I went to church today with the daughter of one of the missionaries we (Beth-El Baptist) support in Seville. The daughter, Emily, lives in Madrid with her husband and cuuuuute kids. I waited for her at a metro stop, and as it was raining, I found shelter at a bakery/pastry shop. Of course, I couldn't resist getting a sweet treat, the smell was far too much for me! The rain started light, then gradually turned into snowflakes. It started snowing! It was quite exciting, but at the same time made me so excited to once again chase the (warm) wind south to Andalucia.
Yes, I am headed on the open road again for a week and a half in the south of Spain. I will be spending a couple of days in Granada, then, get this, to Costa del Sol at some la-dee-da resort thanks to my good friend (who I affectionately call my "big sis") Kristin. There was some spectacular deals with her time share company for Costa del Sol, so I will be staying in Malaga for FREEEEEEE for three nights and four days. Sweet! It will definitely be a change from my scrubby, dirty, backpacking hostels of the last four months (has it been that long???). From Malaga, God-willing, I'll be heading off to Seville for four days, then Cordoba for a couple of days, then back to Madrid. Swayni's birthday is on Sunday where we are having an "International Dinner" where all her student friends from different countries will bring foods of their cultures (should I bring burgers or hot dogs? haha...or I can do Filipino...ya, much better). The day before is Valentine's Day, and the girls of the apartment (who both have boyfriends in the Dominican Republic) and I are planning a girl's night of ice cream and chick flicks. Good stuff.
I'm excited for whatever adventures to come in the next three weeks. But I am so ready for home. I want my bed, my bathroom, cooking in my kitchen, reading in my garden, going to eat or to boba with my friends, teasing my little (bigger) brother about his newest girlfriend-of-the-moment, my Mondays at the movie theater with my dad, and talking to my mom as I watch her bake. =) I really want to see my SoCal people too. But that trip has to happen after I go home and recoup for a few days or weeks.
Anyway, all this has to stop sometime. There is a frightening correlation between my shrinking bank account and my ever-expanding abdomen region...haha I need to get home to my running shoes and climbing gear. Besides, I'm running out of clothes! Some of my stuff has not lasted. Either, I had to leave things behind because I keep buying new things that have to take up the room of the old things, or shirts are just simply too torn up. Or, like my boots from Bulgaria, just started ripping at the soles after treading all throughout the coldness of Croatia and Paris. And I didn't even plan to buy them! Erica was on a search for boots for forever, and we went to every boot store in Sofia. She would see something cute, but at the examination of the soles, would pass. Men are like shoes in that way, I think; they may look good on the outside, but if their souls are not good, why even bother? Ha, lesson learned.
Hasta Granada.
