My Time Abroad is Winding Down...

Hello, Mallorca:)

...And so am I!;) After a relaxing time spent on the breathtaking Balearic Island of Mallorca over the last weekend in May, I have successfully stayed in Madrid for quite possibly the longest consecutive amount of time since arriving in September. WHOA! To say that this year has been a whirlwind is a complete understatement. Despite how much I have seen over the past ten months, I know I will ALWAYS be bright-eyed, lusting for more traveling, exploring, and enriching experiences. The world has far too much to offer to stop dreamin' now!:)

That being said, although there are still many things I would love to do and see in Europe in the future, my last full month in Madrid has put me into an 'overdose-on-tapas-and-sangria-and-shopping-and-sunshine' kind of a mood. And so I will (and have)!!:)

A little slice of paradise:)

Of cooooourse...I could be checking off more of my 'travel-to-do's' instead...I could be dining on the London Eye and waving to Big Ben in the capital of the UK. I could be eating kebabs to my heart's content in Istanbul. I could be in Greece, marveling at my long(but not lost) dream island of Santorini. I could be drinking Guiness in Dublin. I could even be in Austria, frolicking through the fields of Salzburg while singing ‘The Hills Are Alive’. But I feel BEYOND BLESSED to be in MADRID, cherishing my last few weeks of teaching and Spanish life before hitting the ground running for my last epic adventure in Europe (for now;)) before heading back to the homeland.:)

…Some corny reminders…:)

Among many things I’ve learned this year, I’ve also learned it’s not just about seeing the world, it’s about experiencing it…and experience I will for many years to come!:) A wise man once said…

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones that you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”-Mark Twain

I fully intend on applying this ‘dare to dream’ message to many more things in life…not excluding travel.:) The adventures have just begun, people!:)

But before ending this one, STAY TUNED for one last hoorah to sum up one heck of a year with none other than my dearest sister, Miss Kathryn Brown!:)

Next Stop: CROATIA-->BUDAPEST-->PRAGUE!