And today, I lived it.
These are the molinos de viento, or windmills, of Don Quijote. This is a picture from the opposite direction, but isn't it beautiful? This doesn't even seem to be one of the most extravagant things that we've seen, but it meant a lot to me. 
The coolest part of the experience was that I got to read a section of Cervantes' text to our group. What can we learn from Don Quijote? Although I have to admit that I haven't read it in total, it's on the list. If you are not familiar with the story, Don Quijote is a traveling knight who has read many stories of real knights and their adventures. His companion/squire is Sancho Panza. I could go into a lot more detail, but I just want to tell you my favorite parts of what we read together today.
Don Quijote sees the windmills on the hill and wants to fight them because he thinks they are giants. These are those windmills! Only one is original, but they are all beautiful. My favorite is Sancho's response: ¿Qué gigantes? What giants? Don Quijote tells him, "Ellos son gigantes, y si tienes mido quítate de ahí y ponte en oración en el espacio que yo voy a entrar con ellos en fiera y desigual batalla." In short, they are giants, and if you are scared, go over there and pray while I enter into battle with them.
Sancho watches while Don Quijote charges the windmills. Obviously he is defeated, and comes away exhausted and weak. However, Sancho still stands by him. So what is the purpose of this story? To me, there are two important things we can learn. One, Don Quijote has a good attitude. He says, "Si no me quejo del dolor, es porque no es dado a los caballeros andantes quejarse de herida alguna." Again, in short, knights don't complain about any wound. In my mind, this is easy to apply because sometimes I have a very low pain tolerance. But I also think there is a difference between physical and emotional pain--the former of which I usually complain to the world, the latter for which I have a high tolerance because I keep it private.
But Don Quijote doesn't complain about either. The second thing we can learn from the segment we read today is that although there will be many "windmills" in our lives, we have to choose how we want to face them. Some people are forced to go up against windmills, some search for them, and some just watch the windmills from a distance. Regardless, with each windmill, each battle, comes a lesson. What will we learn from them? Don Quijote decides soon after his unsuccessful encounter with these "giants," these windmills, that he will now search out another adventure. "Toda aquella noche no durmió Don Quijote, pensando en su Señora Dulcinea, por acomodarse a lo que había leído en sus libros, cuando los caballeros pasaban sin dormir muchas noches en las florestas y despoblados, entretenidos en las memorias de sus señoras." And all that night Don Quijote didn't sleep, thinking about his Señora Dulcinea, and what he had read in his books, when the knights continued on without sleeping for many nights in the groves and uninhabited places, entertained by the memories of their women...
And finally I return to the response of Sancho Panza, the trusty companion of Don Quijote. "¿Qué gigantes?" Although this remark initially could be taken as a "you're crazy" comment, the more I've thought about it, maybe it isn't. Maybe Sancho's reaction wasn't one of disbelief and embarrassment that Don Quijote thought the windmills were giants, but rather one of assurance to give confidence to his faithful master that the windmills weren't unconquerable. We are the giants; we are the ones that can defeat the windmills.
So that's what I want to remember whenever there is something seemingly insurmountable in my life. ¿Qué gigantes? Like when I try to have a calling, go to school, and have a social life at the same time. ¿Qué gigantes? Or when finals week seems like it will destroy me. ¿Qué gigantes? Or when I have to start an intense exercise program when I get home because I know I've eaten so many Spanish pastries. ¿Qué gigantes?
Or when I have to leave this country that I love. ¿Qué gigantes?
