Breaking for Spring

Last week I celebrated my second Easter in Spain. It's funny how you start counting time by events, distant memories and holidays. This time I did it like the Romans do and headed south to Tarragona, the original Roman capital of Catalunya, a modern city with ancient ruins lining the center of the city and an evening light like no other. I also witnessed my first Easter procession, which unlike the processions in the south that are loud and emotional, is serene, quiet and one of the oldest traditions. Although I can't claim to be a practicing Catholic, I can still admit that I am genuinely moved by the traditions it continues to claim and practice. The four day weekend began Thursday night as I headed on the train to Tarragona to meet Idoia and her friends.

Friday morning we woke up when our bodies decided it was time and I treated Idoia, her sister Cristina and her boyfriend Luis to an authentic brunch with pancakes, scrambled eggs and ketchup, bacon and mimosas of course. We sat around and ate and later I treated myself to two hours of Sex in the City, in English. It was raining, I was lazy and nothing made me happier than staying in my pijamas all day and watching one of my favorite shows with my buddies. After we were done being lazy, we decided to wash off all the brunch grease and head into town to witness the procession. If you have never seen one, I highly advice it, it is moving, whether you believe or not. The ones carrying the statues, beating the drums, and wearing the masks are made up of church communities, children, women and men, young and old, and the true followers, walking barefoot for hours in exchange for salvation of their sins.

The statues are phases of Christ on his way to the cross and they are absolutely stunning. The Procession lasts almost five hours and didn't end until almost one in the morning. The beauty of it was walking through the small ancient streets, following the different statues while at the same time hearing the history of Tarragona from the group that was with me, hearing the melancholic drums beat in the distance, and seeing the countless rows of people watching the procession go by. It is a lifetime experience and to think of how long it has existed is even more awing. I wanted my parents to be with me, to have them experienced what I saw and felt since no one is a bigger believer than them.

The next day I was invited to an incredible lunch in a town near by. Reus is a small Catalan town famous for it's modernist, Gaudi style homes, and the host happened to own one of the most incredible homes I've seen. The house was from 1911, with a dance hall, a study, a stunning modernist kitchen and a tower! He treated Idoia and I like the princesses we are and invited me to return if I ever need a place to escape and write. If he only knew that I am taking him one hundred percent seriously. Then that evening, Cristina and Luis invited us to dinner so I could try their famous "cochinito" or baby pig and as a bonus, Luis, who studied in Boston for a few years, made Long Island Iced teas. I think he wanted to compete with my brunch...okay, he won.

After dinner, Jordi met up with us and we headed to a town nearby famous for its nightlife and we danced until the wee hours at a disco called Flashback. I can honestly say I had an authentic Spring break. All that was missing was the sun and beach, but soon enough I will have my fair share of sun and fun. On Sunday when I got into town, Julia phoned me to invite me to a bbq at the top of Montjuic, which was exactly what I needed after a long weekend of eating and sleeping, more eating, only this time with sun. We sat around all day, drinking cold beers, listening to chill out music played by the dj and watching people nap. It was the perfect way to end my weekend.

And so there you have it folks, yet another fun filled weekend with thrilling events, history lessons and good food. Now I am just trying to survive the rain that just won't stop, doing a bit of Spring cleaning, and patiently waiting for summer to arrive. My skin yearns for some sun and beach. All in good time, the rain is merely cleaning the streets for the summer heat.

It's My Birthday!!

Just last week, I celebrated a very big event: MY BIRTHDAY!!! okay, it really is my anniversary in Barcelona, but I can't help feeling it was a little like my birthday. Having come to Barcelona in many ways has been a rebirth of sorts, where I got to try something new, create a new life, meet new people and see what I would be like in a new world, with a different language and different traditions, routines, and faces. I have to admit to myself and all of you that it has been an amazing experience and what I have created has been surprising, fulfilling and exciting, along with scary, hard (emotionally), and challenging, but I now can say I have lived a full year in a foreign country and survived, while meeting some of the most amazing people in the world.

Unfortunately, some very important people were missing this past Friday, but it goes without saying, that although they weren't there, their names came up constantly and I couldn't help but recognize how much these beautiful faces have influenced me here, have inspired me and have cheered me up and on to keep doing what I am doing. And so in appreciation I cooked them up a meal, we drank wine, chatted and went out dancing until the wee hours of the night. Earlier that week, I had time to reflect on what I have done this last year and I am very proud that I have checked off yet another dream off my list and am still working hard on working on the rest. This I see as only a beginning. There is still so much more to conquer and experience. Time continues to pass by and I could easily see another year go by, or two, who knows and who cares, what matters is when you don't stop dreaming and feeling, both the good and the bad. Luckily the bad has been miniscule compared to the good and no one can take that away from me. As I prepared the meal on Friday and heard all those voices around me, as I watched those I have learned to easily love dance all night, I felt so full inside and so happy to have met them. They are my family and team.

And so here I am, one year later, marking my footsteps, forming new families and experiences and looking forward to what another year can offer me in Spain. Travel? Friendships that distance will never tear? Success at work and writing? Only I can define it, because only I have the power to choose and just like it is up to me to make those dreams come true, it is up to you to keep your own dreams alive and to never let the little things in life stop the big ones from growing.

No me arrepiento...has been my motto this year.