We are nearing the end of our second week in Barcelona, which means that there is only one more left to go. While we have decided to leave a day earlier, to do a slower trip back home, we still have a few things that we want to do before we go.

So far, overall, I think it would be safe to say that I have enjoyed it more than M. It’s become more and more clear that he prefers to be at home, with the open outdoor spaces, and distractions of little projects to do here and there. On the other hand, I am enjoying the apartment life, conveniences of the city, and stimulation of being surrounded by culture, activities and a buzz. Although M says he likes a city buzz, the six-year difference between us might be revealing itself more now. Just a few years ago, he was definitely craving a more active lifestyle than now.

All this contributes to our learning more about ourselves, each other, and our goals together.

Though we started out these city stays as exploration for where we might want to buy or spend a portion of our time, it has become clearer that the answer is probably, nowhere. What we were doing before–escaping to a city here or there for a period of time now and then–seems to be the more viable option for us.

Also, something I have discovered in the last day or so, since M has been away in Brussels to spend some time with his friends there, is that I actually prefer being in a city on my own. Living in Tokyo together, at the time, was good because we were both working and had our own patterns for living there. However, in both of the past two city-stays, we have been working from home, sharing meals, and basically doing most things together. As much as I love and adore my husband, I also very much love and adore my own time and space. 

In the 24 hours that he has been gone, I have managed to do quite a lot of things that I had been wanting to do for the past two weeks. 

Now, it’s not that he has in any way stopped me from doing those things, but it is in that extra step of consideration for his schedule, his preferences, and his rhythm that has caused me to hesitate doing what I want. It’s definitely all me. That doesn’t change the fact, though, that I carry this unexplainable sense of freedom and liberation in being on my own in a city space.

For example, yesterday, I booked to go to a museum experience (which M would have equally enjoyed), but then when I finished I just wandered. I did some shopping, randomly going to the places I had on my list to visit to check out clothes, souvenirs, or whatnot. Time flew by. Then, I came back to the apartment for a period of time. If M had been here, I probably would have stayed in, we would have maybe gone out to eat or ordered in, but that would have been my night. However, I decided to go out again to check out a tattoo/piercing studio that I had found. Despite some humming and hawing about whether or not I wanted to do it (mostly I needed to know the costs), I ended up doing both. The price was actually fairly reasonable, or so I justified to myself.

In any case, I got home around 8:30 PM. This is the time when I am normally gearing down to go to bed. Instead, I sat watching a TV show while eating some chips and hummus.

Also, when I am on my own, my sleeping patterns tend to go haywire. I sometimes sleep early or much later than usual. Then, I wake up at odd times, read or write, then sleep again randomly. Usually, I try to organize some activities or self-impose a tentative schedule to prevent myself from completely going off the routine rails. Still, it often surprises me that I can rather easily and quickly fall into my own spontaneous patterns.

Most importantly, I am thankful for the luxury of being able to even spend a day, let alone days, like this. To complain in any way seems spoiled or selfish. Yet, it is also the lifestyle that we have built, chosen, and desire. So, while it is not lost on me that it is a privilege to be able to go about whimsically, it is also very satisfying to be able to do so. 

So, there we go as an update on our city-stay so far in Barcelona. As I’m certain that we will not be moving here, I plan to fully enjoy our last week exploring some yet unvisited places and relaxing in the summer days.

~T 🔥🐉♋️