Leave Me Behind

1

Barcelona, Spain

TOUCH DOWN! The plane hit the ground with a dull thud and I was pretty sure I had never been happier. The turbulence had been a nightmare and my usual plane sickness had made a reappearance a few times, which was mostly unfortunate for the guy sitting beside me, sorry dude! I may have had to steal the vomit bags from all of the other passengers in my immediate vicinity. I practically ran off the plane, eager to put that lovely experience behind me and start my adventure.

The second my huge red suitcase appeared, I was out of there. Hailing a cab and directing the cabby to the hostel where I would be staying. I was in SPAIN! Little Eden Thomsen from little Abingdon, Virginia. There I was, travelling by myself for the first time and beyond ready for the adventure. Of course, the reason for the trip was to run away but I didn't care, running away can be just as fun as anything when you're in Europe. It just so happened that I won a trip for one around Europe in 50 days on the radio. I took that as a sign, saying even the universe knew I needed a get away. And just like that, I was now in Barcelona and though a little bit of anxiousness was starting to kick in I had never felt more powerful or more free.

My eyes were glued to the cab's window the entire drive. Taking in the beautiful views. Intricately detailed buildings surrounded me, like nothing I had ever seen before considering I had never left Virginia.

The hostel was a cute little building, squeezed between a pharmacy and a little cafe that looked like a fantastic spot for breakfast. I didn't wait for the taxi driver to unload my luggage, I just jumped out of the car, grabbed my things and I was off.

"Miss! Miss!" I heard a deep voice calling from behind me. My cheeks flushed as I realized that it was the driver, waiting for me to pay him, whoops! New city but still the same old Eden.

I handed over the money with a generous tip included, considering I had tried to leave without paying him at all. 

Spain was elegant but I definitely was not, which was evident to me and probably everyone else in the hostel as I clamored my way up the steep flight of stairs with my heavy suitcase swaying behind me and crashing into the wall with every opportunity. Luckily (please tell me you could sense my sarcasm), I was on the top floor so I had to clatter my way up every level of the hostel, notifying everyone of my arrival. At the end of what seemed like a trek up Mount Everest, I reached my cute little room and collapsed on the small bed in the corner, giving a huge sigh of exhaustion. The old, metal bed frame let out a groan of protest as I collapsed onto it. Maybe I would just take a little nap before going out to explore this beautiful city, it was only 10 in the morning after all.

"Ahh, so you're the one responsible for all the racket," A english-accented voice sounded from the doorway. I nearly jumped out of my socks, forgetting that I had left the door ajar, a spectacle for all passers by. I probably looked like a disheveled troll as I swung around to see the person who had intruded on what was sure to be an excellent nap.

WHOA! A young guy, probably around 20-ish, leaned in my doorway. He had wavy golden hair and a cute but serious face with deep brown eyes. Not to mention the english accent.

I realized I was gawking so I quickly smoothed down the fuzz ball that was my hair and tried to form a complete sentence.

"Umm... s-sorry. As you can see my suitcase was a little to big for that staircase," I replied, my voice sounding more like a squeaky mouse than a normal human being. Talking to boys had never been my strong suit, and it looked like being in Europe hadn't changed that unfortunate fact.

"Well, you woke me up so next time, I'd appreciate if you'd get some help or some bigger biceps." And with that he turned to go.

Ugh, boys weren't different in Europe either.

"Well, sorry you grumpy nut," I muttered under my breath. Heading towards my door, I was about to close it when the stranger reappeared.

"Say something?" He asked, but I had a feeling he had heard me just fine, because of  the somewhat taunting smirk plastered to his face.

"Me? Nope, just talking to myself," I replied, my voice a lot steadier now. I flashed him my best fake smile, reserved for those I wished to punch in the face. The guy just nodded and turned away, entering the room across the hall. Oh goody, we're neighbors, love it!

Slamming my door shut, I threw myself back onto the bed, figuring I would take a nap afterall, hopefully an uninterrupted one this time. It'd been a long day or morning I guess  and that idiot made grumpy. So, snuggling into the fresh covers, I dozed off before my head hit the pillow. Well not really, but you get the point. 

-

The bus was full to the brim and my bare legs were stuck to the hard plastic seat. To my left, an elderly woman was blowing pink bubbles from her mouth and humming the words to a song that played in her head. Luckily, I only had one more stop because the temperature on the bus was almost at boiling point. 

I had decided to visit the mosaic wall today because it didn't involve paying attention to a tour guide or reading descriptions. I could just go and enjoy the view. 

Finally the bus screeched to a halt and half the people rushed to the exit, whether they were trying the escape the sauna that had become the bus or they were actually going to the wall had yet to be seen. 

The outside weather was much more breathable and with a deep breath, I headed down the gravel path that would lead me to one of Barcelona's main attractions. All around me, big groups of people were being directed by tour guides speaking every imaginable language. Feeling like a lonely fish in a sea full of turtles, I hurried towards the wall and finally reaching it, I squeezed myself between a German tourist and another tourist speaking a language I couldn't recognize. Bumping the German tourist in the arm and earning myself a glare, I whipped out my camera and started snapping photos. The city of Barcelona sprawled underneath me and the building directly down the stairs looked like they came directly out of a fairytale novel. 

People bustled around me but I barely noticed. I was absorbed in view  and for the first time, it really sunk in how far away from home I really was. I waited for the homesickness to kick in but it didn't. Instead a feeling of intense longing to continue my journey filled my body and with one last glance at the beautiful city below me, I turned to go. 

My next stop was downtown Barcelona. My brain felt too groggy to continue sightseeing so I decided to do a little shopping. The streets weren't terribly busy but every cafe I passed seemed to be overflowing with Europeans of all shapes and sizes enjoying a beautiful day, and the people they were sitting across from. With every single person I felt a connection deeper than words. Not like I would remember every person I had seen on this street but this felt more important. Deeper somehow, like I was finally a part of something big. And with that thought in mind, I continued down the street, a huge smile lighting up my face.

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Hey people! I hope you are enjoying the book so far. Thanks for reading :)

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