I collect moments

You know when something goes so wonderfully well, that you know you'll always be comparing all your future experiences to this one? I have a few of those. When it comes to concerts, the Dave Barnes concert I went to last semester could never be outdone: the music was perfect, I was surrounded by so many great friends, and I don't know--it was just magical. When it comes to meals, the Korean picnics my mom used to pack on day trips when I was a little girl even makes my tummy nostalgic. It wasn't just the food--it was about eating ssam with bulgogi right after swimming in the creek. And being eight years old. That situation could never be replicated.

And neither could this one. One girl had the idea to go on an adventure, asked another girl to join her, who asked one of her friends and so on until eight of us were on a train to visit some of Spain's only remaining Roman ruins. We had no tour guide or schedule. We just got off the train, looked up, saw a castle, and started hiking towards it. When we got to the top, we found a labyrinth of ruins that seriously stunned us.

But it wasn't the beauty of this place alone that made this day so fantastic. It was the way our crusty baguette lunches tasted after hiking to the perfect picnicking spot. The wind was present but polite, blowing sweet breezes that delicately brought the earthy scent of rocks and grass to our noses. And the company was lovely--just the right combination of chitter-chatter, serious-chatter, and comfortable silence.

Towards the end of the trip, I knew that my collection containing Dave Barnes and Korean picnics had just grown, and I love it when that happens.