This past weekend, I traveled to Barcelona with a couple of friends to celebrate finishing our first class. The trip in itself came with so much excitement as I would be learning about a totally new culture and immersing myself in different foods and architecture. However, I soon found that this new culture would be my favorite that I have experienced this far.
I visited many of the famous architectures designed by Antoni Gaudi during my time in Barcelona. These included Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, and the most beautiful: the Sagrada Familia. I personally did not think I was an “art” person until I visited these places. The design and detail of each staircase, wall, and ceiling were absolutely mesmerizing. It was extremely amazing to see how much talent one can possess and how inspiring it was to see how he gave back to the community through his untouchable skills.
I saw his hard work and dedication in his buildings and it pulled on my heart strings. Antoni Gaudi’s work made me think deeper about my own life and how beauty is all around me, I just need to take a step back and take it all in. Walking through each of his designs, I made several stops to truly appreciate what I was looking at. My favorite place was the Sagrada Familia. Gaudi incorporated a myriad of stories from The Holy Bible on this church. He molded each angel, apostle, and nature piece and carefully inserted it into the church’s exterior. No picture or description can truly do the church’s beauty justice.
I spent hours walking in between pews and getting lost in the artwork. One of the things I learned from this was that you won’t really know what you enjoy until you immerse yourself completely in whatever it is you are doing. I had no clue I would enjoy art as much as I did, and I even bought the admission tickets just because it was on the “Most Recommended” on TripAdvisor. However, I could not be more happy that I did because I got to see amazing artwork and I learned one more thing about myself.
Now, the architecture was amazing, but man the food was just as great. I stopped by several of the markets in Barcelona and tried at least one of everything. My love for food serves as one of the main reasons as to why I enjoy traveling so much. It was interesting to see their take on cooking potatoes and incorporating different sauces onto different foods. I kid you not, I ate my way through Barcelona this past weekend. And to be honest, I do not regret one bit of it! As I have learned many new things and grew as an individual, it was comforting to know that my love for trying new foods did not change.
I strongly advise anyone who is ready to challenge themselves and learn more about what they enjoy to do something they normally did not picture themselves doing. I did not think I would like art, but boy I was wrong. And you know what? After trying something new, reward yourself by doing something or getting something that you know you enjoy. For me, that was treating myself with a new dessert or pastry! 