After two hours into the flight, it had finally sunk in that those of us flying from JFK had officially begun our Summer 2016 journey with Abbey Road. Looking around the airplane I noticed my 26 fellow travelers dispersed throughout the aircraft. Though I’d only known them for less than five hours, I already knew that everyone was amazing.
There are many different types of people in our group, yet several similarities connect us all: our passion to learn, explore, and have fun in a completely new and different environment. This connection is what makes this group incredibly interesting. Our mutual excitement for this trip inspires an open friendliness, sense of community, and an earnest desire to find our mutual beliefs, hobbies, and passions. Sure, there was some awkwardness at the very beginning and not everyone, for a lack of better words “clicks”, but within an hour that initial trepidation had faded.
We arrived in the early morning and found ourselves 6 hours “into the future” so to speak. Today was exhausting… but fun! Once the students on different flights had arrived at the airport, we boarded a bus that took us to the residence. We had three hours of time to unpack, relax, and even briefly explore before we had lunch as a group. We had the opportunity to try a variety of Pinchos y Tapas. I ordered the “Patatas Bravas” and they were delicious!
Afterward, Maxime (one of our leaders) conducted a brief meeting about safety, (That’s for you, Mom!) followed by a group trip to the local supermarket where we picked up groceries for breakfast, snacks, and other essentials. Once back at the residence, we were given a break to freshen up and were given a relaxed evening to explore or stay in as we saw fit. I’m excited for what’s in store, especially our day trip to Girona tomorrow!
Hanna I.