July 30 - My job is just “beach”

A day full of eating and sleeping is quite tiring but I woke up feeling pretty ready for the day. I went down to the cafe next to our hotel to grab a coffee and a small sandwich. I knew I would need lots of fuel for the day ahead. I met up with my friends and we headed out for our big plans for the day. Four of us had booked a daytrip to Costa Brava for some snorkeling and kayaking. We met up with our group at the Barceloneta beach and hopped on a charter bus to take us over. The bus ride was about an hour and a half away from Barcelona and I spent it half asleep and daydreaming.

I slept and slept until I was awoken by the tour guide to get off the bus and get ready to explore. The large group walked from our bus to the beach and I could feel the excitement building. We were able to set down our belongings and grab all the necessary equipment before hading off into the water. I had never been kayaking or snorkeling before so this was to be a new experience. Our instructor situated us with life vests and taught us the proper motions with the paddle and then we were off. We loaded into the water and started paddling. It was much easier than I thought it would be but it was certainly a workout. We spent some time practicing the motions and learning how to turn and reverse before making our way to a crevice in the water. At this little dockett, we left our kayaks, grabbed the snorkeling gear, and began exploring the water.

The water was perfectly warm and so blue at the bottom. Even without the gear on I could see wildlife around me. I put on the snorkel and swam around looking at the different types of fish around me. It was quite a gorgeous view and such a cool thing to witness. In this little crevice, I was able to swim around for a while, soak in the sun, and even jump off of the rocks into the water. It was absolutely amazing and such a thrill to be able to experience the beach in a way I have never experienced before. This cycle of kayak, swim, snorkel, repeat went on for four hours as we explored the area around Costa Brava. I won’t bore you with the details but seeing all of it was beautiful and simply the most magical thing.

Once our time in the water began to come to a close, we took our kayaks back up to the dock and returned the equipment we borrowed. We were then given back our belongings as well as a sandwich for the road. I downed that sandwich so fast because of how hungry I was. The day was so fun yet so draining. My friends and I ate and then boarded the bus back to Barcelona. I slept again on the bus ride to conserve some energy and pass the time. The day had really flown by but I had the best time out on the water.

Back in Barcelona, we unloaded off the bus and made plans for the rest of the evening. My friend Ira and I decided to make a stop at a nearby ice cream shop before making our way back to the hotel. Along the way we recapped our adventure and went into some cute local shops. The ice cream place was incredible though. It was a unique shaved ice cream that provided the perfect cold and refreshing treat after a long day in the sun. We enjoyed our treat and then went back to the hotel to decompress. I was utterly exhausted but I washed the salt off of my body and worked on my blog for a little while before climbing into bed. It was an incredible day filled with so many awesome things that I will never forget.

♡ Katie