The Scary Reality

May 30, 2023

    As I was waking up, I knew today was going to be an emotional day. I did not know what to expect, but her story shocked me. We were scheduled to hear from a victim of human trafficking. She began to explain her story all in Spanish while Vanessa was translating. It was beyond sad. I began tearing up when she explained the abuse she went through. Two things that stuck out to me most: she has to keep her identity a secret to stay safe and around 95% of prostitutes are in the human trafficking system. I could never imagine having to change my identity because of a horrible event in my past. I feel as if it would be a daily reminder of the bad things I endured. Before this lecture, I thought most prostitutes chose to have that job. The fact that most are forced into this industry with no way out made my jaw drop. The strength this woman had when she was telling her story was admirable. I do not think I could ever recover from this experience. My heart was very heavy after hearing her story, but we had a whole day ahead of us and I didn’t want to dwell upon my thoughts all day. One thing I am going to learn more of is how to detect signs as a physician. That was her one piece of advice for us. I realized I am going to be in contact with possible victims, and I need to keep my eyes open.

    We had a small break before our fun tapas activity. Before this tour, I honestly did not want to put another tapas food in my mouth. I was tired of the same food at every place. The main concept I took away from this tour is that each tapas restaurant specializes in a certain food. The first place we went to was known for their cod croquettes. I know….the thought of chunks of fish in your croquettes sounds appalling. This was my initial thought. When the croquettes came out, I knew I had to try them. Unlike my initial thoughts, the croquettes were creamy. It did not taste like cod at all, but it was blended in the creamy mixture. My rating would be a 7/10. I loved the flavor, but the fried outside and mushy inside makes the croquettes a weird texture. The next place we went to sounds underwhelming, but I think it is one of the best foods I have had all trip. Garlic Shrimp. Casa de Abuelo is actually the creator of garlic shrimp. During a struggling economy, the founders searched for an affordable but delicious idea that would keep the business running. Garlic shrimp was the solution. I would give these shrimp a 10/10 because they literally melt in your mouth, and I craved more and more as I was eating. The flavor was fantastic, and it left you feeling perfectly satisfied. To finish the tour off, we went to a location of the same restaurant that served us a variety of tapas. I was honestly pretty full from the places before, but I really loved the jamón! Very yummy. The tour exceeded my expectations, and I left feeling full for days!

The best garlic shrimp ever. All I could think about was
how much my mom would love them. I still think about how they melted in my
mouth!

This was the restaurant with the garlic shrimp. It has been open over 100 years, 
and it is still famous for the shrimp.

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