Jelly Untethered

06/24/2026

It's nice having friends with travel perks. 😎

Only my second time ever in a VIP airport lounge, and I have to admit... I'm feeling a little bougie.

They also have a robot roaming around. I'm not entirely sure what his job is, but he appears harmless. For now.

We'll see how things go when the Skynet servers come online and he decides to go full Terminator on everyone. 🤣

If things take a turn, I'm hoping Sarah Connor is somewhere nearby and ready to save us all.

Until then, I'll be over here sipping free cappuccinos. ☕️

06/23/2026

06/23/2026

Today we did absolutely nothing. 🤣

We stayed in, relaxed, and decided it was simply too hot to be tourists. Sometimes the best travel days are the ones where you don't feel obligated to do anything at all.

Around 8pm two of us ventured out to pick up takeout from a local Middle Eastern restaurant. They also had ho**ah, which was pretty cool. We brought the food back to the flat and proceeded to eat enough food to feed a small village.

Kibbe, falafel, rice, Greek salad, hummus, babaganoush, three different kinds of baklava, and a kadayif. No regrets. Maybe a few regrets. But mostly no regrets.

A little later, around 10pm, I decided to go for a walk, alone. I stopped at a local dispensary, picked up a joint, and headed down to the park near Sagrada Familia.

The place was alive.

Locals were everywhere. Playing fútbol, smoking, drinking, laughing, setting off fireworks, and just enjoying the evening. It wasn't a tourist attraction. It was simply people living their lives, and for some reason that always feels more special to me than any monument or museum.

I actually tried recording a "walk with me" video but got choked up halfway through. So I stopped.

A week ago we accidentally found ourselves in the middle of a 700-year-old Corpus Christi celebration in Valencia, watching a parade that has been taking place for centuries. Tonight I was sitting in a park in Barcelona watching locals celebrate Sant Joan with fireworks and friends. Tomorrow is the official holiday so everyone is celebrating tonight.

None of this is lost on me.

I know I joke around a lot, but moments like these hit me hard. The older I get, the softer I seem to become. Twenty-five-year-old me would never believe forty-five-year-old me would be sitting on a park bench in Barcelona getting emotional over people playing soccer and lighting fireworks to celebrate the upcoming holiday that I know nothing about.

Yet here we are.

Tomorrow we leave Spain and head to England.

Incoming fish and chips. 🇪🇸➡️🇬🇧

06/23/2026

When you put on your shirt and feel something irritating your skin and find one of these little guys who intends to never let go. IYKYK

HAL don't play when it comes to their laundry.

I swear I have found these months later! Sometimes more than one. I am getting better about pulling them off when my laundry is returned.

06/23/2026

Last day in Barcelona before we fly to England. We have to eat all the food and drink all the alcohol we have. So I have volunteered to start early!

Bottle of champagne is compliments of Holland America and I just never drank it while on board.

Breakfast of champions. 🏅

06/22/2026

Walk with me....

Inside la Sagrada Familia, the tallest church in the world that has been under continuous construction since 1882.

The pictures do it no justice. The colors were much more vibrant in person.

06/22/2026

Today, me and two other pretty ladies finally toured the inside of Sagrada Família.

I had already walked around the outside a few times, but seeing the inside was a completely different experience. The stained glass windows were incredible. As the sunlight pours through them, the colors spill across the floors, walls, and columns. I took far more pictures than any reasonable person needs.

The church itself is pretty impressive too. Construction began in 1882 and, somehow, they are still working on it. Imagine having a project deadline that stretches across three different centuries. 😳 It is the tallest church in Europe and the projected finish date is 2036, or whenever "God provides".

We also successfully navigated Barcelona's metro system again without getting lost, ending up in another country, or accidentally joining a protest march or cultural parade. Yes, both have happened.

After the church, we found a local tapas restaurant for lunch. Lots of small plates, lots of good food, and thankfully no one judged us for ordering whatever looked good and hoping for the best. That's become a recurring travel strategy.

After dinner we wandered as a group for a bit taking in the sights. I squeeled with glee everytime I saw a dog being walked. Why? Because while I don't miss my job, I miss seeing dogs every day. And today I saw so many cuties; pomeranian, dachsund, chihuahua, french bulldog, border collie, whippet, chow chow and my favorite, a beagle. ❤️ I just love hound dogs with their long floppy ears that are soft as velvet.

Eventually I was tired and wanted to head back. The other ladies were feeling more ambitious than me so they decided to carry on exploring. I hopped on the green L3 to the blue L5, and walked two blocks to our flat.

Tomorrow is our last day here before we head to England to visit a friend we met on a ship last year. Our trio will become a quatro for a day or two before we disband and go our own ways. Then it's back to solo travel again for me.

No real plans for tomorrow yet, but that seems to be when the best adventures happen.

06/22/2026

Prior to coming to Barcelona I was warned that locals really don't like the tourists and to anticipate being harassed or treated poorly.

I wasn't too nervous considering I try not to behave like the stereotype others have of Americans which is loud, rude and zero social awareness. I really do try to blend in as much as possible.

I also try to speak the language of whatever area I am visiting. At least know how to say, hello, good bye, please and thank you. I think attempting is appreciated despite most everyone I encounter speaks English, as well as at least two other languages.

Any who...

This morning I went out for a cappuccino and did experience some dirty looks. Including this one gentleman who just kept staring at me, judgingly, while I sipped my cappuccino outside the café.

Just kidding! So far I have not encountered anyone being rude. Besides this cutie. ❤️

06/22/2026

Me trying to keep up with my two friends who are taller than me. 🤣

We compared step counts last night.

Heather is the tallest and she had the least, then Fawna was a bit more, then me. I had the highest step count. Because I am the shortest, I have to take 1.5 or 2 steps to their one.

We were all hanging in our bedrooms this morning when Heather sent us this reel. 🤣



https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYkqufaMiP1/?igsh=MTU2Y2s0NG1wc24yeA==

06/21/2026

I lied. I wasn't done. I went back out. 🤣

Our flat is only a couple of blocks from Sagrada Familia, so I grabbed my joint, a bottle of water, and headed out for a little walk around 9 PM.

The temperature had dropped, making it much more comfortable, and the crowds had thinned out as well.

I wandered around the church, smoked, took some photos, called my family to say hello, checked in with a friend, and then found a bench where I sat for a while and simply people-watched.

My friends stayed behind and relaxed at the flat.

At this point, I have become so comfortable with myself and with being alone that it almost feels more natural than being around other people. Not that I don't enjoy friends and good company. I do. I love my people. But after being solo in life for the past few years, I've learned to embrace the solitude and not yearn for companionship.

I told someone that recently and they said that was sad. They thought it meant I had given up hope. My thoughts: Given up hope for what?? For a better life? Would having a companion give me that? What if what I have isn't broke? What if it doesn't get better than this? What if I add the wrong person? The risk is pain and/or disruption of my peace. Is it worth the risk? 🤷‍♀️

I've learned to love spending time alone with myself. I don't need another human to enhance my experience. A dog would be nice though. 🤣🐕 Enjoying life with friends is great. But I am happy to be alone as well.

After a couple of hours, I decided to head back.

No idea what's in store for tomorrow, but that's part of the adventure. I'll figure it out when I get there.