December 12th-14th, 2019
I spent my last day in Barcelona walking around and visiting cathedrals, eating tapas, and trying not to dwell on the fact that this was my last day of an incredible, year-long journey.
It was in Barcelona that I saw the most amazing street performance of my entire life. I was walking back to the hostel one night and in this alley way between a huge cathedral and other tall stone buildings, there was a vocal group singing. They were singing Phantom of the Opera and it was stunning. They were so good; I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing. The caliber of singers preforming right there in that alleyway was as good as anything I have heard on Broadway. There I was, right in front of them with a small gathering of other people who couldn’t help but stop and listen. Many people decided to sit down on the sidewalk to take in this incredible moment. Once again, I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude that I could be so lucky to be here in this moment.
My last night, I went to a traditional Spanish Flamenco dance show. It was not really what I expected but quite impressive. A nice way to spend my last night.
The next day I had an early morning to get to the airport on time. I was exceedingly excited to see my family, friends, and dog Sadie. There were many comforts of home that I was totally looking forward to. However, I still cried as I was packing my backpack for the last time. It was highly emotional to be at the end of this trip. A trip that most will only dream of. I got to live out the dream and it absolutely changed my life.
I flew from Spain to New York, New York to Los Angeles, and Los Angeles to Seattle where I arrived very early in the morning on Saturday. My brother was nice enough to come pick me up in the middle of the night from SeaTac airport. I got to my Mom’s house in Tacoma where they had made a beautiful, cozy, abode for me downstairs. There was food, a fire going, little lights, a bouquet of flowers, chocolate, and a new pair of slipper socks. They made it really special and it was good to be home!
