Hetal Chirag
When we were travelling through Europe, we stopped by Pamplona, Spain to witness the Fiesta de San Fermín. This week-long festival is filled with singing and dancing which takes place in the month of July every year.
Running with the bulls is definitely one of the craziest things I have done in my life. I still remember waking up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the run. After reaching the starting point, the wait before the actual run was a true test of our willingness to participate. It felt like we had all the time in the world to reconsider and reflect on our life choices. And then there was the first rocket boom. My heart almost skipped a beat after hearing the second boom. In that split second, when everyone was jumping up and down to see where the bulls were, I cleared my head, focused on my breathing and calmed myself to face the fear. In that very second, I could feel the vibration in the ground as thousands of people were running towards us.
In the middle of all the madness, I heard the sounds of the bells tied to bulls’ necks. The sound of people screaming with panic and their feet stomping on the ground as they tried to run for their lives boosted our adrenaline rush. From where we began, it took us barely 20-30 seconds to enter the ring and finish the run. Once we entered the ring, we were pulled in by the local crowd who were already in the arena.
Later that day, we went on the streets and witnessed the biggest street party I had ever seen in my life. Everyone, including young kids, teenagers, adults our own age and elderly ladies and gentlemen, were all dancing, singing, and enjoying the music on the street. It was the first time I ever saw people using sangria squirt guns. Everyone was in a great mood without a care in the world. It seemed like the whole city was a big street party. We joined the crowd and enjoyed the music, dancing, sangria and fireworks.
