Sagrada Familia. An unfinished cathedral that almost feels commercialized to me. As if someone took the original and put a bunch of internet pop-up ads on it.
Whenever I leave the United States it is always so shocking to me how similar and yet how incredibly distinct the people in foreign countries are. Like much of America, many spaniards can be found wearing the latest hipster glasses and sporting brightly colored Nikes while walking down the street completely engrossed in their smartphones. But at the same time, men carry purses, not a single woman can be seen wearing sweat pants, and there are very few people we could even begin to categorize as overweight on an American scale.
I am writing this at the end of close to a 36 hours day (with no more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep at a time) so I don't know that I can tie my thoughts together in a cogent whole, but I think what struck me the most is how much people can gain just from understanding that different people live their lives in different ways. That doesn't mean I have to start wearing 3/4 length pants, root for my favorite futbal team, and kiss people on the cheek when I greet them. But I learn so much about myself when I wonder what I do that others consider unique.
I am very much looking forward to the next two weeks and I will try to keep you all updated on my adventures!
Overlook of Barcelona!