Would you ever dream of flying to the ocean to rehabilitate?

Truly, one of the best decisions I have ever made.

While the thought of travelling with my left arm in a sling for five weeks was initially intimidating, it turned out to provide some merits and reward.

I was blessed to meet so many individuals during my travels throughout Fuerteventura, Valencia, and Mallorca whom were curious about my injured state and furthermore, shared their own experiences with accidents and recoveries from the hospital.

I didn’t realize how antidotal this trip was turning out to be…

PART TWO

THE FARAWAY TRAVELS

Emilie in a sling practising yoga in El Cotillo. — I am so lucky…

So following my 4-day stay in a hospital in Berlin In July, I had to very quickly pack my bags for my trip to Fuerteventura (which at the time, I had no return-ticket for, mind you) In addition, I also had to clean my apartment while preparing to pack my larger items for storage as the lease for the apartment was also ending at the end of the month.

My priority list looked something like this:

Pack and move all large storage boxes to my friend’s basement.
Get my stitches removed so they could heal properly.
Hand over the keys to the new tenant.
Head to the airport via taxi with luggage and tote bag in my right arm - with no regrets to look back on.

I was very grateful to have seen so many friends in Berlin before embarking on my solo adventure to the ocean. After an 8 hour adventure from airport to airport, I landed in sunny and dusty Fuerteventura and took a shuttle bus to El Cotillo, a remote beachtown on the Northwest coast. I was welcomed by open arms at my accommodation. a surfhouse equipped with 4 bedrooms, a shared kitchen and dining area, and a massive terrace and chillout area out front.

It was easy to make friends right away. Of the 4 weeks that I ended up staying at the surfhouse, there were 13 people that I became acquainted with whom stayed for shorter one or two-week stays.

Surfhouse_ElCotillo — El Cotillo, Fuerteventura

Surfhouse adventures, Friendships and the freshest Seafood Dinners

My days were typically quite calm: a walk to the lagoon in the morning for a meditation & stretch, then I would return to the surfhouse to work remotely on my laptop from one of the tables on the terrace facing the sun, followed by a quick dip in the lagoon to cool off in the late afternoon, finished by dinner with my housemates cooked at home or at one of the handful of seafood restaurants in town. From grilled octopus, to mussels, to sizzling garlic shrimp and fresh bread covered in homemade mojo sauce to traditional goat stew, there was no shortage of delicious delights to feast on.

While my initial intentions were to surf and and swim in the ocean, I had to monitor my own physical progress as I knew I during those 4 weeks while wearing a sling that I had limited energy and mobility. Over the weeks, I started wading into the water, and finally was able to tread water very minimally by the fourth week.

It was a very humbling experience to note that the most improvement I could see was my overall capacity to stay in the water and move pain-free. Salt water will work wonders for this.

I was very grateful to have the company of my new friends whom I enjoyed going on road trips to neighboring towns with, planning out dinners, and watching sunsets with. After months of isolation from lockdown in Berlin during the winter and living alone in my bachelor apartment, it was really relieving to be amongst a group of other positive and engaging individuals who loved the ocean as much as I did.

Valencia, Spain

Fireworks, Chinese Food, Beaches, and Urban Life!

After spending 4 weeks in the blazing hot sun in Fuerte’s desert-like landscape, I was off to my next adventure in Valencia, Spain!

After my fifth week in a sling, I was also able to operate it on a daily basis without having to wear it!

While having so many days out on the coast really did wonders for my mental health, I was also craving an urban city centre with other cuisine options, the sights of historic architecture, and the bustle of tourists and the like. And boy, did aValencia deliver!

Little did I know, the last week of August when I decided to travel to Valencia, was the same week the city decided to host Las Fallas, a 5-day annual ceremony held to commemorate St. Joseph. The city was adorned with beautifully painted sculptural installations that are set on fire on the 5th day. During all 5 days, visitors can walk around the city centre to admire the sculptures, while fireworks and firecrackers are set off from morning to evening.

I was amused by the nightly adventures on foot walking through the city centre, admiring the table-size pans of paella, singing, dancing, and partying Valencians had to offer! I was also quite pleased at the BnB hotel that I stayed at that offered fresh daily breakfasts every morning and was situated on an identifiable Chinatown. Dotted with restaurants from Shanghai pulled noodles to baoxi dumplings and xiao long baos, I felt like I was back in my hometown of Toronto.

Mallorca

Cultivating Romance, Awe, and Offgrid Adventures

Mallorca was the last leg of the trip and probably the most spontaneously planned of my entire trip.

I decided to fly from Mallorca back to Berlin for a mere €10. Flying from Fuerteventura to Valencia to Mallorca all happened within the whim of this decision alone.

I fail to include some important details from this month. Upon arriving to Palma, Mallorca, one of the busiest airports in all of western Europe, I sat next to a stranger whom I spent the entire 40 minute flight talking about our past year in lockdown, living the more difficult expat lifestyle and seeking out this new adventure in Mallorca. We ended up having dinner that evening at a tapas restaurant and having another girl join us spontaneously at our dinner table! (That’s another story for another time!)

That weekend, I was also fortunate enough to reunite with a fellow Canadian friend who happened to be living and working remotely in Palma. We ended up spending a lovely Sunday afternoon at the beach meeting a larger group of expats whom made Palma their choice of col-living and co-working possibilities. It gave me so much hope to be reconnected with another group of digital nomads whom spent their days off enjoying each other’s company

The remainder of my short week in Mallorca included a roadtrip up north, visiting the port of Sóller, the mountains of Deià, and the beautiful national park of Cala D’or on the eastern coast. There were so many moments of pure magic, meeting the most hospitable and incredible people, and enjoying romantic adventures by the sea.

While my adventures at sea were incredibly nourishing, I was also very happy to spend my return to Berlin in September resuming my sessions for physiotherapy, seeing friends, and cultivating a new, budding romance that blossomed from my month away.

You could say this trip was analogous to an Julia Roberts in “Eat, Pray, Love” as I was able to cultivate new friendships, a devotion to the ocean, enjoy the most delicious foods, rehabilitate with the sunshine, and find a new appreciation for partnership.

As I look back on these memories from 5 months ago, I can only be incredibly grateful to have trusted the spontaneous energy of the universe to bless me with such an amazing summer.

Would I recommend to anyone to travel to the sea to rehabilitate? Absolutely.

You never know who you will meet, what communities you will come into contact with, what you can nourish yourself with, and how much you can expand your own comfort zones.