About halfway through my program my friend, Elena, who is currently a student at Rhode Island College and was also a summer intern, felt we needed a much-needed getaway from work and the busy city of Lisbon. Our unforgettable weekend in Madeira would be the first real “aha” moment I had during my study abroad. The first time I felt truly transported to another country, another culture, and another world entirely during my stay in a foreign country. This trip was also probably the most transformative moment of my study abroad.
Admittedly, approaching this trip to Madeira, I felt ready to go home to Pittsburgh. I was feeling homesick, the stress around my internship was at an all-time high (despite being on-schedule), and the city of Lisbon just felt too loud and too busy to handle anymore. Elena was feeling the same way, so we planned our 48-hour escape to the Portuguese island of Madeira.
While in Madeira, three key events marked the “aha” moments I had on the trip.
The first event was learning to drive on the roads of Madeira. On the island, it takes about 1-2 hours to navigate to different hiking trails and smaller towns outside of the city of Funchal, where our hotel was located. Uber and public transport were not feasible options to travel as far as we wanted across the island. So, we knew a car would be necessary for the weekend, and I was the driver for our rental vehicle. This was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life. Up until this point, I had only used buses, trains, and uber to get around. While I understood the basic rules of driving in Portugal, adjusting to driving culture was a different beast entirely. I drove in the city and through narrow village roads, up steep, winding hills, and across racing highways. I employed my parallel parking skills to avoid expensive garage costs. As terrifying as the entire experience was, I returned the rental car in perfect condition, and had a new appreciation for Portuguese drivers. The traffic patterns were unlike anything I had every seen before, but they did make me feel like I had finally immersed myself in Portuguese living. For that weekend, I was part of the activity in a Portuguese city in a new way. I could see how people adapted driving to their culture of living, especially across urban and rural environments.
The second and largest “aha” event came to me while hiking the PR 1.2 trail, also known as Vereda do Pico Ruivo, the hike to the tallest peak on the island of Madeira. Admittedly, the hike up was memorable mostly because it rained the entire time. Elena and I spent more time making sure we didn’t slip down the slick granite steps we were climbing and less time enjoying the scenery. However, once we reached the peak, the clouds cleared completely, not because they were gone, but because we had reached an altitude where we were above them. While waiting out the rain at the peak, we watched the sun set above the layer of clouds below. The sunset was so peaceful, the opposite from the city I had been staying in for a month. The mountaintop felt like it was its own island, floating above the clouds. It was like I was transported to a different world, like I wasn’t even on earth anymore. I felt so far away from my worries or my responsibilities. I felt accomplished for reaching the peak, sure, but I was more grateful that I had a moment of rest with the closest friend I made in the entire program. I finally felt like I had found a totally new experience, a totally new feeling, while studying abroad.
The third “aha” moment came during our last night in Madeira. Elena and I had spent two days hiking, swimming, and even ziplining across the island, and we were exhausted. Instead of going out again, we decided to order pizza from a local restaurant and stay in to watch the Norway v. England World Cup match. This moment sticks out in my mind because it was as if everything I had done in Portugal up to that point just hit all at once. It was absurd. Here I was, sharing a king-size bed with a girl I met only a month ago, eating seafood pizza and watching soccer on an island in the middle of the Atlantic. It felt like one of those moments that defines your college experience. Something that will stick out in your memories forever.
Madeira was an incredible experience to add to my time in Portugal. The chance to disconnect from the city was refreshing in a way that helped me have the first “wow” moment of my trip. It also helped me as I carried on for the second half of my program.