After the most exhausting year of my life, but also the most fulfilling, I finally find myself with a LOT of free time on my hands, and while it seems tempting to spend it all lying on the couch watching Game of Thrones, that's not all I want to do. These feet weren't made to stay quiet, they were made to adventure and explore.
I started my holidays with a night out with my best friends. Even though I'm not at all a party person, it was lovely to dance the night away, not a worry in my mind. College parties are the best - you end up unexpectedly meeting a lot of people, and people are nice and spontaneous. I'm glad I didn't let my anxiety win.
The bad part is that the love of my life is going away for a month, and I'll miss him terribly. The things that keep me going are the prospect of my own trips this year, and thinking that one day it will be just us, a car, my camera and the road. We'll adventure together, and that dream makes this situation more bearable.
On the other hand, I'm also going to travel myself! Next week, I'll go to Cerveira, in the north of Portugal - a small piece of paradise, lost in the middle of the mountains and only a bridge away from Spain. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings, because that's what I was reading when I went there last year. No wi-fi, no TV and barely any mobile connection - it will be the perfect opportunity for me to disconnect from social media and the world, and to feel a part of nature. I'm glad I'll get to spend such a peaceful week on a beautiful place, with my books and journals, my camera and my family.
Some days later, I'll go on the most anticipated journey of my life. When I was about to enter medical school, my parents promised that if I made it, they would pay us a trip to New York! It will be my first time outside of Europe and I couldn't be more excited. There's just so many places to see, but what makes me happiest in every city I visit is observing people's everyday lives. It's so amazing to witness those moments and to wonder about people's stories, and I think New York will be a huge font of inspiration for me.
Meanwhile, before I go on these two different adventures, I'll spend this week wandering around my beautiful city of Porto with friends I haven't seen in a long time! We'll visit coffee shops and build memories, and I'm glad I finally have the time to do so.
If you have any tips on things to do in New York, please leave them in the comments!
Lots of love,
Mariana
