#lovingthisthingcalledlife

[aventurasdeespana-blog]

un poquito de refleción.

Today is Easter Sunday and it just seems quite fitting that I would take a least a small part of the day to reflect on the past few months of my life here in Granada. It is always a feat to gather the strength to a) take some alone time and b) leave my bed after a good siesta. However, today the absolutely beautiful weather seems to have conquered both those ginormous hurdles for me. :) Hehe.

I was writing in my journal today and I really wanted to share a few things that I stumbled upon while reflecting: "I am sitting here in a cafè in Granada, it is actually one right by my house that Khala, Lea, Kendra and I ate at our first night living there. It's crazy to think how much has changed and happened since that first night. Especially since we are just over the halfway mark here in Granada. . . Throughout my time here in Spain, I have had very little time to think about what God is doing here in my life and all that has happened . . . My biggest awareness is that, at times, I feel foggy. A little discombobulated with how fast everything happens here and how the time flies. It is such a fast-paced experience and I really do want to get everything I can from it, but I'm not clear on what I have gotten from it thus far. Maybe that is the point though, maybe I am supposed to be unclear until the process has completed. ¡Uf! Sitting in the in-between, the unknown. . . I am grateful for all the experiences that I have been given here and the ones yet to come. Even when I may feel insecure of my decisions and why, exactly, it is I am doing whatEVER I am doing, I am here. And the reality is just that: I am here. The rest is bound to follow . . . right? ;)"

It is such a blessing to be able to take some time off from the world and just sit and think--not OVERthink, but simply breath life in. I have to say, I have been itching for something like this for much, much too long now. :)

Vale, my stories and pictures from Semana Santa shall follow pretty closely after this little stream of updates!! besitos.

[aventurasdeespana-blog]

Sisterly love.

"A sister is a bit of childhood that will never be lost" ~Marrion C. Garrety

My sister, Charlee, just left for Paris and London and then back to the states. She got to be here for almost two solid weeks and, at times, it was just like we were 7 and 9 and fighting over silly things (like the blankets or who takes up more room on the bed . . . and it's never me, I can promise that much! :) but I had such a good time with her! She and I ended up getting to travel around Spain together, meeting amazing people along the way. It was a really good trip and really refreshing to be with someone who just absolutely gets me. 

One major highlight was going to Valencia for Las Fallas, a celebration where these structures that people have worked a full year to build get completely obliterated and set on fire. There is just a TON of fire. Everywhere. In fact, even the kiddies are allowed to play with fireworks and light them in your general direction. (That part I was not super happy about when it was my general direction . . . haha) We got there on a Friday night with my friend, Marissa, and made it time to see the nighttime fireworks display. (See?? FIRE!) We had an uber interesting adventure to get to our hostel--which was an hour by train from the city center. It was 3:30 a.m. and the next train was due to come at 5:30a.m.--UF! No. Needless to say, we took a too-expensive-cab-ride and cuddled into bed.

The following morning, we managed to hitch a ride back into the city center with a group of Italian guys. They were a little bit like our saviors . . . hahaha. We had no idea where we were. Then, after a full day of wandering around Valencia and enjoying the people, food, and drinks, we made our way to the floor of another friend's hotel room. The day of return travel was something straight out of The Amazing Race! Needless to say, we won. We made all of buses, trains, and flights. Somehow, someway, we got back to Granada in one piece!

Unfortunately, this past week was mid-terms for us all! Therefore, everyone was a bit more party-pooper than normal. We did manage to get an epic night out dancing, however. The things that occurred on that night were a Granada first, I am certain! Hahaha. I had an absolute blast taking Charlee out, though. She is a hoot and a half to dance with (as well as to just be with), but when we were dancing, she suddenly stopped and put her hand up to her nose. It was bleeding! She gave herself a bloody nose!! (I feel as though I need to re-title this post and name it: Apparent Dangers of Dancing) Needless to say, the night stopped there, but not before Charlee woke up the next morning to a horrendously sore back. She actually managed to dance until her back was thrown out. If you can't say that you've ever achieved that, I am not certain that you have actually gone dancing before. (This goes for me, too! Hahaha)

We made our way to Sevilla and around Granada in Charlee's last few days. My favorite night was last night--a Sunday night--where we started things out with a power hour at Seth and Angel's apartment. Uf. The night just continued going from there! There was dancing, defiling of window treatments/sofas/elevated surfaces/etc., and so much more. Charlee didn't make her way home until 7 a.m. (mind you, I had been tucked into bed by 2 a.m. and could do no more). She recounted her night to me this morning and I found out that she had gone from the Irish pub to a discoteca (where no back-throwing or nose-bleeding occurred, I am sorry to say!) and then, finally, home. Chica loca.

In all, I loved having her here. I am so grateful that she got to be a part of all the stories and memories that I am making here. I am also extraordinarily grateful that she got to meet all the people here that I love and cherish. Such a blessing!! (Hahaha as I write this, I am totally tearing up! "No way am I crying, there is just something in my eye!!")

besitos, guapos. :)