Tibidabo

I'm pretty sure Monj and I are turning into a married couple. Either that or a mother and child. Our relationship is only growing stronger (and funnier) as we learn to work together to get everything done the most efficient way here in Spain. For example, today we went to Mt. Tibidabo for a day trip and took care of each other as best we know how. I packed a backpack to carry our lunch and our giant shared water bottle. She acted as main navigator with the map. Last night we planned the whole thing out together- figuring out what streets we had to take to get to the metro, what turns were next to find the tram after the metro and how much it cost for a funicular ride to the very top.

Once we got to the amusement park at the top I was sure I wasn't going to do any of the rides. The views of Barcelona below were beautiful and I was content with sitting in the shade and people-watching overlooking a cliff. But Monj pushed me to go on a roller coaster (for the first time in my life!) and there is no way I would have done it without her sitting next to me. It was a blast! Even though I felt sick afterwards she took me to the shade to eat our sandwiches in peace and we were both proud that I did it! As cheesy as it sounds, we're having once in a lifetime moments almost every single day here and it feels good to share that with my best friend. It helps that our Spanish is más o menos the same level and we do our homework together, too.

Yesterday we went to Mar Vella, a less popular but more beautiful beach than the overcrowded Barceloneta. More than 80% of the women were topless so I decided to join in, too. Swimming in the Mediterranean naked is just one of those things you can't do in the States. I finally persuaded Monj to do the same (after a lot of coaxing) and she ended up loving it even more than I! We swam far out in the freezing cold water and laid on our backs, suspended by the salt and looking up at the perfectly blue sky. Sometimes it feels like we're on vacation here and sometimes I can hardly register that we even left the States and we're halfway around the world.

The only thing I've noticed that I dislike about Europe/Spain is the amount of smokers! As far advanced as the Europeans seem to be with living a healthy lifestyle: exercising regularly, eating well (eating smaller portions), using less energy- I still cannot believe how many people smoke. We cannot escape it. It constantly smells like cigarettes and our allergies/headaches are wild. There are no limits as to where you can smoke, either. The beaches, restaurants, school, inside stores and homes all smell like tobacco. We are lucky to be living with a non-smoker though and we feel our new home is a haven away from the smell.