This weekend, I went on my last weekend trip, this time to Barcelona. It's hard to admit that this would be my last time jetting off to a new country for the weekend: my last time trying new foods, seeing different cultural sights, and hearing a language other than French spoken by the locals. I have enjoyed immensely this opportunity to travel beyond my limits, and live life fully in the moment, treating every day like a vacation.
For every trip that I went on, I was welcomed with different reactions from my peers. When I went to Italy, I was told that it would be beautifully sunny and photogenic. When I went to Morocco, I was told that I would have a significant cultural experience. When I went to Belgium, I was told to eat the fries, the chocolate, and the waffles. And when I went to Spain this weekend, I was told to watch out for my belongings because people would want to steal my phone and passport.
Before I set off for Paris, I had a lot of people warn me about how unsafe it is here. They put ideas in my mind that this beautiful and magical city was also violent and untrusting, that I would be lucky if I made it back without having something pickpocketed. I let these ideas fester in my mind, and for the first few weeks I jumped whenever somebody stood too close to me on the Metro or when somebody came on board asking in a loud and demanding voice for some spare change.
I don't mean to belittle the concerns that friends and family members had for me before I left to study abroad. I know that there has been a lot of tension throughout Europe in the past few years and that terrorism is truly an active fear in the minds of everyone living in Paris. However, what I will say is that living in fear for actions that are random and displaced is not a good use of time. I have learned that in this political climate, anything and everything is possible. To go into an experience with a fearful and negative mindset about European life adds darkness to every sight you see and every new thing you try to do.
This weekend in Barcelona, I ate paella and tapas, hiked through Park Güell and the Carmel Bunkers, and strolled through La Rambla. We soaked up all the sun that we could and shopped through El Triangle. Barcelona is a conflicted city, with revolutionary protests taking up most of the media's attention. I know that people have been harmed in the fight, that Americans have been targeted for their passports and iPhones, and that it is not necessarily the safest place to be right now due to the concentrated pressure of the political state. But having these negative thoughts in my mind before traveling put an initial damper on my travels. I was always looking over my shoulder and expecting someone to want to hurt me, instead of taking in the city as a positive cultural hub.
If I am supposed to believe that people are inherently good, then why should I assume the worst of a place so open to tourism and welcoming guests?
Europe has been the source of terrorism in the media for several years now. I am not sure exactly when people will stop giving me that look of intense worry when I tell them that I am studying in Paris, and even that I traveled to Barcelona. All I do know is that studying abroad in Europe has been incredible rewarding, and it would be a shame for someone to choose not to spend their time here because of a little worry. We all get frightened sometimes, but it is important to recognize the more important things in life: seizing the moment and living out a dream even and especially when it scares you.