My favorite movie growing up was Walt Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” hands down. It still is my favorite classic Disney film today.
I loved the colorful animations and the catchy tunes, and the love between Ariel and Eric is something I always hoped to have. But my favorite aspect by far was the under-the-sea setting.
Ariel, the princess of the sea, lived in an elaborate castle on the bottom of the ocean where the water was the perfect color of aquamarine. I thought that place only existed in the land of Disney World ... and in my dreams.
Then I visited Lagos, Portugal.
This past weekend, I ventured outside of Spain to Lagos for a short holiday with two friends.
Historic Lagos is known as the perfect destination for water sports and relaxation, and is very close to the cliff where, until the 15th century, people thought the world ended.
We arrived Friday to unfortunate inclement weather, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the breathtaking views all around us. Our Airbnb was located right on the beach with a perfect view of the ocean from our terrace.
The main tourist activity the three of us wanted to do was take a boat tour that brought passengers along the coast and into some of the giant caves, most of which are inaccessible by foot. We tried every day to see if the boats were running, but due to each day’s weather, the security risk was too high.
Monday morning, right before we had to leave, we attempted again and were successful. The sun was finally out and we boarded the first boat of the day.
We were touring the grottos, things that I have only seen replicas of when visiting Ariel in Disney World. My dream had come true.
Although we didn’t see any mermaids or the more likely dolphins in the hour excursion, it was still worth the entire weekend.
The culture of Lagos was very lax and calm, typical to a beach town. Growing up on the coast of New Jersey, I was always going to beach, and one of my favorite pastimes was collecting shells during low tide.
This weekend brought me back home, even just for a little bit. Although the water and its surroundings look significantly better than my end of the ocean, in my opinion, if I were to swim a few 4,000 plus miles out to sea I could end up on my front lawn.
I have been very grateful to live in such an amazing city as Seville, and having the opportunity to live out my dream of being a jet setter, traveling from weekend to weekend and tasting the European lifestyle while I have the chance.
Most people don’t have the opportunity to explore new cultures and peoples like I do this semester.
That is why I must take advantage of what I have now and learn as much as I can with the time I have left. Just as Ariel defied boundaries to find love in her life, I want to defy boundaries to spread knowledge of other cultures in order to make it a better place.
Thank you Ariel and obrigada (thank you in Portuguese) Lagos for teaching me these lessons and helping me live out my dreams, even if only for an hour.
afmaling@indiana.edu
@ali_mali
