That time of the year.

İf i tell 12 year old Zeynep that she will be spending her new years in Spain, she wouldn’t believe it.

This time of the year, when the streets are busy with people shopping, snacking in coffeeshops or going out for dinner buildings decorated with colorful christmas lights it’s hard not to see Spain as aliving, breathing organism.

This time of year too, I had a lot of opportunities to explore about Spanish culture. It was interesting to ring in the new year at a temperature of 25 degrees.

Doce uvas.. A Spanish tradition in which people eat one grape with each chime of the clock bell to welcome in the New Year.. On New Year’s, people traditionally eat grapes in hopes of a lucky year. As a result, I followed this Spanish custom. I’m hoping it will bring me good fortune.

During the Christmas season, I also had the opportunity to sample typical Spanish Christmas desserts.

This year i met the most broken version of me, but also the strongest.  2021 was a difficult year in the beginning. I spent the beginning half of it in a deep depression and mourning. I filled my time with distractions such as traveling and overworking to fill the void. It was the year I changed my working life, made new friends and caught up with old ones. It was a year of celebrations and reunions, and realizing that there is a life worth living. 2021 was the year of finding a new normal, whatever that means. Please be better 2022. Wishing you healing and peace fort he upcoming year. I can’t wait to see what awaits me.