d(^_^)b—els Weblog

(yawns, alarm clock goes off)Urgh…it’s 4 in the morning, another day. A lot of people say that they are not morning people, that they can’t stand to wake up early in the morning with a smile on their face. I’m completely the opposite. How can someone not wake up in the morning with a smile when there’s a beautiful sunrise waiting for them? A sunrise that can turn any frown upside down. Sometimes, people are just hard to understand. They make things more complicated that what is already put on their plates.

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Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve been rude. Let me introduce myself. I am Leria Rio. I’m a sophomore in college and working part-time at a nursing home in the city. I’ve been living in Barcelona, Spain for a few months now, hoping to find whatever’s missing in me. I don’t have much. I work, go to school, study, and pick up any available job I can get. With any available job, I mean any legal and descent job of course!

My family lives in Minnesota. They are very loving, but when we’re all together we can be a handful. My dad, a truck driver, is one of the most persistent workers I have ever seen. He has pride and dignity that he keeps protected at all times. He believes that these are two things that can never be taken away from him, and that is the reason why he doesn’t let anyone step on them. My mom is a nurse at a local hospital back home. In her, I learned to be caring, loving, and kind. She taught me to be strong and to keep up the good work! I have a sister who was always with me when I was still in Minnesota. We would do things together, like shopping, watching Korean and Taiwanese dramas online, and eating our favorite Chipotle burritos after a long day of school. I would pick her up from work and together we would talk about our day on our way home. She writes to me often, but I know after my graduation here in Barcelona, we will be able to do these things again. My brother is the youngest in the family. He knows that with his hugs and kisses he can have anything he wants or get out of any mess he gets himself into. He is the cutest thing when I wake up and bring to school in the morning. I miss him.
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(brushes teeth)
Today is the first day of school here in Barcelona. I’m majoring in nursing, hoping to get my degree and work at a local pediatric clinic. I’ve been taking classes ever since I moved here, and I’ve been gaining a lot of experience with the jobs I work and the people I meet. When I was young, I always imagined myself in a European city, working and going to school. This is part of the dream I created for myself, and I’m glad I have been successful in achieving this goal so far. It was hard for my family to approve of me leaving to Barcelona. They felt that I was not strong enough to handle myself in a foreign land. But, I’m completely the opposite. I know I can do it if I just teach myself to become strong and fight any obstacle that comes my way on this foreign land. I’m stubborn, and my family could not do anything to change my mind. I got their approval before I left, and this was my first lesson in becoming strong. I realized that with their approval I can do anything because I know that there’s a family that will support me whenever I fall.

(drinks a cup of orange juice and runs downstairs)
Buenas Dias! On my way to school, I pass a beautiful cafe, and these two words are what I always hear from the owner of this business. He would always offer me a cup of coffee to wake me up in the morning. But, every morning, I refuse because I don’t drink coffee! I tell him every morning that I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but he forgets everytime I pass by his cafe. So each day, he yells out, “Buenas Dias,” with a cup of coffee in his hand.

I bike to school. Back home, I can get anywhere I want to go with my car. But, in Barcelona, I learned to get anywhere with my bike. As I bike to school, I feel like I’m watching a movie. I see people buying fresh fruits and vegetables at a local market, I see people eating breakfast on their balconies, I see a flower vendor on the street, and sometimes, if I’m lucky, I pass by a guitarist by the fountain. It’s amazing how people go about their lives. It’s amazing how they can offer someone like me a movie to watch every morning.

(looks at watch, 6:45 am)
I’m late….