Date May 12, 2014
I woke up early to head out to the metro with Nezzy as she headed to work. She packed me a little care package for my new journey. My time in Madrid had come to an end. I was pretty sad and wasn´t ready to leave. Madrid was so amazing. I had an unbelievable time! Nezzy was mainly to thank for that. There was no way that I would have experienced everything I did if it wasn´t for her. It was so refreshing to be around someone so similar and like minded. Nezzy just gets it. She´s a traveler. She lives for moments that bring her happiness, not anyone else but her. Not in a selfish way but in a way that shows that she knows life is too short to pass any days being unhappy. I know because I´m the same. Many travelers share these similarities. We have the desire to wander. In our thoughts, in our dreams and in reality. If we get lost we take the opportunity to find our way back to where we feel we need to be. Where we think our hearts are. People have all types of opinions on why I´m taking this trip. She´s crazy, she´s rich, she´s lost, she´s etc. etc. I´m doing this for me and for my happiness. I also don´t really care what people think. You have to be at confident in the places you are in life to ignore invaild opinions. It makes me so happy to experience these cultures that many poeple stay closed minded to. Not me, I don´t believe all people are bad. I actually give them a chance until they show me otherwise. I´m not naive, I always stay aware but I don´t pass up opportunities to meet a great person. I don´t let past experiences ruin my future ones. I live for every moment that gives me purpose and happiness.
The bus ride to Barcelona lasted 8 hours and I sat next a 15 year old African boy from Barcelona. His name was Malicki (Mah-Leek-Key). He didn´t know much English at all but also said he wish he could learn. He knew a couple words but we mostly spoke in Spanish. We talked the entire time and he told me how he loves Lebron James and the Miami Heat. I tell most people I´m from Miami just because it´s the closest thing to me that people in Europe are familiar with. We talked about culture differences and how I was working on my Spanish. He, like others from this weekend, complimented my Spanish and said I knew a whole lot more than a little. It was so motivational to hear that from fluent Spanish speakers. It really makes me want to learn more. The view on the way to Barcelona left me speechless most of the trip. I just sat there and stared. Malicki laughed and said he likes beaches, not mountains. We stopped to use the bathroom at this store in the middle of nowhere but with the most gorgeous views! I still can´t get over how amazing the ride was. It was exactly what I pictured the countryside of Europe to look like. There were beautiful small towns in the valleys of the mountains with castle-like houses. I saw huge black bulls throughout the trip as well. It reminded me of the views from when I visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with my dad and nephews.