Valencia is the first city I’d consider my “home away from home." What was initially planned to be a short, four-day trip quickly became an extended two-week visit within a few days of my arrival. While it gave me plenty of time to see all the usual sights, what I enjoyed the most about the extra days was the chance to actually live in Valencia. So far on my travels, I typically spend three or four days in a given city and, while the breakneck pace was fine when I first started, I am beginning to feel its effects. Moving every few days means I am perpetually figuring out logistics for the next city, determining accommodations, and attempting to squeeze my visit into just a few days - which is next to impossible.
After finally meeting my long lost relatives of Gijon for the first time, the following morning at exactly 11:00am I was at Pepin and Carmen’s front door eagerly awaiting my tour of the city with them. Accustomed to my own standard of travel, I assumed we would spend the day walking around the city and, considering their age, I was impressed/perplexed that they were willing to subject themselves to such a rigorous day. Never once did it occur to me they might have a car.
When I meet a person for the first time they usually find it difficult to guess my ethnicity. More than anything, my last name is a pretty big clue, but I’ve heard everything from Portuguese, Italian, German, Greek, and even Middle Eastern in one strange instance (don't ask me why). Just by looking at me, it’s hard to guess I’m Hispanic because, on the surface, I’m about as white as you can get. Since the term “Hispanic” in the US is often incorrectly associated with “Mexican,” people are thrown off because my blue eyes and light complexion don’t align with the standard Mexican stereotype.
From the start, my decision to visit Santiago de Compostela was rather arbitrary. Since I went through Portugal from South to North, the next logical step was to continue my Northern trajectory into Spain. Prior to arriving, I had few expectations and knew very little about the town aside from the fact that it was the terminus of the Camino de Santiago. I debated walking a section of the Camino, but considering my visa constraints, I preferred to allocate my time elsewhere. Many travelers I'd met in Portugal indicated that a fair portions of the trail were near large thoroughfares and, since I was traveling during the tourist season, the trails would full of pilgrims making the exact same trek.
I must admit that I’m really enjoying the act of traveling. For most people, transit time is often considered a necessary (and often frustrating) sunk cost needed to reach a destination before they can “officially" begin enjoying themselves. Granted, I’m only on week three of a fifty-two week-long trip across the world, but every time I change cities, I become genuinely excited to figure out transportation, find the bus station, and spend the day in transit, because at the end of the day arrive in a brand new city! Where do I get dropped off?" "Where’s my hostel?" "What’s the city like?" "Who will I meet?" "What is there to do here?”
If you can believe it, my original plan was to skip Porto entirely and head straight for Santiago de Compostela. Since I spent my allotted two weeks in Portugal, I felt I needed to leave the country if was to remain “on schedule.” Many of you may find it perplexing that I keep a schedule considering I have an entire year to travel, but thanks to the Schengen Agreement, I’m limited to only three months in Europe. However, after hearing such great things about Porto, I figured the hell with my plans!
My time in Lisbon has left me little time to write. Every single day was full of new adventures that I rarely had a free moment to sit by myself and think. The hostel's wonderfully dynamic atmosphere with incredibly friendly people make it an easy place to call home, and I can’t help but get caught up in the excitement of everything. Without fail, every time I start writing a post, somebody at the hostel sits next to me and we end up talking for hours on end. I know this will come back to bite me later, but I can’t pass up the opportunity for hours of conversation with these great people.
I. Love. Lisbon.
I am so remarkably surprised by this city it’s incredible. There are still many, many cities planned for this trip, but Lisbon has secured its place at the top of my list of favorite cities in the world! While much of the experience can be attributed to excellent timing and fantastic people, Lisbon will forever have a special place in my heart. This sprawling metropolis has everything a person could possibly want in a big city - even just walking through the winding roads is a pleasure.
