A Taste of Home for the Holidays
I apologize that it’s been so long since I’ve updated, but I was engrossed in a bit of traveling and I had a two-week stint of visitors which was quite delightful. I’m going to try to back track to where I last updated, but it feels so long ago that things will probably be more brief, as I can’t easily conjour up my feelings for the most authentic blog post.
My family came to Spain for Christmas, and it was so great to spend time with them for a week. It was nice to have quality time together as it was our first family vacation in a decade and I’m unsure when we will all be together again.
It was so comforting to be around people who know me so well. During their visit (as mentioned in a previous post), we went to the Alhambra:
The precursor statement to this photo was: "What does Alhambra taste like?"
Visited a monastery in Granada:
Me and my daddy
We also walked around the city, and saw the beautiful Granada cathedral:
For Christmas Eve, when everything was closed, we had a picnic in the hotel of bread, cheese, fruit, and the delicious Spanish ham.
We also went to Jerez de la Frontera for a vineyard tour of Tio Pepe sherry, saw the highlights of Sevilla, and went to the famous Museo del Prado in Madrid. All wonderful. Unfortunately, my camera battery died and I was not equipped with my charger, so I have no photos of these experiences.
As a young woman, and also as the youngest in family, I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the transformation of my family over the past few years. I moved to Spain, one of my brothers moved to Illinois, and how I feel when I am in the house I grew up is much different than I once did. What is “home”? Spain doesn’t feel like home. My parent’s house feels safe, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like “home” anymore either. I wonder when the next time will be that I will feel rooted to a certain place. I’m starting to believe that home is more of a feeling than a location. Being with my brothers and parents feels like home. Sharing a laugh with friends feels like home.
I have a quote taped to my mirror in my apartment, and it has become truer as I grow older.
Home is wherever you are if there’s love there, too.
