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During my 19th summer, I found myself studying in Spain. If I had stayed in my comfort zone and limited myself to Spain and France, where I knew the capitals and the languages, then I never would have embarked on my first journey across Europe and discovered myself. Instead, I let go of my fear of being alone and learned a lot about what I have to offer. I have great social skills and gifts I can share with others. I met great people along the way and ended up going as far as Norway that first year. I had a Eurail pass – my first of three over the next 5 years. I decided to leave Madrid and head to Paris. From there, I was planning to head East. Hungary was new on the Eurail map that year. At Chamartín, the open, somewhat cavernous rail station in Madrid, I overheard two guys asking a local man for directions in English, with a pronounced Scandinavian accent. I realized we had tickets for the same train to Paris that evening and decided to introduce myself. These tall blond guys were from Norway. I asked if they spoke any Spanish or French. They did not. I volunteered that I speak both and would love to help them out in both cities. During the trip to Paris, the three of us got along so well that they invited me to see their home in Oslo. To be honest, Norway wasn’t even on my radar. I accepted their offer and we continued North via Copenhagen. Seeing a city through the eyes of people who live there is the best way to get a feel for the place and what it has to offer, its food, language, architecture, arts, life. During our overnight train ride, I had told the guys about my studies in Salamanca and my love of the Spanish language and cinema. Lasse suggested we see Matador, which was the only Almodóvar film I hadn’t seen on the big screen and happened to be playing downtown. It was fun to see it in that setting. I had to rely on my fledging Spanish and the Norwegians had to rely on the Swedish (!) subtitles. These guys were great. They showed me the city and took me to the sweeping Vigeland sculpture park with all its bronze, granite, and cast-iron statues of people in various relationships. I met their families and got to spend an afternoon at Per’s family’s cabin in the woods, complete with a working outhouse and no working electricity. Back in the city, Lasse and I made dinner at his father’s flat in town, making simple, traditional Norwegian fare, listening to Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water. To this day, whenever I hear that song, I think of that evening in Oslo. I hated to say goodbye to the city and those guys, but I had to get back to school. I returned to Paris via Copenhagen, where I met two other Norwegians from Bergen. They were on their way to Greece, via Paris. I asked them if they spoke French and was rewarded with the chance to show off my favorite city (and language skills) again. That summer, I learned not to fear being alone because I didn’t have to be. I have traveled extensively since then and am still in touch with a number of my fellow international travelers from that summer. I returned to Norway years later and they visited me in Paris. I tell everyone to travel Europe on the rails and urge friends with children to not miss this opportunity for personal growth abroad. Oh, and I finally got to Budapest 4 years later, when I was living in France.