Last weekend, in an attempt to reduce our round little bellies that shake when we laugh like bowls full of jelly, 10,000 runners dressed like Papa Noel to run 5.5 kilometers  through the streets of Madrid.

We were dressed all in fur felt from head to foot but instead of being tarnished in ashes and soot… we were soaked in sweat. It's not easy running with a full beard, baggy clothes, a belt and a floppy hat!

I went with a few friends that I also joined for the Holi Run. While this race was slightly more serious, we still took it pretty easy and just had a good time jogging with the crowds of Santas and little green elves. It began at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and then looped around the festively decorated streets of the city. And of course we celebrated after with well-deserved hot chocolate and beers!

A recently travelled form Madrid to the south of Spain to meet up with my good friend Julia. We hadn't seen each other since living in Ecuador together almost a year and half ago.

She and her boyfriend Jasper took some time off from work in Hamburg and came to enjoy a little sunshine in Spain. They rented a cozy apartment through Airbnb which sat in the hills of Marbella and was perfect for cooking some nice meals, relaxing, and catching up over lost time.

My favorite day together was when we started off with a delicious breakfast spread and then travelled west along the coast to Tarifa, the windsurfing capital of Europe situated on the southernmost tip of Spain. Standing on the beach, you can look across the Straits of Gibraltar and see a clear view of Morocco just 14 kilometers away.

While it was clearly the off season, it was still easy to see that this town is a paradise for adventure seekers and laid-back hippies alike. I'm hoping to make my way back again when the weather improves.

• Being Sick. Getting sick abroad is the worst. It doesn't seem to matter if it's an awful stomach parasite, a skin infection (that I was convinced was a bot fly!), or just the common cold. You lack the comfort of home and have to deal with the issue on your own. In a foreign country. With different health care and prescription policies. No fun.

• Technology Problems. While you may say that you could live in a remote village without wifi or cell signals no problem, I guarantee you still have some technology addiction. Whether it be your camera, Macbook, iPod, etc. There is something. And when it breaks, or is stolen, or falls in the river, you feel a little lost. Repair shops might not be as accessible (especially if you're in that remote village) and the funds may not be there to buy a replacement. So you're left without the comfort of your familiar iTunes library, or easy communication back home, or camera, or Instagram, or Candy Crush... Whatever it is! Technology issues just aren't as easy to cope with abroad.

• Holidays. Now, this one is self-explanatory. Holidays, especially winter ones, are to be spent surrounded by family and celebrating those once-a-year traditions. These days abroad are when homesickness and loneliness can strike hard.

The unavoidable toe tapping and head bobbing. The bass riffs pulsating in your chest. The sing alongs, the encores, the combined energy from a crowd.

Is this what makes live music so great? I really don’t know, but I’m addicted. My last show was Tame Impala in June and I’ve been hoping to see something good since I arrived in Spain at the beginning of August.

Saint Rich

Ten days into November and I have yet to post this month's playlist. There's some great new music out right now and I have been listening to quite an eclectic mix, so it was hard to put together a playlist with songs that complimented one another.

I recently discovered that my fellow pick-up soccer addict, Alanna, has an amazing taste in music and she has turned me on to some good bands like Delicate Steve (Steve Marion) and his side project Saint Rich.

So this mix includes the soulful sounds of Saint Rich and also some garage band blues from White Denim's new album, Corsicana Lemonade. I also can't get enough of Allah-Las with their reverb-ridden psychedelic surf rock similar to the sounds of Brian Jonestown Massacre. Oh, and I cannot not mention Wild Belle - a little bit of jazz with some elements of disco and a smoky soulful voice. Simply amazing.

Listen to this mix when you feel the need to chill out with some slightly upbeat music. And if you like it, also check out August's Psychedelic Summer Mixtape.

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"I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world." - Mary Anne Radmacher

In 2009, I travelled alone to study in New Zealand. It was my first official trip outside of The United States (a cruise to the Bahamas doesn't count) and it very much changed the way I look at the world.

I saw life in a different perspective and watched the sunset over the Pacific, the snow fall during the summer, and the moon shine with different stars. Well, the same stars from a different view. And I saw all of this 8,622 miles away from home.

Since then, I have now seen the moon shine from four different places I've called home on four different continents. And each time I see it, I see it a little differently and I also see a little difference in myself.

-- This picture was taken during my second week in Spain when I traveled north of Barcelona to visit an old friend. We watched the sun set and the moon shine over the Banyoles Lake.

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photo by Alexandra

photo by Jenn

photo by Alexandra

I took this picture of a graffiti wall outside of my favorite bar in my neighborhood in Madrid. This street art is weird and beautiful and I am embarrassed that I'd walked down that street many times before even noticing the wall. This reminded me to take in my experiences and be grateful for the life I am currently living...

Life is always an adventure and everyday can be a learning experience, but you must dive into the unusual and make yourself a little uncomfortable to discover something new. I have spoken before about my cravings for the unfamiliar, but I realize I do not always have to travel to fulfill this feeling.

Yesterday, I was invited to join an improv comedy group. Acting scares me. I like to be myself and I don't want to pretend to be anything else for the entertainment of an audience. But with a little pressure from a friend, I decided that I will give it a try. Who knows what I will gain from the experience!

What unusual are you adding to your ordinary life?

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"If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello." - Paulo Coelho

This is a picture that my friend Julia and I self-timed during a sunset on the beach of Canoa, Ecuador - a place that we called home for a year.

My time in Ecuador had its ups and downs and I don't know if I could have handled it without Julia. We met very early on and became fast friends.

There were times when we had stomach parasites, times when we were robbed, times we couldn't speak the language and other times (later on) when we could speak very well. There were times when we lived easy and times when the money was tight. There were times when we just wanted to give up and go home (Julia back to Germany and me to The States) and there was a time when we were crying at the bus stop because we didn't want to say goodbye.

It's hard living in many different places because you are constantly saying [a temporary] goodbye, but it seems that a new friend always emerges just as you begin to really miss the ones you had to leave behind.

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The sun is bright this morning. It shines through the window and reflects off of every surface in my room. I can see fallen hairs starting to collect on my laminate room floor and  I make a mental note to sweep.

I look out the window, squinting at the white light. In the apartment directly across from me, a shirtless man peaks out from behind a cracked window to smoke a cigarette.

Further down on the right, a silver-haired woman in a floral nightgown leans on the rail of her balcony to watch people walking below.

I would love to get to know my neighbors, but I don't think that's very common in big cities - no matter whether it's here in Spain or anywhere in the world. Even though you live in such a close proximity compared to a suburb, it's just a different lifestyle.

My apartment here is small, but it is comfortable. I live with a girl from Ohio and another from Northern Ireland. We are all English teachers... the profession of choice for many foreigners in Spain.

There is no heat or air conditioning in the building. We have a washer (for clothes. Dishwasher? That's crazy talk.) and a clothesline strung outside the window. The kitchen is the equivalent size to a hallway, but it works. There is no proper oven, but we are lucky to have a small toaster oven.

The shower has no tub or door, so our bathroom floor is always covered with wet towels to soak up the overflow. That, however, does not bother me because we do have warm water: a luxury I missed during my year in Ecuador. We also have wifi in the apartment and a television (two other amenities that were not possible in Ecuador). The television has a very limited selection of Spanish channels, but it can be a good distraction.



My room is small and plain, but it's enough. I love reading blogs about home decor DIY and I even have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to it, but I don't see any long-term housing in my near future.

Right now, my decor is based off of convenience and functionality. I'm just happy that I am living as a local in foreign city. I could be living out of backpack in a stuffy hostel and spending my days on walking tours and instagramming famous attractions. But I've realized that I really don't like traveling. This is something that confuses my friends and family. I don't like traveling and visiting unfamiliar places, I like living in them.