Hello all! Can you believe I've been here almost a whole month?! A lot has happened since I last wrote, so here are a few highlights:
First, a life update! For those of you who haven't heard, I have officially accepted my offer of admission to Smith College School for Social Work, and will be starting my Master's in June of 2019! I feel so lucky to get to be a part of such an outstanding program, and to also have this year to travel and explore before embarking on a new career.
Given that I now have a full 14 months (!!) to travel, this is my official request for you all to COME VISIT ME! I have almost no set travel plans; however, I do hope to be in Europe through the end of summer, then Southeast Asia through the end of 2018, and South America for the first 4-5 months of 2019. If you have plans to travel that could potentially overlap, let me know! My schedule is flexible and I would love to see all of you!
I also plan to come back to California for a couple weeks over the holidays, so hopefully I'll see some of you then too :)
Now for some highlights from my first month in Barcelona!
Baila Baila Baila!
A couple weeks ago, I went to a Cuban bar with some friends from my house. The bar offers free Salsa and Bachata dance classes starting at 9:30pm every weekday, followed by open dancing until 2-3am (ah, Spanish time!). For those of you who know how much I love to dance, this probably comes as no surprise: I LOVED IT.
I love that there is a culture here in which men and women of all generations go out and dance together. In the clubs, you'll often hear Salsa and Bachata rhythms interwoven with top-40s songs (or better yet, Salsa/Bachata remixes of top-40s songs) as people of all ages and abilities flock to the dance floor to show off their moves. I love that anyone can ask anyone else to dance, regardless of how they look, their age, or even their level of ability. When I dance with men who are better dancers than me, they often take it upon themselves to help teach me new moves. While it made me a little uncomfortable at first, I quickly got used to dancing with strangers - I think there's something so beautiful about connecting with another person in such an intimate, yet fleeting way.
Dancing at El Cubano
I've also had my fair share of... less great dance partner experiences. As a musician, it absolutely drives me crazy when my partner cannot dance on the beat. Unfortunately, women don't lead (trying not to let my inner feminist overthink that one...) so when this happens, I have to go with it. Sometimes, it's really hard to go with it. One time, my partner led me to the dance floor, only to realize he could not locate the rhythm. To his credit, he didn't begin to dance off-beat - instead, he just waited. And waited. And waited. We must have stood there, motionless, in the middle of the dance floor as other couples spun and twirled and flew around us to the beat of the conga drums, for nearly half the song. After a few false starts, we finally caught the rhythm. But not before I almost exploded with frustration at not being able to just yell at him, "It's one, two, THREE!"
I also had the one guy who hummed (loudly, off key) directly in my ear the whole time. And another who felt the need to count out loud for the ENTIRE song... But for the most part, I've been so impressed with all the amazing partners I've had who have taught me how to dance!
I've been back to El Cubano probably 6 times already. I've also been to a few other salsa/bachata/kizomba bars, and they're all awesome. Many of them will have an instructor-led group dance every 30 min or so in which everyone dances in-sync for a song or two while an instructor leads moves (kind of like Zumba!). I'm kind of obsessed. I've actually been out dancing 4 out of 5 nights this week... and those of who know my grandma tendencies understand that staying out till 3am on a weeknight is NOT my style. But I can't help it... it's SO much fun!
Dancing.
Dancing.
More dancing.
Los Bunkers de Carmel
On a particularly gorgeous Friday afternoon a couple weeks ago, a few friends from my Spanish class and I decided to take a little excursion to Los Bunkers de Carmel, the site of anti-aircraft defenses during the Spanish civil war, and also one of the best viewpoints over the entire city.
View from Los Bunkers de Carmel.
After an hour-long bus ride that turned into a a full-city tour, we hiked up to the top of the hill to take in the breathtaking view. This was my first bird's eye glimpse of the city, so it was pretty cool to see the layout of the land and take in a different perspective on los barrios I've been exploring on foot. After enjoying a leisurely picnic, we headed down the hill to grab a café at a small tapas restaurant at the base of los Bunkers. That's another thing I love about Spanish culture - the emphasis on leisure! They even have a word, sobremesa, to describe the leisurely conversation you enjoy while sitting at the table with after a meal is over, in no rush to leave or sign the check. As my dad always says (Hi, Dad!), "there is a value to pleasure in life". The Spanish certainly seem to live by this principle!
Picnic with a view.
New friends from Italy, Brazil, and Russia!
La Tormenta
One Monday afternoon, I decided to go on a run (after 2 weeks of my exclusively jamón & manchego diet, it was time!). Just as I started out the door, I noticed some dark gray thunder clouds inching their way toward the city. Overly optimistic, I set out for my run anyway, only to get caught in one of the most magnificent thunder storms I've ever witnessed. In less than an hour's time, dark and ominous thunder clouds gave way to a double rainbow, which melted into a fiery orange sunset. I arrived back at the house entirely soaked and completely mesmerized. The pictures speak for themselves:
Here are some more tidbits from my first month here. Enjoy!
The house cat.
Friends from the house!
Feels like summer here in Barca!
The statue of Cristobal Colon (Columbus) can be seen from miles away.
Enjoyed a barbecue on our rooftop terrace!
View from our roof at night.
The spread.
The library of Catalunya is pretty spectacular.
Library of Catalunya courtyard.
Cathedral of Barcelona at night
Basílica Santa Maria del Mar
Fountain at Plaça de Catalunya at night
Trying out a new look