Adventures in an Ambulance: Barcelona

Our third spring break, and final trip of the semester started on Thursday April 3rd. We took our final exam of Junior year on Wednesday and gave our final presentation on Thursday. We flew RyanAir and arrived in Barcelona just after midnight. We arrived at the hostel around 2am and called it a night. We needed as much energy as possible for our bike tour on Friday Morning. 

On Friday we made our way to La Plaza de Sant Jaume, home of Barcelona's town hall and the starting point of our bike tour. We made our way through the city stopping at some of Barcelona's main attractions including the Arc de Triomf, Gaudi Cascades, and la Sagrada Familia. Our final stop was on the beach before biking back through the city.

Barcelona's Arc de Triomf

Cascades

Sagrada Familia

Molly, Cat, MK, Audris, Taylor, Trip and I returned to Port Olympic for a late lunch. We enjoyed traditional Paella and Sangria, before making our way to the beach. We only spent a few minutes there, but we enjoyed soaking up the sun. As the sun began to set, I made my way to the Magic Fountain. This was one attraction I missed last time I was in Barcelona, so I made sure to see it this time. The show was fantastic. The water flow was set to music and lit up throughout the evening.

That evening we visited a bar called Dow Jones, where like stocks, the prices of beverages changed throughout the night based on their popularity. It is rumored that each night the Dow Jones crashes for a few minutes, dropping the price of every drink to 1 euro. 

Top from left: Cat, Molly, Ashley
Middle: Carmen, Audris, Madison, Dana
Bottom: Mary Kate, Jenny, Taylor, Trip, Me

On Saturday we went straight to the beach. We spent a few hours there, and enjoyed a game of beach volleyball as a group. After some much needed relaxation, Trip, Taylor, Dana, Justine, Audris, and I made our way to Camp Nou for the Barcelona versus Real Betis soccer match. I can't explain how excited I was about this game. I never expected to have an opportunity to see my favorite team play in their home stadium. Lionel Messi put on a show, as the world's greatest player netted two goals in Barcelona's 3-1 victory. Nearly 90,000 fans of all ages filled the stadium. The passion for the sport was evident and the love for their team is undying. While by most standards a 3-1 victory is something to celebrate, it was clear that many fans expect more from their home team than that. Barcelona is a team with a long history of success and winning sometimes isn't enough. Regardless, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and am incredibly thankful to have gotten the opportunity to watch the world's greatest sport, played by the world's greatest player, in the world's greatest soccer stadium. 

Lionel Messi, the World's Greatest Soccer Player

As if my day wasn't exciting enough, my night was very eventful. My Spanish skills were put to the ultimate test, and if it weren't for my awesome Spanish teachers, I may not be alive to tell the tale.

I ordered a veggie burger for dinner, and verified with the server that my meal was both vegetarian and nut-free to accommodate my allergy. After two bites however, I could feel my throat closing. I made a mad dash to the bar, and chugged two glasses of water with benadryl, in hope that it would stop the reaction. I asked the server once again if there were any nuts in the burger, and she assured me there were not. Noting the complications of my diet, she offered me a free tequila shot, as tequila is both vegetarian and nut free. I politely declined. While her offer made me chuckle, I was in no condition to be drinking. I downed at least four more glasses of water before making my way up to my room hoping I was cured. I wasn't. The human body absolutely amazes me. In a matter of seconds it recognized that I had eaten nuts and was rejecting it almost immediately. I began tossing my cookies and sneezing uncontrollably. Soon my nose got clogged and I was breaking out in hives and my lips began to swell. Finally I admitted to myself that I needed to administer my Auvi-Q epinephrine shot. Up until this point, I had never had to use an epinephrine injection before. I made my way to the front desk and told them I needed to go to the hospital. They offered to call a taxi, but I insisted on an ambulance. My friends are awesome, they literally dropped everything they were doing to help me. Trip got my passport, Taylor got my jacket, Molly escorted me throughout the hostel making sure I was conscious. I administered the Auvi Q, which was far less painful than I anticipated. Within minutes the effects of the adrenalin kicked in. I was shaking but alert. I made my way outside to the ambulance where two paramedics, Carlos and Javier, greeted me. They spoke no English whatsoever. While Trip and Taylor were insistent on joining me, the paramedics wouldn't allow it as they were of no help unless they spoke Spanish. I was on my own.

We got inside the ambulance and I started explaining my symptoms and answering an array of questions. One thing led to another, and next thing I knew I was getting a shot where the sun doesn't shine and another in my arm soon after. They monitored me for a few minutes, and as I started to feel better they released me. When I stepped out of the ambulance, all of my friends were waiting for me. They kept an eye on me throughout the night as the antihistamine and cortisone kicked in. I stayed up for a while to make sure I didn't have any other reactions. Finally I fell asleep, and woke up good as new on Sunday morning. I made my way back to the restaurant to ask for a list of ingredients in the burger I had ordered the night before. The first ingredient: pine nuts.

Thankfully I lived to tell the tale. I was once again reminded how awesome my friends are, and how lucky I am to be a part of the Hokie Nation. 

Special thanks to my Spanish Teachers over the last seven years: Dr. Pagán-Teitelbaum, Profesora Lopez-Romero, Señora Schultz, Señor Stryker, Señora Hall, and Señora Calhoun!

Additionally, I owe a big thanks to my spectacular allergist Dr. Jacqueline Eghrari-Sabet for providing me with the new Auvi-Q epinephrine injector. The paramedics had never seen it before, but it got the job done!

On Sunday morning we visited Park Guell briefly before catching our train to Sevilla for our next adventure. My return to Barcelona was filled with excitement. I look forward to returning for more fun and paella soon! Next stop, Sevilla!