Before I left the United States, I was worried I would have a hard time making friends in Spain. I thought I was going to be the only language assistant at my school or in my city and that I would have to fumble my way through talking to the Spanish people around my age. Luckily, I was wrong.
I have mentioned my new friends before, but I think they deserve a little more attention because I would not be as happy as I am without them.
Picture this: I’m waiting for my connecting flight at the Lisbon, Portugal airport and start talking to the girl next to me. We’re both language assistants within NALCAP and chat about why we decided to enroll in the program. We meet another girl and the three of us talk near the baggage claim at the Sevilla, Spain airport. Enter Ben, another language assistant who comes from Colorado. Eventually, Ben and I split a taxi from the airport to the bus station and spend the next few hours in Sevilla, hitting it off immediately. We exchange socials and promise to stay in touch and hang out again soon.
Enter Jude, the friend who gave me the most relief on my first day of school at IES Garcia Lorca. It was obvious he was another language assistant since he was the only other person - besides me - not taking notes during the teachers’ meeting. Jude mentioned he came to Spain with a childhood friend and suggested the three of us hang out that first Friday. We also exchanged socials and our WhatsApp numbers, and I took the bus to Tarifa to hang out with the first Canadians I’ve ever met.
Enter Arthur, the aforementioned childhood friend. His quick wit and good listening skills prove to be great characteristics, reminding me of home and a sarcastic family member or two. I can always count on him to lighten the mood or understand what I’m trying to say. Thankfully, Jude, Arthur, and I have created a quick bond, donning ourselves as “the homies,” “the three amigos,” “the tripod,” “the gang” and so much more. Our most important discussion to date has been whether we would rather control water or sand. Feel free to chime in your thoughts.
The guys and I have been searching for apartments for all three of us to live in for the next several months, as it is much cheaper to rent a 3-bedroom apartment. On Friday, we hit the jackpot! Jude set up a viewing for Friday afternoon, and upon our arrival, we were in utter shock. We all fell in love with the place! It turned out to be not just an apartment, but a chalet, or townhouse. We have a foyer, three full bedrooms, one smaller bedroom, a beautiful living room and kitchen, and two terraces! The location, the style, and the price were all hard to pass up, and by the end of the day, we let the landlord know that we wanted to sign a lease. I move in this upcoming week, and the boys will join on the first of November when their long-term Airbnb stay is over. I am so excited!
This past week, I moved hostels from Algeciras to Tarifa, which is the next town over. Tarifa is absolutely beautiful, and is the southernmost point of Europe and the kite surfing capital of Europe. I have spent several hours on the beach this week, and started running along the boardwalk in the evenings. I am truly living out my dreams, and I cannot begin to describe how right it feels to watch the sunset over the ocean every night. I do have to ride the bus from Tarifa to Algeciras everyday to go to work, but I don’t mind. I’m able to watch the sunrise now, too. :)
IES Garcia Lorca is a middle/high school, as I have mentioned before. The grades are year one through four, or seventh through tenth grade. I met a few classes, spending the entire period introducing myself and American culture. The students are usually very curious, and love to ask all sorts of questions. I only work from Monday to Thursday, and my last class of the week asked me to pull down my face mask so they could see my whole face. I did, and they all kind of gasped. One little boy exclaimed, “You’re so beautiful!” Coming from a 12-year-old, that absolutely melted my heart. We had a lot of fun in that class, and another boy told me I am so funny. I have decided I am keeping all of them.
Since I do not work on Friday, I was able to sleep in and mostly do what I want. Again, the boys and I viewed our new townhouse, and I decided to go on a little adventure. I made friends with a Spanish guy with a car !! and he drove us to Gibraltar, a city about 30 minutes from Algeciras. Gibraltar is owned by the UK, so we had to drive through customs and I got my passport stamped! Catch me casually going to another country for a few hours. Gibraltar is beautiful, and is basically a giant rock. We could drive around the perimeter, stopping at important points along the way. Below, you can see a cute coastal town with colorful houses and an idea of how big The Rock is. We stopped for food at Alls Well Pub and I got chicken pinchitos, a typical Spanish dish. The city is a blend of British and Spanish, which is interesting to see and hear as you walk down the cobblestone streets. We also went bowling, and I secured the W on the first game. “It’s because it’s an American game,” apparently. Friday was an early night since I had to prepare for incoming visitors.
Mis amigos y yo, sí? Ben, the airport friend, took a bus from his location in Ecijas to visit me down in paradise. His friend, Matalynn, joined, too, and we all went straight to food and drinks upon their arrival. The boys met us at Waikiki, a beach bar with great music and great food. My body really loves the natural, no additive foods here in Spain. As I hoped, Ben, Matalynn, and the boys all hit it off really well, and we spent the rest of the weekend together at the beach, shopping around Tarifa, and checking out the nightlife scene. People in Europe stay out way later than we do in America, which means I got back to my hostel around 5:00 am on Sunday! A night out in Tarifa is casual, fun, full of culture and people all over the world, and apparently, chilly weather. I wished for a sweater most of the night. Ben and I made another friend at our hostel, and stayed up even later to chat with the beautiful digital nomad.
Thinking about my life and where I am today makes me laugh and remember how lucky I am. There was no reason for me to worry about making friends, and I am extremely grateful for the individuals that I have met in just a couple weeks. I am living in literal paradise, and my life feels like something straight out of a book or a movie every single day. My advice: take that risk and go after your dreams. Life is too short not to be spontaneous and do what you want. So many people are worried about “getting their act together” right after college graduation or even high school graduation. We are young. Stop stressing about the what ifs and start living. I know it’s early in my adventure, but I already know this will easily be one of the best years of my life. To think, all because of a TikTok.
Hasta luego, mis amigos.