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Barcelona, Spain – 2019
Hello!
It has been a hot minute since my last blog was posted. As I’m sure you’ve noticed (I’d like to believe you’re uber-obsessed with my blogs and are dedicated readers) I have been slacking on my all things coffee updates. As a college student, life can get hectic and I am trying my best to stay afloat amidst the havoc.
Here’s the silver lining: this past week I was blessed to go out of the country, and, ultimately, out of my comfort zone, while on my university’s spring break. As I watched my friends' Snap Chat stories on an overcrowded beach somewhere in Florida, I was coasting through the Gothic streets and plazas of Barcelona, Spain.
Trying the coffee in Europe was one thing, and there will be some content coming about it soon (YAY). But the thing that drew me in the most was how far outside my comfort zone I had actually gone. An eight-hour plane ride alone may seem flighty for a college girl, but getting there was the easy part. It wasn’t until I ordered my first meal running on two days of #teamnosleep in a country where I didn’t know the language. I tried to read the menu but didn’t have much luck. “Oreo” looked familiar, but didn’t seem logical to be on a sandwich… what was I going to get when my plate would meet me at the table? That is a story for another time.
Being in a foreign land was scary, but I quickly learned to embrace it. How could I grow if I was comfortable all of the time? Usually I find comfort in my coffee; I know exactly what is going to fill my cup and how much it is going to be. Here, coffee kept me grounded and brought a little taste of home, but still it was so different from what I always knew (the good thing is I think Spain has better tasting brews). But in being away from what I knew best, I grew the most. I appreciated the confusion and lack of social norms. I was excited when I realized you had to walk fast and weave in and out of people in order to make the Metro on time. I began to find comfort in being uncomfortable and enjoyed every second of it.
Next time you’re given the opportunity to venture outside your comfort zone, don’t question it. It can start by choosing a new flavor of creamer in the refrigerated isle at the grocery store or be as crazy as moving across the country for a new job. It could be traveling to Europe when family vacations are typically spent at the beach. It could even be changing your coffee order just this once at Starbucks (because we all know you’ll be there tomorrow, and if going out of your comfort zone was really that bad, you can always go back to your tall vanilla iced latte if you really want to).
I hope you find the will to break out of your comfort zone and try something new. Do it for yourself: something to pinpoint your new beginnings and grow confidence in yourself. It is going to be scary I won't lie to you, but it is a good scary, and you are going to soar like never before. Don't be afraid of what could be and just go for it. It's never too late!
#travel #newbeginnings #trynewthings #coffee #blogger #spain #barcelona #confidence #grow #sayyes #drink #behappy #explore #photos #tourist
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