This morning was my orientation at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and I was forced, as a natural introvert, to make new friends.
This is not a task that comes easily to me but when you put 1,400 students in a courtyard who are all from different places, it is significantly easier to find someone you can connect with. I found eight wonderful women whom I spent the day with and, as true Spaniards do, we did what seemed great in the moment because we didn’t have a plan to begin with.
This ended up being about six miles of walking and sangria(s).
In the next part of the evening, I went with a new friend and her father to a local market, el Mercado de San Miguel, for some tapas before calling it a night. However, our night did not end for another four hours as a result of meeting a few amazing people from Brazil.
The market was very much an open area with various vendors and community style seating. Now, when most Americans are confronted with a shared table situation they tend to ignore those they don’t know and continue conversing with their friends.
Brazilians, and Spaniards I have noticed, do not abide by that common practice. They want to get to know you, ask where you are from and have a genuine conversation. As it turns out, the man we were next to was a lawyer who has traveled extensively over the course of his life. The fascinating stories about his travels exemplify every bit of why I am studying abroad.
Sergio, the lawyer, is about 50 years old and has the wisdom that comes with years of experience. He speaks seven languages and kind of flies by the seat of his pants as far as experiences go.
Sergio explained his life philosophy in a way that resonated with me. He said that life is meant to be lived, and if you aren’t doing that then you are doing yourself an injustice. If you are given an opportunity and you are not endangering anyone else or yourself, then jump at it. That chance may never come again.
“Once in a lifetime” truly means just that, but you may not recognize it at the time, so make a conscious effort to live your life. When you have the chance to really make every moment special and every experience worthwhile, then why not? What is holding you back?
I was in awe. More than one fortune cookie has told me to seize the opportunities that I am presented with, but it was never so real as talking to Sergio.
My life is a quarter over, but what have I done during that time? What do I wish I would have done? I don’t want to look back in 60 years and be asking myself those same questions or harboring regrets because I didn’t choose to live up those little moments, which could be the big moments. How many other life altering moments have I passed up already? Will I know them when I see them or will I even know if I let them pass?
The point is, life is too short. Go to that party, eat dessert first, talk to that special person, go home for the weekend and hang out with your parents because they are getting older too, get out of dodge and go somewhere new. Do what makes you happy in the moment because the moment is fleeting. Even if it doesn’t work out it was something you wanted and now it’s an awesome story.