“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”― Cesare Pavese

There have been many goodbyes to Barcelona. I hope one day to return, I hope sooner than later.  But, as the title says this is where I will say my last goodbye, for now.

In the time I was in Barcelona I never really thought about the end. 

It feels like in memory recalling the trip it’s like I got off the plane and experienced another life for one long day and then came back. I’ve started back at work and mostly have gotten back into my routine now. It feels truly distant at times.

The red roofs, the tan facades of buildings and the cobble paths. The clear water of the Mediterranean and the street lamps with gentle beams that shine and illuminate the night. The slight screech of the metro as it brakes for passengers. They all seem from a borrowed life.

I try whenever I’m on vacation to soak in the most of a place, so maybe it won’t feel so far away when I come back, but it truly is an impossible task.  

 Barcelona truly for me is a moment in time that is unforgettable, because of the scenery, the people that came with me on this trip and the unique look into Barcelona through our workshops. 

I can get melancholy about it all, if I think about it too much, Then again I could about most things too. 

This trip and experience was an era. It was possibly my last true uni summer trip. After this summer, I’ll be entering my last year in Undergraduate and then likely graduating into the world. I don’t know where exactly, I’ll work or even live and that can be stressful. I know it will work out, but there are so many things I would like to do and so many things I’d like to be. 

The Transit of life never stops. The train from Barcelona has left and now I am left with the door of possibilities. I will remember the borrowed life and I will remember the dreams I had in wake. Where I go now, I am not sure, but I can’t wait.

Barna Dreaming forever,

Oliver

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There’s a very surreal element to experiencing a new culture and for this trip it is especially true. Everything is different: the food, the culture, the architecture, the language, etc. Even the Mundane like the type of cars people drive and the plugs in the walls are different. At times it can feel like you have entered a dream or stepped into someone else’s shoes in someone else’s life when living in a new country.

This feeling is by no means bad, I guess it is a form of culture shock, but I’m not really shocked, just intrigued. 

I’ve loved every moment of this trip so far. It’s been incredible and the only thing that has made it better- as cheesy as it sounds – is the people that went on the trip as well. Everyone really compliments each other very well and in only five days there are so many countless memories we’ve made together.

At lunch one day in Plaça Reial, we got a long table where talking to people from the other side of the table was difficult, specifically Trevor and Mason who were at the heads of the table. 

At one point Trevor looked over to the other side at Mason, but he didn’t notice. I nudged Mason to get his attention and they began to play rock, paper, scissors throughout the meal. We joked it was like we were political parties and the games were elections deciding who would be president next. The games were so discrete, they would often be missed by most of the table. But to that we joked, “That’s politics. Discrete and under the table.”

It’s these simple moments that make the trip all the more memorable. But, when we’re not working together as a class on projects or just hanging out, it’s the moments of true immersion in the culture that makes the trip so rich. 

At the mall in Glories picking up groceries for a group meal or walking on in the alleys of Barri Gòtic past the incredible architecture with sometimes even more incredible architecture, the Creative Journey is an opportunity I am glad I didn’t pass up.

With Love From Barcelona,

Oliver

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