Family Reunion in Barcelona

This past weekend I got to visit Barcelona, Spain for the second time in less than a month. It is an absolutely beautiful city, with wonderful food and culture. In many ways, Spain is uniquely different from any other country I have visited. Not only because of the significantly warmer weather, but also in the mentality of the people and the ambiance of the city.

By far, the best part of Barcelona, however, was the people I got to explore the city with. My first weekend there I was joined by my mother and two of my brothers along with their respective partners. Together, we saw Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia. The architecture was distinctly unique and beautiful, and we were awed but what we saw.

While I got to learn this new city I had never been in before, I also got to learn about the people around me. With most of my family scattered around the United States, it’s hard to see them regularly and practically impossible to get nearly all of us in the same place. We all got to catch up on our respective lives while also creating new memories together. We were in the past–  reminiscing about the things and people we share, discussing the things we haven’t had time to tell each other– while also creating something all its own for the future.

Like almost always, the weekend went by far too fast, and I had to return home for classes. Lucky for me, though, I got the opportunity to come back again only a week later. This time my mom would still be there, but my final two brothers would have replaced the rest of the gang I had seen the weekend prior. Though tired from a long week, there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to see my siblings.

This time we had even less time together, but it was filled just as well. We walked along the water, enjoyed delicioius food, and caught up while we went out for drinks. Some people don’t like their family, but mine has always been on the same page. The same sense of humor and love of discussion runs through all of us. I’m on the plane home now, and I already mourn the loss of the people who get me no matter what. It was truly another unbelievable weekend.

After two weekends of Barcelona family fun, this is what I have discovered: doing nothing can be the most wonderful, exhilarating thing in the world if you do it with the right people. For me, my family just so happen to fall under the heading of “the right people.” And for that, I feel so unbelievably lucky.