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Bye-Bye Bilbao

Published on by gwenmorgan323Leave a comment

Oh it is with a heavy heart I say my final goodbyes to the beautiful basque country.

I’m writing this my last night in Bilbao, feeling a flurry of emotions. I don’t think I can quite articulate what an impactful experience this has been. I’ve learned so much, saw so many new places, met so many new people.

I can not tell you how lucky I am to have gotten paired with the host family that I did, to have gotten such a great roommate. To get to see the Guggenheim everyday on my walk to school, to live in such a beautiful part of town like Casco Viejo.

I learned so much, learned how to navigate public transport (efficiently), how to travel alone. I learned that I can easily pack a backpack for three days (which is huge as a chronic over packer). I learned I love my alone time and my space, but I also adore my host kids and hanging out in the living room just to be in their presence.

I learned that being away from home in the beginning is hard, but it is so so worth it. I learned we actually don’t need as many things as we think we do, life is so much more than the material we put so much value on.

I got to visit my dream city, got to go on so many unexpected trips and meet so many incredibly impactful people I will remember for the rest of my life.

Bilbao, you were so wonderful to me. Here is my love letter to you. I love how quiet you are in the morning, how beautiful you are when you begin to wake up, when I get to watch the lights flicker on in peoples homes one by one.

I love your 2 euro coffee and wine, your pintxos, your wonderful assortment of seafood and of course tortilla de patata.

I love how you come alive at night, how the streets fill with people and the sound of clinking glasses and mindful chatter.

I felt so at home in this big, little city, I wouldn’t want to change a thing. To be able to study abroad in another country entirely is such a privilege, and to have traveled around while I did it even more so.

For all my future study abroad-ers out there, here’s some tips (for Spain peeps ofc):

Don’t overpack! Spain has great clothes and great skincare at excellent prices.

Speak. Spanish! Don’t be afraid to practice, practice, practice! Spaniards are so friendly, they want you to learn their language, so just making the effort is appreciated.

Be spontaneous! Go on a last minute trip, you never know what you might find.

Try new foods! You never know what you might come to love. I love seafood even more after eating so much fish in País Vasco.

Step out of your comfort zone. Bilbao was definitely not on my radar when it came time to choose my study abroad site, but I’m forever grateful the universe pushed it in my direction.

And with that, I bid you all my last agur. Thank you Bilbao for changing my life.

❤

Saying Goodbye to Ireland

Published on by angelinapacosaLeave a comment
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I can’t believe that my study abroad experience has already come to an end. The last four months have been such a surreal experience, filled with discovering new places, meeting new people, and learning new things.

My last day in Cork, I spent visiting all of my favorite places. Although I did have to start the day off bright and early by taking my last exam. The venue was about 20 minutes away from my apartment, in UCC’s sports arena. There were at least 385 people in the room taking exams at the same time- I know because I was in seat number 385- and it was a very unfamiliar testing environment for me. But I felt a huge relief once my exam was completed, and because it was so early in the morning, I had the rest of the day to spend in Cork.

I walked around the city center for a while, traveling roads that had become familiar to me over the last four months. I visited my favorite cafe, my favorite restaurant, and my favorite gelato place. I said goodbye to my friends and promised to keep in touch. I packed up my things and cleaned my apartment, kneeling on my suitcase so it would close around everything I’d accumulated while abroad.

Then yesterday, I woke up bright and early again, packed the few remaining things and took a cab to the airport. I had a 16 hour travel day ahead of me. I flew from Cork Airport to London (Heathrow), and from there had a short layover before heading home. It was a very long day, and with the five hour time change, I was incredibly exhausted once I finally got home. I was a bit sad about having to go home, but there is something about familiarity that brings comfort. As soon as I was on the same roads I had travelled all of my life- that I knew I could navigate with my eyes closed- I felt almost a sense of closure with my abroad experience.

I wouldn’t trade my experience abroad for anything. If I was given the opportunity to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. I met so many incredible people from all over the world, learned so much about other cultures and customs, and I learned so much about myself as well. I am used to being independent- I am an only child, I go to school out of state, I’m used to doing things on my own if I have to. But being alone in a different country is something else entirely, and I feel like I discovered another part of my personality- a part that is willing to be adventurous.

I will be forever grateful that I had this opportunity, and forever thankful that I seized it. I realize how lucky I am to have had the chance to study abroad, and it is an experience that I will cherish forever.