COVID YEAR 2020: HOW IT STARTED
The journey from Lagos to Barcelona started as a joke and fantasy for Ayo. I was scrolling through TikTok when I saw videos of Hispanics (fine men😉) speaking Spanish. I immediately fell in love with the language. This happened few days after watching La Casa del Papel: MONEY HEIST . As a lover of romance, I was always blown away by Spanish, the best language for love.Â
A few days later, I signed up to Duolingo, recommended by a friend after I expressed my interest in learning Spanish. I downloaded Spanish songs, searched for Hispanic musicians, and learned the lyrics. I even taught one of my sisters the songs because if you’re around me, you’ve got to know Spanish😜. I started learning the language on Duolingo with enthusiasm, even paid for the yearly premium. Although my learning drive waned over time, my quest to visit Spain remained strong. I subconsciously practiced my Spanish while speaking English.
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HOW IT WENT
Two years later…..
On January 23, 2022, I woke up and impulsively decided to research the top 10 schools in Business Analytics. There, I found ESADE BUSINESS SCHOOL on the list. Without hesitation, I applied because it was in Spain. I said to myself, “Viola! Here comes the way to Spain💃.”
*****the mistake I made was not planning but moving on vibes
When I got the admission letter, that was when I told my parents about the school, and realised “Oh! There’s tuition and other expenses (Such a clown that I am and can be) to be incurred”.
I immediately started looking for funds, sending cold mails to celebrities (such as musicians, actors footballers). I mean the worst that could happen is not getting a response.Â
This is the result of failing to plan.
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get any responses😂. A few days later, my parents and I managed to raise part of the acceptance fee and paid it to secure the admission. After wards, I received a scholarship, but combined with what we paid, it wasn’t even 30% of the total fees.
While still figuring how to pay, I applied for visa believing that “WHAT GOD CANNOT DO DOESN’T EXIST”. I eventually got the visa but the fees were still incomplete.
By June 2022, it became clear that neither I nor my parents could afford to complete the tuition. I tried other fund-raising methods like loans but none were forthcoming. I was bothered and stressed (coupled with other things going on in life). I wasn’t living but was just whiling away time.
the light behind the tunnel
In July 2022, I finally gave in and decided to intentionally LIVE. That decision was the best of my life yet because A LOT HAPPENED FOR BETTER in every area of my life.
To start with, I submitted my application to defer my attendance for 2022. This was hard for me to do because, I had created a group chat on WhatsApp for my incoming coursemates, we had done introductions and had virtual calls to be familiar with each other.
After the approval of my deferment application, I had to leave the group and handed over the admin rights to another person. After leaving, some people reached out to confirm what the issue was. I gave responses when I could and slowly became comfortable with my reality.
“ Phew!😢That was the end of the Spain dream” – I thought.
Since I had my visa already, I was advised to travel, at the very least, to get an experience before the visa expired. Honestly, I’m glad I listened because that trip changed my life completely. I was grateful I went.
I LOVED SPAIN WHEN IT WAS STILL A FANTASY TO ME, LOVED IT THE FIRST TIME I STEPPED ON THE CITY AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOVE IT EVEN AFTER I LEAVE.