*ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY ME IN 2018*

The first country I truly imagined myself traveling to was Spain. It all started when my ten year-old self had the dream to become a Cheetah Girl; You’re lying if you say you didn’t wish for the exact same thing. Fortunately, like many of my other dreams, Semester at Sea made it possible to accomplish many of them.

I boarded the MV World Odyssey on September 9th , and just 6 days into our 106-day voyage, I was able to fulfill one of my (many) bucket list items in Barcelona. Like many firsts, the first port was a little unorganized and definitely a learning experience.

Upon arriving in Barcelona, everyone was very anxious to get off the ship and see what the world had to offer. I remember feeling very discombobulated trying to make sure I had all of the essentials, and more importantly making sure I didn’t lose any of said “essentials”. It was overwhelming rushing off the ship without any idea of where I was going; luckily I have the opportunity to be surrounded by some of the most amazing friends who deal with me on a daily basis.

Advice to any future SASers: make sure NOT to spend all your Euros before even getting to Spain, you don’t forget to put a travel log on your debit card, and NEVER forget to pee before leaving the ship.

BARCELONA (September 15-16):

After disembarking and aimlessly walking around Las Ramblas and the local market (the complete wrong direction btw), my friends and I set off on an adventure to do most of our touristy sightseeing on day one in Barcelona. Our first stop was Park Güell, which was honestly a dream come true.

PRO TIP: Make sure to buy tickets for Gaudi attractions a few days before visiting because it’s often sold out and not worth waiting in line.

The park was very crowded, so we split off into smaller groups to make our time a bit more efficient. I spent the majority of the time with my friend Sam taking in the beauty of the artwork and appreciating the creativity it must have taken to design such a mesmerizing place.

When it came time to meeting up with the rest of our group, it was time to live out the iconic moment my friends and I have dreamt of for years. We climbed the stairs and screamed the lyrics to the Cheetah Girls’ hit song while “strutting like we meant it”, as the whole park stared at us like we were crazy. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Shortly after, we walked down to the Sagrada Familia, which was also created by the famous artist Gaudi. It felt like everything I saw made me more and more amazed by the fact that this is my life and I get to see all of these amazing things.

The Sagrada Familia is lined by the most beautiful stained glass; each color is unlike any other shade I have seen. I can’t even put my experience into words and a picture can’t do the place justice.

PRO TIP: Make sure to have your shoulders covered or you will not be let into the church (easy to forget on such a humid day). Scarves are available for purchase just outside.

I really didn’t do much the rest of the day, except hang out and get ready to go on a party bus with some of my friends for my birthday. We ended the night at the famous Opium club, where we danced the night away (be aware of pick pockets).

The second day I got to spend with my wonderful roommate Hana. We wondered around Las Ramblas before making our way to lunch at a restaurant called Tapas Tapas. It was decent, but I don’t think I would go back for a second time. I’m not really sure what I ordered, but it tasted like a pasta salad with seafood in it.

Our last stop was to see the Arc De Triumph before hopping in a taxi back to the ship. Overall, it was a really relaxed day and I’m glad I got to spend my birthday in Barcelona with some really great people.

VALENCIA (17-18)

SAS gives students the opportunity to travel within the country when there are two ports in one country (instead of getting back on the ship for free transportation between). Many students decided to take a train from Barcelona to Valencia, but my roommate and I decided to get back on the ship in Barcelona to save money. It was nice because it was a beautiful day and we got to hang out by the pool and watch the sunset.

Valencia will definitely be the city that I have to return to. On the first day (3rd in Spain) I ended up going shopping and drinking a vanilla bean Frappuccino from Starbucks… very American. However, I did get to go to a delicious local restaurant called Foodoo with Hana and some of her USD friends.

I ordered a fried egg on top of French fries, covered in a homemade cheese sauce… It was probably one of the most surprising meals I have eaten in a very long time. Even though I didn’t get to see much during my time in the city, the food I ate for lunch made my entire day- I think I’m starting to become a “foodie”.

Later that night I went to a beachfront club, which would have been pretty cool had it not been a Sunday night. We filled the place with SAS students and had a blast dancing when it started pouring down rain.

The last day I wandered to the beach by myself, while most of my friends went to the city to shop again. It was really nice to do some personal reflection while sitting on the beach and reading my book.

Overall, I had one of the best times in Spain and I wouldn’t trade the memories I made for anything. Spain taught me that sometimes not having a plan, is the best plan to have. I’ve always been the kind of person that goes through life with a schedule, but I learned that I don’t always need that.

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“I stopped telling myself that I am lost. I’m not. I’m on a road with no destination, I’m just driving with hope that I’ll find a place that I like and I’ll stay there. I’m not lost, I’m on my way.”