returning

coconut yoghurt: check
panini's from opposite mercantil: check
breakdancing attempts in the church: check
spanish breakfast - pan catalana with jamon: check
a walk to the old city walls of Badajoz: check
flan: check

hmm see how important food is to me?! haha!

Last weekend in Badajoz was really great, i felt immediately at home and it was great to catch up with friends and like i said before, feel like i've never been away. I've been to a lot of places over the years but there is something very... satisfying/relaxed about returning to a place. Exploring new places is fun, but not having to stress about how to get somewhere/where to stay/walk without a map etc is nice for a change!

The last few days staying with Holly and Darby in small towns outside Sevilla and then a couple of nights on Helen's sofa (a sofa i know very well!), and drinks in the Alameda and by the river (in the sun!!!) with both old and new friends has been a continuation of chilled, comfortable catching up and enjoying each other's company. I am so blessed to have these friends here!

I think there's something of a relief about feeling that i've already done the hard work of settling into a place, i've gone through the akward, getting lost, lonely times and now i can be here and enjoy some of the fruits of that as it were. Also there's less pressure to like certain things or fit in because it's not my home anymore. Maybe it's for this reason that i feel more comfortable speaking spanish than i did when i lived here, even though i haven't really spoken it for about 10 months... because i'm putting less pressure and expectation on myself. hooray!

And then there was the wedding, last night, which was the primary reason for this trip. But that's for another post when i've uploaded photos. Suffice to say it'll be hard to beat!!