I KNOW you have probably read something like this before… “I cannot believe the time is flying” or “Where has the time gone?!” I promise, there’s a reason why. EL TIEMPO VUELA. I really cannot believe this is my second to last blog post and that I have exactly 13 days left here in Oviedo. I remember starting my study abroad application or even the anxiety I felt at JFK airport like it was JUST yesterday. Anyways.. although I am mind-blown, let’s give you guys an update.
Over a week ago, my mom and aunt visited from Jamaica. I had been looking forward to this day FOREVER- not even kidding. About two months ago we planned to travel to Madrid and Lisbon, Portugal. Then, the next thing I knew, they were here! We had a wonderful time getting to know the two cities. Interestingly enough, I had not been to Madrid before, so it was really nice to experience it before I leave Spain. In both Madrid and Lisbon, we did the typical tourist “stuff” like walking and exploring the famous cites, cool restaurants, and taking interesting public transportation. My funniest and the most fun experience I had was seeing my mom’s face on the tram in Lisbon. Let’s just say 50 people packed on an old-time rail vehicle is just not her thing. It wasn’t the most comfortable of rides, but dang, was it fun!! We also did a beautiful tour of Lisbon in a little car, where we got to eat the famous “pastel de nata” desserts. Our Airbnb in Lisbon was absolutely breathtaking- if you go, hit José up on Airbnb. Madrid, to be 100% honest, was not my favorite. I definitely prefer Barcelona, but heck, I went for the experience! In Madrid, we got to experience great sangria and paella by Plaza de Mayor and in Lisbon, the coffee will blow your mind. I would recommend both cities in a heartbeat.
As my study abroad experience comes to an end, with final exams next week and the struggles of packing all my stuff into two suitcases, there’s a lot to reflect on. Of course, I’ll have a blog post just about that. For now, I can say that this experience was not everything I had expected it to be. It came with a lot of challenges and disappointments- like everything in life. Many times, people believe moving to a different continent or country or even state is gonna take away all your problems. Maybe for some. BUT, it will do other things, like make you stronger, make you appreciate your life more, make you fall in love with a language, and most of all, allow you to make great friends. So maybe yeah, it wasn’t allllllll that I thought it would have been, but that’s okay. In the end, it was more than I could have asked for. It showed me who I really am- someone who can turn the bad times into good times and make the best out of every situation.
España, gracias.
