The #LigaBBVAExperience has changed my life

My name is Daryna, I'm 35 years old and I live in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border. It has been a war zone since April 2014 and three bombs have fallen near us in the last year alone.

Spain is worlds apart from what is unfolding around us over there and although I'm looking forward to going home to tell my family all about what a great time we've had in Gran Canaria over the last three days, this trip has been an eye-opener, making me realise that I have to leave the Ukraine behind and search for a better future. That's right, the #LigaBBVAExperience has changed my life.

The crashing of the waves and the roar of the fans celebrating goals at the Estadio Gran Canaria are a far cry from the boom of missiles launched by two armies that don't even know what they're fighting for any more. The battle on the football pitch makes for much nicer viewing. What's more, this weekend I've learned that a match lasts much longer than 90 minutes. Because what happens before and after a LaLiga game is almost as important for the fans as what takes place on the field of play. It is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and drink a toast.

Getting to know the Spanish character, sampling the delicious papas arrugadas (baked new potatoes served with a spicy sauce) for which the Canary Islands are famous, strolling along a magnificent beach while soaking up the peaceful atmosphere, and gazing out at the immensity of the ocean for the first time in my life: all this has been much more than a cultural and footballing experience. Spain and Spanish people are all about passion, and football in its purest form. They're different to us Slavs. And the #LigaBBVAExperience has also given me a taste of other cultures. LaLiga has allowed me to venture beyond the Ukraine and I'll be eternally grateful.

The @UDLP_Oficial fans have give their international visitors a warm welcome!#LigaBBVAExperience pic.twitter.com/yxPBnBJYOd

— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) March 13, 2016

 

When we took part in the competition offering a prize consisting of a whole weekend away in Spain and the chance to experience LaLiga first-hand in all its glory, my husband was convinced that we were going to win. I don't know why, but he told me that we'd be going to Las Palmas. That we would be blessed with the luck we've lacked on many other occasions, just when we needed it. And here we are. It's a miracle. And now all I can think about is the day when we'll get to come back to this wonderful country on holiday, with no worries or war, and can enjoy the thrill of the Liga BBVA live in the flesh again. Until then, we will follow the league from our couch every weekend in the Ukraine, where I hope peace finally prevails…