The Adventurer Capturing the world of travel, one word at a time...

The Eternal Traveler

After 10 days of journeying through Spain we arrived in Pamplona, a city more beautiful and bizarre than I ever imagined.

As we drove to our hotel, we passed through streets coloured with red and white outfitted explorers, dancing through cobbled narrow roads behind giant parade puppets.

Being my first ever first trip abroad, this San Fermin festival captured my senses and broadened the horizons of my newbie traveler mind.

With Africa, the continent of my home, being relatively reserved with its entertainment opportunities; the street parties, all night bars and sangria tossing competitions became the pinnacle of free-spirited party experiences.

Coupled with the historical traditional practices of the running of the bull and stadium sporting (inhumane) bullfights, San Fermin awakened every sense of adventure, exploration and entertainment a 24 year old could envision as possible.

The 14 July marks the end of San Fermin with a unique celebration in which thousands of attendees gather in the Town Square to bid the festival a heartfelt farewell.

As a sea of red and white garbed voyagers from around the globe waved red bandannas ceremoniously in the air, I was in awe.

The moment was transcendental as I stood breathing in the warm Spanish evening air, watching the multi-coloured fireworks display shoot into the starlit night sky and listening to the crowds shout "Pobre de Mí, Pobre de Mí, que se han acabado las fiestas, de San Fermín" (Poor me, poor me, for the fiesta of San Fermín has come to a close).

I wanted to form the words “Pobre”, but no sound echoed from my lips. Too overwhelmed to speak, I basked in the moment. Thankful for the opportunity to experience life exclusively differently.

The end of the San Fermin festival marked the beginning of my life of international travel.

I often think back to that evening in Pamplona surrounded by beautiful music, scenic imagery and an array of international languages as the start of greatness. The courage to travel into the unknown brought me closer to yearning of my heart and the most natural discovery of my future self – the eternal traveler.