Lazy Thursday

Sometimes when I sit down to journal, I don't know what I'll end up talking about. Sometimes I'll end up writing things down I didn't even know were really on my mind, but I guess it turns out they have been. No matter what I end up writing, though, it feels good to just put it on paper (o en la pantalla, rather). So yesterday I got a text from Rachael that just said "Favorite thing you've done today?" That's what I love about Rachael. We haven't talked in a little while, and she could have said something more average like "Miss you, let's Skype soon" or something, but no. She's always on the go, doesn't dwell on things, and she'll be the first person to turn your day around. My day was so-so, or at least I thought it was, but when she asked me that, I realized I had a great answer and it didn't even occur to me that it had been great. I said, "laid on a bench in a tank top and read!" It's the first week of February and the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and I lay next to a 16th century building that is my school, on a path lined with palm trees, in a tank top, and read Eat, Pray, Love. If that's not a great thing to do in a day, I'm not sure what is. 

Other great news for the day? Emily and I spent hours on hours staring at our computer screens, attempting and re-attempting, and FINALLY successfully arranging a trip to Budapest and to Prague in April, during our second week-long break from school. Now I just need to figure out how to skip a week of school to travel through Italy....maybe reading Eat, Pray, Love while I'm abroad wasn't such a good idea, I might just do what she does and drop everything for full-time travel!

I also got a wonderful email from my aunt, it was so good to hear from her. She told me she was saving her old cookbooks for me for when I got home! This obviously made my stomach growl, thinking of the decadent meals she prepares on a whim. And when I started thinking of that, I thought about experimental cooking with Dad at home...so then I thought of the pictures I took over Christmas with my new camera!

All from a Spanish-inspired dinner night... roasted vegetables, white asparagus, Crema Catalana. Everything but the famous mac-n-cheese, that is. Let me just say, this must be the gourmet version of the meals I'm used to here in Sevilla. Never have Cristina's roasted red peppers looked like this. As much as I miss the comforts of home, it's all going to be there for me when I get back. This time away is just adding to my life experiences, its not taking anything away. Sometimes I just need to keep that in mind when I remember how delicious dad's macaroni is, or how much I love taking baths in Nan's luxurious jacuzzi bath tub. This is a time to be doing something different, and if I don't take the time to notice what's good-- like that I could spend my Thursday afternoon reading in the sun-- versus pining over what's not at my finger tips right now, I know I'll miss out on something awesome. And now I'm going to get off the computer, and I'm not going to get back on all weekend. It's time to go experience something new.