on pause.

given that my plan for this trip was loose, and i have no reason to stay on a schedule, i was open for an excuse to change my route. i had intended on moving on to france, but i knew that the two girls i had met in morocco, vanessa and andrea, were near alicante, and when carolynn expressed an interest on going, we hopped on a train.

alicante is about five hours by train south of barcelona. it is on costa blanca, an area of spain with white, beautiful beaches and amazing mountains for rock climbing and hiking.

when we got off the train in alicante, all of the tourist information booths were closed, so we had to navigate to find our hostel without a map. after lugging our crap (all i could think for the whole route was, why the hell did i bring four pairs of shoes?) for about 20 minutes, we made it to our amazing hostel, which made every moment of carrying twenty kilos worthwhile.

situated less than a hundred metres from the beach, it had a beautiful terrace filled with potted plants, overlooking the ocean, and with a view of a massive rock with a sixteenth century fortress built upon it. care and i actually cooked our own food in the kitchen! it is the little things that brighten up your days. for me, cooking a meal for myself, having my nails filed, using hand moisturizer, or using a foot pumice gives me a feeling of satisfaction, contentment and cleanliness that i can barely describe. pure happiness.

we sunned on the beach, slept, used the internet, read, walked... we truly paused for 24 hours. the hustle and bustle of travelling is energizing, exhilarating but also exhausting. big cities, after a few weeks, feel crowded, and you just crave a quiet evening listening to crickets. in no way am i sick of travelling, or overwhelmed by big cities, but i also want to listen to myself when i need a day off.

interestingly, alicante is a city of 300,000 people, so it is not small by any means! but, i got a good sleep in a comfy bed, a nap on the beach, and homecooked dinner on the terrace. i am one happy camper.