the better for going on the Year Abroad. Living with two Spanish girls who don't speak a word of English has certainly chucked me in at the deep-end, but I'm positive that this whole experience will be so worthwhile come next September, although at the moment that feels like a very long way away. Thankfully so- I don't want this 'sabbatical' to end anytime soon.

This doesn't mean that some time at home hasn't been much appreciated: quite the contrary, the last three weeks have been a perfect opportunity to really switch off for the first time for almost two years- no deadlines to meet, presentations to prepare, various paperwork to fill out or other external pressures in personal or social areas that can be even more draining than work. So for once I have enjoyed having a true break with nothing to be worried about. I've caught up with friends who have all been quick to tell me how rubbish I am at keeping in touch, been spoilt rotten by my wonderful family, eaten and slept a bit more than normal and been to see The Force Awakens twice. And now I'm positively itching to get back to Granada on Wednesday afternoon, ready to go again.

So roll on 2016- a year that will bring all it's own challenges and goals, highs and lows. A year that begins in Spain and ends back at NTU. I can't help wonder what will have happened by then: what will my classmates and I have achieved during our time abroad? How will our placements have changed us, and what will the end result be? All these questions, and a great many others, will be answered in due course. The only one I'm concerned with however, is this: will 2016 continue to bring success and improvement?

I think you know the answer already: 'Ojalá'.

Best of luck this year to you all. I wish you every success!


Life is locomotion- if you're not moving you're not living. But there comes a time when you've got to stop running away from things and start running towards something else. You've got to forge ahead, keep moving. Even if the path isn't lit, trust that you'll find your way.