It’s hard to believe that over four months have passed since I first arrived in Vigo! Similarly, it’s also unbelievable that this academic year is all but over. From Mons in August to Vigo in January, it certainly has been one which is unforgettable.
In these last few weeks I’ve been chatting with some people back in Northern Ireland, the vast majority of whom have made comments supposing that I will be excited to get back home again to see my family and friends (whom I’ve not seen since Christmas). Every time this is asked, I say the automatic response, “yes, most definitely!”, but the more I think about it, the less I’m sure of the most appropriate response. I find myself longing to stay in Vigo…
From the people to the places, the experiences to the banter, this year has had it all. Of course, it was with similar emotions that I left Mons on a cold January afternoon to make the long trek to the north-western Spanish city of Vigo, a trip that would take almost 24 hours… Besides the timid beginnings in both cities, starting out with a small nucleus of friends and “haunts” to frequent, Mons and Vigo both developed into much loved environments, full of character and a certain, to steal a French phrase, je ne sais quoi.
Mons was different to Vigo for I had a classmate and friend from UU with me the entire semester, but in Vigo it was the opposite, I was alone, I knew nobody in the city and the only two people I knew from Galicia were my former Spanish lector and lectora in UU. I’ll admit it: being in a city with a population of around 300,000 people was a bit intimidating and did have an effect on my first few days here. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before I had somewhere to stay, and must add that my housemates and friends here were/are awesome! Of course, it all went downhill when the Northern Irish contingent grew to three: taste, sanity and politeness all went out the window to be replaced with plentiful innuendoes and jokes, some of a choice nature (needless to say now I wouldn’t have had it any other way!)
All of these have created an unforgettable experience and it seems to be true what has been said on various fora: it’ll be hard adjusting to normal life again post Erasmus and getting back into the swing of taking university study seriously in preparation for final year and its requirements. After all, Erasmus is a life-changing experience and is one that not everyone gets to appreciate or partake of.
So when boarding the plane bound for London, remember this Vigo (and Mons),
Non é adeus, é ata a próxima. / No es adiós, es hasta la próxima.
Het is niet een afscheid, maar tot de volgende keer. / Ce n’est pas au revoir, mais à la prochaine.
I’ll be back, I promise…