barcelona...

so i came home from a weekend in barcelona with my roomies last night. like almost every experience here, all times are characteristically bittersweet. sweetness was found in time shared laying on the only beach i will see here in spain for two days... basking in the sun, eating scrumptous seafood at beautiful outdoor cafes/restaruants, and splashing in the Mediteranean Sea with friends and strangers. since this is europe, many of the women were topless and it was interesting to observe reactions of americanos in this atmosphere. hey, its europe! :)

some of the bitterness fell in the face that my roomate injured herself on the stairs and unfortunately had to hobble around with an overly burned shin :( another girl´s purse got stolen and my two guy friends had mad ticket complications on the way back leaving them no seat and the thought of them not being able to travel with us. after some prayer, God graciously intervened and even to the point where one spent the ride up front in first class!

this morning i was journaling about how i only had four days left here in spain. its crazy how time flies and although i've loved being here, i've also missed very much being around people who know me. i love the diversity of people in this country and place, as well as my group... but ultimately i miss those people who i can enjoy life with and who understand me. i find this interesting, b/c it tells me that no matter where i rest my head, whether in spain, or costa rica, or china, or pennsylvania, the one thing i crave the most is being known, enjoyed and sharing that with people close to me in the long term. ive thought about doing a language school here after nursing school, and i could... but not now... not yet. the weather, the atmosphere here in europe is enchanting. the cafes. the cathedrals. the nightlife. its beautiful. but its missing the people i love and that love me. i never had such thoughts on previous trips. its a nice new discovery :)

i desire to put up more pics of my trip when i get home, july 11th. until then, hasta pronto.

-cher