Portugal

Yes, that’s right, I went to Portugal the next day with another school trip! Okay so funny story. For some reason I though we were meeting at Torre del Oro, right near my house. We had met there for other things before (although never for big trips like this). I got there when I was supposed to at 8:45am but I waited and waited and I wasn’t seeing anyone or even the bus. I finally called my friend Christa who was going to be my roommate and was like, “Donde estas?” I will never forget how my heart sank at her response: “En el autobus!” she said. I was like “Oh my gosh where were we supposed to meet??” She told me “Avenida del Cid” and said it would be too long to get there walking at this point; I would have to take a taxi. I was so scared, I had never flagged down a taxi myself before, but I had no choice! I hiked my bags up on my shoulders and walked out to the curb, praying desperately for one to show up soon! God was very merciful and brought one along within the minute. I got in and told him “Avenida del Cid.” He was like “Ok…but where on Avenida del Cid??” (in Spanish). I was like “I don’t know I just need to meet a bus there! I’m looking for a bus…” hehe! I finally pulled out my itinerary they gave us (that I had not felt the need to pay much attention to) and lo and behold there was a map with an arrow at the specific spot we were supposed to meet and that very street name in bold letters. (WHY do I have to be so stupid sometimes?? I even knew the place, I just hadn’t recognized the name, but it is where we had met for the Morocco trip!) So then I told him exactly where I needed to be and so needless to say I got there just in time and had quite the adventure in the process. I got on the bus and our trip leader, Leri, was like “Torre del Oro, huh?” because Christa had told him I was on my way. I was like “yeah…” hehe. But I wasn’t the very last person because another girl had slept in and had to catch a taxi as well and got there just in time, so I didn’t feel quite as bad!

So anyway, the trip was along the southern coast of Portugal to the different beaches and such. I had actually tried to cancel going after thinking about it because I was afraid that I shouldn’t have spent the money and I realized that I didn’t really even like the beach that much. (They wouldn’t let me cancel though.) Well I found out the reason I didn’t think I liked the beach: I hadn’t been to beaches like this! They were gorgeous, God knew that I needed the rest. That was the most relaxing trip I went on the whole semester! All we did was go to the beach. Different beaches most of the time, but all beautiful. It was kinda windy and cold was the only thing, but most of the time still nice enough to at least lie out and read a book…which is basically what we did for the whole time! And on the bus God helped me not to get bus sick (which was better since it was not stuffed full of 50 other people this time, I think that we had less than 20 people!) so I could get stuff done, like write out all the previous entries about Semana Santa and Feria on paper before I forgot all the details. It was nice to feel a little productive! And then I studied a little for an upcoming test as I laid out (or I read Redeeming Love which was nice and relaxing!) Christa is just as nerdy as I am so we sat and did homework a couple times. I know y’all are rolling your eyes but I needed the time to get caught up for the coming week and then have some time to rest as well so it was perfect.

And it really was beautiful. There were lots of rocky cliffs at most of the beaches that sometimes jutted out or just dropped off into a soft orangey sand sinking into the blue ocean. The beautiful blue sky was the icing on the cake! One of my favorite parts was when we went to Cabo San Vicente in Sagres. This was the place that they thought was the edge of the earth—the end of the world—before Columbus’ time. We could tell why! It was like a rocky piece of land jutting into the ocean, creating rock walls accenting a sheer drop into the water far below. It was like the world just ended…it was cut off right there. We walked out to the edge to wait because we had driven out there especially to see the sunset! Aside from singing, “It’s the end of the world as we know it…” one girl who I know is a Christian said “This would be a perfect place for a worship service!” So we all started joking around singing “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” and stuff. But then in all seriousness she was like, “It really does remind me of how God is sooo big and I am sooo small.” And as the sun set, I hoped that the others there could feel that amazing truth as much as I did.

Overall, Portugal was pretty cool :)