Year in Review, 2016

Here's my 2016 in review, with pictures. I know I didn't do much blogging this year, and it's been a while since any decent updates. I'm not necessarily trying to make up for it with this post, but it is going to feature she of the pictures from my long-awaited trip to Spain, which ended up changing my life in ways I never even thought were possible. I'm also sharing what was to me the one song that *was* 2016 for me: "Faded" by Alan Walker, at the top of the post.


The year started off regularly enough. If that's even a phrase. Who cares. January was normal. New York and New Jersey were hit by a massive snowstorm, which turned out to be about the only snowfall of the year. In February I booked my trip to Spain. It had been six years since I'd been back, which many of you knew, and it was definitely needed at that point in my life. In June I took off. And that's where everything really started.

Catedral de Santiago, Bilbao

Palmetto in Beasain, Gipuzkoa

Paseo de la Concha, Donostia (San Sebastián)

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

Muelle de Churruca, Las Arenas, Getxo

View of Bilbao from Artxanda

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

And then I visited my best friend's hometown in León with her family. And she introduced me to one of her friends. Who turned out to be just the kind of person I needed in my life. More than any of us even knew. I came back from Spain, find him on Facebook, and the rest, as clichéd as it is, is history.

I also wound up with a summer job as an au pair in Castellón. So three weeks later, I was back on another flight to Spain.

Barcelona from the airplane

The family was nice enough to let me go to Sevilla for a weekend to see my best friend, who was there with her fiancé visiting.

La Giralda

So I got to go back to the city my family had lived in for about five years, and where I hadn't been since 2008. Which was awesome.

I also got to celebrate my birthday with the family, and they took me out to this historic town out in the hills of Castellón. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. ❤

Morella

And when it was all done, I packed my bags and headed to my favorite city ever ever, Barcelona. Because of course I had to.

Park Güell

After Barcelona, I headed to Madrid because my boyfriend was moving to Valladolid for work and I had to wait a few days before I could see him.

Gran Via

And then, after a pit stop in Segovia to visit a friend from college, I finally got to see my boyfriend after three obscenely long months. I spent nearly a full four weeks with him. It was beautiful.

Tudela de Duero, Valladolid

And then I had to come back to the US. Because working is important. Money is important.

Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

I found a job in Manhattan which I enjoy, and which will allow me to save up to go back to Spain. My best friend's getting married this year, 2017, and I'm going to try my hardest to get to her wedding(s).

Tribeca, Manhattan

Onward to 2017!