7 months in Zaragoza - The best decision I ever made

I don't know where to begin with my Erasmus experience, but what I can say is that it has been the best few months of my life and I wouldn't change my time in Zaragoza for anything. In this blog, I'll try to tell you why I've enjoyed being in Zaragoza so much and why I'll always remember my time here. I hope you all enjoy reading it. I stayed in Zaragoza from February 2013 to September 2013, so I had the opportunity to experience a little of Zaragoza's winter as well as the whole summer.

I'll admit, when I arrived at Zaragoza, I felt out of place and very alone. I missed my friends and family. The classes I studied at the University were quite demanding and I felt very tired during my first few days in Zaragoza. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy myself at the beginning. When I first arrived in Zaragoza, I was worried that I wouldn't make any friends and that I would be lonely. I really hate feeling lonely. I also had to get used to living in a shared flat with people I didn't know. I found this quite hard to begin with because everyone in my flat was very different. Aside from this, having had my heart broken just before I arrived at Zaragoza, I didn't fancy going out and I spent the first couple of weeks feeling very alone and very sad. But as the days went by, I made friends with other Erasmus students, and this changed my outlook on my stay there. All of a sudden I loved being in Zaragoza. I loved the weather, I loved El Pilar, which is beautiful and worth a visit.

I made lots of friends in Zaragoza, both with foreign people and Spanish people. The other Erasmus students were like family to me We spent every day together, discovering the city together, laughing together. The trust that emerged between us in such a short space of time created strong friendships which are difficult to find nowadays.

I partied a lot in Zaragoza and I lived every day to the fullest. I organised dinners and parties at my house. I love preparing meals and eating with friends or family. My flat was always full of people eating together or coming over for drinks. I met some good people in Zaragoza. Now I have lots of friends from all over the world. I love each and every one of the people that I considered my friends in Zaragoza and who formed part of my life there. I will always remember them and carry them in my heart. The people in Zaragoza were very friendly, caring, and warmhearted.

During my time in Spain I travelled a little as well. I visited Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Tudela and Gandía which I enjoyed a lot. I would have loved to have travelled more, but as I wasn't able to spend that much money, it wasn't possible to travel around the whole of Spain. However, I was captivated by the places I did visit, and I'll always remember them. I saw Las Fallas de Valencia, which is celebrated every year and I loved it. I would recommend the festival to anyone.

Zaragoza aside, Barcelona was the city I loved most. There are loads of things to see in Barcelona. You simply have to visit this city, you'll love it. I don't think there's a person alive who wouldn't love Barcelona. It's definitely worth a visit.

Zaragoza is also a beautiful city and I don't regret choosing it as my Erasmus city. The good thing about Zaragoza's nightlife is that there are loads of places where you don't have to pay entry. I loved going out to the old town of Zaragoza or to the "Mile End", a nightclub which organises parties for Erasmus students every friday. It also gives free entry to Erasmus students. The ESN-Zaragoza generally organises a lot of activities for Erasmus students. The drinks in the nightclubs and bars aren't very expensive either so you can enjoy yourself! For those who want to go out during the week, la "Cucaracha" is a bar with music which is open on Wednesdays. You can party and dance until until half three in the morning here.

I would say that La Basílica del Pilar is the most beautiful thing to see in Zaragoza. I went to see it everyday and I'll never forget it. I've never seen anything more impressive. You should also see the Aljafería, which is an old palace. I saw it 4 or 5 times when I was in Zaragoza.

In addition, there is a shopping centre called "Puerto Venecia" which is super cool. It has everything. There are loads of clothes shops and the sale prices are crazy. (Every girl who loves buying clothes will love it! ) It also has an IKEA and other shops where you can buy home-ware as well as a variety of restaurants. I recommend the restaurant "Muerde la Pasta", which is an Italian restaurant which offers lots of pasta dishes, pizzas, desserts and treats. You can eat and drink all you like for just 10 euros. The price does go up a little in the evening, though not by much. I also recommend you try the restaurant "Brasa y Leña", a Brazilian restaurant which prepares tasty meats.

"Puerto Venecia" also offers activities such as surfing, and you can also take little boats around a small lake.

There is so much to say about Zaragoza. Personally, I really enjoy sports and running outside in the fresh air. In Zaragoza there is a huge park called "Parque Grande", which is close to the University of Zaragoza and is a great place to go for a run. It's a beautiful park. In summer you can go there to enjoy the sun and have a few drinks with friends. It is also nice to take a walk around the park in winter and enjoy the fresh air.

Unfortunately, Zaragoza isn't near the coast, but there are some artificial beaches which are perfect for taking your mind off things whilst you enjoy the sun and the cold water when it's hot. Zaragoza really is a hot city in the summer.

I could tell you so much about Zaragoza and my time there, but I don't think this blog would ever end if I told you everything. What I can say is that my time in Zaragoza and my experience as an Erasmus student has been valuable. I learnt that although there will be days where things seem bad, the sun will always rise the next morning. I learnt that friends and family are the most important thing - something I took for granted before. I also realised that nothing is impossible and that you should never stop doing things you want to do out of fear. I learnt that you only have one life and you have to live it, enjoy it, and make the best out of it everyday.

I loved my time in Zaragoza and I still love it now. I have some wonderful memories from the time I spent in Spain. I will never forget it. I've grown, I've lived, I've got to know more about other cultures and most importantly: I've overcome a lot of things and I feel stronger and happier than ever before. They were the best months of my life. I felt at home in Zaragoza and I know I'll return one day.

¡Viva Zaragoza!

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