The Paris Incident

27 January, 2020

Holaaa, bienvenidos to my blog! This will be my platform to talk about my adventures abroad in Granada, Spain for the next four months.
I’ll start by sharing the first memory of studying abroad. It wasn’t pretty, in fact my travels across the Atlantic ocean began and ended with puke.
Before my departure from Boise, Idaho, the nervous voice in my head would not allow me to enjoy my last moments with my friends and family. I thought, “How am I supposed to go on three planes for three flights? What if Air France loses my bags? What if I get lost? What if the plane crashes? What if I die? What if when I get there I forget all the Spanish I’ve learned and I’ll have to get on another plane to come home??” Ridiculous thoughts, I know. During the ten hour plane ride to Paris, it just got worse. When I landed in France, I had one hour before my next flight to Malaga, Spain. I spent this time bent over a trash can in a bathroom in the Paris airport, waiting for my anxiety to cease the punishment on my stomach. Obviously, planes aren’t really my thing. I was a mess. Anxious. Frustrated. Terrified. Embarrassed. I was terrified of going abroad. It was completely out of my comfort zone. I didn’t think someone like me would ever have the opportunity to study in a different country. But, here I was, about to arrive in Spain, throwing up in a Paris airport bathroom and rethinking my life choices. At this moment, I wanted to hop on a flight back home and curl up in my bed. But, I didn’t. I decided to continue my journey to Spain, despite my doubts, simply because I replayed my grandmother’s words to me the night before. She had looked me in the eyes and said “This is a very brave thing you are doing.” Even though I didn’t feel very brave bent over a French trash can, I knew I would be okay if she thought so.
A week passed after the Paris incident, and it turns out I was scared for no reason. Everything is beautiful, new, and exciting in Granada. I’ve made friends that I know will last. My host mom is not just an amazing cook, but she is an inspiration and gives me confidence in how I speak in Spanish, even though sometimes I have no idea what to say or how to say it. I feel brave. The only thing I’m scared of now is not being able to fully experience everything I want to, as the possibilities are endless. And the best part is, I have not thrown up since Paris!

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