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Hola!

I think I'm in love with Spain. I went to Barcelona with absolutely no expectations at all, just wanting to experience the La Merce festival, and meet up with dear friends from back home, but the experience I had left me yearning for more, wishing I had gone with my guts to miss my Wednesday 6am flight and get another ticket to come back on Friday instead.

I won't deny it - I don't think I'd have loved it as much if I hadn't stayed in a random apartment I found on AirBnB. After checking out the fiery dragon bearers at the street procession, having Paella, churros and gelato for dinner and catching a fireworks show, I found myself at Fatboy Slim with a group of my host's friends, barely 6 hours after having touched down in Barcelona. Needless to say, it was a good night. Chilling on a roof terrace after, watching the sun rise over Barcelona, with 4 guys - practically strangers - yet feeling completely safe and at peace, is a moment I'd like to remember as being one of the best of this voyage. Again, I am reminded that sometimes, for the best time, you have to put yourself out there, breaking away from the group and making yourself slightly vulnerable. I definitely would not have experienced the same had I been traveling with a huge SAS bunch, as much as I love them, or had I gone to Ibiza with everyone else. My Barcelona was a diverse one - Lebanese, Germans, Columbians and so many more - and it was sweet to realize that the rest of the world really is becoming a crazy melting pot, one that would be fun and easy enough to join. It was a welcome departure from the American-centric approach that still characterizes this ship, despite the nature and goal of the program.

It was so nice to see Chanelle and Laia again, and I was happy they got to meet Earlene and Alanna, and vice versa. I feel like Reedies carry a little part of 3203 Woodstock Blvd everywhere we go, and its sometimes hard to share it with everyone else: as Chanelle said, the ex-Spanish language scholar uses us whenever he wants to give an example of something weird people do in America. I was glad to see my two worlds converging, in Barcelona of all places. The human pyramids were impressive and mind-blowing, while the 30 minute fireworks show was spectacular, even as it made me cringe to think of how many jobs that amount of money could have created in the ailing economy. While, I guess the Spanish have to live up to their names as knowing how to party! I also got a peek into a typical suburban Spanish house. Not only did Chanelle 'welcome and ease' me into Reed as my Interconnect mentor, she's even continuing her job in Barcelona!!! Obviously kidding.

And of course….. Serene Leong was there!! Lucky girl gets to stay in the city I'm newly obsessed with for a whole year… I'm obviously very, very jealous. Almost missed my flight so I could stay back an extra 2 days with her but alas! rationality got the better of me. I knew the moment I stepped foot back in Sevilla that Barcelona was where my heart still was though, and 40 euro would have been totally worth it.

Nevertheless, I had a great time in Sevilla. The Alcatraz, Cathedral and Plaza de Espana are in your face stunning, and the bullfight arena tour was interesting. Since I was traveling with Steph, we also ate our way through the different Tapas joints and I must say that food is one area in which Sevilla > Barcelona, or at least, in terms of what I tried.

Cadiz was cute. It felt slightly disconcerting exploring it on the last day, since it was so unrecognizably different from the first introduction I had to it, which was full out last-day-in-port partying. On that note, I realized I really take some time to get used to being surrounded by SASsers, and I even had to take a little food breather, since it was so different from the previous days of blissful isolation. Its getting enjoyable in a different way though, I'm getting a little better at superficial mingling, and it was a fun night, even though I might have moaned about being sad that I wasn't in Barcelona….

Cadiz had the coolest watch tower, with a camera obscura. Everyone should go look it up, we loved it so much, even though our narration was in Spanish and German, neither of which I understand, because the English one would have made us late.

That's it for Spain! A country I definitely have not seen enough of, and want to hit again sometime in the very near future. Come on Canary Islands!!!!