OMG That was a ginormous challenge you faced! I wondered why you didn't imagine us going to Madrid instead of Lisbon. You have an excellent grasp of the English language, dare I say, better than most native speakers. I would have found it terribly daunting to be placed in a foreign place where I didn't speak the language, but like you, I would have eventually succeeded, but not as spectacularly well as you did. I struggled with Physics 11 and my native language was English. Having a friend and feeling not so alone must have helped.