Escapril Day 1: Borrowed time

Life on exchange meant living with an expiration date –
Now that I’m back, I feel like I’m just molding away. 
Five months of new friends and late-night adventures in unfamiliar streets
Just to be brought back to a work-first reality.

I left with nothing but a few suitcases,
Yet I came back with a lifetime of memories.
From drinking tinto de verano to improving my Spanish day-by-day,
Every moment gave me unforgettable cultural experiences I always replay.

I still remember my first culture shock: partying on weekdays.
The laid-back lifestyle left me in a daze.
Soon, I even travelled on a whim with friends,
Ryanair and cheap Airbnbs soon became our best friends. 

From using Google Translate in every country to embracing the unknown,
I felt myself flourish – not mold. 
But with days passing by the calendar,
I’ve realized the comfort of returning to Spain like it’s home won’t last forever.

So I packed my calendar with trips: three Canary Islands in three days. Crazy, right?
From going on the wrong side of the islands and almost getting kidnapped, 
These are the memories I’m never gonna forget. 
But sadly, these are nothing but flashbacks. 

I was soon brought back to a reality of snow, gloominess and stress. 
The white rabbit decided it was time to go back to reality and took away my spark,
Giving it to the workplace, instead. 
Four jobs, 60-hour work weeks and school – what time is left for myself? 

That’s when I realized – I lived on borrowed time.