So it has been a while since I have
blogged, mostly because I have been in denial that my time abroad has come to
an end. But I decided to take that step, and finally take the opportunity to
tell you all, in words rather than in pictures, about this crazy, amazing,
exhilarating and liberating experience that this incredible journey has taken
me on.
Deciding to take the big leap to
study abroad, and thus travel completely by myself for the first time was the
scariest yet most exciting decision I have ever made to date. For some reasons,
studying abroad meant me for me to be an escape from my life at UCI. I had a
tough time my second year of college, from difficulties in my courses to
difficulties in dealing with the everyday drama that comes with being a young
college student. In a sense, UCI seemed more and more like a prison cell, and I was dying to
get out. I was dying for excitement and I desired to do something different. Seemingly, taking a break to think about my life and who I was in a completely different setting seemed like the only panacea.
When deciding on which route I
would take to study abroad, I felt a strong tug towards the
country of Spain while researching my options. I had always been fascinated
with its culture, partly because it was everything opposite of my personality.
I was very high strung and never strayed too far from my time schedule for
everything. While Spain was easygoing and people took their time for everything.
Spain seemed like a chance for me to test my personality, and thus question who
I was and learn more about myself.
And so Madrid, Spain it was – and
off I went. I can remember myself so clearly the day I left for Spain. I was
such a scared young girl, clutching my passport in hand, waving good-bye to my
parents before going through security in LAX. It was the first time I ever
traveled alone, and I was so nervous about where life was about to take me.
Taking off and seeing California disappear below me, I knew that by
the time I came back my life would change drastically. So I took that leap. Why not? I was young and had nothing to lose. And of course, I don’t regret a single
thing.
And what did I learn during my time
abroad? You might ask. Well, I don’t know where to start. The excitement and
beauty of Madrid taught me so many things. In Madrid, I learned the beautiful
art of public transportation – changing lines, avoiding the line 1 closure at Sol (Madrid kids - you know what I mean) and successfully getting onto the
last Metro’s before 1:30am. I learned how to trust in myself and use my knowledge
of the city to get around and not get lost. I therefore built up a mental map
of Madrid and managed successfully to get around the town (a great feat for
those challenged with directions like me). I used my mental agility to deal
with language barriers, and communicate with locals. I tasted all the foods of
Spain – from the famous jamón to pulpo to tortillas – and loved them all. I saw
the great works of Picasso, Dalí, El Greco, Velázquez, Goya and many more - in
which I was able to learn about their distinct styles and the hidden
meanings in all of their works. I ventured out of my comfort zone, and learned
to assert my own independence in a big world. By traveling alone, I also
figured out who I was apart from my identity built up by my associations and
friends back at school. Losing my cellular data and then soon after my Wi-Fi
connection on my iPhone became a blessing in disguise, and I soon learned that
life is so much more taken advantage of when you don’t have to constantly be
plugged in to your social media networks. Most importantly, I learned to let
loose a little. I began to ignore my constant need to plan and map out
everything with purpose and strict time schedule. I began to start my days not
knowing where life would take me and by the end of the day adventuring to a
part of town I never intended on going to. I learned that there are so many
important things to experience in this big world of ours. I began to appreciate
the world so much more. And thus, I fell in love with every crack in the
pavement of Madrid, the feeling of cobblestone underneath my feet in Plaza Mayor, the sunlight
filtering through the trees in Retiro, and the steady rhythm of the Spanish
language on the Metro. With everything that I learned, I began to understand the absolute
blessings life has given me to be able to see the world - to be able to experience different
cultures while also learning about myself at such a young age.
However,
I think it is the people that I have met on this journey that have made the
biggest impact on me during my time abroad. ACCENT, UC Madrid kids – I love you
all. Never have I met such an impressive, passionate and intellectually curious
young group of people. Your personalities, adventures, and stories genuinely
inspired me – and in my opinion, I think we inspired each other. Within such a
short period of time, I saw us all grow and evolve and become true madrileños.
From our experiences exploring the city, speaking in broken Spanish in class, El
Encierro de los Toros (did I mention they are also insane?), Galicia, Kapital
nights and beyond – we all truly bonded and made the best of our experience in
such little time. I dedicate this blog post to you all – because if it weren’t
for you guys I would not have had the best time of my life. Thank you all for
being the most adventurous and daring friends I have ever had, for getting me
out of my comfort zone and letting me learn about you and also myself.
To
anyone reading this post, I hope what you take from this is to go out and learn
about the world yourself. Life is scary, and the world is big – but never be
afraid to try anything or to do anything. Embrace uncertainty and the endless
possibilities of life, you will be pleasantly surprised as to what life has to
offer you if only you go out there and discover it for yourself. You can accomplish so much,
in so little time. Go see the world, conquer it.
So
finally, I’d like to end this post with my favorite quote from Thoreau… “I went
to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential
facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when
I came to die, discover that I had not lived… I wanted to live deep and suck
out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to
rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life
into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”
Madrid, en mi corazón vivirás siempre.
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