Hey Y'all,
I'm finally situated back in Eugene and so far, I haven't felt the need to do all that much readjusting. The biggest change for me has been the difference in food. Before coming back to Eugene, I stopped in Houston to visit some friends and my mother, so my first real meal back in the States was Waffle House. It truly was the most incredible meal and at the same time, something I'd never have gotten in Oviedo.
Similarly, the think I can't get here in the U.S. is the food I loved in Spain. Lemon Fanta, Fabada, and these cookies called Filipinos come to mind. I saw something similar to a Lemon Fanta in a U.S. airport and was disappointed to find that it was pineapple flavored and not lemon. Truly a devastating experience. The Filipino cookies are also something I'm just not going to be able to get in the U.S. Fabada, however, is a dish that I can make whenever I want, so I will likely be making Fabada in the near future for both myself and the memories and also for my friends to try.
All in all, going to Spain was a lot of fun. I never fot the "fish out of water" feeling that I thought I'd have, being there for a month. Perhaps it's because I was treated as an American, whereas in the U.S., Blackness defines my existence first. Perhaps, I didn't feel out of place because I could speak Spanish — at least enough to seem competent. I even checked into my hotel in Spanish, and the receptionist was admittedly unaware I wasn't Spanish until she saw my passport. That interaction was one of the highlights of my trip.
I think for any queer Black people thinking about studying abroad or traveling abroad in general, I recommend it. Overall, leaving the U.S. didn't alter my perspective on my identity much, but it did offer me some certainty. Queer Black people are everywhere, and so is queer Black joy.
Bye for now,
Jayden Taylor, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
Creative Writing in Oviedo