As some of you may know, a few weeks ago I wrote out a bucket list for things I want to try to accomplish this year. One of the items on my list was to go on a spontaneous trip without making any plans. And that is what we did. My friend and I got in the car and hit the road.
We ended up driving down to Port Aransas, Texas for the weekend and had a blast at the beach (which was also on the list). Part of why it was such a fun trip was living moment by moment without feeling pressure to move onto the next activity purely because it was "scheduled".
So, here are 5 reasons why I think everyone needs to go on one spontaneous trip where no plans are made:
1) You are able to fully embrace each moment for what it is. The clock now really has no meaning. If you wanted to sit in lawn chairs next to the beach for hours, you can do it. The ticking of the clock to remind you it will end soon, is no longer a factor. You can stay right at the shore all day if that's what you want to do. What a beautiful feeling.
2) Expectations of how the trip is supposed to be like completely vanishes. When plans aren't made and you choose what you do when you feel like it, it leaves you stress free with total freedom to change your mind at any point. We have all been there when we make vacation plans months in advance and when the time comes to actually go, if those items do not come to pass, there is somehow a sense of frustration and disappointment. Isn't the point of a vacation to relax and enjoy what you're doing with good company? When expectations are gone, you really can only go up from there.
3) It helps us give up control. We live in a world where we NEED to know what we are doing, when, where, and how. Sometimes letting loose and giving up control helps remind us it is the simple things in life that matter.
4) They create for some good memories. Because plans and schedules are not made, it leaves room for the unthinkable to happen and those are the memories that will keep us talking for years to come. Those are the stories worth telling. You may be reminded of these times when someone starts a sentense with, "Remember that one time...".
5) It is not the trip that really counts, it is who you share life with. Some of the most memorable trips I have taken have been with family and friends who hold a special place in my heart. Of course the places and things we have seen and done are memories I cherish, but it is the people that really hold value to those memories.
I encourage you to let go of control and just go. The sooner is always the better. There is nothing more freeing than getting in a car with some good friends, popping in that mix cd, and get on the way to your next adventure.
I want to officially apologize for the amount of pictures that I am about to post. I hope you don't mind. But because you are reading this and spending the time to look at all this and what not, I shall give you a great song to listen to while you are reading about my adventure abroad.
You're welcome.
So, some of you may know that I went to Barcelona this past weekend. Some of you may not have known that. Either way, now you know.
Thursday morning, my good friend Leah and I woke up at 4:15am and began our journey to the north to Barcelona. Our flight left at 8:00am and we arrived in sunny Barcelona around 10:30am. We made our way to our Ikea hostel and then began our exploring.
Here is proof that we survived our first RyanAir flight.
Our first stop was Park Guell. Neither one of us knew what we were getting into, but I am glad we didn't. I love surprises. At first we hiked up this steep hill and when we arrived, we were given the best view of the entire city. Please take a look.
We were serenaded by street performers the entire time at the park. It was awesome. If you know me, you know that live music is one of my all time favorites, so it was just the cherry on top.
After that, we went back down to the city and explored a little bit more downtown. We saw some more of Gaudi's famous architecture. Here, take a look.
It is cool to see different style buildings. I kind of liked it. Barcelona is very different than Sevilla; not in a good or bad way, just different. To me, it feels a lot more European than Spanish.
After exploring some more, we decided to walk to the harbor to see the water, but by then, we were exhausted and decided to go to the grocery store to buy our food for the weekend and to settle in for the night. Leah and I had an awesome time painting nails, watching stand up comedy, and just being girls. I have really missed girl's nights.
In the morning, we went straight to the Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction for the past century. Gaudi started to build it and towards the end of his life, he focused solely on the Sagrada Familia. It is so incredibly different than any cathedral that we have visited thus far. It was amazing. You walk in and all you see are rainbow colors everywhere on the crisp white-ish interior. It is so "modern" compared to the other cathedrals in the country. I can't do it justice and pictures won't do it justice eithe, but it will just have to do. Please, enjoy. I know I did.
I absolutely loved it. Leah and I spent two hours there and we could have easily spent more. I can't wait to see it finished because when all the stained glass is put in, my oh my it will be absolutely breathtaking. And get this, on the top level, there is seating for 1,000+ choir singers. Can you imagine? Sitting in a rainbow filled cathedral hearing 1,000+ voices singing? Oh my word, that sounds awesome. We also climbed the towers (which was a tad scary) and saw the cityscape which was so awesome. I could talk all day about this place, but to spare you, I will move on.
After the Sagrada Familia, we decided to go up to the Olympic Stadium, which is on top of another hill. You can bet by this time our feet and legs were definitely letting us know that we were abusing them. But alas, we went on.
The olympic stadium is a lot smaller than we had expected and honestly, it seemed pretty deserted. There was a concert being set up in the stadium, but it wasn't anything too extravagant. I did like visiting it though. This is my third Olympic stadium. I am pretty proud of that, not gonna lie.
It was really fun to visit. But like the rule of gravity, what must go up, must come down. The same rule applies for climbing hills. So, we took the metro up to the top of the hill, but unfortunately, we had to climb down the hill. It was pretty because it was sunset and all, but still. By this time, we were definitely feeling all the walking. At any rate, we made it to the bottom and got ready for the Magic Fountains in the center.
The Magic Fountains are in Plaza de Espana. We got there around 6:00pm and decided we needed to sit and maybe get a Sprite or something (we all know I am absolutely addicted to Sprite). So, we were walking around the plaza and noticed that there was an abnormally large amount of people on one side of the street. Of course, curious one that I am, we walked on that side of the street to see all that was going on. We realized it was for an anime convention. I have nothing against anime or anything, but it was quite interesting to see the way that everyone dressed. I think I will leave it at that.
We went back to the Magic Fountains and there were so many people there ready to watch the show. Basically the fountains light up and change according to music that is playing. It was absolutely wonderful.
That night, we went back to our apartment and decided to cook some pasta. It was super exciting. A little back story, I decided that in my small backpack that I took with me to Barcelona, I was going to bring my head lamp in case we were faced with sudden blackouts. You never know when light will suddenly be gone. We must be prepared at all times. Do take note that my lovely friend Leah was very skeptical of my packing list (cough my head lamp cough).
Low-and-behold our power goes out in the middle of our cooking session. So, here is proof that I am a superhero and saved the day (in my SNU gear of course).
It was awesome.
The next day, we checked out of our hostel and decided that our last morning would be well spent if we went to the beach. So. We did. It was such nice weather too. We put our feet in and relished in the fact that we were standing in the Mediterranean Sea. No big deal.
It was a lot of fun and really relaxing. I just have to pinch myself everyday. Seriously.
After that, we decided to explore more of the city and it eventually brought us to this huge market. It had every type of food possible. We bought pineapple for $1euro. It was awesome.
Our next stop was the Barcelona Cathedral.
Wow. It never ceases to amazing me how intricate and enormous these places are. We also went to mass at the cathedral that night. It was such a learning experience.
After mass, we were hungry and because we were already checked out of our hostel and couldn't cook, we decided we were going to treat ourselves to some great food. So, we went to Hard Rock Cafe. I mean, who wouldn't go to the Hard Rock Cafe? We bought BBQ bacon and cheese hamburgers with fries and ranch. I haven't had ranch for 9 weeks. I nearly cried from happiness. You think I am kidding.
That night we had to go back to the airport which was quite the chore. In short, we were going to take the $5.75 euros airport bus that night but we couldn't find the bus stop. Go figure. So, we asked one of the city bus drivers and he said the airport bus doesn't run at night. We were so confused because we could've have sworn we understood the times on the sign. But we trusted in the bus driver.
We shouldn't have trusted him.
We got in a cab and knew that it was going to be pricey, but we had no choice, right? As we are driving to the airport, we see the airport bus at the bus station getting ready for a trip to the airport.
Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.
We paid $25 euros. We're not bitter. I promise.
But seriously. Come on.
At any rate, we were there at 12am and our flight left at 6am. So, we listened to Hamish and Andy on their new app to kill time and it was awesome.
We arrived home at 8:30am and I finally crawled in my bed at 9:15am. It was glorious. Whoever thought flying out that early was smart, is not smart at all (aka me).
I had an amazing time with Leah and I am so incredibly blessed to have a wonderful friend to travel with. Honestly, she is awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better person to travel with.
The Lord is stretching me in so many different ways, but I shall save that for another post.
Oh man. We serve a wonderful God. I love it.
A couple little facts.
1) Here they call granny smith apples, Granny Smith Apples. Love it. Best apple I have had here in Spain. Beautiful.
2) I love that my Spanish name has an accent. So, taking this picture was extra exciting.
3) I miss you all. I am excited to see you and hug you and to hear all about your lives. I love being here though, not gonna lie. I just wish you could share all of these experiences with me. Seriously, how fun would that be?
Well hello there. So glad you are here reading this blog.
But in all seriousness, I do appreciate you taking the time to read about my adventures here in Europe. It means a lot.
Now I shall share with you some news. Brilliant.
This week has been a crazy week of classes and I've been trying to get into the rhythm of a consistent routine and not stay continually scatter brained and exhausted. The whole staying out late and not taking siestas is really kicking my butt. Seriously. But all-in-all, I am really enjoying my classes and professors. It is a great atmosphere here.
Today we all went to Malaga which is a beach town on the Mediterranean that is still in Andalusia. It was awesome! Perfect day to go to the beach. It is also the birthplace of the one and only Pablo Picasso, no big deal. We left early this morning, caught the bus, and were on our way to another adventure.
We started the day off with going to the Pablo Picasso Museum where we were able to see some of his works in an old palace that has been converted into a museum. It was awesome!!! Also, while they were turning the old palace into a museum, they discovered some ruins underneath the building. No big deal. Some of the things they were finding under the palace dated way back to the 6th century. They now have it open as an archeological exhibit. I wasn't able to take pictures inside the museum but here are the ones I was able to capture.
My Ticket.
The Entrance to the Museum.
After the museum, we walked around Malaga to see more of the beautiful city. It is cool because the city has ruins all underneath the floors and they are continually (even to this day) finding these beautiful landmarks. We were able to see a 200 b.c. Roman amphitheater. It was so crazy to see! Here are some photos.
Part of the Roman Ruins.
Me in front of the Roman ruins.
After we walked around town a little bit, we were then able to see the Cathedral of Malaga and tour the inside. Oh my word, it is absolutely gorgeous. Little known fact about the Cathedral, which is also called "La Manquita" (One-Armed Lady), it only has one tower. The reason for this is (or so they say) instead of building a second tower, the money was given to America for their independence. Apparently, we owe Malaga a second tower. But anyways. I will let the pictures do the talking.
My Ticket.
Side of the Cathedral.
Inside of the Cathedral.
That huge canvas is made out of elephant hide
The two beautiful organs that echo the whole cathedral.
The cathedral is massive and words cannot describe how amazing it is. I loved going and learning about it. If you ever get a chance to go into any cathedral, please do. It will be worth it.
After the cathedral we all had free time. So what did I do, you ask?
I went into the Mediterranean Sea. Yes. You heard me right.
Malaga is right off of the Mediterranean Sea so we couldn't pass up the opportunity to say that we have been in it. Here are some photos from that excitement!
First thing we see when we get to the sea.
I'm in it!!
That's me.
So, that basically sums up our trip to Malaga. It was beautiful and sunny and had the most perfect weather. I love my friends and getting to experience all of this with them has been such a blessing. :)
