Pensamientos de Portugal

Usually when I start to write a blog post, I have a clear idea of what to say.  Not always, but most of the time.  Today I don't know where to start.  Maybe it's because I have come to the realization that my time here is dwindling away.  Or maybe the reason is that I have so much to do this week and all my thoughts are buzzing around in my mind.  Or maybe it's everything.  I had an intercambio today and we got on the subject of the cost of school, the pressure to find a stable job, and the daunting task of paying everything back.  It's overwhelming.  But all of that makes me recognize how important my time abroad is.  These are the days to bask in the sunlight, be a little selfish, and figure out what is important in life.  That is why I'm so grateful for the trips I get to take.  I am able to see another part of the world and expand my understanding even more.  Each trip that I've taken has presented something unique to me.  The people, the beauty, the food, the experience.  Everything forms an impression.  This past weekend, Portugal made a lasting impression as well.  But it wasn't just the about the places we visited or the tours we took.  There was something more.  I got to know some of my fellow AIFS-ers while we watched the sunset on a beach in Nazare.  We gorged ourselves on delicious grilled cod.  I stepped in the ocean for the first time.  It was an amazing weekend...one that would be impossible to recreate.  I could go back to all of the same cities and pueblos but what made this past weekend special was the group of people I shared it with and the simplicity of it all.  No one went out to the clubs in Lisbon.  Instead, we all went to see "The Hunger Games."  There was no need to be constantly occupied throughout the day.  All we wanted to do was watch the tide roll in and talk to each other.  Rather than sleeping on the six-hour bus ride home, we played games and laughed until our stomachs ached.  Yes, I visited Fatima, Belem, Nazare, Lisbon, and Cascais.  And while I appreciate the things that we saw in those cities, what I'll remember most about this weekend is how much fun I had.  

Now that I'm back in Salamanca, I have a lot of things to do.  I am looking forward to going to Segovia on Saturday.  But between now and then, I have to write a paper for Academic Writing about Spanish traditions, study for and take an exam on Latin-American Literature, and plan out my senior year class schedule.  At least I have the memory of the ocean and sand to get me through this week.  Os quiero.  Hasta pronto.