Today caught me by surprise. I went out last night so I expected today to be a lazy day with a bunch of water and naps. I was too out of it to set an alarm for class this morning, however, somehow my body woke itself up at 8:47 this morning and my Geopolitics class starts at 9. Perhaps it was because it is my favorite class as well as the Professor is by far one of the most interesting people I have met here; a great guy that I hope to stay in touch with when I go home. Anyways, I jumped on my bike and sprinted across town and got there at with 29 seconds to spare. A few girls presented their project on the geopolitical state of Africa which was very intriguing, especially after realizing I knew a lot less about Africa than I thought. You're probably wondering what was so special about today aren't you? Ok I'll tell you. So after class I have the most beautiful bike ride home; the weather was absolutely perfect, it put me in the best mood. When I arrive home my host mom asks if I want to go paddle boarding with her out on the sea (Mediterranean). OF COURSE I WANT TO GO STAND-UP-PADDLE-BOARDING ON THE FREAKING MEDITERRANEAN SEA!!! So we go down to the beach in our little bike/scooter/skateboard gang (Kevin rides his skateboard and Andrea and Sergio ride their scooters). Kevin, my roommate, holds on to the back of my bike while I pull him along the boardwalk. It was something straight out of a movie. His last final exam was today so it was bittersweet. I'm going to miss the kid so much. I promised him I would do a road trip out to Minnesota to go spend a few days with him at his lake house; sounds like paradise to me. We suit up in our wet-suits, run across the sand, jump on our boards and paddle out (also something you would see in a movie). It was breath taking being carried away by the mediterranean current and looking at my city from a totally new perspective. I came home and FaceTime'd Morgan, my Mom, and my Dad because I was in the best mood and just really wanted to be contagious.
I just got back from the best afternoon walk I've ever had. Casey, my other roommate, and I walked over to Parque de la Ciudadela and sat on some steps sipping on some Ice Tea and munching on the Spanish version of sour cream and onion chips. We watched a bunch of locals playing round-robin style table tennis games. Outdoor table tennis is a really big thing here. Everyone brings their own paddle and balls in these fancy cases, cracks open a beer and just plays table tennis for a while as if life wasn't already perfect enough here...We relocated after a while to another bench where we watched a guy tap dance on a stage inside a gazebo as his friend made various beats on a tap drum to match the sound of the tap shoes. How cool is that?? I never want to leave the most unique city on the planet. We relocated one last time to a bench next to the Arc de Triomf and watched a couple of guys on their roller blades skate through little cones spaced out a few inches apart. These guys were so talented, but for them it was just a hobby to do after school or after work. All of the things that amazed me today about this city were completely normal things for everyone else. It just put everything into perspective for me. As I told my mom earlier, I wish there was some way I could repay her and my dad and my Grandparents for letting me experience all of this, but it is a priceless experience that I will never be able to thank everyone enough who made all of this possible.
....Ok I have to go eat now, dinner is on the table now. I'm trying black rice for the first time. It's a typical Spanish dish where the ink from the squid in the dish makes the rice black.
Peace and Love my friends,
B
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