Saying Goodbye to friends, Valladolid, Spain - April 2016

Ross and I having breakfast in Aix en Provence, France 

How do you make friends as an adult? If you do not work with someone, or go to school with them than how do you find them?  I have never normally been someone who would just ask a stranger who I met in a shop if they wanted to hang out but then I moved to a foreign country.  Turns out that is the best way to make friends when you are in a strange place where you literally only know your partner.

Ross and I in Cadiz for Carnivale

Before Ross and I moved to Spain we said that we would be each others only friend for the next two years and that had to be something we were alright with.  Of course since we are best friends it has gone very well (we seldom look at each other with disdain) in fact this journey has made us closer than ever and I am incredibly grateful for that. We knew it was entirely possible that we would not meet anyone or make any friends while we were here so it was a wonderful surprise when we made some who will be our friends for life.

 Lloyd and Ross in Leon 

 Heather and I 

Lloyd and Laura at the great tortilla challenge! 

I have met some truly wonderful people who are going to make our leaving here much more difficult.  I did not prepare myself for this possibility. When we first moved from Vancouver it tore my heart out saying goodbye to our friends but I knew that in two years time I would be returning home and would very likely see them all again.  I unfortunately cannot say the same thing for the people we have connected with here.

Heather, Erin, Sarah and I

Many of the people we have met here were here, like us, on short contracts and had no intention of staying in Spain long term.  Because of this we have already had to say good bye to some lovely people.  Then there are some we have met who are here indefinitely and I imagine it will be hard for them when we move on. 

Laura and I at our place for our final tea and soup date before she moved back to Florida 

We went to a birthday lunch once and as I looked around the table I thought how crazy is this for us to be sitting here with all these people from different parts of the world who all just randomly met in this small city in Spain.  We all connected because of a commonality of speaking the same language but turned that into meaningful relationships.

I think the best part of meeting these friends is that we all met randomly, whether at Ikea buying pans, walking down the river or in a book shop searching out English books (which didn’t exist).  We heard someone speaking English and walked over to say hello.  We knew nothing about one another other than we spoke the same language and in our circumstances that was enough.  We were all in a similar position – we were in a foreign place and didn’t know anybody else.  We all needed to know we had someone who understood us, someone we could simply go grab a tea with and talk. 

Laura and Heather                  Ross and Kevin 

Caroline and I 

I love that with a few of these random encounters something special grew from it.  I made friends with people who not only would I never have met otherwise but I made friends with people who back home we might never have given the relationship chance.  I remember laughing with the girls here one day about how I, the former goth queen, was now best friends with a former prom queen.

Kevin, Cara, Ross and I in Prague

Heather with her mom and sister Rachel

Of course it is not only people from around the world who wound up here with us that made our time special but the Spanish friends we have met.  There are many people who we have met who invited us into their social circles and helped us feel like a part of the community and less on the outside.  Although we may not always understand one another due to my complete lack of Spanish skills they never made me feel like less of a part of the group.

Ross and Daoiz in Astudillo

The most amazing group of people who let us tag along hiking with them! 

I am so grateful for the wonderful adventures I have had thanks to our Spanish friends.  I feel like I learned so much and was able to see the country in a way I wouldn’t have seen just as a tourist. They welcomed us like family and showed us beautiful places, people and customs that only a local would know. 

The coolest Pena to spend a night drinking with 

Lloyd, Juan Ross and I 

Ross and Alejandro at Oktoberfest Valladolid 

We all came from very different backgrounds, had different interests, tastes and world views but none of that mattered.  We formed connections ignoring how we were different and appreciating how we were the same. We have all been able to learn about each others cities countries, traditions and language quirks from around the world. I have made some meaningful friendships here and not knowing if or when I will see these people in person again hurts. 

Laura, Kevin, Ross and Lloyd in Cadiz for Carnivale 

Raquel and Louis 

None of us know for sure where our lives will take us. That is especially true for people who travel and or move around.  We can never know who or what will pop into our lives each day.  One of the lessons I have learned here is to be open to the possibilities of each day.  Be open to people.  I hope that when I am back in Canada I can feel less afraid of asking a stranger if they want to grab a tea.  You just never know what kind of connections you can make with random people on the street.

Myself, Ross, Sergio and Lloyd in Leon 

Ines, Lloyd, Ross and myself hiking in the Picos de Europa

Being a traveler is a wonderful thing.  There are experiences I have had that I could never have enjoyed if I never left my home town.  I have seen things that had only existed before in books and on television, and I have met beautiful souls who I would never have known if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone and head out into the world.

Rachel and Heather 

Kayaking with Lloyd, Sergio, Ross, and Ines  

Heather in Astudillo for St Patricks day 

I want to say thank you to the people I met here who made my time in Valladolid so much more enjoyable by just being yourselves.  I hope that we can find each other again out in the big bright world.  

Also....

I wanted to be sure to include the wonderful friends from home who made their way here to visit us!

Ross and his parents in Paris 

Jono in Retiro Park in Madrid

Amy and I in San Sebastian 

Ash and I in Barcelona