back in time

I'm in my comfortable bed in my little house in the 'burbs of Alameda again, but oh how I wish I could be back in Europe again.  Since I've been back, I have barely had any alone time to just sit and breathe and think about the crazy summer I had.  I've been distracted with people and places to see, things to do, delicious food to eat, and dreams to dream.  People continuously ask me how my trip was, but I can barely tell them a percentage of what I did and saw, the people I met, or the things I learned.  The best I can do is "it was great!" but I know that will never do justice.  I'm determined to continue my blog until I finish the 60 days of travel, but who knows how long that will take if I continue to be this busy.

Day 42:

Farewell dinner with the interns and Rich.  Took this panorama at the top of this fancy shmancy place in Raval where we had some champagne in cheap plastic glasses.  Meh.  The view was fantastic, as usual.  Stells arrived that night!  This marked start of our adventures together!

Day 43:
Last day of work.  It was quite hard to say goodbye, not because I got extremely close with them or anything, but because I didn't feel like I accomplished much at all during the six weeks I was there and I was leaving so suddenly.  Of course it was fine in the end - we all hugged and gave besos.  Though I don't have much to show for this internship in my portfolio as I wished, I did get to take away the "personal experience".  I learned what it was like to work in a real design firm.  with Spanish workers.  speaking Spanish and being exposed to Catalan at all times.  I also learned what interior design really entails and that I don't exactly like it as much as I thought I would.  Choosing furniture, lighting, and the material of every single detail isn't really my thing, actually.  Designing spaces is what I enjoy.  So I guess this internship helped me to clarify my passions a bit more. :)

After work, I met up with Cherilyn and my German friend, Vici to get gelato and get rained on at the beach.  Such perfect timing for a thunderstorm.  We scurried to find La Xampanyet and devoured delicious burgers and pink cava!  One of my favorite eats of my entire trip!  Chorizo, morcilla, mmm.  It was also fun getting smooshed between other españoles and foreigners and fighting to order (although we just had these Peruvian guys order our meals..!)  The Peruvian guys we met were surprisingly not creepy and carried good conversation for a good amount of time.  It was a jolly good time.  Later on, met up the posse for "last times" at our favorite places - the random bar on the way to Espit Chupitos, Espit Chupitos, and George Paynes.  Then we hit up the ghetts for some Razzmatazz.  Seven-story club was not so seven-story.  Only the first floor was open.  Drinks sucked, weird people.  But we somehow managed to make it fun anyway.

Day 44:
Slept in and waited for Fed Ex to come pick up mine and Cherilyn's luggage to be sent to Cambridge!  Spent a day shopping with Cherilyn, which was quite nice since I never actually had a day to just shop.  Bought souvenirs for friends, family, and myself; was proud to say I had not spent too much at all!  Then I realized I was pickpocketed on the metro and all the money I had "saved" was gone.  @$%&*$^!!  Oh Barcelona, how I hate and love you.  Spent the rest of the evening a bit depressed and stressed out.

Spent some time with the cats.

Day 45:

Last day in Barcelona.  Spent the day as a tourist with Stella and Cherilyn.  We went to Montjuic one last time and also went to the Olympic Stadium.  Stopped somewhere in the Gothic area to have churros and chocolate!  So deliciousssssinmytums!!!  Walked by the Cathedral, Mercat de Santa Caterina, Arc de Triomf, and Parc de la Ciutadella one last time.  I also did my last contemporary architecture "adventure" and saw this community center called Fort Pienc in L'Eixample district.  It seemed kind of dead, but it's supposed to have a variety of spaces for people of all ages - library, cinema, concert hall, conference rooms, and living space.  At least there were lively people around playing soccer and just enjoying the outdoors on scattered benches.  Gotta love people watching.  Headed to La Xampanyet one more time and ordered more amazingness and €2,20 pink cava.  Amazingness, I tell you!  Walked Barcelona one last time and then headed home.  I wanted to cry thinking about how much I wanted to stay longer in Barcelona.  My six weeks were up - did I do everything I wanted to do?  Of course not.  I could've done so much more.  But even if I lived in Barcelona my entire life, I know I would never be able to see every crevice of it.  I had my fun, my adventures, my experiences.  Living in Europe was one thing.  It was time for a new chapter - backpacking!

Ok, so there's Barcelona for you.  I promise next time I blog I'll cover what happened in Southern Spain and Madrid!