When the leaves have all fallen off the trees, the air has gotten chillier as the days passed by and the sun is barely to be seen anymore – we know that winter has arrived. And even tough the season of winter brings along many wonderful treats that sweeten our days until Christmas, I sometimes like to reminisce about the incredible summer I got to spend this year. I call it the Summer of Sunsets as never in my life have I gotten to see such beautiful sunsets almost all summer long. One of the most admirable ones I got to see were in the city that has my heart – Barcelona. Not only did I fall in love with her sunsets, I did so with her entirety. The restaurants, the small cozy cafes, the unique shops with more to offer than I could ever fit into my suitcase, and of course – the night life. A city only really becomes alive when the lights go off, right? I danced through my nights in Barcelona, until my feet were wound and the sun began to rise behind the sea – all of this of course not without good company.
The memories that you make in a place will forever be there to remind you that with someone in this wide world, you share something significant with. It may be an elementary school friend, someone you met in summer camp, or in my case – someone you met in Barcelona. It doesn’t matter how long you have known a person for – sometimes three weeks is enough to know they will stay in your life for much longer than that.
Not only was I the happiest girl walking the streets of my favourite city, I was also my innermost, carefree and optimistic self. I believed that from here on, anything would be possible. Barcelona gave me the strength that I needed to look forward by purely being surrounded with its charming uniqueness.
Returning to my sunsets. I am recalling one day where I was headed back to the train station on Plaça Catalunya when a striking pink sky stopped me on the side of the road. I thought I would be in for a quick stop to take some photos, yet I stood there, on the side of the road, for an entirety of 45 Minutes. Mesmerized, I stared at this incredible play of pink and orange color that blended in with the growingly darker becoming sky. I saw the pink clouds move, constantly granting me a new view to admire.
The reason why I remember this sunset so well is my realization that the most beautiful things are right here with us, not somewhere far out where we have to look for and find them. It never hurts to stop for a few minutes to look up at the sky – keep it in mind the next time a day goes to end.
Joana
Joana Serein 