October was a fun month filled with so many animals (including a transhumance of sheep), veggie tapas, treats, and ended with something bittersweet, moving out of my boyfriend’s apartment. 

Celebrating Spooky Season

I kicked off Spooky Season by hosting a Hocus Pocus 2 watch party at my boyfriend’s apartment while he was out of town. The movie was a feel-good, girl-power movie, perfect for a girls’ night in. After finding some cute ghost lights and hanging bats, I enjoyed doing some minimal spooky season decorating. I even found the cutest bat pillow which may stay out all year long.

For Halloween, I dressed up as the Queen of Hearts and my partner was the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. We made our costumes on Saturday a few hours before a costume party. It was my first time doing a couple’s costume and I think they both turned out great! Some strangers asked to take pictures with us so I take that as a sign they thought the costumes were pretty cool too! 

A Day Trip for the Holiday

We had the second Wednesday of the month off so my friend and I took full advantage of the day to go hiking in Cercedilla in the North of Spain. It was so beautiful and a nice little escape from the city. I saw cows, dogs, horses, and even a donkey. It was a super fulfilling nature fix.

Being Sick Sucks

I was sick for about two weeks and had to miss some work which sucked. I was trying to tough it out but ended up with an ear infection and had to go to urgent care. Mistakes were made which inspired me to write some tips about going to the doctor in Madrid. Being sick for so long was just another reminder about how important it is to not only listen to your body but respect it. I love working out and being active but I’m still learning my ever-changing limits. 

Too many Tapas

Then we had two of my favorite events in Madrid. One of my all-time favorite things to happen in Madrid is Tapapiés. Tapapiés is an annual 10-day tapa festival. I made a vegan/veggie guide for 2022 and I think I tried about 20 of them.

Transhumance of Sheep in Madrid

The second event is transhumance when the sheep walk through the center of Madrid. It was my third time seeing the sheep but this time in a new location. It was really cool to see all the sheep, but the street was so wide where I was that the sheep kept turning around. I have never seen them do that before, but they all eventually made it through the city safely. 

A few months ago I made a new Instagram account for this blog and when I posted the reel about the sheep it really blew up compared to my little following (for my 75 followers I got about 12.2k views on the first day!) I also made a longer video for YouTube but I’m still not very used to making YouTube videos although I’ve been making and editing videos for fun for more than 15 years. 

Moving Out

I finished the first term of my master’s program and it went super well. I am learning so much and am grateful to have decided to do this program. The second term has proved to be a lot more work but I’m enjoying the challenge.

These days, I’m just moving my stuff back into my studio apartment from my boyfriend’s apartment. It’s been really bittersweet to move back to my own space. It was my first time living with a partner (even if it was temporary), and we both really enjoyed it. I had been living with him since May when I started subletting my studio apartment for the summer. 

Although I love socializing, I think I am an introvert at heart. I really thrive after I have had alone time to rejuvenate. When I moved into my studio apartment, I really wanted the experience of living alone after living only with roommates or my family. I am so proud of the fact that I have my own space that I love so much. Moving back in was such a weird feeling like no time has passed and the apartment welcomed me back as if I had never left. I love this independence and being alone while still not feeling lonely. I’m grateful to have this experience and to live nearby people that I love.

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