I’ve always believed everything happens in divine timing, and honestly, the way the divine shows off sometimes? Hilarious. Wild. Weirdly perfect.
So here’s how it all started: an old friend of mine moved to Barcelona. We didn’t talk much anymore, outside of the occasional Instagram like or random story reply. Every now and then, she’d invite me to visit, casually throwing it out there like, “You should come to Spain!” She knew I loved to travel, but I never took it seriously. I mean, people say that kind of thing all the time, right?
But then she asked again. And something in me shifted. I thought, “You know what? Maybe I actually should.”
We swapped new numbers, and just like that, we were back in touch, like no time had passed. Life being the comedic genius that it is, she happened to be flying back to Tennessee the exact same week I was coming home from LA. Naturally, we had to meet up at our favorite local pizza spot (as all life-changing conversations should take place over pizza).
We hadn’t seen each other in over four years, but it felt like a long-lost sleepover. She caught me up on her life in Spain, and I filled her in on my California chapter. She talked about moving abroad, getting her Master’s, living that Mediterranean dream, and suddenly, my mind was buzzing. Could I do something like that? She thought I could. In fact, she insisted I could.
After that night, we stayed in touch more consistently. She sent me YouTube videos, blog posts, and program links like a one-woman admissions office. And somehow, we stumbled across IBEI in Barcelona. I looked at the program, sat with it for about two minutes, and thought, “Okay, yeah, let’s go all in.”
In less than a month, I had my letters of recommendation, a polished letter of intent, and that dreaded application fee paid. I was nervous about the student loan piece (because… yikes), and the fact that this program didn’t line up with my past degrees or career path. But I said, “Why not?”, and honestly, so did Katherine.
Plot twist: I didn’t get in. Honestly? A little crushed. But I’ve learned that “no”s are usually just detours in disguise. If Spain was meant for me, I figured it’d circle back in some other way.
Spoiler: it did. A few weeks later, Katherine sent me a random TikTok about this program called NALCAP.
Applications were opening in two weeks, and it was like, “Ready or not, here’s your second chance.” We jumped on it. She helped with everything. Documents, translations, pep talks at midnight. I applied on the day applications opened in February. By April, I was in. I still remember waking up at 3-something in the morning, blurry-eyed and confused, only to see that magical “Congratulations!” email sitting in my inbox. I took a screenshot, sent it to Katherine immediately, whispered “We did it,” and rolled right back to sleep like it was just another Tuesday.
That same month, I took my very first trip to Europe and to Spain. And wow. The pace of life, the sunshine, the walkability, the food… my entire energy shifted. It wasn’t just a vacation glow. It was a deep knowing. This felt good. This felt right. I started imagining my life here, and for the first time, it didn’t feel like a far-off fantasy. It felt like home waiting for me to show up.
And that’s the beauty of timing. I never had a dream of living in Spain until a friend I hadn’t seen in years reappeared in my life with the exact nudge I didn’t know I needed. Some people are planted in your life like little signposts, pointing you to the next version of yourself. Don’t ignore those people. Treasure them. Text them back. Say yes to pizza!
For me, that person was Katherine. I went from living across the country to moving out of the country… all in under a year. Isn’t it wild what can happen when you stay open? So here’s to divine timing, old friends, spontaneous yeses, and you, Spain. I’ll see you soon. And Katherine? You already know. Thank you for changing my life!
Love always,
American Girl Meets World
