First Solo Trip, what was I thinking?! Blog #4 (Year Old Blog Entry)

So there I was looking back at my family as I was about to go through the departures gate at Dublin airport, my travel journey had just begun. My first time being completely independent, doing what I wanted to do after weeks of searching for volunteering opportunities online. Was I crazy? Did I underestimate how difficult it would be to actually go through with this? Sitting in the departures lounge I was beside myself with fear of the unknown coupled with overwhelming anxiety. But the minute my plane took off, bound for London; all my fears and worries melted away. I was free, liberated.

After a Three hour nap in one of London's airports it was time to catch my plane to Sevilla, where I'd be staying in a hostel for a few days. I would be lying if I said my experience in Sevilla was perfect, although it is one of the most beautiful places I have every been in my life, I was very lonely. I had jumped in at the deep end, knowing embarrassingly little Spanish, having basically no cooking abilities and, finding myself in a hostel where I only found 2-3 people who spoke english. It was true that I was in Spain, although I felt that I wasn't experiencing what Spain had to offer. I spent my days sightseeing and exploring in random directions to purposefully get lost.

The next stop was Cordoba where I would be volunteering, 20 hours a week for a bed in a typical Andalusian house. my stay was the polar opposite of my few days in Sevilla, I found the style of travelling I was looking for. I was still a little anxious about meeting people but within hours of arriving in Cordoba I was already out for drinks with one of my fellow volunteers; a bad idea with work at 8:00 AM the next morning... The work was varied although I spent the majority of my time chipping tiles off of the walls, finding out where the old copper water pipes where going, and levelling the floor to be concreted in a what would (eventually) be a small bathroom.

The Spanish have a very different culture to ours in the UK. They have something that I like to call ' plaza culture ', people of all ages enjoying the sunshine in a communal area together; it gave me a real sense of community. Imagine if after work each day it was customary to go for a drink or 'caña' after work and share some food together basking in the sun. This is southern Spain. Another trait I picked up on was that 99% of people where super laid back without a care in the world, maybe it's the weather?

The last stop on my adventure of many was Granada. Granada has a reputation for being very generous with their tapas portions, few with every drink at most bars (That's dinner sorted). I wasn't in Granada for very long so I had to make the most of it! The main attraction is the Alhambra Palace, the last Moorish fortress to fall during the Spanish reconquista. It's worth a visit! When I first arrived in Spain I couldn't understand the most basic of phrases in Spanish, by the time I had reached Granada I was the one placing orders and asking questions for my group. I'm amazed on how quick I picked it up!

My previous blog entries:
#3 Breaking into the annual vintage car show
#2 The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templar In Portugal
#1 Eery Underground Prison Tunnel Built in 1850