Living in a tiny apartment with five other people and constantly surrounded by noise and personality made me forget how much I enjoy being alone.
Recently, I decided to take a little day trip to one of the cities neighboring Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastián. I had a weekend all to myself and wanted to make it back to the small beach town after hearing about a specific ocean-water therapy-based spa called La Perla.
So I booked a morning bus, made a reservation for 9:30 am, and I was off. Upon arrival I was greeted by gray clouds and lots of rain, not exactly ideal for a spa day, but we made do.
I had two hours at La Perla to enjoy the various pools and saunas. There was even a door leading out onto the beach, which due to the gray sky and frigid temperature I did not intend on taking advantage of. That was until I met Maite.
I was struggling to tighten my swimsuit top in the bathroom when an older Spanish woman came in and offered me help. I told her it was my first time at the facility and she got so excited, insisting she show me around and introduce me to her friends. Soon I was sitting in a sauna with a bunch of 80-year-old Spanish folk, talking chisme (gossip) with them. It’s amazing to see how much life is in the older generation. We shared jokes and little ice cubes you were supposed to rub on your legs in case you got too hot.
Eventually Maite convinced me to go out in the freezing cold ocean with her, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. We had the best time, laughing and screaming and jumping over the waves.
I spent the rest of the time enjoying the various sea-water pools, bubbles and jets, before seeing my time was up. Maite reminded me of a grandmother, insisting to help blow-dry my hair and walk me out. I will certainly remember that experience for the rest of my life.
After, I decided to explore old-town (I bought myself a pin that looked like a pintxo de tortilla, SO CUTE!) before climbing up Parque de Urgull and seeing the tall statue of Jesus “El Sagrado Corazón de Jesús”. It was so peaceful being on my own, getting to enjoy the rainy weather and lush greenery. There were various colorful flowers growing around memorial stones. It was perfect, not too hard of a hike, but once it got too cold and rainy I decided to cut my losses and head back down into town.
There, I treated myself to some patatas bravas and well-known San Sebastián cider. I brought my book and read for at least an hour while I enjoyed my snack, chatting with other customers and the staff (who didn’t end up charging me for my cider, so sweet!)
The rain started to let up by then, so I did some souvenir shopping for family and friends, getting to see the pretty architecture and cathedral throughout the small city.
Walking along Ramon Maria Lili Pasealekua, a street by the ocean, I hit every stand at the Christmas markets, treating myself to some churros and chocolate before visiting a nearby nativity scene in a little park.
Before getting on my bus home I ended the night walking along the beach, calling family members and accidentally stumbling in on a church service in the cathedral next to the bus station (same thing happened in London at St: Paul’s Cathedral, how fun!)
It was the perfect me-day, exactly what I needed. Though I do hope I can come back when it’s not too rainy next time!
A few weeks ago, I decided to take a solo trip to Granada. A few weeks prior to that my program took all the ISA students on a Cordoba-Granada excursion. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the program’s excursion, because I was going to Mallorca that weekend with my friends. We booked our Mallorca trip over the summer prior to coming abroad, and it just so happened that the weekend we selected intervened with the ISA excursion. I must admit, I experienced major FOMO when I was in Mallorca, because I felt like I was missing out on a pivotal experience. This was ISA’s first excursion with all the students, and I had not met all the other ISA students, so I was worried about not making friends. Seeing the La Alhambra was also on my bucket list before I arrived in Sevilla, and it felt like a lose-lose situation. I struggled for a few weeks with feelings of regret and disappointment that I missed out on something I was really looking forward to, and I couldn’t help but be very critical of myself for not making the excursion work according to my expectations. As I kept trying to shake off my negative feelings about the whole situation, I took the time to call my dad and express my frustrations.
I remember him saying something that has stuck with me during my study abroad experience – He said, “Romina, do not dwell on things that have already happened. What is done is done, and there’s no point in making yourself upset over something that you don’t have control over. You need to take the time to make the most of what already is because that’s life. Remove your expectations and find a way to make the most of it.”
So, I did just that.
After my Morocco trip, I had the next weekend free in Sevilla. It would be one of my last weekends in Sevilla before I started traveling every weekend to other European countries. I decided to take the time to plan out a day trip to Granada and explore the city on my own. I downloaded the Omio train app and booked my train tickets. Then I scrolled on TikTok trying to find activities to do in Granada. My train was set to leave early Saturday morning, and I spent Friday night packing, prepping my meals, and doing laundry. The train ride was approximately 3 hours, and I needed to find a way to keep myself busy. I packed my diary to journal and air pods to listen to music. I woke up at 5:00am the next morning, ordered a Cabify to the train station, and got on the train to Granada. I fell asleep for the first two hours and then watched the sunrise from the train window for the last hour. It was such a calming feeling to drink my tea and look out the window to Spanish meadows and vineyards pass me by.
As a type A person, I usually like to have an itinerary for trips with my days mapped out. I like knowing what’s next, what places we are going to, and what I need to prepare for. Not only was Granada my first ever solo trip, but it was the first time I was traveling to another city with no plan. I had some ideas about what I wanted to explore, but there was nothing set in stone. I set out with an open mindset willing to explore and “find a way to make the most of it.”
My train arrived at the Granada train station at roughly 9:00am, and I was utterly confused as to why everyone was wearing scarfs and trench coats. It was only once I stepped out of the train that I instantly regretted wearing a t-shirt, because it was freezing. I was so happy that I grabbed my sweater at the last minute or else it would have been miserable to walk around with a t-shirt in 40-50 degree weather, (a general note to travelers…always check the weather before you go :)). I ordered another Cabify to take me up to the La Alhambra and while I knew I would most likely not be able to get in because tickets were sold out months in advance, I wanted to try anyways. I am so glad I took the initiative to ask, because the lady at the front desk informed me that while I couldn’t visit the main palace, I could however walk to the bottom of the hill and explore the other historical sites that were open to the public. I made my way down the path, and I was able to see King Charles V palace (a place I learned about in my Spanish Art History class) and visit a cute souvenir shop. I bought some gifts for my family and souvenir items for myself, and I continued down the path into the town square. Despite the cold, the city still felt lively and vibrant. Children were running up and down the walkways with their parents following closely behind, musicians were playing The Beatles on their saxophones and keyboards, and fall colored leaves fell from the trees to cover the streets. The atmosphere made me feel like I was walking on a movie set living out my main character moment. I walked past brides taking their wedding photos, musicians playing their instruments, kids running up the cobbled-stone pathways, and an actual Spanish wedding. It was so fun to watch the bride drive away in a Porsche, and the wedding guests exit a cathedral dressed in high-class attire. I was entranced by their outfits and sheer class, and it was unique to see the cultural differences between American weddings and Spanish weddings. The city square was also bustling with people, shops, and more performers.
At this point, I had spent two hours sightseeing and roaming through the hills of Granada, and I was hungry. Once I reached the city square, I looked on Google Maps to find a place to eat. I found a small Coffee shop called Cafe 4 Gatos and began my five-minute walk through the hills of Granada to the food place. Nestled in between two old buildings, I entered the store and was immediately hit with warmth and an incredible smell of pastries and coffee. The shop was very small, and I sat myself at a high-rise table in the corner to charge my phone and order more tea. Bob Marley music filled the space, and three Spanish bartenders sang and danced as they took people’s orders. Every few minutes or so, a few individuals would walk into the cafe to order their food and would continue their journey through Granada. In addition to my tea, I decided to order a coffee and a sandwich and got myself comfortable. I began to journal and let myself enjoy the comfort and warmth of the cafe. I journaled for two hours, and I was never once disturbed by the workers. In fact, I was only met with smiles and kind gestures when I would look up from writing. I have never felt calmer and more relaxed at a cafe shop like I did at Cafe 4 Gatos, and it was the most magical experience.
Once my phone was fully charged and my hand hurt from journaling for so long, I paid my tab (it was only 5 Euros!?) and continued my journey through Granada. In an “Activities to do in Granada” TikTok video that I had saved, it mentioned that you could make your own perfume at a shop called Patio Perfumes. It was on my bucket list to buy a signature scent during my time abroad, so it was the perfect opportunity to find/make a perfume. Unfortunately, once I reached the store, I learned that an appointment was required, because it takes roughly 2 hours to make perfume. However, one of the workers took the time during her shift to help me select what perfume I liked from their collection and offered me an additional small perfume free of charge. From there, I stopped at Zara (obviously ;)…), looked around in a few vintage shops, and observed Granada’s architecture. It was very cool to find hidden Islamic art on the buildings and observe nodes to Islamic artistry on the churches and cathedrals.
The time for me to leave and board my train was getting closer, so I decided to end my day trip by journeying up to an overlook to see the La Alhambra from a distance and call my dad. It was lovely to explain to him everything that I did during the day and share my incredible experience, because it was him who motivated me to book a trip to Granada and find a way to make the experience my own. We finished our call, and I began my 30-minute walk back to the train station and boarded my train back to Sevilla. Once again, I put in my air pods to listen to music and fell asleep for the full three hours. I arrived back in Sevilla very tired, content, and ready to go to bed.
Traveling to Granada on a solo trip was an incredible experience, and I highly recommend anyone to take a solo trip. I learned so much about myself from the way I travel, what I prefer, and what interests me. It also forces you to get comfortable being by yourself and traveling alone. I feel like I truly found a way to make the most out of my Granada trip despite missing the excursion. Even looking back now, I’ve realized everything always happens for a reason and plays out how it should, because I would not have been able to go take a solo trip to Granada or go to Mallorca if I went on the ISA excursion. While FOMO is very much real and hard at times to work through, things often will work out better than you expect them too. I’ve learned how to push past regret, look forward, and find a way to “make the most of it.”
DU Abroad 