Carpe Diem

Another day, another adventure!

A friend of mine told me the other day of a Latin expression he lives by: "carpe diem quam minimum credula postero," meaning, "seize the day believing the minimum is tomorrow." I decided to take his advice (thanks, Filippo), and seize each moment this weekend...

Today a few of us went to Retiro Park to walk around and enjoy the sun, and later to a rooftop patio of a hotel in the center of Madrid. It had the most incredible view of the city, so I ordered a cappuccino and sat down to admire the scenery. It was completely idyllic, the kind of moment you imagine and dream to have in Europe. It made me realize that I take moments like this for granted--I don't mean that I don't appreciate them, but rather, I think they pass by too quickly, and they're gone before I remember to put my phone down, look around, take a breath, and just be present. (Don't worry, I snapped a few photos before actually putting my phone down!) After all, isn't the point of this adventure to immerse myself in all things Spanish and get away from the banal routine I have waiting for me back in Lafayette Hill?

This weekend we went to Andalucía (Córdoba and Granada, specifically). My Spanish girls and I walked through the cobblestone streets of Córdoba at night, laughing our asses off over everything, (and nothing that made sense). We stood in a garden of orange trees that gave off a sweet, citrus-y smell I had forgotten about from the last time I was here. Still, my favorite part of the weekend was revisiting the Alhambra. I'm not typically a fan of site-seeing in its truest form, tour guides and everything, but this is one of the sites I consider the exception. The Alhambra is an open-air building which allows the sun to get in everywhere, and we lucked out and had the perfect sunny day, so I got to enjoy every bit of it to its maximum.

I crave the sense of contentment I feel while I am here and in my element. While everything isn't always perfect, there is something to be said for the kind of independence that comes with traveling abroad. I love coming out of my comfort zone and I find it exhilarating to get lost in a foreign city and learn to find my way around. It is sometimes hard to adapt to a different lifestyle, but I'm up for the challenge. I know that it will only prepare me to find my way around at CU Boulder and help me embrace a new kind of lifestyle. There are all kinds of changes coming my way, some scary, some exciting, some completely foreign, and some that I can't even imagine right now. But whatever it is, I dare myself to welcome these changes by being patient and present, open-minded and ambitious, unconventional and fabulously feral, and maybe even raise some hell while I'm at it.

Madrid through my eyes... lovin' what I'm seeing', lovin' what I'm drinkin'

a taste of Córdoba through stained glass windows

enchanting Granada- even in the more touristy areas, the city has so much charm

the gardens at La Alhambra. completely breathtaking, even in the dead of winter

besos con mi amor, Sara

here, instead of the expression, "every brunette needs a blonde best friend," they use, "every blonde needs a blonde best friend." Here is mine :)

more fountains under blue skies at La Alhambra

Zach and I admiring the view...

....and the view we were admiring

a peek through the Renaissance architecture of the gardens

windows to peek through, views to behold, sun to bask in

a pano of more of the same, but too beautiful not to post

being a little sassy 

views on views on views

my blonde Spanish best friend 

the perfect spot for a picture

reflecting on my favorite moments in the reflection of my favorite part of La Alhambra

tres chiquitas hangin' out in the mosaic

one of my favorite parts of the Alhambra, it brings in the most light

too many beautiful views...

"mis novios," the brothers of some of the Spaniards

El Retiro Park

the view from the rooftop patio mentioned above

my Spaniard, Laura and I overlooking the view

Madrid in my eyes

the group of girls who spent the day together at Retiro Park and the rooftop deck

lotta love for lex

classy and a little bit sassy

we've known each other since we were babies, lived down the street from each other our entire lives, but become friends in two weeks in another country... Mark Twain once said, "I have found that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." 

"here are the dreamers, the naive, the ones who believe in the strength of the words." This was in the library of famous philosophers and authors in Córdoba.

this isn't even a painting...just looks like one

picking oranges off the trees in Córdoba

...we could only pretend to eat them

Aday, Claudia and I

to give y'all a taste of the Spanish architecture...not to be believed

artisans creating boxes, backgammon boards, and more from scratch