If you’ve been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that I recently returned from a trip to Spain.
Details of my trip
Travel dates: July 20-27, 2019
Airline: It was supposed to be a round trip EWR-BCN via Norwegian, but the airline canceled the return flight due to a mechanical error. I couldn’t rebook with Norwegian for three days, so I booked with Iberia/Level instead. My new flight ran me $1K and dropped me at JFK instead. We parked at EWR so I spent $100 on a Lyft back to the car.
Accommodations: Eurostars Ibiza (Dope duplex with an AMAZING view)
Eurostars Grand Marina (Basic room with a view of the marina)
My Experience in Spain
Overnight flights are cool when dealing with changes in time zones. My travel companions slept through the flight but I took a nap and watched half a movie. I stayed up once we arrived and slept through the night.
Ibiza was beautiful and serene; not quite as exciting as I thought it would be, but that could be due, in part, to choosing to go Sunday-Tuesday. I wasn’t too disappointed because I’m not a big partier, but we were expecting some noise. Overall it was just an overpriced beach. I had some great meditations on that balcony though!
Barcelona was the main event. I had a checklist of things I wanted to see and do and I checked off just about everything. I made sure of this by doing one of those hop-on, hop-off double-decker buses.
The food was good but a little redundant; I was over it after about three days. Everywhere we went served the same tapas so I had to break it up by eating American and Japanese food. I tried Kombucha for the first time and loved it.
People in Spain
Unlike in China, I didn’t really experience much staring and no pointing. They seemed to be accustomed to black people moving amongst them; I had questions of prejudice but for the most part there just seemed to be a strong sense of entitlement. Anytime I encountered someone who looked like me, I’d give ’em a little head nod. Oddly enough, the only people who gave me any type of look were Africans. It was a confused, “what are you doing here” kind of look. (The media has really done a number on the perception of African Americans but I’ll save that rant for another day).
It was my first time in Europe and I could sense the freedom of the people. The younger generation literally showed their asses in these super-short shorts all day every day. It seemed like we were just in a touristy area. I should have gotten off the bus when I was at Park Guell:
- Because I wanted to see it
- Because it was off the beaten path and I probably would have had the opportunity to interact with the locals.
Unfortunately, I was hot, tired, and just wanted to go back to the hotel.
All-in-all I probably would not return to Barcelona, specifically. The only way I would return is if it was cheaper to fly in to the airport on my way to another location.
I came, I saw, I was randomly selected for additional screening at the airport (for the flight that was ultimately canceled).
For my readers and dreamers:
What were your best and worst travel experiences?
If a destination does not impress you the first time, would you try again? Why or why not?
While on vacation, do you typically seek adventure or relaxation?