The Good, the Bad, and the Humor of the Basque Country!
Wow! I can’t believe it’s only my second night here in Bilbao. It feel like in the last few days so much has happened. So let’s start at the beginning. Shall we?
My flight boarded the plane at O’Hare on time, but sure enough, as the plan was leaving towards the runway, we had to turn back. Apparently someone got left behind. Once the person boarded, the Pilot made an announcement, “We’re having difficulties adding on the extra 180 pounds of the new passenger. We need to get the system calibrated. But while we wait let’s watch the safety video again!” By the looks of it, no one around me looked eager after hearing the recent news. Plus the delay only took time away from my upcoming connection in Brussels, which added to my anxiety. At least my carry on luggage flew first class, after it didn’t fit in the compartment above me.
Once I arrived at the Brussels Airport I quickly headed over to make my connection. Unfortunately, I got stuck at security and realized I did not have a boarding pass for my upcoming flight. Despite trying very hard to remain calm, I was not only worried that I would miss my flight but that I wouldn’t be able to board the plane. Luckily I got to the gate right on time and had my boarding pass reprinted. Problem solved. Right?
It would have been if only my overpacked carry on would have squeezed into the compartment above me. At that point, I proceeded to tear my suitcase open to pull the biggest items out. Rain boots, boots, and sweaters all had to go in order for this thing to fit. But where to you may wonder? In my way too small purse of course. Once I got settled in, I enjoyed the flight with a cup of Ramen and scenic views over South France.
You may be noticing a trend here. I’m telling you the bad/unfortunate events, but thankfully they’re followed by something good. So it’s time to point out the worst thing that could have happened. As I was waiting for my bag, I realized I was the only one left and there were no more bags. Yep, my suitcase never came. An airport associate noticed and helped me fill out a claim. We concluded that the bag must have never made it onto the plane to Bilbao, even though I did.
I finally headed over to catch a cab to my apartment. I found one immediately, but the driver did not know how to get to my address. Despite attempting to use two separate GPS’s, he still drove around circles. Finally he got me to the right place, and sure enough my landlord was waiting for me outside. She let me in to my cute and cozy apartment. My roommates helped me tell her that my luggage was lost. And she agreed that the airport can call her phone when the luggage can be delivered. Since I might be at school, she even said she would confirm the delivery.
With that, I realized I had no food to eat. After traveling for almost 24 hours I was exhausted and starving. The downside of living in an apartment as opposed to home stay is the lack of food. Once I got to school I heard all about the delicious breakfasts some of the other students had.
At school, we had orientation. We took a walking tour of the city and I’m in love. It’s incredibly beautiful and a prefect mix between modern and old. One of my favorite things that I saw is a sculpture in front of the Guggenheim museum. It’s a cute puppy and the locals here read that word literally. Hence they call the sculpture Poopy. They also joke that he needed a home so they built the 85 million Euro doghouse AKA the Guggenheim museum. < See picture below 😉 >
Overall I’m enjoying being curious and learning all about my new surroundings. I’m even enjoying getting lost in the winding streets, over and over.
