Southern Spain

As I type this I'm on a train from Granada to Ronda. I'm doing a whirlwind trip through southern Spain (one night in Granada, one night in Ronda, half a day in Arcos and then two nights in Sevilla) before heading south to Morocco for a week. After a month of "living" in Barcelona it feels a little strange to on the road again. I'm still not sure if I actually liked Barcelona, but I liked the way I visited it: staying for a long time really let me get a feel for the city, exploring (both good and bad) neighborhoods that I would have never have otherwise seen.

It was also great having my sister with me. Most obviously, she speaks Spanish and, although you can certainly get on English alone in Barcelona, it was nice to have her as a back up. Ironically enough, it seems that the southern region isn't quite as English-friendly as Barcelona. And now that I actually need to communicate in Spanish, I'm alone. Fortunately I've so far gotten by with phrases like "una billete a Ronda hoy noches" ("one ticket to Ronda today night") at the train station and "mi bolso aqui hoy?" ("my bag here today?") when trying to keep my bags at the hotel while I go for the day. Everyone has been very friendly, at least.

And, of course, it was fun to have my sister's company in Barcelona. Every night I got to come home from a day of exploring and tell my sister about all the adventures I stumbled across. I had someone to go try new food with, something I'll pretty much never do on my own. And Kelsey's classmates provided us with a group of friends to hang out with at the bars at night.

And suddenly I've been thrust into a world of strangers, speaking languages I don't understand. I wasn't expecting that, after a month in Spain, I'd suddenly feel so alone and out of place. A lonely homesick feeling has started pulling at me, trying to sneak its way into my heart. But today, as I sat pondering life, I realized that I was lying on a bench in the middle of Spain, soaking up a late October sun. Gnawing on a bocadillo (a Spanish sandwich), listening to live music and staring at the ever-impressive facade of the Alhambra high above me. And waiting for me in Seattle is a home, a family, and an unending love that will follow me no matter where I go. I'm blessed not just to be able to travel the world, but to have the support and encouragement from my family that lets me follow every adventure I dream up. So thanks again, mom and dad. :)