The month of June is chalked full of festivities in Portugal, and specifically Lisbon itself. Each city in Portugal has a patron saint whose festivities and celebrations occur at different times of the year. Saint Anthony of Padua – the patron saint of miracles, the lost (both items and souls), finding one’s spouse, and pregnancy – is the patron saint of Lisbon. He is venerated by the Catholic Church and was canonized (made a saint) on June 30^th, 1232. The day of his death occurred June 13^th, 1231, and thus the festivities in Lisbon begin on the night 12^th and end 13^th. The day was marked by a large procession of newlyweds walking down the major streets of Lisbon, a festival of sardines (they symbolize Saint Anthony), and lots of live music! It was an explosive introduction into the local culture, and I found myself feeling very immersed in authentic, new experiences. I am not a huge seafood fan, but I even found myself trying some sardines to join in on the fun. This is what traveling is all about in my opinion – lowering your boundaries and inviting new experiences and change into your world. This process is electrifying and refreshing; I think I may have caught the traveling bug!

I did have a bit of culture shock at first. It was sometimes very challenging to be in a foreign country and not know how to speak the local language. While English is certainly not uncommon, I found myself sometimes struggling to communicate with people. It was sometimes saddening to have so much to say to a new friend, but not know how. However, I quickly learned a few words in Portuguese and how to communicate in other ways, like hand gestures and body language. Once I got used to it, communicating became no problem and I even began to seek out new situations with non-native English speakers!