Waking up is the hardest part of my day. This morning, I woke up with tremendous pain in my right foot, not sure from what but I’m pretty sure it was due to all the late night adventures. Still, I knew I had to suck it up. We are now at the half way mark of our trip and there’s so much I haven’t explored yet. However, I decided to take it a little easy for the day. Instead of walking to class I chose to take the bus to give my foot a little break before going all in for the day.

And by midday, I had completely forgotten my foot was even hurting. That’s the effect this place has on you.

My favorite thing to do in this city is walking around. Everywhere I walk in San Sebastián, I feel like I’m inside a work of art. The city itself feels alive, like a beautiful canvas that changes a little every day. Whether you’re standing on La Concha Beach or riding the boat over to Santa Clara Island, there’s always something that catches your eye. The art of the city can even be seen in the food and on the streets 

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point of this trip. Time is moving in a strange way, very fast and slow at the same time. During our discussion, Professor Z said something that really stuck with me. He said time warps when you’re traveling. When you’re home, it feels like every day passes in a blur. You wake up, eat breakfast, go to school or work, come home, sleep,repeat. But when you travel, every day feels full. There’s always something new to see, new people to meet, new places to get lost in. Time slows down because you’re actually living in it, not just passing through it.

That idea stayed in my mind the rest of the day, especially during a moment I didn’t expect to mean so much.

I was walking around Parte Vieja, just wandering through the streets, when I stepped into a random souvenir shop (seems to be a wine souvenir shop) to pick up a few gifts for my mom. As I walked in, I startled the woman inside, probably the owner. She looked up, laughed, and said I moved so quietly she hadn’t even noticed me come in. We ended up talking for a bit, and she asked where I was from.I  told her that I was from Massachusetts here on a school trip. Then she asked “ If you live in the United States, why haven’t you been to places like Canada or Puerto Rico yet.

I told her the truth: “I want to, but money has always been the issue.”

She looked at me, smiled, and said something I’ll never forget.

“Life is too short. Live. Explore.”

Then she told me that instead of spending money on expensive houses or fancy cars, I should aim for something affordable and use the money I save to travel the world. She said I’m still very young and there’s so much out there for me to see and learn. The way she said it was so sincere and real. I didn’t expect that kind of advice from someone I’d just met in a little shop, but that moment hit me harder than I can explain.

It made me think about how much this trip is changing me. Not just what I’ve seen, but how I think about life and what I want out of it. That quick conversation with a stranger reminded me why I wanted to travel in the first place.

As I was checking out, we both suddenly heard the sound of drums outside. It started softly but quickly grew louder. When I stepped outside, I saw a group of children of all ages marching through the streets playing drums, surrounded by locals clapping and laughing along with them. A fiesta was beginning. I had no idea what it was about, all the posters were in Euskera, the Basque language, but that didn’t matter. Just being able to witness it felt like a gift.

Before coming here, I honestly thought San Sebastián would be just like the rest of Spain. I had no idea how wrong I was. Seeing the locals proudly celebrate their Basque identity through language, music, tradition showed me how deeply they care about their culture. A culture that, not too long ago, was threatened, even pushed toward extinction. And now here it was, thriving in the streets in full color and sound. It made me feel hopeful and honored to witness it.

So yeah, maybe I woke up today with a sore foot and a heavy body, but I also woke up in a city that teaches you something new every day. San Sebastián isn’t just a place to visit. It’s a place that can change you, through the quiet talks with strangers, the unexpected fiestas, the sunsets that stop you in your tracks.

We’re only halfway through, and already this trip has given me stories I’ll be telling for the rest of my life.