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This past weekend marks the first
of many trips I’ll be taking in the next three months. Sophie, Marina, Julie
and I packed our bags Saturday and set off for the Island of Madeira, Portugal.
We arrived at the airport around 3 to begin our 5 hour flight. Even though we
were only staying 3 days, I am still proud of us for taking one bag each. I’ve
been known to be a pessimistic packer so this is quite the feat. We arrived
around 7 and caught a cab to the very first hostel I’ve ever stayed in (which
was much nicer than I expected.) As soon as we set foot outside, I was beaming.
Warm air!! I wore short sleeves and we sat outside for dinner. That night we
enjoyed a dinner of fresh Madeira fish and many caipirinhas (the most delicious
cocktail I have ever had in my entire life.) The next day we rounded up around
9 to grab a cable car up one the many mountains of the island. The 360 degree
view was breath taking. At the top, we hopped off into a huge, beautiful garden
then wandered into a shop to try some world-famous Madeira wine and Poncha.
While I’m sure they’re great to some, the 25 ABV rating was a bit too much for
my palate. The rest of our day was spent exploring the city. We took a nap in
the grass of a meadow then dipped our feet in the water of a nearby rock beach.
That night we shared a bottle of Madeira red wine and collapsed from exhaustion.
The next day we caught a tour bus around the island then skipped rocks until
our arms were sore. I got a sun burn but I don’t even mind. Monday night we
hung out in my room and talked about how lucky we all were to have this opportunity
to study abroad. I feel like my brain is expanding with every day I spend away
from home. Tuesday we caught a plane back to Edinburgh. This relaxing weekend
was exactly what we needed before we face the masses in the shit show that is
going to be St. Patty’s day in Dublin this coming week.
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