illustration: discovering beauty in spain.

great anticipation welled up within my heart as i prepared to explore the beautiful city of barcelona and reunite with my dear friend, denny. throughout the semester i heard story after story of the beauty and vitality that the city possessed, and i was finally going to witness all that i have dreamt of for myself. the journey to spain was longer than we had originally expected, but naturally we girls came up with ways to make our journey exciting and fun...like painting nails and napkins with fingernail polish during our 3 hour wait in mcdonalds. classy.

barcelona was somewhat of a dream. our time spent there seemed to last forever, yet it passed by so quickly. with whimsical hearts we wandered the city, had picnics in the park and on the beach, played childhood games, danced freely, laughed continuously, and enjoyed the company of beautiful dreamers.

we visited the creations of gaudi and witnessed the majesty of the elements of water, color and music combined. we walked down isle after isle full of colorful produce, meats, cheeses, and crawling animals of the sea. we sipped fresh fruit smoothies, listened to the musical talents of street performers, stood in awe of the city before us, explored antique markets and all natural earthy markets, and noticed with particular admiration the green that lined the streets and gave new life to the city. we ate full and well in the city. bocadillos, churros, and patates braves filled our bellies as the love of friends filled our hearts. after many late nights, numerous bursts of laughter, sunrises, and sunsets we were forced to leave the city, but we did so with the knowledge that life was lived well, and with the best of company.