I Finally Feel At Home.

Blogging from: Roma, Italia.

Italia, ti amo bella!!!

I didn't think I could fall in love. I didn't think I could say "I never want to leave." I don't want to leave Europe!

I have always struggle with the feeling and pride that comes with living or being born somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I love El Salvador and I would do anything to help my people; but the years I lived there, I never felt like I was Salvadoran enough.

I remember people used to judge us growing up for eating with a fork and knife, or for always requesting a napkin when we ate. El Salvador is such a poor country that many people take manners as something that is more or less fancy. Furtheremore, people looked at us differently because we lived in a decent neighborhood but we had money to be able to afford something nicer. My mom was the neighborhood' mom. In fact, all my friends I played with daily actually called her mom. Whenever someone had a problem, they would come to her. Yet, people thought we were somehow better than them because my mom could afford to buy things that people in the neighborhood couldn't have. There were even times when people would questioned what my mom did for a living because she had money to take care of all these people.

Moreover, as I grew older and moved to the United States, I immediately felt out of place because society had already placed me in the minority category. I was an immigrant so I didn't belong there. I spoke Spanish so I was a Mexican.

My mom also encouraged the fine arts. She taught us about classical music and also dinning manners. I started reading more and discovered my love for museums and art. This is something that would be no big deal, except for the part where I am constantly called bougie* snobbish, or my favorite: wannabe white.

I am not really a sensitive person. Most jokes or insults don't offend me because I know who I am and I am not any of the things people want to use to attack me, but being called a wannabe white is actually very offensive. I don't understand how trying to be a well rounded citizens means I am trying to be another race or skin color; for that matter. It is very hurtful. I have always been proud to be Hispanic, but I am more than just a Hispanic person. My race doesn't define me. It also doesn't mean I cannot learn about arts or classical music. I think it is about being educated and not one's skin color or social class. As a result, I don't fit American standards. I don't feel at home.

However, Europeans have a very different mentality. I can have a conversation about politics with anyone. I can discuss classical music and operas with many people, and I can talk to anyone about current issues and not feel like an alien.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure not veryone is like that, but I feel it is easier to meet someone with those likes here. All these things are encouraged in Europe.

One of my favorite moments thus far took place yesterday outside of the Sistine Chapel. I was reading a book that talked about Michaelangelo and the Sistine Chapel when I heard a little kid talking about the different paintings on the ceiling. The kid must have been 9 or 10 years old. He was sitting at a bench, with a person I could only assume was his mom, and he was telling her what he understood from the different paintings. It  was really something beautiful.

My other moment happened when I sitting at the stadium while watching a football match. All people were screaming and chanting and just so passionate about football. That moment was it. In that moment, I decided I didn't want to be anywhere else but Europe. I love this part of the world. I love the people. I love the European mentality.

Bougie: Aspiring to be a higher class than one is.

Riding The Bus Around Europe ( My Megabus Experience)

Whenever I travel somewhere, I always look for a cheap way to do it. I literally (figuratively) typed on the Google bar " cheap way to get from Point A to Point B". Surprisingly enough, I live in Europe at the moment and there are many cheap ways to travel from country to country.

After doing some light research, I found out that taking a bus is cheaper than flying or taking the train. This is especially true if you're booking a trip last minute. There are many bus companies that have a wide range of destinations. There is OuiBus, Megabus, IDBus and Eurolines, just to name a few big ones.

The cheapest bus company by far was and generally is (in my opinion)- Megabus, which is why I booked my tickets through them to go from France to Spain. Based on my experience, I'd like to share some of the pros and cons to taking a bus as opposed to taking any other form of transportation.

Pros

1-The main reason I enjoy taking the bus whenever I visit a new country is because you get to see other places that you wouldn't necessarily have on your itinerary. The bus travels through the country and generally have other stops along the way, which come as a plus you don't intend to visit that particular place. While I traveled with Megabus, we made stops in Toulouse, Berga and Manresa. The last two are cities in Spain. Moreover, I had a chance to admire the more rural side of France. I witnessed miles and miles of breathtaking landscape, traditional French villages with centuries old houses, and buildings and a few vineyards. This is something you don't get to enjoy on a plane. 

2- The price is great. I paid 20 euros for my trip to Barcelona and It was booked 2 weeks before leaving. I had seen it cheaper about a month earlier, but I lost the battle to procrastination. Before booking the trip with Megabus, I searched for flights and trains, but nothing was a cheap as taking the bus.  

3- Another good thing about Megabus is that they make stops every few hours. My trip from Paris to Barcelona was around 10 hours yet, we made four stops along the way. 20 minute stops to stretch legs and get some to eat is always good. The breaks were factored in to the trip, so there is no further delays.

4- I think it is also beneficial to note that the bus is relatively empty, which means that you don't necessarily need to sit next to someone you don't know. Always a plus!

5- The driver was very nice and helpful. As soon as we all boarded the bus and got settled, the driver apologized for being late, and assured us we would make it back not too late. We actually arrived only 30 minutes later than the estimated arrival, even though we left almost two hours later.

Cons 

There were only a handful of things I didn't like about my experience with Megabus. 

1- The departure time was scheduled for 9:45 pm, but we didn't leave until a little after 11 pm. Moreover, not only were they late but no one, not even the person in charge, would give us any answers as to why our bus was late. After the bus arrived at the station, we found out the bus was coming from London, and it had been held up on the French side after crossing the English Channel. 

* According to different Megabus reviews, they're hardly ever late. Hopefully this is true next time I travel with them. 

2- The toilet on the bus is super tiny. I have taken long bus rides before, but I have never seen such a tiny bathroom. It is the smallest thing you have ever seen in your life. 

3- Okay, I'm not sure if I should put the wifi situation under cons. To be honest, the wifi was bad;  however, Facebook and other messaging apps worked just fine. I guess, don't expect to load a video or a movie on the bus and you'll be fine. 

4- I won't lie, If it weren't for the fact that I love traveling and I've done long bus rides before, I would definitely complain about spending 10 hours on a bus. This bus ride could be brutal for someone who doesn't have this kind of experience. 

Overall, I don't have many complains about my experience with this bus company. I enjoyed my time, so much so that I have already booked my tickets from Paris to Milan and back for my adventure in Italy. Plus, 25 euros round trip never hurt!