Introductions

For years, living in small-town California, I never really had the experience of having to introduce myself. More often than not I met people who already knew who I was, where I lived, and a few intimate details about my family. This was both disconcerting and amusing, and certainly unique.

Since leaving home, however, introductions are something I´ve become quite good at. I know now how to play to what people expect, presenting myself as a portfolio of the accepted identifiers: name, age, hometown, current home/occupation. Granted, to the invested listener these facts mean very little in the overall scheme of who I am, but coming to truly know someone takes time and a great deal of effort. You, reader, will come to know me slowly, through what I will reveal and through your own synthesis of those revelations. But we have to start somewhere… so let´s start with the basics.

My name is Tajha, I´m 19 years old, and I grew up in coastal California, spending time between San Francisco and a family ranch somewhat south. I completed high school in 2010, and then chose to take a year off before beginning college. During this year I lived in London, studied Spanish in Salamanca, and traveled around Italy, France, Germany, and Poland. I had always known I was going to need that time, and I am lucky enough to have parents who supported me in a year of self-discovery. I believe that one can never underestimate the value of learning that takes place out of the classroom. So I had a little fun: I visited museums and cafes and street markets. I rode in trains, planes, and buses. I stayed in hostels and with family and with new friends. I had scary experiences and wonderful experiences and I learned from each and every one.

And now, a year later, I feel ready to enter into a new phase of my education as I begin my college studies at Suffolk University in Madrid. I am excited about the opportunities given to me by the city I live in, the classes I´m taking, my professors, mentors, and new friends.

So, WELCOME to my adventure.