2015 Resolution. Check.

It seems that I make resolutions on a weekly basis. Because I am ridiculously hard on myself (as even my Fluent City French teacher pointed out during my third class), I’m always picking things out that I should do better and things I should stop doing. “Always be a work in progress” has been a quote on my Facebook profile since college. But last year for my *official* 2015 resolution, I chose something that wouldn’t make me feel bad about myself and wouldn’t make me question my past mistakes. The resolution, the goal, was to explore 15 new places during the year of ’15.

Madrid, Spain | My Favorite Bar in Madrid, No Bull

Earlier this year, multiple people asked me if I would be attending a bullfight while in Spain. “Of course not!” I’d say, vehemently against the barbaric killing of animals for sport. So color me surprised when I fell in love with La Torre del Oro, a bullfighting bar in Plaza Mayor, Madrid. This bar did not have live bullfights at the bar, as that would have been muy peligroso, but was rather a place where people who love bullfights could gather.

Global Bites without the Flights: Spanish Paella at Socarrat

When the spring came this year, I was missing two things: Spain & my friend Kat. In order to kill two birds with one stone, Kat and I got together one night to eat paella at Socarrat. We’d been talking about this restaurant for years and though she’d been without me, this was my first experience. There are three locations in Manhattan – Chelsea, Nolita, and Midtown East. Kat and I met up at the Midtown East restaurant on 2nd Ave between 50th & 51st and were seated on the upstairs balcony which made for a pleasant environment to enjoy our dinners – my ninth official entry in my Global Bites without the Flights series.

Spain | An Art Nerd in Spain

Avid readers of this blog may know that I am somewhat of an art nerd. It all started in the ’90s when I would go to “Art Goes to School” with my dad while he talked about different paintings to my sister’s classes. It got really bad when I started to wear a red French beret everywhere I went (for visual proof of this, check out this post). While I know some people avoid museums like the plague when they travel, seeing my favorite artists’ work is often a big draw for me when traveling. If you feel the same way about art, here are some of the best spots in Madrid and Barcelona to get your fix. And if you don’t feel the same way about art, hopefully this post can inspire you to try it out anyway.

Madrid, Spain | A Rainy Photoshoot with Flytographer

I’ve been a fan of Flytographer’s work for while now, since two of my travel buddies (the World Wanderer and Lola) have had some amazing experiences with them. Flytographer is a company who sources local photographers in over 130 destinations for personal, candid photoshoots of you, your family, and friends, enjoying your travels. My family has not had a professional photoshoot in quite some time (I’m the littlest one):