For however much I love and belong in a city - nothing can compare to the calmness that pours over you as you walk along empty, dusty, forgotten country roads. As I sat in a pasture, with cows and goats in the distance, I would like to say I was able to gain a glimpse of what true peace is.

But first - how did I get to this place... Almost nine months ago, my friend, Jennifer, and I decided that graduation would be the most amazing time to take a long vacation to rest and rejuvenate our school weary minds. So three days after our May 20th graduation, we boarded a plane to Madrid for a five week tour of Southern Spain and Italy.

After a few days in Madrid, we headed to the beautiful Sevilla where our slight mistake brought me to the field... The first night in town we stayed in a nice hostel right in the heart of the city. It was in close proximity to the Church and, on that particular night, to a parade that wound itself across around and down the town for hours. Our beds were in a large room tucked behind the stairway of a very old home. We were resting and getting to know our roommates when a cockroach scuttled across the floor. With great skill, Jennifer grabbed a shoe and made quick work of the insect. A few minutes later another one was sighted as we heard a growing raucous in the lobby. Apparently, a nest of them had been upset in a neighbor´s house sending hundreds in every direction. Every where you looked there were three more roaches in various stages of death. This, however, was not the mistake. In fact, with in an hour or two the creatures were gone and life continued on.

The first hostel, being in such a great location, was a bit pricey and we made reservations for one further out. As our bus got further and further from town, we began to worry that there had been a mistake, but, as it turns out, the hostel we reserved was not in Sevilla at all. It was about 30 km away in a different Medieval town called Carmona. Oops. But when we arrived at the hostel, all disappointment and concern faded into the background.

The hostel was located next to the main church on this little narrow road of white-washed Medieval homes. Our little dorm room overlooked the pristine pool in which I spent many blissful hours. The first morning there, after breakfast and before Jennifer woke up, I decided to go for a nice stroll. Because it was such a small town, a two minute hike down a cliff brought me to miles and miles of pasture and farm land. Real Spanish countryside where olives and oranges grew and horses roamed free. There were no other people, let alone tourists, around to ruin my peaceful moment. Now we are in Cordoba enjoying the weather and uniquely Arab sights.

Yours,
Heather