Another week passes and with it, a full month comes to a close. Am I one month happier? One month sadder? One month better at Spanish? I can’t really answer any of these questions. I can, however, say definitively that I have a month of experiences that most people aren’t lucky enough to have. I’ve traveled to three distinct Spanish regions, visited countless parts of Mallorca and I’ve been immersed into a completely different culture. With two and a half months remaining, I’ll certainly continue to travel, continue to experience the rich culture and as a result, continue to try new things. All of these things are positive and I have no reason to complain even the slightest bit. I like to think of this blog as more of a neutral reflection. Obviously there are positives and negatives that I think about, so please don’t take my mixed emotions the wrong way.
Studying abroad leaves students very vulnerable, a feeling that no young person enjoys. Formerly abroad students glorify their experiences as excuses to party constantly with essentially no rules. I can see this point of view and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t come here expecting, in part, that type of lifestyle. While we’re being honest, I can tell you for a fact that if my good friends were here with me, I would definitely be pursuing the party lifestyle a lot more aggressively than I do alone. There it is: alone. I’m obviously not here by myself but as I’ve commented before, my group of girls isn’t exactly the best of company. Dealing with female drama is neither something I’m used to nor something I enjoy so I try to avoid it without being antisocial. We meet up a few times a week for tapas or drinks and this is almost always a good time. However, with every sip of sangria the situation grows more and more unstable. I won’t bore you with details (they bore me) but the group dynamic has become much like the all-time classic movie “Mean Girls”. They’re all nice on their own, one on one, but when the group is together, sparks fly. On occasion, these sparks ignite a sangria fueled inferno, leaving me to sweep up the ashes later.
Normally, study abroad groups are big enough that friendships are made organically and the small friend groups emerge out of common interests, not obligation. You get the point by now; here it’s different. However, as time has progressed, I no longer see it in such a negative light. Granted, I harp on the fact that I miss my friends, but I’ve come to the conclusion that studying abroad is best done alone. This sounds absurd, but hear me out. As mythical as studying abroad is perceived to be, in reality, it’s a true taste of the real world. Take away the preconceptions: prior friends in the same program/region (that’s cheating), the party scene, the American ways of life that we take for granted, etc. Take this all away and what do you have? A student living in a new place with a completely new schedule, a new language, and very different customs. It’s all too easy to fall back on a preexisting group of friends and not become truly immersed. Given the opportunity, I would absolutely take this path of least resistance. The right group of people can make any situation enjoyable and I miss the group that does this for me. However, feeling isolated forces and requires a great amount of self discovery, and that is what study abroad is really about. My group will be there for me when I get back and I definitely look forward to our reunion, but for the time being, this is a rare opportunity to explore not only a new location, but also a new definition of myself.
I hate to get this deep on you all but this blog is just as much a diary for me as it is informative/entertaining for you. This past weekend in Barcelona was awesome. I did begin the trip with almost missing my flight, but everything else went a lot more smoothly. I feel obligated to tell the story so here it is:
I had an 8:05 flight from Mallorca to Barcelona. Woke up at 5:45 (after being out until 2) and got on bus #1 (Port-City-Airport bus). I had all of my documents, all of my clothing: everything I needed. It was just my backpack and me so I didn’t need to check any luggage. Got through security problem-free by 7:00am and walked to the other side of the airport to my flight’s section. I was so early that the specific gate wasn’t listed yet so I picked one at random and took out my iPod. I closed my eyes for about 20 minutes, not sleeping but not complete conscious, and upon opening them again my flight was listed on the gate I had chosen at random. Awesome. Nap time round two. After my second round of shut-eye I see the boarding line swing right around to my seat. I simply stood up and I was comfortably in the back of the line. I got to the front of the line at around 7:55, presenting my passport and boarding pass when the ticket checker tells me that I failed to get a stamp on my boarding pass signifying my approval to fly on the airline, Ryanair, as an American citizen. “No fly without this” she said in broken English. “Run”. So, I dropped my bag and ran. I sprinted faster than I had in the last four months. It’s beside the point that I may or may not have been swearing in English the entire time, but no one in the airport could understand so it’s fine. After finding the office in the exact opposite corner of the airport from my gate I got my stamp, weaved my way through the security line, went through security for a second time (I felt double secure) and sprinted back to my gate. After what I would estimate to be about a half mile of running, I got my bag and was the last person on the plane. Dripping with sweat (I’m out of shape) I sat down in the exit row and took until takeoff to catch my breath again. And thus started my trip.
Upon my arrival I bought some fruit salad at the big market and walked down “Las Ramblas” to the port to see some yachts. Later that afternoon I met up with my friend who I was staying with and we ate lunch with his mom who was visiting for the week. We then went to Park Guell, an unfinished housing development designed by Gaudí, and we saw some unbelievable architecture as well as breathtaking views of the entire city of Barcelona and the ocean beyond. Later that night once we made our way to the concert, I met up some good friends that I hadn’t seen since May. The actual event, Sensation, was unbelievable. I know it’s hard to imagine 17,000 people, all dressed in white, dancing to techno (house music) in the ‘92 Olympic stadium, so check out some pictures (below) that I stole from my friends on Facebook. After being at the concert from 9:30pm-5am, we finally left. Two and a half hours of sleep later I was eating breakfast with my friends and at about noon we got on the bus for the airport. The flight home was without incident. After yesterday’s holiday (for Cristobal Colón), I think I’m almost caught up on sleep.
I woke up this morning not feeling too well and I’m definitely struggling a little bit right now. I had my first “intercambio” this morning, which is essentially a group meeting set up by my program with Spanish students at the university who want to improve their English. We meet once a week for two hours (one hour in Spanish and one hour in English) and I think it’s a very good way to improve my speaking while also helping them. I have a group of three girls (it never ends, classic) but they’re really nice. In two weeks I’m also going to start teaching an 11 year old girl English at her house. My program director recommended me for it so that’s my next endeavor. I have class at 5:00 tonight and I was going to keep my weekday gym streak alive, but I really don’t feel well enough to do anything. My knee has been feeling a lot better and I’m definitely motivated to keep doing exercises. My group is hiking in the mountains to a refugee camp on Saturday to Sunday in Soller (I have pictures of Soller in my first post) so I’m looking forward to outdoor activity that doesn’t involve a city (true Mainer at heart). The weather has been fantastic every day (80s and sunny) but I’m told that it will get cooler very soon. Wherever you are, keep living the dream. Until next time.
Matt
The group I went with
Craziness
Park Guell Entrance
Park Guell View of Barcelona
Nice view of the port
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