Filed under: Uncategorized
(opens the door to school)
Buenas Dias, Leria! I love the people in Barcelona, very polite and warm. My classes are interesting. Since most of them pertains to nursing, I like my classes because I’m learning about courses that I enjoy doing after graduation. With what I have been through, I believe that becoming a nurse is the right path for me in life. Through my high school years, I’ve volunteered at nursing homes and local schools where I care for the elderly and students with disabilities. When I was younger, I helped care for my grandparents. Then during my first year in college, I volunteered at a children’s hospital back home and started working at a nursing home. With the activities and environment I placed myself in, I realized that nursing is what I enjoy doing, and that it’s one of the things I am confident in doing.
(sighs)
At last, my first class is over. The first class is always a tough one for me, mainly because it’s so early in the morning. Maybe, I should just accept that cup of coffee from the cafe.
I always find my school in Barcelona to be interesting and different. But, today, there’s something much more different about it. There’s more giggling and whispering around. I don’t know much Spanish, but I know that the commotion is about something important. I can’t seem to decipher what people are whispering.
It’s lunch time, and I usually spend my lunch hour by the fountain at the school. I usually sit with a couple of my school mates, but today I couldn’t find them. I don’t know what’s going on. I still can’t understand what all of the commotion is about today.
The fountain is beautiful. It’s even prettier when the sunlight hits the water and glistens during the day. But what caught my attention is a group of people around this man. I can’t see what he looks like from where I was sitting. He is wearing a white collar shirt, a black jacket, and black slacks. He seems like an ordinary student to me. But, everyone still gather around him, like he’s a famous celebrity. I bet he enjoys the attention he gets. I’m sure he enjoys all of the commotion that goes on around him. I’m sure he’s the reason for all of the quiet whisperings and giggles in the hallways.
Who is he? Why is everyone so interested in him? For all I know, he’s just another rich student who doesn’t care much about his education. I’m sure he’s only going to school because it’s “something” to put on his resume. I hate people like him. I know it’s kind of childish of me to hate someone I don’t know, but through his actions I see just another rich, cocky student in him.
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Everytime I walk out of my apartment, I’m impressed with the people I pass by and the adventures that I have in Barcelona. Everyday, I have a routine that I have to keep up with, but at the same time, there’s always something that makes each day different. I don’t exactly know what I’m looking for in Barcelona. I don’t know what is missing in me. I don’t know if I’ll ever find this missing piece. But, I’m here to strive and find that mysterious piece that will fill the empty space in my heart.
Filed under: Uncategorized
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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….
