When I landed in Spain, I knew that I had a journey ahead of me. My Grandpa told me that I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. To be honest, I was never scared, but rather lonely at times. After the first couple nights, I had to really sit and figure out what version of a story I want to come back to the States with: the Barrett who stayed in his room and let being by myself get to me, or the Barrett that went on the adventure of a lifetime. So I did a mental turnaround of my perception of traveling alone, and viewed it as the opportunity to go as hard as I can. When you travel with loved ones, of course it is wonderful to be with family. But you do have to compromise, and pace yourself to be respectful to everyone. Here, in Valencia, I had free roam of the Country. The story to be written was all in my hands, and so I set handwritten goals of things I want to do and see. Making friends was on that list, and I became acquainted with Dutch, German, French, Swiss, Chinese, and Japanese people in which I got to learn about the world, not just Valencia. It also gave me extra practice in my Spanish. I went into stores and talked in Spanish and felt like a normal citizen. Going to a restaurant and doing the whole process in Spanish, discovering just how amazing the tapas and paellas are, I felt fully submerged. My goal was to practice my Spanish, and I got to do just that. Being submerged in a place where not speaking Spanish will be a real hindrance to daily life, being forced to adapt to culture changes and live their lifestyle, that was the adventure I craved and found. The people of Valencia seemed to never be in a rush, as compared to the keyword “efficiency” we live by here in America. The last time I lived without stress of any kind was spring of 2019. To have been able to be in school, making friends, seeing so many new places, yet not once feel nervous or anxious, that was what I desired so badly, and I found it. I missed my community back home, it was not easy. But I decided to go for it and live as much as I could in Spain, and I not once had a single regret. That is not something I can normally say, but this trip opened my eyes in so many ways. I now understand how different some cultures are (I really am only exposed to latino american culture besides my own culture), I now understand how big this world really is. We have so many places we can go and see, and there is so much beauty that exists. So why not take the opportunity when it arises to go? I plan to live like that, and write the story of my life as one full of adventure, growth, seeking out opportunities such as this, and living everyday, no matter what stress I may have in life, like I am on the trip of a lifetime. Because the version of myself I found in Spain is the version I was not expecting to come back as in such a short time. But living to the fullest, I can happily say I have no regrets, and I am at peace with what truly was an adventure of a lifetime. Thank you Valencia, ¡Hasta pronto!
