Hasta Luego

I read a quote once that said "Barcelona kidnaps you and sets you free." I undestood what it was saying when I read it, but it wasn't until I had to decide to leave Barcelona that I fully comprehended how true this statement was.

When I first arrived in Barcelona a year ago, I knew that it had a beach, that the locals didn't speak Spanish as their first language and that there were a lot of pickpockets and that was about it. One year later I know that in Barcelona in the Summer, the sun doesn't set until 10pm, that the night bus is a constant source of free entertainment, that they say "merci" sometimes instead of "gracias." I know that they like pastries filled with a mixture made of squash, that they think it's weird to drink a vodka tonic and that it is a HUGE deal there if it snows.

Barcelona set me free in allowing me to discover that I could move into another country, another culture, another language and create a happy and fulfilling life. In a city where people don't apologize for who they are, I learned to accept myself. I felt free to enjoy life without apologies, because that is what life is for. It has kidnapped a part of me that will always long to live among palm trees rather than pine or maple. A part that will always be on the lookout for lemon soda to mix in with my beer or red wine. It is not a question of if I will return, but when. I was kidnapped by the city and I developed a raging case of Stockholm syndrome. Though I have made the decision to leave Barcelona, there is a piece of me that will remain there.

If you are lucky enough to visit this city, I encourage you to embrace it, let the Barcelona set you free. And don't resist the kidnapping either, let it take you in and when you leave, let a piece of yourself stay behind. The piece that doesn't see a problem with three hour lunch breaks and three week vacations. The piece of you that stays up until 7am because you're just having too much fun to go home. Leave that piece behind, and go back to visit it often. I will.