O, Valencia!

I sang that song a lot this month - ok, listened to it in my headphones as I bopped along in what seemed like an eternal state of happiness because, hello, I'M IN SPAIN! Spain was like this weird fever dream of a place; I never once felt like I should be anywhere else. It was the first place that I felt like I could live for a longer period of time. While other cities would lure me in for a few months, I feel that I'd sooner than later get bored and venture off. But Spain? Ah. It could turn into a long term relationship.

I took this week to work and explore and attend some fun events. Sadly, I didn't get as many photos as I normally do, but I'm hoping that a fun little project I'm working on will make up for that at the end of the year.

This week I:

• designed a fun hoodie for Remote Year that was printed and given to us later. It was frustrating because I wanted it to be amazing and perfect but we ran into some printing issues and it didn't end up being what I wanted in the end. But still, people seem to like it and I am possibly too much of a perfectionist sometimes, so, whatevs. (pics to come later!)
• attended an awesome blind tasting with almost half of the group. We had to taste a bunch of wines and then say what flavors they tasted like, what they paired with best, and see how fast we could drink each glass. Just kidding, that last one was only me. We got second place!
• went to some club where I have fabulous video of someone buying 30 green shots and dancing. But I won't put that up here yet. 
• worked from the beach on the hottest day I've experienced since Morocco or Portugal, only not dusty and not miserably sweaty. It was 74 degrees and I was in heaven. I wore a tank top and shorts to the beach and laid in the sand with no blanket or towel and just *AHHHHH* soaked it all in. It was so nice. Then once my friends pryed me from the sand, we worked from this awesome little cafe restaurant on the beach. 

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La Mas Bonita, Valencia, Espana

• went to a drag show! Where we understood hardly anything, because most of it was dialogue and/or jokes about local things that we didn't relate to. But Claire (our program leader who's from there) had a blast. 

• went exploring over the weekend and did a ton of touristy things. Visited la Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias, which was suuuuper cool...

• walked around, just taking it all in, letting it hit me that I actually live here...

• was pure savage.

• tried the best croquettes that I've had at the Mercado Central; the chef owns a restaurant in the city that's super well known (Michelin star, possibly?) and this was my version of not dropping $100 on his meal. But Dang, worth it.

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• had an early night in after hanging with Jason at a few bars and went to an awesome tapas place - you go up to the counter, pick whatever you want, and then pay per toothpick that's on your plate at the end. OM NOM NOM this was only one round. 

• Took a looooong bike ride to Albufera with a few remotes and our city manager, which was AWESOME. So glad I stayed in on a Saturday night to do it! We went to the beach and to a pier where boats actually go out to Barcelona if people want to hop on. It was incredibly windy and the ride there was far easier than the one coming back. We biked around 30Kish total, and Nandita broke 2 bikes. Hahaha. It really was no big deal - we all enjoyed the breaks taking in the beach and sights. We just now know that she's cursed. ;)

• rewarded myself (and so did everyone else) with the best paella I had in Spain. I wasn't a huge fan of paella to begin with, but this one was pretty good. Could've been the calories that I had burned, could've been the awesome decor. Either way, win. 

Surprisingly, I didn't leave the place I live in this week! IT'S A MIRACLE. But next week? That all changes. Until then...