update #16 - time

"learn to appreciate what you have before time makes you appreciate what you had" -- Ziad K. Abdelnour

It's now been almost 8 months since I arrived in Spain. In some ways it's hard to believe it's already been that long, but at the same time it feels like I said goodbye to family & friends ages ago.

Time is a funny thing.
One minute, everything is brand new - sights, smells, food, people - and before you know it, those things have all become familiar, second-nature, and it's sad to think about leaving.

Noche en Blanco (Málaga) with some great friends

Thankfully I'm not the one leaving this time, but some of the friends I've made in the last 8 months will be leaving over the next few months and it's sad to think they won't be part of my daily or weekly rhythms of life anymore.
Sure, there's Skype and WhatsApp and email and countless forms of technology that help people stay in touch from the other side of the world. But we all know it's not the same.

Spending time with my adorable new friends

I've tried to live in the moment, appreciating each day I'm here, every interaction and conversation, all the bits and pieces of life that make up a culture. And yet, without realizing it, time slips by.

It comes and goes on its own.

It's a beautiful gift that we often take for granted.

It's something we can't control.

All we can do, really, is make the most of what's in front of us:

The people in our lives right now.

The places we are.

The experiences we can choose to have.

A quick day trip to Granada came with this stellar view

We can be fully present to what's happening now and make some new memories, share in the laughter and love of good friendships, and soak up the sunshine life is offering us.

So go forth, and enjoy today.

♥
mk

update #15 - travel: Barcelona & Girona

"travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of the experience" -- Francis Bacon

Wine & tapas in Barcelona

Travel does wonders for the soul. It doesn't have to be far. But going somewhere that's outside of your daily (or weekly) "normal" gives a refreshing perspective. 


It has helped me appreciate the many things I have here at home - community, familiarity, routine, constant sunshine (even though I'd be fine with some change in the weather every now and then ;) haha) - while satisfying my desire for adventure, change, exploration, learning something new.

Finally got to see Ally IN SPAIN!

A couple of weeks ago, I got to spend a weekend up in Barcelona, visiting a few friends, seeing a bunch of sights, relaxing, enjoying some good wine, exploring the city - and even going up to Girona for a day. It was a wonderful weekend away, a nice change of pace, a breath of fresh air, and a fun adventure!

Sagrada Familia

Exploring Parc Guell - Gaudi's house!

With just 62 hours in the area, we made the most of our time: going to the Sagrada Familia, getting a 2.5-hour (FREE!) walking tour of the Gothic Quarter, hiking up to Parc Guell (where Gaudi's house and quite a bit of his other works are), walking Las Ramblas, and even taking time to relax and enjoy some wine and tapas. 

It was an ideal time of year to go - not quite peak tourist season yet, so there weren't too many people, and the weather was great (aside from the rain our first day there)! If you have the chance to go to Barcelona, I'd definitely recommend going in late Spring or early Fall if you can. :)

Sitting outside my new favorite cafe

Our last day in Barcelona, we decided to take a 40-minute train ride north to Girona. We walked the old city wall (which provided amazing views, including the one in the photo below), went to the cathedral but had just barely missed the cutoff for the free entry, so we decided to go to a cafe my friend had recommended (La Fabrica) and fell in love with the city a little more. The cafe is in this tiny little plaza between several buildings and at the base of some ancient stairs; it was surreal and awesome all at once. The best part of Girona: everything in the old part of town is walkable from the train station! I would highly recommend taking a day to go explore Girona if you ever find yourself in Catalunya.

View of Girona from the old city wall

There will probably always be a thousand reasons not to travel

- even for a quick weekend trip -

but it's completely worth it. Vale la pena! 

Take advantage of flight deals,

find a cheap train ticket,

plan a short road trip with someone...

go on an adventure.

Your soul will thank you.

♥ mk

travel: Sevilla, Spain

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list" -- Susan Sontag


Turns out writing a blog update on a daily basis takes quite an effort. I suppose I'm not really shocked. My days are busy as ever and now trying to add one more thing to the list... Well, you know how it can be. 

So this will be a bit of a "catch-up" blog post. And one that will (hopefully) provide you with some entertaining weekend reading. :)

Plaza de Espana - Sevilla, Spain

Fridays will be my travel post days - I'm going to post pictures and stories of places I've had the opportunity to visit/see/experience as well as places I'd love to visit. I'm hoping this will be a place for you to share about places you've visited and post any recommendations you've got as well. I'm always open to read stories and learn about new places!

Since most of my blog posts have been (and will be) focused on Spain, I'd like to start the travel posts by sharing some pictures from my visit to Sevilla - a beautifully charming and incredibly historic city just a couple of hours driving from my home in Malaga.

One of the old city gates
(Macarena Wall)

Within the old city walls of Sevilla -
tiny streets & curved buildings

Back side of the Sevilla Cathedral -
the Moorish influence evident throughout southern Spain

Exploring Sevilla with my traveling
companion and best friend :)

Cathedral of Sevilla - so majestic
it couldn't even fit into one photo

My best friend came to visit me in Spain this spring, which gave me the opportunity to do some exploring of the country I'd called home for the past four months. During our stay in Sevilla, we found a place (through Airbnb) within the old city walls. Best decision! Everything was within walking distance - though it's quite a hike to get from one end of the city to the other, so plan to be out all day if you want to see it all in one day. (Also, it's hotter than you might imagine there, so I'd recommend going during the Spring or Fall, if at all possible. That way you avoid heat stroke AND masses of tourists!)

The best part about staying in the Airbnb place was that we got some insider tips on where to eat, what places needed to be on our "must see" list and where to go to see a FREE flamenco show. And BONUS: the place was right next to the old city wall, so we had a spectacular view from our room! Just amazing.

It was a bummer we only had a weekend in Sevilla to see it all, but I definitely plan on going back. There are too many sights to see, foods to try, paths to walk, and experiences to have for one weekend. So it is not a city I'll check off my list of places to visit, but one that will stay on as long as possible so that I can continue to soak up its rich culture. Thankfully, I'll be just a bus or train ride away.

If you've been to Sevilla and have places you'd recommend visiting, please share below!

♥ mk

eat like the locals

"you have to taste a culture to understand it" -- Deborah Cater

Wine & olives

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles for a week of training meetings at CRM's main offices. It was a great time - I loved connecting with other people in this organization, hearing their stories, and learning about all that God is doing in the U.S. and across the world! So, while I was in the area, I had a few free evenings and seized the opportunity to get together with a couple of friends I'd met in Spain earlier this year.

We ended up going to a Spanish tapas restaurant (called Phlight in Whittier, CA) and

OH...

MY...

GOODNESS...

I instantly missed Spain.

No offense to Spanish food, but moving to Spain from San Diego can be a little rough on the taste buds. Going from spicy, flavor-filled foods to... well... a lack of spice... made it a little difficult for me to really love the food in Spain. But I grew to like a variety of foods while I was there. And visiting Phlight made me realize that I had actually come to LOVE - and truly miss - Spanish food.

As soon as my friends and I sat down, the servers gave us a small bowl of olives - quite possibly my favorite thing about getting wine & tapas in Spain is all the fresh (and free!) olives you get.

So delicious.

My eyes poured over the menu, unable to pick just one item - or even just a few. Thankfully I was there with friends and tapas are small enough that we could order a bunch and share. :) 

Patatas Bravas w/ Aioli sauce

I ordered patatas bravas - roasted potatoes accompanied by a spicy sauce (at Phlight it was served with a spicy aioli sauce) - which is one of the spiciest dishes in Spain. I was not disappointed - they were just as flavorful and delicious as I'd remembered!

Bacon-wrapped dates
stuffed w/ Manchego cheese

But it wasn't until I tried Phlight's Manchego cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates that I realized just how much I missed Spanish food.

Oh.

So.

Good. 

Ground beef & pickle tacos

Finally, a surprising(ly delicious) item on the menu: ground beef and pickle tacos with spicy sauce. I was a little skeptical of the combination, but those chefs know what they're doing. 

Seriously.

You should try it. 

So, if you live near - or are visiting - Whittier, I would highly recommend trying this restaurant. Until then, go see what tapas restaurants are in/near your neighborhood and let me know what you find. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment - I'd love to check them out if my travels take me that way!

♥

mk