By: Sophia Romero
During September of last year, I saw an advertisement to study abroad in Malaga, Spain during summer 2017 for one month. I have always wanted to go out of the country and experience another culture, so this was the perfect opportunity. I took a photo of the flyer and sent it to my mom right away to tell her about it. She was on board, and our first meeting was in January to discuss the trip.
We had our first meeting, and I was getting more and more excited about the journey ahead. I could not even focus on my studies after spring break hit. Finally, it was the end of the year and my trip was June 2nd. I started getting butterflies about leaving the U.S for a month and going to a country I knew nothing about.
I said goodbye to my friends and family and got ready for the adventure ahead. I packed only a carry-on for the month to conserve space, and since we would be moving around a lot, I did not want to tote around a lot of luggage.
It was finally June 2nd, and our plane was expected to leave at 6:10 a.m. for Atlanta, Georgia. We had a long day of travel ahead of us, which included a flight to New York then a flight to Malaga at 11:00 p.m.
To my dismay, I did not know I would get sick on this seven-hour flight since I haven’t gotten sick prior. The seats were cramped, and I was queasy from the food on the plane. We finally landed around noon, and I have never wanted to get off a mode of transportation more in my life.
We got our luggage, got our passport stamped, and headed to our Airbnb, which was to be our home for the month. The next day we got some much-needed rest and headed to the beach. The beach was about a five-minute walk from the place we were staying at. The warm breeze and ocean felt nice after a long day.
Besides seeing Malaga, as a group we went to Seville, Cordoba and Ronda for trips to see various cathedrals, palaces and gardens.
When we were in Malaga, we had class-time but also got to go down town to different restaurants and see the night life of Spain. During the week, restaurants and clubs were packed! I was shocked to see that the businesses closed around midnight or six in the morning, and I was shocked to see that people were out so late. I guess Spaniards don’t have the 8-5 lifestyle that we folks in the states have?
After four-weeks of sight-seeing, shopping, eating, and drinking (yes, wine is cheaper than water!), our trip was sadly coming to an end. I was wistful to leave the beach, the place I called home for a month, and the friendships I made over the short period of time. However, there was one more spot left before our magical trip ended, and that was Paris, France!
We boarded the plane to France, and I got a window seat! I thought about the scene from the Devil Wears Prada when Andy looks at the Eiffel Tower from her car window during the flight. We arrived at our hostel, and settled in late that night. Then we headed to the metro to see the Eiffel Tower. Seeing the tower was something I have only dreamt about, but seeing the monument at night light up was a dream.
The following day, we went sight-seeing around Paris and saw the Arc De Triumph, Moulin Rouge, and Notre Dame Cathedral. The weather was a bit humid, but cooler than it was in Spain which was nice. Sadly, we only had three days in France and we packed a lot of sight-seeing in.
On the final day, we had the day to ourselves to sight see. We took the city metro ourselves and headed into town. I heard of a bookstore called “Shakespeare and Company” where Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald visited regularly in the mid to late twenties. We headed there, perused the store, and purchased books to treasure from the trip. After, we went to the Louvre museum which houses the Mona Lisa (she is very tiny in person), and saw different historic paintings. The day came to an end, so it was time to pack our belongings and souvenirs into a carry-on and get some much-needed rest before the long day ahead.
Our plane left at 9:00 a.m. and we had a nine-hour journey to the states ahead of us. We landed in Atlanta, went through customs and security, and made it to our gate. I was hungry by then, and knew my first meal back in the U.S. had to be Chick-Fil-A! (chicken nuggets and waffle fries were calling my name!). After a long layover it was time to go back to Albuquerque. During the flight home I reflected on all the memories I made and the experience of a lifetime. Although, I am a senior, I plan to travel more once I graduate and see other countries and backgrounds.
